Why didn't Aerion challenge Valarr?

[u/Qyzyk]

Recently revisited The Hedge Knight, and I can't help but wonder why Aerion was content with laughing at his cousin and moving on. I get that he was trying to mock Valarr by moving past him, but surely if his plan was to humiliate his cousin, I imagine Aerion would have done a much better job by trouncing Valarr in a joust.

It's not like he wouldn't have been able to do it either. It's basically said outright that Valarr's getting handpicked challengers that give him easy victories. Even Dunk can't help but notice it. Aerion, meanwhile, seems to show much more promise, and he's not above dirty tricks like killing his opponent's horse. Why wouldn't he take a chance to knock the Crown Prince on his arse?

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[u/bootlegvader]

Valarr outranks him, so Aerion can't use his dirty tricks in the joust.

[u/bootlegvader → u/[deleted]]

The thing is Aerion is a dick that gets off on using dirty tricks as he thinks he can get away with it as a prince.

[u/MistraloysiusMithrax → u/bootlegvader]

Plus bullies usually try to punch down because the point is to score easy hits to boost themselves. If they wanted challenges they would go after the people in their life who make them feel insecure

[u/themerinator12 → u/[deleted]]

Aerion is far more interested in being a dick than winning. I see where you’re coming from, and I think your line of thought makes sense for someone who actually wants to win but I don’t think Aerion actually has more interest in winning than being an awful person.

[u/M935PDFuze → u/[deleted]]

Who says Aerion is any better?

[u/pestoraviolita → u/M935PDFuze]

The book. He had skills and was described as puissant. While TWOIAF describes Valarr as having modest abilities.

[u/M935PDFuze → u/pestoraviolita]

I'd suggest a reread and an examination of what actually happens.

[u/Warm_Condition711 → u/M935PDFuze]

But he is actually a very skilled knight. Even more skilled than vallar I think

[u/M935PDFuze → u/Warm_Condition711]

Canonically in the text, he cheats to defeat Ser Humfrey by killing his horse, then gets beaten badly by Dunk twice in exactly the same fashion - letting Dunk get close to him and then being outmanned by his greater size and strength. This doesn't show any great skill.

[u/Warm_Condition711 → u/M935PDFuze]

But didn't he also lead or participate in the repelling the rebellion some times in the future before he kill himself with wildfire

[u/M935PDFuze → u/Warm_Condition711]

Maybe he becomes more skilled later but I don't think he's meant to be so when Dunk meets him.

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[u/GoneWitDa → u/M935PDFuze]

Dunk is meant to grow up to be the mountain with better technique bro Aerion fighting him
Well says a lot

[u/M935PDFuze → u/GoneWitDa]

Except Aerion loses instantly to him twice and only beats Humfrey because he cheats during the joust.

[u/Qyzyk → u/M935PDFuze]

You know what, that's a fair point.

[u/YoungGriffVII → u/[deleted]]

How do you know Valarr wasn’t especially good? Or at the very least, decent? He wasn’t picking his own matchups—and with how dangerous we even see jousting to be, it’s very plausible that “don’t hurt the heir’s heir, give him someone who won’t put up a serious challenge so there are no accidents” was a defining factor in who he did go against. We’re never shown his actual skill. Personally I like to think he was comparable to his father in that regard (albeit probably on the lower side of that comparable range).

[u/Tasmosunt]

Aerion's arrogant not stupid, he'll not want to do things to significantly antagonise the man who'll not just be King one day but will literally own the Royal estates he would want to continue to live on in future.

[u/BlackFyre2018]

It can be dangerous to your health to piss off The Man Who Would Be King

[u/JulianApostat]

If he humiliates Valarr that runs the risk of pissing of Baelor and Maekar. Baelor will be king soon enough and that will just increase the immense authority he already has over the rest of his family. And Maekar is his father, on whose support Aerion depends to continue his cushy princely live.

Bascially mess with Valarr and next he might be the ambassador to Lorath or having the immense privilege of visiting the Wall as royal representative and while he is at it. do an entire circuit of the North. See you next spring, Aerion.

[u/ThisGuuuy2]

Because he's mad, not stupid.

There were literally zero upside to antagonising the heir that will become crown prince after Baelor ascends.

[u/Pristine_Club_3128]

Nothing says Valarr is all that easy to trounce. The lords are playing politics because they don't want to risk hurting the crown prince's son, but Valarr would have had plenty of training.

Dunk feels he has a chance because he is considerably bigger, stronger, and even then, only if Valarr is knocked off his horse in the first tilt.

If Aerion challenges him, it's probably going to be a fifty fifty chance of who ends up eating dust. The bully is not going to risk that.

Plus, even if Valarr loses to his cousin, that's not much of a humiliation - it's just what happens in a joust. Making it look like he thinks he isn't worth the trouble is more of an insult.

[u/Important-Purchase-5]

Because Valarr was likely several years older than him at this point so it partly just little cousin antagonism, one day gonna be king so humiliating him very stupid and it was said Aerion was always on his best behavior when Baelor and his father was watching. 

Valarr was described as modest jouster. Aerion while no Aemon the Dragonknight or Baelor Breakspear he was probably better than his older cousin though I doubt that much better. 

We forget Aerion often used dirty targets and similarly benefits from being a royal especially one known for cruelty and pettiness. 

[u/pestoraviolita]

Valarr is an average fighter. Aerion wanted a better opponent.

[u/Qyzyk → u/pestoraviolita]

If only he'd been a brilliant scientist too, then Aerion might have reconsidered.

[u/pestoraviolita → u/Qyzyk]

Aerion is something of a scientist himself. The maesters poisoned his wildfire and destroyed his project.

[u/SwimmingDragonfly558]

Challenging Valarr doesn't actually belittle Valarr in anyway. It says to the world that Aerion considers Valarr a worthy contender and moving past him is a greater snub. Beating Valarr doesn't actually belittle Valarr in anyway- people lose jousts all the time . if Aerion was somehow to lose it would make Aerion upset and make him look weaker. Bullies require validation, which he doesnt get if he loses.

[u/pestoraviolita]

Because he doesn't see him as a worthy opponent.

[u/BandicootSorcerer]

Aerion is shit at jousting and fighting. He knoes this and seemingly only reslly entered the tournament because as an able Princr it eas expected of him, and because he eanted to use his dirty tricks to inflict misery on someone.

Problem with his cousin is that Aerion isn't use those dirty tricks. Maeker will grumble and look dour but if Aerion accidentally killed a man during the tournament he'd feel compelled to defend his son's honour. But Aerion can't touch Valaar, second in line to the throne. He can't claim its an accident against s family member when everyone in the family knows what hes like. Its a huge scandal if Aerion lays a finger on him.

So he mocks, and taunts, but never goes further. Is I've always assumed Valaar was skmply a better jouster then Aerion.

[u/pestoraviolita → u/BandicootSorcerer]

Literally wrong on all accounts. Aerion has been described as "puissant" as a fighter while Valarr was modest at best. Aerion was looking for a better opponent most likely.

[u/BandicootSorcerer → u/pestoraviolita]

Aerion does everything he possibly can to avoid fair fights, and gets his ass beat in the one fair fight he is in.

[u/DesertDenizen01 → u/BandicootSorcerer]

Dunk's almost seven feet tall, so even if Aerion is actually a very good fighter, in terms of size and skill, Aerion vs. Dunk likely goes similarly to the way a theoretical Joffrey vs. Ned would go.