Game Of Thrones: 8 Things We Learned From "The Watchers On The Wall"

5. Janos Slynt Is A Coward

Say what you will about Alliser Thorne, but you can€™t deny he€™s brave. Hearing that the southern gate is being attacked, he gives command of the Wall to Janos Slynt and heads down to fight. Delivering a passionate speech, he rallies the others to fight back against the invaders. Unlike his men, Thorne is an experienced fighter, and slices through many wildlings. Soon, however, his attention is drawn to Tormund Giantsbane, and the two engage in a tense duel. The men are evenly matched, but Thorne sustains a wound that forces him to retreat. He fought his hardest and defended the castle until he could no longer do so. That€™s the best you can ask of any soldier. The same can€™t be said for Janos Slynt. While Thorne is down below fighting, Slynt is complaining about their circumstances. Terrified of the army marching towards them, he simply states that the gate will hold on its own. Jon exclaims that there are giants and mammoths that can destroy the gate, but Slynt simply states there€™s no such thing as giants. The man has completely lost his grip on reality. Realising Slynt will be useless, Grenn lies and tells Slynt that Thorne needs him below. With Slynt gone, Jon takes command of the Wall. Reaching the ground, Slynt witnesses the devastation being unleashed by Castle Black. Afraid to fight, he leaves his men behind and heads inside the castle. Pulling out a key, he unlocks one of the rooms and hides in there, but it turns out that this is the same room that Sam put Gilly in. After the battle is over, Sam goes to check on her, and finds Slynt cowering in the corner. Despite €œcommanding€ the Kingsguard, it€™s obvious that Slynt has no real leadership experience. In the face of the enemy, he panicked and hid until the danger was over. The Night€™s Watch men may be inexperienced, but at least they laid down their lives to protect the Wall. All Slynt did was cower in fear. It€™s hard to believe a guy like him was so successful in King€™s Landing, but then again, considering how corrupt the capital is, maybe it€™s not so surprising.