Game of Thrones 30 Day Challenge: Day 25

Day 25: Best warrior

I think the best warrior in the series is Asha Greyjoy.  Now, part of this has to do with the fact that Asha actually does participate in a battle that is written out and does well. She doesn't win, exactly, but she holds her own for quite a while, and it's cold, in the dark, and in she wasn't prepared to go into battle when it started. There are a lot of people who are warriors in the series who we hear about after the fact of the battle, but quite often don't see IN battle. We see Asha and she's amazing.

The fact that Asha is a warrior at all is unusual. She isn't just living in a culture that doesn't see women as equals, she's living in the crappy little island of harsh that longs for the 'old days' when women were routinely raped. One of her uncles beat his wife to death after she was raped by one of his other uncles. The Iron Born are deeply and truly horrible to women. And yet, Asha is a proven warrior from this culture.

At first you think that she is only accepted because her father is the king and he's making people accept her. However, Asha has the respect of her men and that isn't something a king can force on people. They truly respect her and follow her commands. They know she will hold her own against whatever foe they face.

A lot of her battle skill comes from the fact that she specializes in a weapon. Asha uses an ax in battle and understands its abilities quite well. She also keeps a dagger on her person at all times, but she favors the ax. Asha comes off as brash and reckless, but she shows a lot of practicality as the war continues. She understands they're losing and knows things need to change. When she takes hostages, she treats them well. When she becomes a hostage herself, she makes friends with her guards, knowing this will benefit her later.

Asha is also very tough. She marches on a broken ankle (has no choice in the matter) and survives no matter how difficult things become. I'm not sure she will survive to see Spring return, but she has a better chance than most people. And a lot of that has to do with her personality. Asha knows that when it comes to your survival, you use anything you can to make sure it happens. She isn't above doing anything to keep herself going. She is badass that way and I truly hope she makes it to the end of the series.