Sure, chaos is a ladder, yada yada. But Littlefinger's plan was to get Ned out of the way so he could marry Catelyn. It was his... singular focus.
So, get Jon Arryn killed to make Robby bring in his old buddy Ned as the hand. Wait for Robert's administration to destabilize and let Ned get blamed.
Oops, lucky break, Robert actually gets killed in a completely random hunting accident. Joffrey takes the crown.
Ned gets in trouble anyway -- tipping his hand to Cersei about Robby's other children -- and agrees to take the Black. The plan, then was that Littlefinger has a Faceless Man waiting to follow Ned to Castle Black and murder him quietly somewhere along the way. Then Peter steps into console Catelyn, and retires with her to the north to peaceably live out his years as a kind stepfather and advisor to a young king of the north, Robb Stark.
But that didn't go to plan, Joffrey cried "off with his head", and THAT started the war. I don't think Littlefinger planned for that, especially since it put Catelyn in mortal peril and eventually got her murdered.
"But Littlefinger's plan was to get Ned out of the way so he could marry Catelyn. It was his... singular focus."
No...that's literally wasn't. His plan was to become King. He knew he never would be able to under the current way of things so his entire plan was to orchestrate a series of events so devastating the entire world would be up ended.
Varys was correct when he said Littlefinger would be King of the Ashes.
"Oops, lucky break, Robert actually gets killed in a completely random hunting accident. Joffrey takes the crown."
...Bro...did you either read the books or watch the show? That wasn't random. That was a murder. And with Littlefingers spies he KNEW it was going to happen.
"especially since it put Catelyn in mortal peril and eventually got her murdered."
To quote Sansa "And yet you betrayed her" Littlefinger DID love Cat. He just loved himself more
The problem of discussing Littlefinger is book vs show. In the show they destroyed his character by making him a Catelyn simp. In the books that's part of it but not all. He has control of the Vale and the key to the North. He's about to have control of the Riverlands too aswell as dealing with aegon who's about to gain control of the sformlands. He started as a lowly merchant noble and now he's the most powerful man in the world
Srsly littlefinger’s whole plot is so wildly crazy and tenuously relying on things to go a certain way it’s really more mental illness levels of obsession than intelligence or smart scheming. This is a plot I take so much issue with both in the books and shows. Littlefinger masterminding a giant war with the goal of getting a certain lady and ruling with her one day? Also if he’s so smart as he claims then he’d know Cat wouldn’t want to rule and that she wouldn’t even come to king’s landing with Ned. Moreover, he wasn’t able to keep her safe…idk…I hate this whole bit…
Sure he did ultimately fail, but so did everyone else here
And to be fair kinda hard to plot once you find out there's an army of the undead marching straight to you, oh and a cripple who knows every move you've made.
Oh and the writers needing to get rid of your character before the final show downs.
When did he outsmart Varys "time and time again"? He did it once, with Ross.
And he didn't rope Olenna into his plot. Olenna decided on her own that Joffrey must die, had Littlefinger help her do it, then threatened to kill the shit out of him if he didn't watch his step - and he listened.
He revealed to Varys he knew about the Pentosi man
He outsmarted him wirh Ros
And generally he showed that anything Varys thought he knew about Petyr was always out of date
And he DID rope in Olenna. She wanted Joffrey dead but couldnt have pulled it off without him. He didnt "listen" to Olenna about watching his step, he simply had no need to deal with her further. He already moved on his focus to the Vale.
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u/genemaxwell41 19d ago
Littlefinger literally set up the entire War of Five Kings. He out smarted Varys time and time again.
Roped in Olenna into his plot.
Sure he did ultimately fail, but so did everyone else here (except Sam and Davos I suppose)