curious why you like jace so much?

i like him because of his contradictions. he's supposed to be rhaenyra's perfect son, her perfect heir and the first step in rhaenyra's ascension, instead he's everything but. he can't ever be rhaenyra's perfect heir and son because of his parentage, something he had no control over and no matter how much he tries he will never overcome it. doesn't matter how much rhaenyra says to him that he is a targaryen, that's all that matters. and jace knows this!!! so making him be painfully self-aware of his shortcomings and his overcompensation and repression make for an interesting character.

he's also angry all the time, moody, he has repressed every emotion that could make him seem less in the eyes of his family and court so when the pot inevitably boils over, it's so explosive. finding out that his life was a lie at such young age and that he was never going to be enough made him overly independent and anxious and annoying to build himself and his family(!) to be the best and in the process, protect them so they will never feel the way he feels.

i find characters who try and try so interesting and i'm not going to say i'm a tragedy enjoyer because i'm too much of a coward to fully embrace it, but the fact it doesn't even matter at the end that jace was such perfect diplomat and commander, good brother, the best heir and prince because he died unceremoniously trying (ha!) to save his little brother. it was never going to be enough. something about futility and the will to transform the world you want to live in etc.

thanks for the question