History YMMV / GuardsGuards

* GrowingTheBeard: As stated on the main page, ''Guards! Guards!'' is often considered the best ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book to start new readers on. This was arguably the novel that really ''codified'' the Discworld, particularly its most important setting, Ankh-Morpork.

* GrowingTheBeard: As stated on the main page, ''Guards! Guards!'' is often considered the best ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book to start new readers on. This was arguably the novel that really ''codified'' the Discworld, particularly it's most important setting, Ankh-Morpork.

* {{Narm}}: This may be the book where Vetinari first properly takes shape, but it is also the least nuanced about his worldview, something driven home by his incredibly edgy MotiveRant to Vimes at the end of the book. This speech veers dangerously close to making Vetinari out as a StrawNihilist.

* MagnificentBastard: [[DragonAscendant The Noble Dragon]] was at first merely summoned by royal secretary [[BigBadWannabe Lupine Wonse]] to be slain by a puppet king to gain control over Ankh-Morpork, but she quickly grew to have her own ambitions. Using her mental connection to Wonse, the Dragon engineered her own summoning and quickly gained control of the city by roasting the puppet king at his own coronation. A master at coordinated terror, she [[EvilIsNotAToy subjugated Wonse]] into being her mouthpiece and invited the heads of the city's powerful guilds to a banquet to intimidate them into providing wealth and promises of sacrifices. While a terrifying monster herself, the Dragon grew disgusted with the people's almost [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters giddy acceptance]] of her terms. Unmatched for most of her reign, the small swamp dragon Errol stunned her with a sonic boom and earned her respect and love, both then leaving humanity behind to wander the cosmos.

* MagnificentBastard: This is the novel which really creates the character of Vetinari in this way.
--> Never build a dungeon you cannot get out of.
** The Dragon itself might be a lesser example.

* GrowingTheBeard: As stated on the main page, ''Guards! Guards!'' is often considered the best Discworld book to start new readers on. This was arguably the novel that really ''codified'' the Discworld, particularly it's most important setting, Ankh-Morpork.

* HilariousInHindsight: A few examples, including the offhand mention of Vetinari's aunt, who says no to being chained up as an offering to the dragon. In ''Literature/NightWatchDiscworld'' she's introduced, as a brilliant schemer and extremely forceful personality who, among other things, punched Nobby's lights out. In other words, whoever had to ask her was going to have a ''really bad'' time of it. There's also the fact that Sybil's first words to Vimes are "Do you know anything about mating" and he's completely baffled, but they go on to get married and have a son.

--> "Never build a dungeon you cannot get out of".

* HilariousInHindsight: A few examples, including the offhand mention of Vetinari's aunt, who says no to being chained up as an offering to the dragon. In ''Discworld/NightWatch'' she's introduced, as a brilliant schemer and extremely forceful personality who, among other things, punched Nobby's lights out. In other words, whoever had to ask her was going to have a ''really bad'' time of it. There's also the fact that Sybil's first words to Vimes are "Do you know anything about mating" and he's completely baffled, but they go on to get married and have a son.

** The Dragon itself might be a lesser example.

* FridgeBrilliance: Vetinari actually ''started'' most of the conspiracies dedicated to his own overthrow, so he could keep tabs on them and sabotage their efforts as needed. He also has spies monitoring the Guilds, the nobility, the criminal community, and anyone else of influence. The only reason the Elucidated Brethren's plot managed to hold together long enough to cause trouble is that the Supreme Master deliberately recruited its membership from the ''least'' important people in the city: low-grade, workaday craftsmen and laborers, whom even Vetinari hadn't thought it necessary to spy on.
** Re-read the Brethrens' complaints about being "oppressed", and notice how they sound like henpecked husbands who are always being nagged at by women. [[spoiler: Small wonder, that the dragon they summoned to terrorize the city turned out to be female.]]

* FridgeBrilliance: Vetinari actually ''started'' most of the conspiracies dedicated to his own overthrow, so he could keep tabs on them. He also has spies monitoring the Guilds, the nobility, the criminal community, and anyone else of influence. The only reason he was unaware of the Elucidated Brethren is that the Supreme Master deliberately recruited its membership from the ''least'' important people in the city: low-grade, workaday craftsmen and laborers, whom even Vetinari hadn't thought it necessary to spy on.