Underrated Character Challenge: Mance Rayder

I've thought long and hard about who to make this blog about and I came up with a couple of names. I really would have liked to do it on Edmure, because I think he is heavily underrated, but many people seem to agree on this, so I don't know if I can still call him underrated. At least he's talked about a lot. However, someone who is not often talked about and too is heavily underrated is who I ultimately chose to do this blog on:

Mance Rayder

I feel people don't really give him credit for what he has achieved. It's not that people talk him down or anything, many people just forget that he even exists. Sure, we talk a lot about our favorites and how great they are, but even when talking about underrated characters, Mance is pretty much never mentioned. Why? Because he's a wildling? Because he's not part of the war for the Iron Throne? Because he lost to Stannis surprise attack? Or is it just because people don't think he's that great? If it's the latter, let me tell you why you are wrong (in my opinion)!

Great sword fighter

When people list the greatest sword fighters or do a poll on who would win in a sword fight, Mance is almost never mentioned. Now granted, he's not as good with a sword as legends like Arthur Dayne, Daemon Blackfyre or Barristan Selmy, but he absolutely trashes Jon in a sparring fight in ADWD. Jon is shocked and surprised how fast and skillful he fights. Here again, Jon isn't as good with a sword in the books as in the show, but I'd say he's at least above average, which would make Mance a very skilled swordsman.

You also have to consider that Mance didn't have the same training as other fighters out there. Most if not all of the people we regard as the best swordsman have received training in swordplay since they were little children by a skilled master-at-arms at one or the other castle. Mance only received the basic training at the Night's Watch, which, seeing the state of the Night Watch, I would say is of a lesser quality than training at a proper castle. But even if he had the same quality of training, his talent can't be denied. He didn't only defeat Jon in a one on one fight but also three contenders to the title of King-beyond-the-Wall who couldn't be convinced through words or threats to follow him. All of whom would have been experienced raiders or fighters if they could claim the title of King-beyond-the-Wall. More about that later though.

So that's the first point where I see Mance as underrated.

Skilled deceiver

We know Mance to have infiltrated Winterfell on two separate occasions, once when King Robert visits, back in AGOT and once when the Boltons hold Winterfell to rescue "Arya Stark"/Jeyne Poole.

On the first occasion he hears of King Robert's visit to Winterfell through sources in the Night's Watch and wants to see this southern king for himself as he is already King-beyond-the-Wall and plans on attacking the Wall. Since he visited Winterfell before when he was still a member of the Night's Watch himself, he was under threat of being found out by anyone ing him, e.g. Ned or some brother of the Night's Watch that accompanied Benjen on his visit to Winterfell. He was King-beyond-the-Wall after all and as such a famous figure among the rangers, with some of them possibly knowing how he looked like. Granted, Mance deserted the Night's Watch around a decade ago, so he would look different, but someone might have still recognized him. So he either new how to disguise himself well or is simply a good actor.

On the second occasion Winterfell is held by the Boltons and is under siege from forces loyal to Stannis Baratheon. Mance and six spearwives managed to infiltrate Winterfell prior to the start of the siege claiming to be camp followers. Now here it is less likely that he will be recognized by anyone as all the people who might have seen him visit Winterfell the first two times are likely dead, with the exception of Jeyne Poole, but it is highly unlikely that a teenage girl would have even payed attention to an old singer during King Robert's feast and recognize him now when she is constantly afraid and is not paying attention at all.

However, the castle is still under siege and with all the killing and fighting going on inside the castle itself, everyone is in a state of paranoia, suspecting enemy agents behind every corner. Yet still Mance manages to execute clandestine operations within the walls without being found out for the longest time. Because who would suspect the singer to be head of a spy ring? In the end he still might have been caught, depending on whether or not you believe the contents of the Pink Letter, but he managed to go unnoticed for at least a few weeks during a very volatile situation in a castle full of enemies.

Cares for his people

Another thing people don't usually credit him for is that he is one of the few leaders who actually cares about his people. Pretty much all of the other leaders we get to know only care about themselves and their close family and friends without wasting a single thought on all their followers. The exceptions to this can be counted on the fingers of one hand: Edmure, Jon and maybe Ned. And Mance. He didn't strive to become King-beyond-the-Wall out of vanity or some need for glory, no. He wants to save his people from the Others who attack and harass their villages seemingly every night. He wants to get them south of the Wall to safety, so the children can grow up without fear and his people won't be slowly eradicated. That's what was and is his primary motivation to become King-beyond-the-Wall. Which brings me to my last point:

King-beyond-the-Wall

I feel most people don't understand how hard it is to become King-beyond-the-Wall and how great of a feat it is when someone manages to do so. The wildlings are a violently libertarian people, who cherish their personal freedom above everything else and thus the despise the "kneelers" south of the Wall who they see as having no freedom and voluntarily giving it up. They don't call themselves the Free Folk for nothing. They don't have states, nobles, kings or even a set of laws that are universally valid. Instead they are split up into hundreds of different clans, tribes, cultures and villages, each adhering to their own set of rules and customs. Even when they are part of one of these clans, tribes or villages, they are free to go wherever they please and another group under a different leader if they so wish.

For all these different groups (who often hate each other) to band together and accept one single person as their king, this person has to be really great. Charismatic, a good fighter, a good diplomat and many things more. The simple fact that in the 8'000 years since the wildlings exist (since the Wall was erected) there have been a total of six Kings-beyond-the-Wall (five if you count the brothers Gendel and Gorne as one) prior to Mance should tell you how difficult it is to all the clans together. That's not even one king every millenium! So for one to accomplish this he has to be truly remarkable!

Even so, it took Mance YEARS to unite all the Free Folk. Some followed him willingly, with others he had to gather from clan mothers and magnars. He made peace between enemy clans and leaders, negotiated with them to his host. There were five other contenders to the title of king, including Tormund Giantsbane and Styr, the Magnar of Thenn. Both of them eventually followed him, but he had to kill the other three rivals in turn to claim the title of king of all wildlings. Which he eventually succeeded in, for which he deserves the utmost respect imo.

Conclusion

Mance Rayder is one of THE most underrated characters in my opinion, since he is a much better swordsman than peoole give hin credit for, is skilled in matters of deception, truly cares for all of his people unlike most leaders in ASOIAF and most importantly, became King-beyond-the-Wall, a position that's only been held five times in as much as 8'000 years prior to Mance claiming it!

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Barristan out!

#ImUnderrated

#CharacterTribute