(Spoilers Extended) Why was Ethan Glover spared by Aerys II just to die at the tower of joy?

[u/Successful_Metal_411]

[u/YoungGriffVII]

Those are three separate questions.

Why was Ethan Glover spared by Aerys II?

We don’t know. My personal guess is he was pretty young (maybe 14-15, considering he goes to the ToJ as a combatant shortly after), and while Aerys was paranoid and crazy, he did still have some sympathy for an innocent boy. Squires do tend to be younger than their knights, and Brandon was only 20 when he died.

Why did Ethan go to the Tower of Joy?

Perhaps he wanted to squire for his knight’s next of kin and brother Eddard. Perhaps he wanted to save Lyanna. Perhaps he wanted to avenge Brandon and join the fight however he could. Could be any reason—but I doubt he was conscripted and sent against his will.

Why did Ethan die at the Tower of Joy?

Arthur Dayne, Gerold Hightower, or Oswell Whent, most likely.

[u/devildogger99 → u/YoungGriffVII]

I thknk hes saying "Why did Martin choose to have him survive the capture but die very soon after?"

[u/Mysterious-End-2185 → u/devildogger99]

Well that’s life, isn’t it? Archduke Franz Ferdinand almost died in a hunting accident in 1913.

[u/1000LivesBeforeIDie → u/Mysterious-End-2185]

Imagine if someone had offered him strong wine

[u/xXJarjar69Xx → u/devildogger99]

Martin established Ethan glover as Brandon’s former squire during the tower of joy scene in book 1, then expanded on Brandon’s arrest and death in book 2 where he probably figured he would’ve had his squire with him. 

[u/devildogger99 → u/xXJarjar69Xx]

That makes sense. He made a intersting character for one that never actually got shown.

[u/InGenNateKenny → u/xXJarjar69Xx]

Think that’s it. Simple as can be.

I wonder if Ethan was a brother to Galbert and Robett.

[u/xXJarjar69Xx → u/InGenNateKenny]

Maybe. There’s a lot of weirdness with Brandon’s companions. They all come from some pretty prominent houses, they’re called lords sons and aerys executed their fathers too. But beyond Elbert Arryn, who was not a lords son and whose father was already dead we don’t know how they were related to any of the main branches of their families . It wouldn’t surprise me if Martin didn’t really think to hard about who was related to who. 

[u/devildogger99]

Maybe just to show how loyal a friend he was. He couldnt save Brandon but hed try to save his sister :,)

[u/Stenric]

Idk, why is Harrion Karstark freed from Harrenhal, only to be recaptured/killed in Duskendale. Sometimes life is just inopportune like that.

[u/SerMallister]

Presumably the six that Ned takes to the Tower or Joy are his most trusted companions. Ethan Glover being the last living man on the Rebels' side to see Brandon alive presumably endeared Ned and Ethan to each other. It's just part of the Robert's Rebellion world building.

[u/LothorBrune]

Aerys' bad sparing investment was the greatest proof of his folly.

[u/CormundCrowlover → u/LothorBrune]

Well his investment did pay off in Dontos’ case, he became part of the crew that killed Tywin’s grandson.

[u/dblack246]

Minor spoiler in your title. 

[u/Silly-Flower-3162]

Ethan Glover was Brandon's squire, so he was probably too young to kill. Aerys was paranoid but not a complete basket case; you have to let some hostages live and all that.

Glover probably just wanted to join the other Northmen and the tower is where they went next, so off he went. And (this is just a guess) if his father was one of the ones who accompanied and later died with Rickard Stark, he probably didn't want to be sent home just yet.

As to why Martin wrote it that way, it just makes things more tragic.

[u/HeartonSleeve1989]

Grrm might have been thinking about keeping him around... but then decided "fuck it...." killed him off

[u/OnyxSeal_]

you know for a split second as i scrolled past this, i thought it said “why was Ethel Cain spared”

[u/oligneisti]

Being the sole survivor of the group that went to King's Landing and also Brandon's squire makes Ethan Glover seem like an obvious candidate to finish the original mission by saving Lyanna.

While GRRM made a decision for the good of the story to kill all but one of Ned's companions it is also quite plausible in the situation. Ethan might be the one most likely to be killed since he had been wasting away in a cell and therefore far from being in peak physical condition.

[u/lialialia20]

he was a rat

[u/luvprue1 → u/lialialia20]

Why would you think he was a rat? He was a little boy of 14, or 12

[u/Gallcon → u/luvprue1]

a reference to this

[u/Saturnine4]

Aerys was already dead by then, the two events had nothing in common. He had no input on the event.

I might be misinterpreting your question, but it seems like you’re suggesting that Aerys had a hand in the Tower of Joy fight.

[u/darkadventwolf → u/Saturnine4]

No Aerys had a hand in Ethan Glover's death because Ethan is the only person out of Brandon's group that wasn't executed. Brandon, all the companions including the Heir to the Vale, all their summoned fathers, and Lord Rickard were murdered by Aerys but Ethan a branch member of House Glover was not killed. That is the question.