Like many characters on the show, the audience's perception of Stannis changed a lot over time. He went from appearing like a remorseless villain to a misunderstood hero, then became a monster for what he did to his daughter. But whatever viewers may have thought about Stannis, there were still a lot of things that didn't add up about the character.
Why Was He Such A Stickler For Grammar?
Stannis is not what you would call a funny character, but sometimes it was hard not to laugh at Stephen Dillane's bone-dry delivery as this no-nonsense man. One running gag with the character that fans seemed to enjoy was his blunt correction of grammar.
Back in Season 2, Stannis corrects Davos for using the word "less" when he should have said "fewer". When Stannis is at Castle Black, he points out the same mistake to one of the Night's Watch brothers. What was it about this particular error that irked Stannis so much?
How Did He Meet Melisandre?
One of Stannis' most significant allies in his quest for the Iron Throne is Melisandre, the Red Priestess. While she is a top advisor for Stannis, others see her as one of his biggest weaknesses as she turns him towards a foreign religion and easily influences his key decisions.
However, it is unclear how a man like Stannis would have ever allowed someone like this anywhere near his inner circle. He is a fairly grounded man who wouldn't pay much heed to talk of magic, so how did these two even find each other?
Why Did He Punish Davos?
Along with Melisandre, Stannis' most loyal companion is Davos Seaworth. Despite Stannis' flaws, Davis stands by him and believes he would be a good king. However, considering how they met, it's surprising that Davos is a fan of Stannis at all.
During Robert's Rebellion, Stannis was in charge of defending the Baratheon castle of Storm's End. Their enemies sought to starve them out of the castle until Davos, then a smuggler, smuggled some food in. While Stannis was grateful to Davos for saving the day, smuggling was also illegal so he chopped Davos' fingers off. That's not a great way to inspire loyalty.
Why Do He And Robert Hate Each Other?
Though Stannis does not appear in the first season of the show, he is mentioned by several characters. Robert even tells Ned Stark that he never loved either of his brothers. In Season 2, Stannis echoes this sentiment to Davos.
While Stannis later talks about how he was upset that Robert gave their younger brother Renly Storm's End, there is no reason given for what started this animosity between the two brothers.
How Did He Get To The Wall So Quickly?
After losing the Battle of Blackwater, Stannis spends a few seasons sitting around Dragonstone and not doing much. However, he suddenly shows how strong of a leader he is when he leads his army against the wildlings and saves the Night's Watch.
But it's hard to imagine how Stannis was able to pull off this feat. He would have had to sail his entire army to Eastwatch then travel inland to Castle Black. How is it possible no one would have noticed an entire army making that kind of move?
Why Did No One Take Dragonstone?
When Stannis leaves Dragonstone to go to the Wall, he leaves the great castle completely unguarded and never returns to it again. After his failed siege on Winterfell in Season 5, Stannis is killed and thus there is no more ruler of Dragonstone.
The next time we see Dragonstone is at the beginning of Season 7 when Daenerys arrives to make it her new home. How is it that one of the most famous houses in Westeros was just empty for all that time?
How Does He Screw Up His Attack On Winterfell So Badly?
Though he was dealt a pretty devastating defeat in the Battle of Blackwater, Stannis is shown to be a strong military leader and strategist. In fact, Littlefinger says he thinks Stannis is likely the most brilliant military mind in the land.
Given his reputation, how is it that Stannis made such a mess of his attack on Winterfell? He fails to realize how the harsh weather could cause problems for the army and even after losing the majority of his forces, he still seems to think he has a chance of winning.
Why Did He Have To Sacrifice Shireen?
Melisandre proves her worth to Stannis after introducing him to black magic. Together, they create a shadow creature that is used to kill Renly Baratheon before he goes to war with Stannis. Later, using Gendry's blood, Stannis calls for the death of his rivals Robb Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, and Balon Greyjoy, all of whom swiftly die.
This leads him to follows Melisandre's advice to sacrifice his daughter Shireen in order to defeat the Boltons. But if it only took leeches with Gendry's blood to kill three kings, why couldn't they do the same with Shireen's blood to kill Roose and Ramsay Bolton rather than burn her alive?
Why Wasn't He More Concerned About The White Walkers?
Though some people find Stannis to have been too rigid to be a great king, he was the first of the prospective rulers of Westeros to take the threat of the White Walkers seriously. Stannis arrives at the Wall and hears the stories of the White Walkers, seeing them as a real threat.
However, while he believes these stories, he still decides to take his army to Winterfell instead of help guard the Wall. Even though Melisandre said the War of the Five Kings is meaningless, they decided to carry on as if there was no Army of the Dead approaching.
Why Did Melisandre See Him On The Throne?
Melisandre certainly has some strong powers, but they prove to be a little hit-or-miss. For instance, a big part of the reason Stannis keeps her around is because she saw a vision in the flames of him sitting on the Iron Throne.
Of course, when it is all said and done, that vision doesn't come close to being accurate. It's obvious that Melisandre believed what she saw, so where did that vision come from if Stannis was just going to die like all the other pretender kings?