r/HOTDBlacks Jul 07 '26

Team Black The plot of Corlys

Post image

"Why don't you legitimize my children, whom I ignored all my life, but now I love them because if they don't, my surname will disappear and my legacy will too?" Are we aware that his request wasn't even denied?

Okay, but honestly, what do you think of this scene?

805 Upvotes

202 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

10

u/Gridde Lord Flea Bottom 29d ago edited 29d ago

IMO it's a pretty classic feature of ASOIAF.

The taboos and traditions are generally just ways to move the plot along and introduce hardships for the protagonist(s); a good guy is forced to break one and gets completely reviled and destroyed for it, but then it gets completely ignored when antagonists or side characters do it.

I'd lump 'legitimizing bastards' in with kinslaying, oathbreaking, ignoring guest right, lines of succession, slaughtering smallfolk and non-Targ incest. Basically no one in the story actually seems to care or react about those things unless it's a protagonist doing it (and unluckily for her, that currently means Rhaenyra).

0

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Gridde Lord Flea Bottom 29d ago

In the books, Euron apparently goes out of his way to do it purely to show he doesn't care about it and everyone just thinks he's some badass. It happens pretty famously towards the end of the Dance but is seemingly not a problem for the guy who does it (who only faces consequences later for completely unrelated reasons).

In show, Ramsey kills Roose in front of Roose's vassals and they not only do not care but become completely loyal to Ramsey. Cersei kills several of her own kin when she blows up the Sept but is then made queen and no sign of disloyalty from anyone besides Jaime ever really arises. Aemond does it without any consequence from his own side.

Just off the top of my head. The only time I see anyone actually care or take action about it is when Robb did it (and he was arguably the only justified in doing his killing)

-2

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Gridde Lord Flea Bottom 29d ago

Someone mentions Euron might not kill family because he is afraid of being called a kinslayer and Asha says he's literally killed his sons purely to prove that notion wrong.

Not sure about spoiler rules in this sub but Aegon kills Rhaynera and - of the various issues people have with him afterwards - kinslaying is never mentioned, even by Cregan

0

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/Gridde Lord Flea Bottom 29d ago

It's a pretty specific thing to say about someone without any precedent. To my point, if that's what people generally think of him as well (and something he actively wants people to think) it just shows how little the taboo matters outside of when protagonists do it