So as we're all aware Donal Noye was the armorer for the Baratheon family before going to the Wall, famous for making the Warhammer that Robert used to kill Rhaegar Targaryen. He's important in the story and in the fandom partially for his description of the Baratheon brothers, which is frequently cited in discussion of the relative kingship skills of, for the most part, Stannis and Renly.

Donal Noye schrieb:

Robert was the true steel. Stannis is pure iron, black and hard and strong, yes, but brittle, the way iron gets. He'll break before he bends. And Renly, that one, he's copper, bright and shiny, pretty to look at but not worth all that much at the end of the day.

Many people believe this to be an accurate description of the brothers, and I believe that it is widely accepted partly because of how minor of a character Donal Noye is. The quote is almost like George is telling it straight to us, "this is an analogy that describes these characters". I however, think differently.

Donal Noye's description of the brothers is very consistent with how the brothers are perceived inside the universe, particularly among POV characters. We have Ned's descriptions of what a cool guy Robert was, we have Catelyn's remarks about jovial Renly, and we have almost every POV's understanding of what a stern, unrelenting presence Stannis creates. However, the analogy, which seems so apt in the context of people's opinions, falls apart when we align the brothers to their actual behaviors.

Here, I'll propose my own analogy, Stannis was the true steel, Renly the iron, and Robert the copper.

I'll start with Robert. We're told Renly is the "bright and shiny" one, but Renly is frequently described as a spitting image of young Robert, tall and strong. Young Robert is was a fearsome figure, with soaring charisma and a ferocity that won him a war. Why then would I suggest he is anything less than the steel he's described as? We need only look at the mess he became to realize that he was nothing more than copper. He started out bright and shiny but at the end of his day, he was a fat, weak mess. He could not hold his own against his wife, his brothers, his, or his kids. In his interaction with Ned following the Lady/Joffrey incident, he basically says it himself. Under his rule tensions rise so high that his death, unlike so many other kings, sets off a war that encompasses 6/8 kingdoms, leaving one completely ravaged.

Renly is next. He is iron. It is so easy to see I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out. Renly is iron by the very description that Donal Noye used to describe Stannis. He will break before he bends, and if we go back to A Clash of Kings, that's exactly what happened. Stannis and Renly confront each other, and in their interactions, Stannis asks Renly to bend the knee and support his war for the throne. "The younger brother bows before the elder" right? Renly, in his infinite wisdom arrogance, does not bend. He breaks. Melisandre's shadowbaby cuts his throat as he suits up to fight his older brother, and another king dies.

Stannis. The Mannis. The Stannimal. The King who Cared. The (former) Lord of Dragonstone. Why is Stannis the true steel? Noye calls him iron, but Noye clearly doesn't know shit about Stannis's ability to bend, considered that's essentially all he does following the Battle of the Blackwater. He does Melisandre's weird fire sacrifice stuff despite not believing in any of it. He heeds Davos's advice. He bends over backwards trying to get the Northern houses to fight for him. Nobles don't like Stannis, but why would they? Nobles are greedy, ambitious, and generally only think in their own self-interest. However, Stannis inspires loyalty in his men. Stannis represents strength to them because he does what someone who could be called "true steel" does. He starves with his men during a year-long siege. He rescues the Night's Watch from the wildlings. He takes a smuggler with no family name and makes him Hand of the King because the smuggler consistently gives him good advice and aid and more importantly keeps him to his morals and reminds him of his duty to the realm!! Not a single other contender for the throne seems to give a flying fuck about their duty to the realm. Stannis is the true steel. The hero the realm doesn't acknowledge. The king we need but don't deserve. Stannis. Is. The. Mannis.