Who are the Faceless Men? (Game of Thrones, ASOIAF)

What do you think the Faceless Men want?

Always look forward to your videos. Keep up the good work, it's much appreciated 👍

I have never been able to figure out what the Faceless Men want! Maybe somebody here will come up with an idea.

I enjoyed your video Robert, as always.  Where I am stuck at regarding the Faceless Men is that they charge money in the amounts that people like Euron can benefit from their services although he had/has slaves.  And, I am sure the Faceless Men were aware that Arya could never become No One even though she does have certain gifts.  One other loose end on that regard was when Jahqen told Arya that to wear a face was poison.  I forgot his exact words, but the context was that she borrowed a face to kill Meryn Trant.  So would that imply that Arya is on their kill-list?  The show writers may not revisit that but hopefully GRRM will.

That wasn't an old woman = it was a child that was ill. but i very much enjoyed this video

Once again, one of the most "in Depth" analysis of GOT – I really liked the way you focused on the underlying motivations taking their religion, and their dedication to it, seriously – so few seem to do so, even though we all know that people do indeed do that.  Looking forward to your next video to see where you will go with it.  Would note though, that they do seem to take some level of justice into their contracts – they seem to accept a much lower price for contracts with social justice value (for example the killing of the faithless insurance broker) than on others.

One of my favourite of your videos, Robert. I find the FM eminently fascinating. Stoic, nihilist, fanatic, compassionate, ruthless, committed, etc.–at times black, at times white (eg the doors)…but ever grey. It seems that Jaqen recruited Arya, but from what moment isn't clear (I do have a theory or two). She was a natural. He invited her specifically so she could finish her List, which he had overheard included Joffrey and Cersei. And since he's now let a lethally-trained Arya loose on Westeros, one wonders if he/FM expected the coming Wars against the Death-blockers and perhaps against the Queen who would oppose the forces against the Death-blockers. And that Queen's defense from the world is actually an un-dead himself! Could he/they have sensed this precocious and ferocious Northern child could be a major secret weapon in ensuring the outcome the FM want? I look forward to your further explorations.

pretty sure GoT decided that the whole faceless men plotline magically doesn't exist after season 6. it was a main FRIGGIN story for a many episodes, then all of a sudden….. nope!

I'm still unsure of what they really want but like your theory, very clever and original! But one thing I"m sure of is that Aryra has been purposely 'groomed' by Jaquen almost pimp-ishly, and she showed great talent at this kind of thing; from the first scenes she out-did Bran with the bow and arrow.
Maybe she's a born killer and they figured it would be handy to have a Stark under their control…just because she left Braavos doesn't mean Jaquen is setting her free..she owes them now. I think. I just don't know what or how it can be squeezed into the last, short season. Seems like that story needs its own show.

The Faceless Men are fanatical death worshippers. A Faceless Man is a Priest Of Death. A contract killing is not about Justice…it is about "release"from life. However, the Faceless men are not all the same, and some rules can be bent. Such is the situation with Arya Stark. The FM did not convert her. She was already a death worshipper. She said it herself. "death" when asked about her God. Her training, Arya is now a Priestess Of Death. But while she has assassin skills…Arya is NOT an assassin. Arya is an executioner. The Royal Executioner (the guy that used Ice to behead Ned Stark) was first name on her list. But even with Arya…it is not about Justice. It is about cold hearted RETRIBUTION…not Justice. [ If justice is served…Great! If not…ok…still works ]

Appreciate your work. Thank you.

Great idea, Robert: The exclusive Patreon content! Especially your narrations of the WoW prerelease chapters. Your content continues to gratify and surprise. Cheers!

Please narrate the books. The current audible guy isn't close to your delivery. He overacts and makes the performance about himself. Your more understated presentation combined with your love of the books would crush what is already there.

They're just a group of nihilists doing what nihilists do, nothing much.

Let me think about your pinned comment/question. Its a damn good one. Do u think GRRM watches The Walking Dead? Weird question, I know😃😃😃😃

Great!! I just LOVE your accent. You're so proper!! I would love for u to hear mine. Southern girl!! and PROUD TO BE!! 🎃👻 I have lived I Birmingham, Alabama my entire life! I don't sound like a redneck, I hope😃, I definitely have a Southern accent. Wish I could afford PATREON. Wish I could have a YouTube channel. This sounds snobby, but I came up with the idea that THISGRAYAREA did a great video on, the Black cat that watches Tommen, was Rhaenys', and someone is warging into him. I'm sure I'm not the first or only person to have that theory, I thought of it months ago. Wish I had a channel for when I come up with theories. Have a rockin weekend🐺🐲🐙❄🔥💞

I like the open way you've expressed the faceless men. It get a bit old hearing nothing but death cult.

Seeing it in the context of wights is refreshing. It's all tinfoil, but I think the link to the doors and name is interesting. With white weirwoods men can preserve themselves as spirits. Each raven could be seen as carrying an undying person clinging to life. Or to put it in the CotF lingo, they become gods. Again, with the rumour of a giant weirwood under the house it gets all tinfoilly. It the public persona of death gods a mask for the many faces or spirits in the weirwood net? Or is the persona wholly what it seems and there is no tree, and they want all the trees burned? (Functionally the magic seems to suggest the spirits are stored and acessed through the faces, but that doesn't in and of itself imply they work for the day they can sacrifice the faces as a tool)

I suspect they must also have the ebony weirwoods in their crosshairs too. A fav piece of foil is that they may have somehow left the wizards without enough blood to feed a giant ebony weirwood that was powering them somehow. An outbreak of disease, a sudden inability to bring enough slaves to sacrifice. Those ones seem to give a preserved existence. It's fun and frustrating at the same time trying to wonder exactly what they're doing. Were they manipulating Dany by somehow providing here the magic to hatch dragons and then aiming her at the house of the undying to fullfill a contract on the undying? Gives you chills thinking about the amount of time and effort. And tempts you with the rabbit hole of finding the ultimate puppet master.

Last (hopefully, sorry I get verbose) the possibilities of interpretation of two fun little password phrases. What does it mean to serve? They sometimes talk about the red god. And that must mean fire priest right? Except the weirwoods have red leaves, could they be the red god? Is it red fire, red mountains, red death (plague). All must die? Mortality has to be respected. A fight against the undead. No more hanging around in white or ebony weirwood limbo? It's it the children plotting to wipe out man so the world is theirs again? Is there a race of giants in hiding that put out a contract on all men and children so that they could have he world back? And best of all the bloodstone emporer made the cult and paid them to kill all life that isn't animal intelligence, because he thought it would be funny? Serve? Slaves (to giants? Children?)? Or is it a sexist cult that doesn't like the whole male or equal thing (patrimony style where women every where get do decide if me deserve to breed)? Is it an attack on class systems. Totally equality no kings, democracy sort of thing? Or some super think sheet of foil like after they deal with the shadow/winter thing there is an invasion of deep ones or some other crazy form of life just around the corner that only they know about but are tasked with organizing men into an army ready to serve and die in a war to turn back an extra dimensional "demon?"

Sorry, kinda went full crazy. I look forward to a more rational essay in the next vid. Till then I'll try to keep from imagining Leaf and snowylocks with nine-tails gouging deep lines in humans backs while a court of giants picks humans out of a bowl and peels them like grapes before popping them in their mouths. Chills.

Hello Robby..interesting video…The FM reminds me the Nizari Assassins of Persia and Syria..[a].The Assassins like the FM they had come both from almost same circumstances…the firsts they had been under the European Crusaders conquerors and the Sunni muslims masters [who actually they had been their official enemies ]and the FM under the Valyrians slave masters …[b]their first chief of the Nizari Assassins it was Hassan I Sabbah ..He created them against the European Crusaders [Templars]and the Sunni muslims..and he it was similar to first FM guy who transformed his personal beliefs into a religion/heresy based on Shia part of the islamic religion and take and other peoples with him as his worshipers ..The same with the FM ..the first FM guy wanted to go rebel against the Valyrians masters ..created his own personal beliefs and becomes the FG and did get some of kind of support from the other slavers and they build a lethal religion ..[c]in their assassin/fighting practise like the FM the Nizari Assassins they have been focused to much on their assassin mission [some say because of the hashish who Hassan they give in them to drink]..If a lord who was friend of the chief wanted to kill someone else..then chief chooses some of his best assassins ..to infiltrate on the victims team,army ,friends,allies or family, to stay for years in this position and when the order comes from Hassan or one of his sons to kill the victim on a public place ..creating with this way the fear in the others Sunni muslims or to the Templars who protecting him/her.[if he it was a one from the Crusaders]….for the sect …and also believing that their Sunni/Templar victim will go in the paradise with this way ..The same with the FM..they payed from high lords to infiltrate on their enemies teams,army,friends and family ..taking the face of someone closer to him/her who will kill and awaiting the most appropriate chance and time to kill him/her…exactly what Arya will do with Cercei this season and she had been does with Walder Frey and his family ..Also both of those assassins teams they practicing poisons as a way for to kill their victims painlessly [d]Also their religious beliefs..are somehow similar but with the difference that the Nizari they got believe in one God and the FM in their temple they had many Gods who they represent their One God ..the faces of the God Of Death..In The same time different and similar also ..Its almost weird thing..becoz is too complicated ..The Nizari Assassins they have been believe that all their pro-islamic gods are the different faces of one true God ..like the FM do in our case ..Also i had noticed that the FM believes also in the Lord of Light…and also maybe in the AA myth[i have notice the stabbed fiery heart in their walls in the Temple of Black and White ]…The same did the Nizari also..they believes among with the Sunnis that there in the end will be a Messiah who will save the world of the humanity..they believe that Ismail the little brother of the imam/Caliph Moussa was abducted by the God to become the messiah Mahdi…The FM maybe they want AA to defeat the WW bcoz the NK steals the dead from them and bcoz they need their faces for their assassin missions and [e]and as the FM does they have their have their own castles in Bravos and in Asshai[perhaps]..the Nizari Assassins they had have their own castles[Masyaf and Alamut] who there had had also and their own mosques and temples where there they had train young boys to be assassins …this training had have different scales of practicing …Lasik[servants or still students] to Rafik[dudes] then to Fendagin[believers or Zealots] and in the end Assassins…one grade to another …Stair to stair…The same with the FM from to clear the floor…to wash bodies..to learn poisons and then to go to your fist mission as FM….GRRM is got inspired from the Nizari Assassins and he has put some of their clues to the FM in his story…that i have notice on the books and the show also..Im glad to share my knowledges with you in every video you make …You have a fantastic channel…so keep continue the great job

Great question about the agenda of the faceless men and their feelings about the army of the dead prevented from dying.
If this is the case, and we know the lengths this group will go to TCoB, what may they have in store for the Night King?
Salute

It's very nice to finally see you clearly Mr.Deep geek😀 and yet again a very insightful video!

Status quo largely. The game must go on to be able to move behind it.

They are literally the Stranger in the faith of the seven.

'All men must serve' – isn't that a form of slavery?