#tl;dr farkas is himbo coded but he's also so much more than that

[wolfbrawn]

For all his size and strength, Farkas is at the bottom of the Circle’s dominance hierarchy.  Even within the wider faction, there are Companions bold enough to put him down, and seem to do so without consequence. This is despite Farkas’ assertion that: “Some people don’t think I’m smart. Those people get my fist.”

We never see Farkas push back, not physically, not verbally.  Although he is frequently belittled by his comrades, he speaks kindly to and of them.  This is despite the fact that he and Vilkas were the youngest candidates to be granted the honour of becoming Companions.  I think it’s important to remember that Farkas has a proven record of serving the faction well and with honour, to the extent that he has been elevated to the Circle and gifted lycanthropy. Some interactions for context:

Skjor: “Farkas!” Farkas: “Did you call me?” Aela: “Of course we did, icebrain. Show this newblood where the rest of the whelps sleep.” Farkas: “Relax, newblood.” Torvar: “I’ve been hunting on my own for years.” Farkas: “Fighting people is different. Smarter.” Torvar: “Some of ‘em, anyway.” Farkas: “You only use the little swords.” Athis: “It’s called a shortsword, you oaf. It’s quicker. Sharper. And it can cut through a whale like a razor.”

It isn’t simply external.  Farkas himself has absorbed these opinions and is quick to defer to others. There is even a submissive element:

Farkas: “I’ve never been a smart one. But the Companions welcome anyone with the heart of a warrior.” Farkas: “My brother Vilkas is a better talker than me. He should be around someplace.” Farkas: “Too confusing for me. Empire, Nords, Talos. Who cares? Just tell me who needs bludgeoning.” Farkas: “Oh, you don’t need to worry about me. I do what I’m told.” Farkas: “You go if you want to. I’ve never seen bones this large, and want to make sure I remember them so I can tell the story right. Otherwise Vilkas will just say I was making it up.” Farkas: “I don’t like making him [Skjor] angry, but there is some work for you if you want it.” Farkas: “Aela said that you were hers. I don’t know what she meant… she scares me.”

Vilkas, at least, is openly fond of his brother, though he too makes mention of Farkas’ perceived low intelligence – “I love my brother, but his brains are not his strong suit” – and on one occasion, he appears to gently redirect his twin during a group discussion:

Aela: “And you avenged him.” Farkas: “Kodlak did not care for vengeance.” Vilkas: “No, Farkas, he didn’t. And that’s not what this is about.”

It is Kodlak’s journal that we see more positive descriptors applied to Farkas.  The harbinger writes:

Until we can pursue a true cure, the twins and I have chosen not to give in to the beastblood.  For me, it’s provided a clearer head, but Vilkas seems to be suffering a bit for it.  Farkas seems completely untroubled.  That boy continues to amaze with his fortitude. Aela is too solitary, Vilkas too fiery, and Farkas too kind-hearted.

But the journal also hints at Farkas being easily influenced, his tendency to follow his brother:

Farkas didn’t know what to think, but I believe he will come around with me and his brother eventually.  He usually does.

I do feel Vilkas is the first person Farkas turns to, that he follows his brother’s lead almost blindly – which undoubtedly puts pressure on Vilkas.  He trusts his twin to do the thinking for them both, to explain matters to him in a way he can understand:

Farkas: “He [Skjor] was the one I looked up to. I need to find my brother.” Farkas: “Vilkas says you’re the new Kodlak. I don’t know what that means, but you seem honourable, so that’s good.”

My perspective:  Farkas is someone who has been belittled over the long course of years, picked at like a wound until he has learned to make himself smaller, more pliable.  It is an insidious part of the culture of the Companions, and it likely started in the days of his boyhood – next to his academically brilliant and deep-thinking brother, Farkas was seen as lacklustre, witless. Like @hircineswrath, I believe Arnbjorn would have given both twins a hard time.  Furthermore, new recruits learn from established members that Farkas can serve as a verbal punching bag, that he will still think highly of those who demean him, because he considers them family, and he sees the best in everyone: “Skjor and Aela like to tease me, but they are good people.”

Farkas is simply wired differently.  My interpretation is that he is a kinesthetic learner, and in modern settings he would be identified as dyslexic, possibly even as having ADHD.  In Skyrim, a medieval-esque society that doesn’t understand neurodiversity, he gets branded as an oaf, and icebrain, a fool.  Persistently told that he is these things, he begins to believe it.  Why else is one of his primary skills speech, and yet he rarely uses his voice?  He may not be eloquent, but he is emotionally intelligent and able to see straight to the heart of matters.  And through it all, he remains kind.