Barristan Selmy
Barristan Selmy, called Barristan the Bold, is the Lord Commander of Daenerys Targaryen's Queensguard, a veteran of the Kingsguard under five kings, and the de facto ruler of Meereen after Daenerys's disappearance. His arc in A Dance with Dragons is defined by his struggle to reconcile his rigid knightly honor with the ruthless necessities of ruling a besieged city, culminating in his decision to depose King Hizdahr zo Loraq and prepare for war.
Identity and Background
Barristan Selmy is a knight of the stormlands, a man of the Dornish marches, who has served five kings: Aegon V, Jaehaerys II, Aerys II, Robert I, and Joffrey I. He was dismissed from the Kingsguard by Joffrey Baratheon, an act that drove him to seek out the true king across the narrow sea. He found Daenerys Targaryen and became the first knight of her Queensguard, a role he takes with absolute seriousness. In Meereen, he is often mocked by Daario Naharis as "Ser Grandfather," a taunt that underscores his age and his perceived irrelevance in a world of sellswords and pit fighters. He is acutely aware of his own aging, feeling the aches in his knees and back from the long climbs up the Great Pyramid, and he reflects that he has failed every king he served: Jaehaerys, Aerys, Robert, and now perhaps Daenerys. He is determined not to fail her again.
Life and Plot Trajectory
After Daenerys flies away on Drogon from Daznak's Pit, Selmy is left in Meereen as the highest-ranking authority. He is immediately put aside by King Hizdahr zo Loraq, who replaces him as a personal guard with pit fighters like Goghor the Giant and Khrazz. Selmy is relegated to training his "orphans," the sons of freedmen, in the arts of chivalry. He spends his days drilling them with blunted swords, hoping to create knights worthy of his queen. He is deeply troubled by the peace Hizdahr has made with the Yunkai'i, a peace that requires Daenerys to open the fighting pits and tolerate a slave market outside her walls. When the Yunkish envoy Bloodbeard throws the severed head of Admiral Groleo at the king's feet, Selmy sees the peace shatter. He begins to suspect Hizdahr of complicity in the poisoning attempt at the pit, noting that the king urged Daenerys to eat the honeyed locusts but never touched one himself.
Key Actions and Objectives
Selmy's primary objective is to protect Daenerys's city and her people, the freedmen. He is approached by Skahaz mo Kandaq, the Shavepate, who proposes a coup against Hizdahr. Selmy is deeply conflicted, knowing that deposing a king is treason, but he is convinced by the evidence that Hizdahr is either the Harpy or the Harpy's puppet. He agrees to the coup on the condition that no harm comes to Hizdahr unless his guilt is proved, and that no children are harmed. He confronts Hizdahr in his bedchamber, demanding to know if he is the Harpy. When Hizdahr calls for his pit fighter Khrazz, Selmy kills the younger, faster man in single combat, a fight that reminds him of his true purpose: "the dance, the sweet steel song, a sword in my hand and a foe before me." He takes Hizdahr prisoner, but the coup is immediately complicated by the news that the dragons Viserion and Rhaegal have been loosed upon the city.
Relationships and Conflict
Selmy's relationship with Daenerys is one of deep, paternal loyalty. He sees her as a "bright shining child queen" and is determined to protect her, even from herself. He disapproves of her love for Daario Naharis, seeing it as a dangerous passion that could lead to ruin, just as Rhaegar's love for Lyanna Stark did. He is at odds with Daario, who mocks him as "Ser Grandfather," and with the Shavepate, whose brutal methods he finds dishonorable. He is also a figure of authority for the Dornish prince Quentyn Martell, whom he warns to leave Meereen before Hizdahr can use him as a scapegoat. When Quentyn ignores his advice and is horribly burned by the dragons, Selmy is left to cover his body and arrange for his bones to be returned to Dorne.
Change and Ending
By the end of the novel, Selmy has fully assumed the role of the Queen's Hand, ruling Meereen in Daenerys's absence. He convenes a council of the city's various factions—Unsullied, freedmen, Dothraki, and even the former pit fighters—and prepares for war against the Yunkish siege. He orders a beacon to be built atop the Great Pyramid, to be lit as a signal for a coordinated attack. He sends the Dornish knights on a mission to treat with the Tattered Prince, hoping to buy back the hostages. He is a man who has been forced to become a politician and a conspirator, roles he never wanted, but he accepts them as his duty. He stands alone on the terrace, watching the sky for a sign of his queen, and wonders if he will live to see her return.
Narrative Role and Evaluation
Barristan Selmy serves as the moral compass of Daenerys's court, a living embodiment of the chivalric code in a world that has little use for it. His perspective provides a contrast to the cynical pragmatism of Tyrion Lannister and the brutal ambition of the sellswords. His arc in this book is a study in the limits of honor: he must learn to lie, conspire, and kill in order to serve a queen he believes in. His decision to break the peace and prepare for war is a tragic necessity, a choice between his oath to the king and his duty to the realm. He is a relic of a bygone age, but his stubborn adherence to his principles makes him a formidable and tragic figure.
