History YMMV / RealmoftheElderlings

** Starling is presented as a strong, independent, EthicalSlut, and the [[BettyAndVeronica Veronica counterpart]] to Molly. She's an arrogant Jerkass who's interested in Fitz mostly for the legend she can write about his actions [[spoiler:so she sells the information of the daughter that he desperately wanted to keep away from royal politics, just so she could follow him on his search for Verity.]] She stays enormously self-centered until a good way through the Tawny Man books.
** Molly herself, for some, comes as selfish and [[spoiler: lied about not being pregnant]].

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Hap isn't the most interesting character necessarily but his relationship with Fitz isn't given nearly as much attention as this troper always felt it should be. He is presented to Fitz by Starling at the end of ''Assassin's Quest'', with no explanation of who he is or where he came from, but with every indication that there is something significant about the child. A subplot in ''The Tawny Man'' follows Fitz's attempts to find him a job and stop him from ruining his life via an ill-advised romance, but really, you could completely remove him from the story and it wouldn't affect anything. He is further DemotedToExtra in ''Fitz and the Fool'', being mentioned only a couple of times and barely figuring in Fitz's thoughts, despite being his ''son'' to all intents and purposes, and his only human companion for over ''ten years'' of his life.

** The Forged Ones are [[TechnicallyLivingZombie superficially human Monsters from the Id]] who have been stripped of all [[LackOfEmpathy empathy]] and compassion and [[TheHedonist maraud their way across the countryside for their own short term gratification]]. Creator/GarthEnnis would take this concept UpToEleven with the titular antagonists of ComicBook/{{Crossed}}.

* CompleteMonster: [[BigBad The Pale Lady]] is TheManBehindTheMan for almost every bad thing that's happened in the ''Farseer Trilogy'', as she purchased the skill scrolls from Regal and learned the art of Forging from them. As ''The Tawny Man'' trilogy showed, she relished in the psychological aspects of forging; she loved unleashing mindless Forged ones against their own families and kinsmen. In addition, she would ransom the dead bodies of Out Islanders she'd captured to their families, with the threat that if they didn't pay she'd return them as Forged. She was behind the war between The Six Duchies and the Out Islands, using the Out Island warlord Kebal Rawbread as her [[TheHeavy Heavy]]. It was implied that she may have had her hands in the Jamaillian slave trade. She was a recreational TortureTechnician as well. When Kebal Rawbread [[YouHaveFailedMe failed her]], she chained him to a frozen throne in her ice palace, used magic to keep him alive through what would have been lethal frostbite, and fed him [[ImAHumanitarian body parts]] of other Out Islanders she'd forged. Forging was a process that could be done very slowly over the course of weeks. And she tortured The Fool over the course of days for no reason other than the joy of it. Her sole motivation was [[ApocalypseHow the complete collapse of civilization]].

** The Fool gives him the nickname Beloved. [[spoiler:It becomes more HoYay-tastic when the Pale Lady reveals that married couples exchange names, and since Beloved is supposed to be The Fool's real name that means that The Fool is calling Fitz his husband. Fitz even goes as far as calling The Fool Fitzchivalry when he thinks The Fool is dead.]]
** And then Fitz and The Fool almost end up together. [[spoiler: Fitz tells him that he will choose him over Molly, but The Fool pulls a IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy.]]

!!''The Fitz and the Fool'':

* Starling is presented as a strong, independent, EthicalSlut, and the [[BettyAndVeronica Veronica counterpart]] to Molly. She's an arrogant Jerkass who's interested in Fitz mostly for the legend she can write about his actions [[spoiler:so she sells the information of the daughter that he desperately wanted to keep away from royal politics, just so she could follow him on his search for Verity.]] She stays enormously self-centered until a good way through the Tawny Man books.
* Molly herself, for some, comes as selfish and [[spoiler: lied about not being pregnant]].

** JerkassWoobie: Sure, Starling might just be interested in writing a song to make her famous but she lost her brother and [[spoiler:since she's barren from a botched abortion, she's only interested in making sure she can take care of herself when she's older, knowing that she won't have any children to do so.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: The Forged Ones are [[TechnicallyLivingZombie superficially human Monsters from the Id]] who have been stripped of all [[LackOfEmpathy empathy]] and compassion and [[TheHedonist maraud their way across the countryside for their own short term gratification]]. Creator/GarthEnnis would take this concept UpToEleven with the titular antagonists of ComicBook/{{Crossed}}.
*** ''Fool's Fate'' reveals that [[spoiler:there is a way to restore those who have been Forged: destroy the Stone Dragon into which they were fed. Unfortunately this is much too late for the hundreds or maybe even thousands of innocent Six Duchies citizens Forged during the Red Ship War and [[MercyKill mercy killed]] by Fitz and others during the first trilogy.]]
* HoYay: Between Fitz and the Fool, which starts at a small scale in ''Royal Assassin.'' But the smaller moments in ''Royal Assassin'' turn into much bigger and obvious instances in ''Assassin's Quest''.
** Most obviously when they see each other again. The Fool practically falls over himself to hug him since he's just so glad that Fitz is alive. For a while after, the Fool isn't so teasing to Fitz either, and also gets more protective of him.
** It doesn't help that Fitz is apparently "the Catalyst" [[spoiler:and the Fool is the White Prophet, and is determined to follow him.]]
** Starling outright says that the Fool is in love with him. [[spoiler:She also says that the Fool is a woman, so their relationship could be ShipTease instead. Maybe.]]

* TheScrappy: Starling is presented as a strong, independent, EthicalSlut, and the [[BettyAndVeronica Veronica counterpart]] to Molly. She's an arrogant Jerkass who's interested in Fitz mostly for the legend she can write about his actions [[spoiler:so she sells the information of the daughter that he desperately wanted to keep away from royal politics, just so she could follow him on his search for Verity.]] She stays enormously self-centered until a good way through the Tawny Man books.
** Molly herself, for some, comes as selfish and [[spoiler: lied about not being pregnant]].

* CompleteMonster: [[BigBad The Pale Lady]] is TheManBehindTheMan for almost every bad thing that's happened in the ''Farseer Trilogy'', as she purchased the skill scrolls from Regal and learned the art of Forging from them. As ''The Tawny Man'' trilogy showed, she relished in the psychological aspects of forging; she loved unleashing mindless Forged ones against their own families and kinsmen. In addition, she would ransom the dead bodies of Out Islanders she'd captured to their families, with the threat that if they didn't pay she'd return them as Forged. She was behind the war between The Six Duchies and the Out Islands, using the Out Island warlord Kebal Rawbread as her [[TheHeavy Heavy]]. It was implied that she may have had her hands in the Jamaillian slave trade. She was a recreational TortureTechnician as well. When Kebal Rawbread [[YouHaveFailedMe failed her]], she chained him to a frozen throne in her ice palace, used magic to keep him alive through what would have been lethal frostbite, and fed him [[ImAHumanitarian body parts]] of other Out Islanders she'd forged. Forging was a process that could be done very slowly over the course of weeks. And she tortured The Fool over the course of days for no reason other than the joy of it. Her sole motivation was [[ApocalypseHow the complete collapse of civilization]].

* TearJerker: The first book ends on one, second book ends on a ''big'' one, THE ENTIRE THIRD BOOK IS ONE.
** The quiet moment in ''Royal Assassin'' where Fitz realizes that he has nothing outside of his service and obedience to the King.
---> '''Patience:''' Fitz? What will you do?
---> '''Fitz:''' What I am told. When have I ever done otherwise?
** Fitz meets Hands again in ''Assassin's Quest [[spoiler:and Hands turns away from him, disgusted, since Fitz's possession of the Wit has been revealed by now.]]
** [[spoiler:Verity and Kettricken being separated again, just not long after they've been reunited. The reunion wasn't all that heartwarming either; Verity could scarcely remember Kettricken, or feel anything else for that matter.]]
** The Fool and his quiet devotion to King Shrewd is absolutely heartbreaking in the second book as [[spoiler:Shrewd is dying. The Fool is possibly the only one who loves the king as a person, rather than just as the king, and he has to watch Shrewd become sick and feeble and senseless.]] Essentially, if the Fool is crying, you're crying.

* CompleteMonster: The Pale Lady. She's TheManBehindTheMan for almost every bad thing that's happened in the ''Farseer Trilogy'' - she purchased the skill scrolls from Regal and learned the art of Forging from them. And as ''The Tawny Man'' trilogy showed, she relished in the psychological aspects of forging - loved unleashing mindless Forged ones against their own families and kinsmen. One particular thing was that she'd ransom the dead bodies of Out Islanders she'd captured to their families, with the threat that if they didn't pay she'd return them as Forged. She was behind the war between The Six Duchies and the Out Islands, using the Out Island warlord Kebal Rawbread as her [[TheHeavy Heavy]]. It was implied that she may have had her hands in the Jamaillian slave trade. She was a recreational TortureTechnician as well. When Kebal Rawbread [[YouHaveFailedMe failed her]], she chained him to a frozen throne in her ice palace, used magic to keep him alive through what would have been lethal frostbite, and fed him [[ImAHumanitarian body parts]] of other Out Islanders she'd forged. Forging was a process that could be done very slowly over the course of weeks. And she tortured The Fool over the course of days for no reason other than the joy of it. And her motivation for all of this? The complete collapse of civilization. And we never even find out why she wanted that.

* TearJerker - Late in ''Fool's Errand'' and in ''Fool's Fate''.

* TheWoobie: Relpda in Dragon Haven's first part.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The Fool's initial dismissive view of Starling as someone who can't understand when a man looks at her without desire [[spoiler:now seems terrible when Fitz learns that she was raped; first by the Raiders, then by Burl's men.]]

** JerkassWoobie: Sure, Starling might just be interested in writing a song to make her famous [[spoiler:but since she's barren from a botched abortion, she's only interested in making sure she can take care of herself when she's older, knowing that she won't have any children to do so.]]

* FunnyAnneurysmMoment: The Fool's initial dismissive view of Starling as someone who can't understand when a man looks at her without desire [[spoiler:now seems terrible when Fitz learns that she was raped; first by the Raiders, then by Burl's men.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: The Fool's initial dismissive view of Starling as someone who can't understand when a man looks at her without desire [[spoiler:now seems terrible when Fitz learns that she was raped; first by the Raiders, then by Burl's men.]]

* CompleteMonster: Regal, in spades. Thinks nothing of murdering his own teenage nephew with his bare hands, partly to cover his tracks and partly because he just hates him; enjoys torturing people and having them tortured, including [[BadBoss his own subordinates]]; kills his own father and tries to kill his own brother (several times); is incredibly self-centered with delusions of grandeur; villifies his heroic brother and sister-in-law as incompetents and traitors (respectively); sacrifices half the kingdom to ChaoticEvil pirates because he only cares about being king of the other half... yeah, he's kind of a dick. His only chance of redemption turns out to be [[spoiler: BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood]], and that still doesn't save him from some well-deserved LaserGuidedKarma.

* MoralEventHorizon: Kennit seems to divide the fanbase. According to some, he never really ''crosses'' the line, on account of being a CompleteMonster. According to others, he stays on the very edge for quite some time, but then he [[spoiler:rapes Althea]] and blows all his chances of redemption.
** WordOfGod is that Kennit was supposed to be an [[spoiler: "[[CompleteMonster irredeemably evil villain]]".]]

** The Fool and his quiet devotion to King Shrewd is absolutely heartbreaking in the second book as [[spoiler:Shrewd is dying. The Fool is possibly the only one who loves the king as a person, rather than just the king, and he has to watch Shrewd become sick and feeble and senseless.]] Essentially, if the Fool is crying, you're crying.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: Most of the third book after ''Feathers in a Fool's Cap''. "Crowning" at one point.
** It can come off as heartwarming ([[spoiler:if you assume that by this point Fitz has damn well earned his happy ending]] or as MoodWhiplash ([[spoiler:if you feel like everything settles down a little too conveniently for Fitz in the end.]]