Top 10 Greatest Warriors in Westeros

[@AltShiftX]

What's your top 10 list? Dune video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGHOo4iqnb6rfJY

[@kev-_-3872]

Ayyyye big fan my guy

[@kseriousr]

😄

[@LobotomyFish]

Dune, like the movie?

[@Hombay17]

I wonder what this top 10 would have looked like if that hack fraud Alt Schwift X had made it

[@jamaphy8621]

@@LobotomyFish no, the book.

[@dm9910]

I think you're unfair towards Oberyn. He does "lose" the one fight that we see, but that had nothing to do with fighting prowess. He absolutely dismantles Gregor, and has him at his mercy. He could've easily finished the job if he wanted, but he deliberately delayed the kill in order to extract a confession. A fatal mistake, sure, but that was down to unusual circumstances and not his lack of ability.

[@namelikeanyother885]

Yeah it's pretty much like dismissing Arthur Dayne from the top 10 entirely and saying "The only time we see him fight he dies". In-fact it's pretty much the same thing, I would even argue that Oberyn fought significantly better and had a significantly easier time dealing with a significantly stronger opponent.

[@corneliali7747]

I agree. Oberyn's fighting style also makes him very unique and deadly. Now because this ranking says "no dragon no magic" I wonder if Oberyn's poison is then taken out of the equation, and AltShiftX only considered his spear skills.

[@namelikeanyother885]

@@corneliali7747 Poison isn't magic though, and Oberyn doesn't really need the poison lol. His fighting style is absolutely incredibly dangerous against opponents who rely on swords. A spear is dominant against a sword, even in the hands of an unskilled person (you can defend against 2-3 equally skilled opponents just with that advantage) And since the knights of Westeros seem to mostly duel with swords, they really wouldn't know what to do.

[@theravenousrabbit3671]

@@namelikeanyother885 Well, I doubt Oberyn would've had such an easy fight against less overconfident foes like Brienne or Barristan. He clearly fights with a way of working up his opponent, making them angry and rash; so that he can take advantage of his speed. The Mountain was big, stupid and illiterate; capable of overwhelming an opponent. But a technically proficient enemy he is unable to best.

[@dm9910]

I think if you're allowed an extra special sword like Dawn you should pretty clearly be allowed to put some poison on your spear.

[@kkkelp7346]

Barristan Selmy can be pretty much described with a single quote "Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young"

[@vaevictis5178]

Hes like an artist, who only paints with red.

[@ythandlename]

The best thing about Selmy is his record. He not only survived to old age in such perilous times but he proved himself as one of the best so he's got both quality and quantity in reputation.

[@ultrabigfella]

@@vaevictis5178 "He was a Painter...who only used Red."

[@spikegilfer1997]

When Barristan goes to capture Hizdahr and his gladiator-Kingsguard gets in the way Barristan's reaction is basically "Oh, finally. A sweet steel song, this is what I was made for." After spending the entire book surrounded by plots and intrigue he is positively relieved by a man less than half his age trying to take his head off. Barry the Based.

[@fullmetalheel]

I've never heard that quote before

[@Haedox]

“Ser Pounce’s combat record is mixed at best” 😭😭

[@-Scrapper-]

Thanos>>

[@DD-kc6hg]

Ser Pounce is Fkn Azor Ahai

[@SkoomaCat]

I am Ser Pounce!

[@MrGambit512]

@@-Scrapper- и

[@SkoomaCat]

This one isn't feeling so good...

[@alexanderschulz7924]

Missing Syrio Forel. Beating up about 5 Guards and a Knight with only a wooden training sword is something. And he is brave and knightly,by giving his live for a pupil...

[@allenmuller795]

Nah he was stupid ass who lost to Meryn Fucking Trant, as Hound said he could take 3 Meryn Trants with stick. In series he could take one of the swordsmen sword and fight, instead keeps fighting with sword and gets killed, he cannot be in the list

[@lorddukealayeneclipse3317]

Yeah exactly. I know I'm late but I just now realised. The dude was trained to kill faceless men. The BEST and most expensive assassins in the world of Ice and Fire

[@emrescopeable]

Yes, but the title says in Westeros.

[@alexanderschulz7924]

@@emrescopeable Syrio Forel is in Westeros - he is hired by Ned Stark as Aryas fencing - teacher. And defends her, when the kings guard wants to arrest her after Cerceis coup d'etat

[@emilerhard4189]

True

[@theredviper24]

I feel like a lot of people underestimate Oberyn due to one silly mistake. He was playing with the Mountain until then.

[@LokiTheClever]

Yeah he should have been ranked higher than the mountain because if he took the fight seriously he would have won injury free

[@יונתןסרי-ט3ו]

​@@IsaacBehdarvandiradhe could have a squire that helps him and gives him weapons in case if it was a real fight.

[@Shorts11327]

Yeah Oberyn should be much higher up on this list. The fact that he was showboating doesn’t discredit how talented of a fighter he is. You know he’s taking down jaime every time

[@onepieceguy2659]

I don't know if oberyn should be ranked higher than the mountain. At first view it's obvious because he beats Gregor, but I think oberyn is exactly the counter to Gregor. Maybe there are other fighters who would win against oberyn but loose against the mountain.

[@EvensVincent001]

@@onepieceguy2659I mean Robert is a counter to anyone with plated armor that should make him number 1 then

[@math9172]

Somehow, I found it absolutely hysterically hilarious that The Moutain "killed Beric Dondarrion twice". I know he gets revived, but it still cracks me up.

[@laurabenitez1936]

And The Hound kills him again 😂

[@zenebean]

​@@laurabenitez1936 then he kisses a corpse and actually dies... Lady Stoneheart gets the final W

[@alec6583]

Beric vs. the Mountain = me vs. Margit the Fell Omen

[@KingWalkerl-s7l]

And gets killed by the hound also

[@TheMkBroadcast]

Legit like he comes back for revenge and gets killed again 😂

[@karem3462]

For people wondering why isn't jon snow mentioned its because this is based on the books, the show kinda make jon as the most op warrior (for fan service maybe) while in the books jon is still a young fighter that has potential but would get destroyed by any experienced fighter

[@martinlutherbling8346]

That makes sense. I did expect an honorable mention for Ned. He might have taken Jaime in a straight fight outside of Baelish's brothel. But I've only read the first novel, so I'm not sure if there are any weaknesses revealed about Ned later on.

[@codyschwarz5155]

You could’ve just said “Mance Rayder claps Jon’s cheeks in book 5”

[@Kriegerdammerung]

@@martinlutherbling8346 Ned against Jaime? I will tell you the answer but with a SPOILERS ALERT, so this is your chance to ignore this message. 1 2 3 4 5 The Northman would have lost to the kingsguard )=

[@novatheraven]

He is still better then Loras Tyrell in my opinion

[@CheeseRunner]

Yeah, show Jon Snow is definitely a top tier fighter but in the books he's just a promising young lad.

[@abbier254]

“Jaime could beat hermione in a fight” the image of jaime decking hermione with a golden hand is so damn funny

[@bj_cat103]

that's a weird remark by him as Hermione can just avada kedavra him and that's the end

[@abbier254]

@@bj_cat103 agreed haha, kinda came outta nowhere

[@Berlinbower]

​@@abbier254 i find the aragorn one hard to believe too but we know martin isn't the most realistic person. He made it so that robert baratheon used a 40lbs warhammer, which should comfortably make him stronger than the mountain funnily enough Very unrealistic for someone who wanted a grittier more real fantasy world

[@Chiefteeth1]

@@Berlinbowerreal? Are you talking about the same story that has dragon, ice zombies, forest elves? Lol

[@Mrs.Garrison69]

@@Berlinbowera standard weight for a warhammer is 30ish pounds, turns out 7 feet of steel and wood is kinda heavy😂

[@JesusChristMarie]

One moment I definitely love about the TV series is when Barristan is fired, and he draws his sword. All of the other kings guard, Trant, Blount, Moore, Greenfield, and Oakheart don’t take him that seriously, but Sandor Clegane very cautiously loosens his sword in its sheath, because Clegane knows you don’t mess with Barristan the Bold. When he says he could cut through the five of them like cake, he means it.

[@justinkroboth360]

I've liked that moment, too. Lovely bit of storytelling, showing us something without needing to rub our face in it. Back when the show understood subtlety (well, I mean, as much as it ever did, hah).

[@manithierry-mieg7600]

what do you mean not seriously ? they all draw their Swords even though he's alone

[@JesusChristMarie]

@@manithierry-mieg7600 I mean they draw their swords, but they don’t seem to be all that frightened by the fact that Barristan Selmy just threatened them, when they should be crapping their pants at the fact they’re on his bad side. Selmy would kill Boros Blount in half a second, followed closely by Meryn Trant, since both Blount and Trant are described as only being average swordsmen by Jaime in the books, although Blount is significantly more useless. We’re told less about Preston Greenfield, but it’s implied he’s not much of a fighter either, since Robert had to hastily refill five positions on the Kingsguard after the rebellion, and he didn’t choose the most capable fighters. Mandon Moore and Arys Oakheart would last longer, especially Mandon Moore, who is described as the most capable fighter on the guard, after Barristan and Jaime. All in all, these five people wouldn’t stand a chance against Selmy.

[@ovskii96]

Barristan was probably the only knight Sandor respected. Not only was he an incredible fighter, he actually upholds the rules of knighthood and doesn’t use the position to bully people.

[@spikegilfer1997]

@@ovskii96 What? Sandor road down a child and nearly cleaved him in two, and laughed about it. That's just among the shit we know about. Still, in terms of prowess, Barristan would hold a similar tier of respect for Sandor as he did Jaime.

[@darthcarnage12]

Oberyn definitely goes above the Mountain in my mind; he had him pretty handily beaten and only died because he needed a confession. He was fighting for that rather than to simply kill and win.

[@pegolini1179]

True, his confidence was his downfall.

[@jeffreyhill1011]

Honestly Oberyn might be number 1 in the proper setting, like a wide open area or with a slight uphill advantage. He was so far from losing against the mountain and he was *playing* with him! But for actual accomplishments? My money is on Barry Selmy but pure skill it's Jamie, even Barristan himself with all his loathing of Jamie calls him the best natural swordsman he has even seen. EDIT to say, but they can all be killed by some peasant with a crossbow.

[@Derp___]

Yes! It’s similar to Victarion in a way. Victarion dumb ✅ skilled fighter ✅ Oberyn too prideful ✅ skilled fighter ✅

[@Derp___]

Doesn’t matter in which way Oberyn died too, he has to be in the top 10 (imo). Just look at Dayne, dies to two guys nowhere near his level. Still a badass.

[@DirtyPoul]

Seems to me that Oberyn's strength lies in his ability to duel. The reach advantage of a spear is less significant in a messy battle, and against more than one opponent. On the other hand, that's where the size and armour of the Mountain shines. Being great at single combat is definitely a factor when considering the title of greatest fighter, but it's not everything. So I don't think he should outrank the Mountain.

[@Dr.Happy11]

"the only time we see Oberyn fight" we actually see him dismantle and humiliate one of the most feared warriors in Westeros. He basically made the Mountain his bitch, just with a spear and a buckler. Meanwhile, we mainly see Gregor shred random nobodies, and most of them shit themselves just at the sight of him regardless. Against competent opponents of great skill -like his bro or Oberyn- that don't get intimidated, he can barely hold his own.

[@MizaelTengu]

Wow. Great point.

[@priyanshubaderia1945]

Oberyn won the fight of skills but lost his life because of emotions

[@oneohtricks8244]

@@priyanshubaderia1945 true, and because The Mountain That Rides is an absolute fucking tank that was somehow still able to fight.

[@nadstock4587]

Don't shit on Gregor even jaime isn't sure he could beat him

[@user-mr1zy4nu7l]

Tbh oberyn was planning on killing the mountain for 15 years he even used a special weapon to counter him

[@faustsiftar7683]

I love the idea of Robert being this fearsome warrior in his prime, especially the image of him and Rhaegar fighting at the Trident, the stag armor and greathammer

[@saatvikkalra6061]

Gods I was strong then

[@Regarded69]

Robert reminds me of Henry VIII from real history. A handsome warrior-king who personaly participated in many battles and was popular in his youth. But as he grew older and fatter he instead became known for his gluttony, lust and reckless spending. Oh and executing his wives, so Robert seems quite good by comparison.

[@TheSamwisdom]

One of my favourite scenes in the show (which is taken straight from the books) is when Ser Barristan is dismissed from the Kingsguard. He is understandably furious and draws his sword, saying “Even now I could cut through the five of you as easy as a dagger cuts cheese.” The whole room goes silent and still. This happens because they know Ser Barristan is right. They KNOW that if he wanted to kill anyone in that room, there would be nothing they could do to stop him. So good!

[@tysonthornton8229]

Even the hound puts his hands on his hilt, real knows real

[@brent8407]

I don't know who the other kingsguard were at the time, but these knights usually weren't the best fighters to begin with. Was more about politics and who they could trust who ended up in the kingsguard. So yeah, probably no match for Barristan.

[@nostalgicbliss5547]

@@brent8407 All the Kingsguard during the mad kings reign were some of the best fighters in westerosi history.

[@brent8407]

@@nostalgicbliss5547 yeah because he was paranoid, that's why I said usually

[@syamkrishnan7243]

Tywin later scolds Cersei for doing it

[@jessejordache1869]

The Jaime vs. Brienne fight leaves them both stunned at how good the other is. While Brienne is realizing that Jamie was handicapped by his long period chained to a wall (and having his wrists chained together during the fight), Jamie is realizing that Brienne had to limit herself mostly to defense and strikes that wouldn't lead to serious injury, as she had sworn an oath to deliver Jamie to King's Landing unharmed.

[@3baxcb]

In laymen's terms, it was a stalemate. Though the edge could go to Brienne Of Tarth due to her size, height, youth and having more recent combat experience in a situation where she was distraught due to the sudden death of Renly Baratheon. However we may never know but viewers do know that they both fought together against overwhelming odds and survived to witness a TOTAL victory for the living.

[@warpdriveby]

Ha! I said damn near exactly that above. Brienne matches his speed in FULL harness, and while limited by the necessity of not harming him beyond a "flesh wound:

[@jessejordache1869]

@@prajjwaltiwari8644 Done. Now delete your message, because people aren't going to know what you're talking about.

[@warpdriveby]

@@jessejordache1869 Wow... we have a great subject and dude goes either maximum esoteric, or is a punctuation Gestapo. I bet he's Robert Aryn irl

[@prajjwaltiwari8644]

@@jessejordache1869 😂😂

[@troykoeppel7032]

Qhorin halfhand deserved an honorable mention based on how John describes him in the books. He lost his sword hand and learned how to fight with his other hand and was still considered the watches most renowned ranger and fighter

[@ebrahimcamarillo922]

I was looking for this comment

[@arvindraghavan403]

Yes even mance and widlings know how dangerous he was. Halfhand was a freaking legend

[@bobbybsburner9729]

I mean its basically head canon at this point that qhorin halfhand was arthur dayne

[@NolanHawkeyeAnthony]

And what about Jon snow

[@rothpodcast]

@@NolanHawkeyeAnthony dude pls dont talk.

[@jebediahgentry7029]

Something about Arthur Dayne "the sword of the morning" sounds so badass

[@JR-pf9in]

Fr I got chills anytime Dayne was mentioned, as if he was a legit warrior I instinctively understood was an absolute legend of a swordsman

[@faustsiftar7683]

I loved the scene at the Tower of Joy in the show and the whole story with Rhaegar and Lyanna, the Tourney at Harrenhal, etc. For some reason Arthur Dayne is one of my favorite characters, just his name and title give him this honorable, selfless image

[@cheeselord3655]

It's interesting how poetic that name is. Arthur is a culturally significant name (King Arthur) that we recognize as heroic, Dayne is a strong name because of not only its shape on the page but its hard 'D' sound. The Sword of the Morning is a poetic title because Sword and Morn have the same sound, though they end in different consonants, making it a slant rhyme. Sword is a powerful, majestic tool, and as he isn't called the hammer or the shield of the morning, we assume Arthur is also elegant. We also recognize Morning as a good thing, dawn being the hope, the beacon for justice. So, the Sword of the Morning as a title is effectively a.more evocative version of the Hand of Justice, because we can visualize mornings quite well (we've lived through one or two), but nobody knows what Justice looks like because Justice is a concept. I apologize for my ramble, I just appreciate this name so much.

[@davidbutler1622]

Ned

[@glumbumble]

@@cheeselord3655 Love it.

[@crankyermine6]

Qhorin Halfhand has got to be up there somewhere. Already a deadly swordsman, he loses some fingers, trains with the other hand, and is described as even deadlier than before. Armored knights get a lot of credit, as they should, but Qhorin had been warring and fighting in the most inhospitable lands this side of Asshai for decades

[@m.aj11]

I was about to mention Qhorin! Absolute badass in more than one way, Qhorin Halfhand!

[@1162hunter]

I was surprised he was left out of the honorable mentions

[@stevencsb]

I hear you but we really don't hear enough detail to make a good case for him other then the general opinion that he's a badass.

[@Corvaric]

@@stevencsb Wasn't he basically described as the boogy man of the Freefolk?

[@vikashv1]

He might be a foreshadowing of Jamie becoming a skilled fighter again by training with his left hand.

[@phyto12]

>Doesn’t put Oberyn on the list because he died in the only battle we saw him fight. *Has Arthur Dayne as #1*

[@Dbadaing]

probably because no one ever says Oberyns the best fighter ever

[@TheHellyeahmen]

@@Dbadaing to be fair those are just words still

[@Trepur349]

Should be said Dayne lost in a 7 on 3 In the books Dayne also beat the Smiling Knight in single combat

[@josephpaladion235]

#10 and #7 aren't even on the show

[@josephpaladion235]

Oberyn beat the mountain..the mountain was down and spread out on the ground and defeated..he.only killed Oberyn cuz Oberyn looks away for a second or 2 after beating the mountain. .but the mountain while sword in hand and ready to fight, he looses the fight

[@Anthonest1]

Oberyn effortlessly beat the Mountain in battle, not a single detail in the entire chapter indicates he even exerted himself in the slightest. After reading the series over a bunch ive got to say its probably the most one sided single combat next to Barristan vs Khraz. He deserves a spot without a doubt off of feats alone.

[@LegalSC]

Not sure I'd say "effortlessly."

[@Andrew-vy6rr]

Even Cersei in the show describes him as a legendary warrior.

[@Anthonest1]

@@LegalSC im not sure there is a better word to describe the book fight. Oberyn was so quick he couldn't even parry the spear at all, he toyed with him the entire time.

Amazing how great poison can make one look.

[@Northman87]

The mountain isn't really a great warrior. He's just big and powerful. It's not unreasonable for a fast man with a spear to win that fight

[@GoodMorningBeautiful4]

"You!" Victarion called across the carnage. "You of the rose. Be you the lord of South Shield?" "His son and heir. Ser Talbert Serry. And who are you Kraken?" "Your death." Victarion bulled towards him.

[@maudlinfaust]

I like that even a book later, Victarion occasionally thinks about Serry in a warm, almost fatherly way. He respected his courage and skill, and recognised the waste it was that someone like Serry had to die

[@keelanmurphy9941]

​@@maudlinfaustVictarion is super messed up, but he's just a big dumb child at the end of the day. Outright likeable compared to his three psychopathic brothers, anyway.

[@themcknox]

"Loris can also take 3 or 4 men." "In a fight right?" "........"

[@scotthoward1265]

lmao!

[@MrHahaIceBler]

in the show, Loras almost gets smoked by the Mountain and later gets bested by Brienne...so....

[@themcknox]

@@MrHahaIceBler joke just flew right over your head didnt it chief? We'll tell you when you're older mate.

[@vain_x]

@@themcknox considering the account is from 2009, I'm pretty sure they Zirk doesn't need more aging,lmao.

[@jasonklein3157]

@@MrHahaIceBler bruh you have 0 sense of humor

[@Crimsonfangg]

I personally would've put Oberyn toward the top. Regardless of his emotions getting him killed, he effortlessly defeated the mountain.

[@lucasvicter4671]

Not effortless. He played the Mountain, fought in a way that could only work in a honorable duel, and cheated by poisoning his blade. And he still died.

[@Crimsonfangg]

@@lucasvicter4671 When I think honor, I think the mountain. Spears have the range and speed advantage over greatswords and the mountain had no armor. He'd lose that fight regardless of the circumstances. The only reason Oberyn died was because he let his emotions get the better of him and the mountain pretended to be dead to deceive his opponent into getting close (not very honorable).

[@lucasvicter4671]

@@Crimsonfangg i did not say that the mountain was honorable. But it was a lawful duel, wich means that no one could intervine. That's why Oberyn fought with less armour, to get lighter and faster. He could strike and move away. He knew that in a fair fight he would die. Even in a premeditated scenario he died..

[@Crimsonfangg]

@@lucasvicter4671 I'm not tracking your logic. How is a 1v1 unfair , but other people intervening is a fair fight? Oberyn had the speed, range, and skill advantage. There's no scenario where he loses that fight even if they had just happened upon each other in an open field. You're not making any argument that explains how the mountain would win. He literally cannot connect a strike against Oberyn - a fact that was definitively established in the duel. Oberyn is the superior fighter in every sense of the word.

[@lucasvicter4671]

@@Crimsonfangg I did not said that people intervining was honrable. What i'm saying is that Oberyn fought in ideal conditions and died. In the battle field or without preparing he would die quicker. He would not be as quicker in armor, he would not have as much mobility and space.

[@sporeceress1465]

Sandor's fights in the show are some of the best we get in terms of realism. He fights without any particular rules restraining him - he'll punch or tackle them or kick them in the crotch if it helps him win. But unlike the Mountain, he fights with a great deal of skill because he actually observes and adapts to his opponents. He's one of the most dangerous men alive - substantial reach, enormous strength, surprising speed and dexterity and a willingness to kill his opponents using basically anything. He's not a master duelist like Jaime, he's a brutal killer with a wide array of tactics married to sheer physical dominance. I still doubt that Gregor, pre-pseudo undeath, could have actually beaten an opponent that can essentially match his sheer power, yet is _much_ smarter and more technically and tactically adept than the Mountain has ever had to be.

[@sporeceress1465]

Basically, I'd bump him up a couple of spots. He's no Oberyn, and Jaime with both hands could almost certainly beat him too, but I really struggle to see who else in Westeros could beat him with Syrio Forel dead. Unless we're assuming final season Arya's around, because she can plot-armour through absolutely anyone.

[@HariHaran-vt1ii]

I like this comment.I have a different taste and according to me danerys followed by hound are my favourite characters from GOT.its just like they are dominant all the time and also thinks logically.that makes them auspicious

[@dinfarr3119]

I just read substantial as “subsatanical”

[@Torgo1969]

@@sporeceress1465 Syrio Forel, pfffft. Greasy-haired little bastard, was he?

[@Torgo1969]

"he actually observes and adapts to his opponents" Marvin Hagler was like that in the boxing ring. Strong and fast, with a head of concrete, cardio for days, and he would switch from orthodox to southpaw in the middle of the action to throw off any kind of range and rhythm his opponent was trying to establish.

[@digits2skyharbor]

Aragorn is a literal superhuman, Martin just giving himself props there more than anything but great video!

[@DefenestrateYourself]

LOTR stans are insufferable. Bless your little heart though lol

[@maylabrown4584]

@@DefenestrateYourselfHe is not wrong whatsoever, Aragorn is literally a Supernatural Human, cope.

[@SarcasmOpenWorld]

And also oldest ,experienced, solo nazghuls and lead army of dead so..

[@88heisenberg88]

​@@DefenestrateYourself I could say the same of any fantasy fan.

[@fragbomb]

jamie is jamieversal so unfortunately he negs Aragorn

[@timmo3282]

A TV show of Robert's Rebellion would be amazing. Imagine the storylines: a young, cocky Jamie Lannister, falling for his sister and all the guilt that would bring - offset by his burgeoning skill. A young Robert - played by the actor who portrayed Gendry - bearded and buffed up. A young Ned Stark, with all the ideals, trying to steer Robert right. All the side characters, fleshed out, Arthur Dayne, Barristan Selmy, the Mad King's descent. That would have been the story to make - familiar characters, but its own story.

[@SAGEXX309]

Minus the actor who played Gendry though, much prefer new casting. Aside from that, totally FIRE idea.

[@timmo3282]

@@SAGEXX309 The actor who played a young Ned Stark was great.

[@jaeger2780]

robert had a clean shave when young. He only grew a beard to hide his double chin once he got fat Prime Bobby B needs Henry Cavill

[@timmo3282]

@@jaeger2780 Fair. I never read the books. Good shout.

[@TheSpaniard]

Instead we got more Targaryen crap. Yawn.

[@mattnoyes4545]

I just wanna give a shout out to you for singlehandedly maintaining my interest in this series even after the massive deflation I felt after season 8. I still hope one day that he'll finish ASOIAF just because your videos remind me of what I loved about them in the first place.

[@rivolverocelot3010]

I second this heavy.

[@szautan]

I don't know if GRRM wants to. Now he writes scripts for games etc,

[@Madeguydo]

@@szautan Not even that, He only gave notes and made a guideline to Fromsoftware, the writing, quests and character design were made mostly by other people.

[@paulportman3754]

I think at this point it will only finish if someone else comes in to finish it.

[@mushfiqurrahman1107]

Us moment

[@tahirsajjad4323]

"Killing Berric Dondarrian is pretty much a Clegane family tradition at this point..." you can hear in his voice that narrator was really proud of the one liner

[@ala5rdd200]

Can't blame him tbh that was great line

[@HawkMcbride]

In my opinion, I think there is an extremely good chance the Hound is one of the 3 people Jaime thinks could stand a shot against him

[@bobthestinky7369]

He has most of the strength of Gregor as well a good deal more skill with a sword than Gregor. Definitely one of the better fighters in ASOIAF.

[@DEEPWATER.]

Selmy for sure. The only reason Dayne is better than selmy is because he have a special sword.

[@Papaty25]

​@@DEEPWATER. Yes. If Ser Arthur Dayne didn't have Dawn, Ser Barristan Selmy would've beaten him.

[@DEEPWATER.]

@@Papaty25 they are equals while selmy have 10 times more feats and Dayne have stories

[@belisarius7880]

Something worth mentioning, the Hound unhorsed Jaime at the tourney of the hand. Some additional Honorable mentions that were left out, Lyn Corbray, Balon Swann, Gerold Hightower the white bull, Qhorin Halfhand, Prince Rheagar. The biggest miss of all? Ser Twenty of House Goodmen. He could've kill Arthur Dayne, Baristan, and Jaime all with just his left hand.

[@buzzhonky]

Lmaooo

[@Krisliet]

The only feat from Rhaegar we know of is winning a tournament and the only real battle we have any account of from him is the one he was killed. I think Rhaegar is more hype than facts.

[@cristianvalenciamarcotti1780]

Ser Twenty of house Goodmen HAHAHAHAHAHA i almost forgot about that!!!!

[@nostalgicbliss5547]

@@Krisliet Rhaegar liked playing music he wasn't built for killing

[@paulonavarro7095]

Rhaegar was good at jousting not fighting

[@abdellahsaidi9704]

Oberyn died because he got carried away. His performance in that fight was objectively outstanding. For me, he is easily in top 5.

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

That's only in the show, in the books he dies because the Mountain breaks his spear and so he's forced to attempt to kill him with his own greatsword, and thus has to get in closer, which the Mountain takes advantage of. If Oberyn had any fault in that, it was maybe in underestimating his opponent's second wind

[@Solo-Skywalker]

This is the way

[@bannozz]

part of being a great warrior is not getting carried away though lol

[@surtt]

I thought he let himself be killed to start the war.

[@facepainter7297]

I still remember throwing the book when I read that scene. Had to read it three times to be sure.

[@ivandimitrov7994]

"The sword of the morning" is such a cool name that he deserves the first place solely on that.

[@josephconway7945]

Made from a meteorite I believe? Makes it even more badass.

[@nicholaskenneth113]

House Dayne is simply *superior*

[@stevenc400]

It just sounds like another name for "morning wood"

[@countlitmogaphil392]

Morning woody... Me, an intellectual: SWORD OF THE MORNING!

[@TXbornTNpaid615]

So there's like, 5 or more SWORD OF THE MORNINGS

[@jimbeaux89]

I absolutely love that he included Ser Pounce ❤️

[@colmoe]

You're missing the greatest fighter of them all Hot Pie He may or may not have caused a man to fall off a ladder with his special move, shouting "Hot Pie" . Sure the rest of these people could kill you, but can they intimidate you to the point of tossing yourself off a ladder to avoid facing THE Hot Pie?

[@jlshel42]

Mighty is the Thu'um of Hot Pie.

[@akosszilagyi2656]

He also kicked someone on the balls, until they were dead.

[@jlshel42]

@@akosszilagyi2656 like Captain Planet?

[@akosszilagyi2656]

@@jlshel42 like two Captain Planets

[@Insaneforrain]

Yield, I yield!

[@jovindsouza3407]

Gotta admit I did not expect Loras Tyrell to even make the list, let alone outrank Victarion. I suppose I never really thought about him that much after he was humiliated by the Sparrows and then murdered by Cersei in the show.

[@disclaimin]

Show Loras may as well have been a totally different character, tbh.

[@amogus1415]

I disagree with loras over victarion,vic has better feats,better stats and magic powers and more experiene

[@amellirizarry9503]

yeah i call bs on that

[@gaminggurujax4110]

Loras in the books is always talked about how good of a swordsman and knight he is. He’s basically Jaime when he was younger. So I guess each generation is weaker in comparison to the past generations like Arthur Dayne and Robert Baratheon. I’m surprised to see Ser Garlen because he is barely mentioned lol I thought Lorass brother was the crippled guy.

[@Schlorb-Lord-of-Schlirb]

@@amogus1415 Yeah and Victarion has proven himself in battle many times

[@nicklongo1638]

This is such a good video concept. You should do top 10 commanders/generals next!

[@mathiascs7271]

Hell yeah I want to see that

[@branimirmiletic2495]

Yea. We want more top10.

[@tglake2894]

Stannis! Stannis! STANNIS!

[@pchelamaja88]

If Tarly is not in top 3 we riot

[@mathiascs7271]

Tywin top 1

[@robpolaris7272]

I wish we could have seen a flash back of Robert. I imagine him swinging his warhammer like that scene from LOTR when Sauron is swinging his mace and you see 4 guys flying 30 yards thru the air!

[@selfhealing]

They wakker keep that for the serie The Rebellion. Mark my words, in our life time.

[@bradstark178]

I'm almost certain that it's mentioned that Oberyn has beaten both Tyrells in tourneys. He's also been to several fighting pits in Essos and him still breathing before the Mountain means he's won all of them. It could be argued that based on pure skill demonstrated against Gregor, he absolutely out classed the mountain and his demise had more to do with bad luck and circumstance. Hell, he by all means killed the mountain which is why Qybern had to reanimate Gregor in the first place. And details of his genius and reputation as a warrior are not just expressed through his own skills, but also that of his offspring and sell swordsmen who owe all there skills to his training. The top 3 I agree, but Oberyn should of been number 4 and the fact he's not even on here was really disappointing.

[@bradmace6144]

Agreed. Maybe even higher 👀

[@akosszilagyi2656]

Oberyn clearly deserved to make top 10. When we had only 3 spots left, but neither Jaime, Barristan, Dayne or Oberyn were mentioned, i got a little bit confused.

[@octaviablackthorn9]

Ákos Szilágyi yeah I figured Arthur Dayne wasn’t making the list. We know more about Oberyn than Arthur.

[@akosszilagyi2656]

@@octaviablackthorn9 And if Dayne counts, then the rest of Aerys's Kingsguard should aswell, with the White Bull and the rest. At least he would definitely take a spot too, but probably others aswell.

[@kingsleycy3450]

Oberyn fights super dirty though. While poison and trickeries are legitimate tactics in fights, this list seems to only consider pure swordsmanship.

[@matildaduff3543]

Another honorable mention should be Tumco Lho, one of Barristan's squires in Meereen. Barristan calls him "the greatest natural swordsman since Jaime Lannister". Definitely untrained and with no accomplishments to his name, but Barristan certainly thinks he has awesome untapped potential.

[@wurstgitarre]

Yeah, but he is not from Westeros nor is he located there 😉

[@UmarAli-tq8pl]

@@wurstgitarre I don't think Strong Belwas is either though

[@wurstgitarre]

@@UmarAli-tq8pl Okay, gotta admit that's true...

[@fenrisvii]

I would take that with a grain of salt and compare it to real example of these cases. Many superb athletes have called Younger guys to be extremly good or even something similar to themself who than underachieved. Also seeing potential isnt the equivalent to being great. If the best talent ever died at 13, he wont become the greatest fighter

[@Ryan6586]

I think we have to hold off and see what he can do before he gets on the list. But with that natural talent and Barristan as a teacher he could probably get there.

[@jtcunningham7614]

Ser Pounce might have a mixed record but that fails to take into account his compassion and sympathy for others. Maybe he realized that the mouse was needed more by someone else. He’s one of the most courageous cats in Westeros so I think that says something about how he approaches combat.

[@joaop4585]

Dont knoww, man. There is theories that he Balerion's son. I think he could go up in the rank if he beat his father

[@self-righteousideologue9398]

This.

[@kain1799]

Not to mention that ser pounce is azor ahai too.

[@akutz4725]

See pounce compassion makes him weak

[@thegingerbreadmanX09]

I think that Gregor has an intimidation factor against most fighters, but the more confident a fighter, the less of a chance he has. His main strategy is swinging his sword at someone and hoping they freeze up and take it. I still really like him, and I think he might be able to edge out Sandor in a fight if he tries as hard as he possibly can, but he wouldn’t stand a chance against skilled opponents like Jaime and Arthur. One person that’s higher on the list than him that I think he could beat would be a younger Robert Baratheon, but it would all be up to chance. Either way, great vid and I almost completely agree with you.

[@markevans4323]

I think Gregor is dominant because of size, strength and aggression. Sandor seems to have serious skill with a sword. I think of him as Gregor mixed with some Jaime. I don't think Gregor belongs on this list, Sandor does

[@liamtucker3469]

I have a head canon that Garland is actually the best warrior in asoiaf. I just like to believe he's overlooked because he has no gimmicks e.g. isn't huge like the mountain, speedy and poisonous like Oberyn, angry and big like the hound, no tricks with horses like Loras, no magic hand or no hand and a young kingsguard, faceless assassin, never cut his hair, isn't a fat king past his prime, an old kingsguard or a dead kingsguard.

[@garrettrakoff1199]

He literally is a dead kingsguard though lol. He dies at the same time as Arthur Dayne doesn't he?

[@liamtucker3469]

You might be thinking about Gerald hightower. Im talking about Garland Tyrell.

[@genericidiot8091]

Not trying to be rude but it’s Garlan not Garland

[@sporeceress1465]

Garlan is profoundly underused because his younger twin siblings have a huge role in the story that has to be focused on, which is unfortunate because the GRRM takes some time to build him up as an extremely cool guy before basically just evicting him from the story. It seems like a waste of the effort he made to establish the character at all.

[@jacobadam6804]

Garlan is a straight up Chad. One of my favorite characters.

[@Clarpediem]

George Martin saying Jamie could beat Hermione in a fight will always be hilarious to me.

[@magnus75damkier]

For real he probably couldn't, the fuck would he do against an Avada?

[@nestak6076]

@@magnus75damkier but doesn’t that say something about his skill and what would she do to block a long sword to the throat? He said it for a reason😂

[@kagekun1198]

Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Protego for emergency defense. There, duel won.

[@starwarsnerd100]

@@nestak6076 What could she do to stop a man charging at her with a sword? Off the top of my head there are shield spells, disarming spells, confusion spells, spells that just straight up shoot fire at people. That’s why it’s a ridiculous question that says nothing about the skills of either character. If he gets the drop on her, Jaime wins. If she sees him coming, Hermione wins. It’s like how all “Who would win?” questions involving Batman devolve into “Batman would beat Godzilla if he had time to build an anti Godzilla device”.

[@Arthur-yq5dx]

hermione would fall in love and drop her defenses... ez

[@ThePhantomSquee]

Interesting video. I think it's important to remember your note at the end--that it's not about "power levels" and getting caught up in who is "stronger" is quite silly. Personally, I'm a big fan of Barristan's comment to Jorah: "I have seen a hundred tournaments and more wars than I would wish, and however strong or fast or skilled a knight may be, there are others who can match him. A man will win one tourney, and fall quickly in the next. A slick spot in the grass may mean defeat, or what you ate for supper the night before. A change in the wind may bring the gift of victory. Or a lady's favor knotted round an arm."

[@PAWiley]

yeah. I love the "or a lady's favor knotted around an arm." When I'm running or doing any kind of boxing training or sparring, a certain song will give me a remarkable boost in energy, will, and impetus. Just think of what something maybe vastly more sentimental might do for you.

[@ismu34]

He knew Jorah was a big simp lol

[@carltonpenaloza1395]

@@PAWiley So true! Songs attached to movies, shows or other memories can have the strongest sentimental connection!

[@pizznas6721]

This is the type of video I like to watch at 3 am

[@WombatProphecy]

Glad to see Garlan Tyrell getting the attention he deserves, underrated book character

[@flegmatika5758]

He is not underrated, he is barely written.

[@rosspowell6423]

@@flegmatika5758 he’s got some build up though. He’s gathering an army to pit against Eurons invasion

[@WombatProphecy]

@@flegmatika5758 He's not a main, or even secondary character, sure. But he's still underrated for how nice a guy he is

[@merclus637]

"Jaime could beat Hermione in a fight" Holy shit Jaime truly is an unstoppable force

[@yosepha.a.9094]

😆

[@atzuras]

Jamie defeated the 3 eyed raven with a single hand..

[@estebanslavidastic4382]

like... HOW? Hermione is a WITCH. She just like, apparates 100 feet away and then Avada Kedavra's his ass. Or she uses a defensive shield charm any time he gets close enough to hurt her with his sword.

[@merclus637]

@@estebanslavidastic4382 yeah yeah but hear me out, Jaime deflects the charms with his shining smile

[@estebanslavidastic4382]

@@merclus637 LOL

[@benjaminj.m8531]

1. Arthur Dayne 2. Prime Selmy 3. Prime Robert 4. Jaime Lannister 5. Garlan Tyrell 6. Oberyn Martell 7. Sandor Clegane 8. Gregor Clegane (all the armor he can wield) 9. Brienne 10. Victarion Note: since Arthur Dayne isn't alive and belongs to history now, warriors like Aemon the dragonknight, Daemon Blackfyre, Ryam Redwyne, Gyles Morrigen, Gerald Hightower, and Bittersteel could easily make it to the list too.

[@senpaijeezus1907]

Is The Hound really better than Brienne or the series was just BS that the hound was defeated? I'm confused

[@Karatekjell]

Daemon Blackfyre should be number 1 together with Arthur Dayne. Blackfyre is compared with a god. The actual god of war to be exact.

[@dilipkumar-hc5kq]

No one from starks?

[@ramadityahans2371]

@dilip kumar Aemon the dragon knight said Cregan Stark was the best swordsman he ever fought. And Cregan Stark was very old at the time they fought so he could easily tie with him at his prime if not beat him.

[@benjaminj.m8531]

@@Karatekjell thats why i said he was one of those who also easily could make it to the list

[@jamespeake4883]

Literally the 15 seconds of the video: "This ranking is based on the books, in the time period of the main series and Robert's rebellion" Half the comments: But what about [thing character only did in the show] and [character that predates Robert's rebellion]

[@yourmother9747]

Doesn’t excuse the oberyn placement, only bad take I’ve ever seen thsi guy put in a video

[@andrewcloud1547]

Expecting to see Ser Pounce in his proper place at the top of this list.

[@aquilaorion3531]

ser pounce couldn’t even hold a mouse from lady whiskers smh. he needs to win a lot more battles before coming back from that.

[@josh23062]

@@aquilaorion3531 but how many can say they took on balerion?

[@beenieweenie1986]

@@aquilaorion3531 We've all let a pretty girl steal our stuff. Just shows he's an honorable knight

[@hello7522]

@@aquilaorion3531 Ser pounce is Azor Ahi

[@Wormizeful1]

I'm surprised the Smiling Knight didn't appear at the top, considering that, according to Jaime Lannister, everyone dreamed of killing him. In fact, defeating the Smiling Knight is considered one of Arthur Dayne's greatest feats. Also, in the book, he recounts that he had a long exchange of swords against him, which leaves me with the conclusion that he was very adept at holding Arthur Dayne to the point that his sword would break, basically a bandit that could kill you too easily.

[@bait5257]

He chose the time line during and after rebellion

[@CruzaderKnight]

Whether the Smiling Knight was a mystical powered Howland Reed, or just a very skilled Lyanna Stark, would mean they both are alive during the rebellion and thus qualify for the list

[@bait5257]

@@CruzaderKnight you are confusing smiling knight with someone else bruh Edit : the knight you are referring to is the knight of the laughing tree. Which was Imo lyanna stark. The smiling knight was like the mountain

[@CruzaderKnight]

@@bait5257 Whoops. I’m an idiot. Yeah for some reason I was think Knight of the Laughing Tree. I honestly think that Tourney story with the Knight of the Laughing Tree would make an excellent pilot episode for a robert’s rebellion series. Such a classical fantasy story.

[@robertj5758]

You're forgetting the part where Arthur Dayne allowed him to take a fresh sword

[@Tiziown]

Some other honourable mentions: -Jorah Mormont: fights in Robert's rebellion, then is one of the most recognized warriors during the siege of Pyke, then he wins the tourney at lannisport and after his exile he fights as a sellsword for years. After that comes Dany and all he did for her. -Jason Mallister: A renowned tourney night, like Jorah he did great in the Greyjoy's rebellion (he killed one of Theon's brothers) and even better at the trident, in more recent times he accomplished great results fighting for Robb. -Harras Harlaw: A knight who has a valyrian steel sword, during the taking of the shields he defeats seven men to claim Greyshield. Victarion says he used to thrash him when they were young, but who knows if the same would happen now. -Qhorin Halfhand: Considered a living legend by NW members and wildlings alike, who ventured outside the wall for decades, making it farer than anyone else. When he lost half of his right hand he managed to get as good with his left. -Areo Hotah: Trained with the bearded priests for about a decade, then served as a guard for Mellario and house Martell for the rest of his life, he hasn't done much in the story but he killed a kingsguard without a sweat.

[@josepheady9324]

Jon snow

[@curiousmind111]

Also Jorah killed a dothraki warrior in a single combat

[@arthurgoes4159]

Jon amber is the strogest swordsman in westeros and is not mencioned, the guy dont read the book

[@Tiziown]

@@arthurgoes4159 I guess you don't either since you can't spell Umber correctly, btw Greatjon is already listed in the video's mentions. 😅

[@arthurgoes4159]

@@Tiziown Jon umber os strogest swordsman Alive in westeros

[@wesspect]

“George was sort of fed up when people wrote to him asking who’s the strongest fighter? Who’s the best?” also George: “Jamie could beat up Hermoine Granger”

[@ibrahimtall6209]

But he could tho

[@cameronjames3499]

He'd defenestrate her and watch to see if she could say "Wingardium Leviosa" in time.

[@assh0909]

Oberyn martell he's a total package he's a great fighter, a great strategist, a great politician (unlike jaime and other fighters) he uses opponents strength against them eg. His great knowledge of potions and poison, how can they be used for advantage. Absolutely dominates conversations with Tywin, Tyrion both of them are good with words

[@tomasalarconchible9729]

@Banned By youtube you sound like an angry little kid. Why do you dislike oberyn?

[@sensuscommunis2526]

@@tomasalarconchible9729 "Angry little kid because" he expressed his opinion - just like everybody else does in the comment section of a yt video that specifically is about opinions? LOL And why would anyone dislike a guy who fights with spear against swords and uses poison in a judicial duel? I don't know...

[@Evin07]

@@sensuscommunis2526 I love how it goes over everyone's heads that Oberyn wasn't fighting fairly in a "judicial dual". He was avenging his sister over 20 years later from the POS monster that brutally raped and killed her and her children. He repeatedly and angrily announced this the entire time. Of course he wasn't going to fight fair and square😂

[@TCthaCrisis]

Literally only lost because of an overwhelming emotion. Any other day he'd beat the Mountain

[@assh0909]

@@TCthaCrisis that too without any actual efforts

[@publiusventidiusbassus1232]

Robert Baratheon for me is #1. Guy fought more large-scale battles than everyone else in the list combined as barely a late teen, (won 3 in a day, that's insane) he defeated one of the greatest warriors of his time and then personally crushed the Greyjoy Rebellion like a Lvl. 100 Boss doing side missions. An older, obese, drunk Robert manhandled a prime Jaime Lannister like he was a toddler and he even managed to kill the boar that got him with a puny knife while being pissdrunk and disemboweled. His was the Fury.

[@em34ev3r]

Completely agreed. Literally crushed a Targaryen in single combat as well with his war hammer

[@789blablajaja7]

Yeah, if "greatest warrior" is about who would win fights, Bobby B is a very easy #1. I'd put others above him in terms of skill, but no one beats Prime Bobby. Thats just because his weapon is uncounterable and wins him pretty much every melee matchup.

[@ceyhunseker1428]

I definetly agree most of it except maybe the sword of dawn And what are you referring to when you say obese robert manhandled jamie?

[@chaelsonnensbicep9711]

@@ceyhunseker1428 i think robert got angry and shoved him over with ease, im pretty sure i remember reading that

[@tomwalsh616]

This Robert Baratheon hype is literally only because of his meme status and nothing to do with anything GRRM wrote. He was a great warrior. Somewhere around top 5-7 but grrm goes out of his way and over the top to praise guys like Jamie, barristan, and dayne. Rhaegar was a singer and a pretty boy, never renowned for his combat skill. And we really don’t have much else about the rebellion. I just don’t get the hype. But it’s obvious that people who know what they’re talking about (like the one who made this video) agree that he is not anywhere near number 1.

[@maxmustermann9058]

Greatjon Umber the northern lord of Last Hearth is underrated. He is over 2 meters tall, wields a bigger greatsword than Ice. Jaime consider the Greatjon physically stronger than himself. He is implied to have contributed to defeating Jaime at the Whispering Woods, when Jaime fought Robb's personal guard and was dragged by the Greatjon afterwards. At the Red Wedding it took 8 (!) men to subdue a Greatjon that had drank enough to kill 3 normal men.

[@力こそパワー-k6w]

Jamie rates him as the strongest living warrior.

[@CheeseCrumbs00]

​@@力こそパワー-k6w one of*

[@goldmantis5850]

I think Oberyn deserves a top 5 spot here for beating the mountain. His death was a fluke result of his anger and arrogance. I would also think Rhaegar Targaryen should at least get an honorable mention for putting up an incredible fight against Robert Baratheon and wounding him. Also maybe an honorable mention for Ned Stark and Howland Reed for “defeating” Arthur Dayne. The mere fact that they killed Arthur Dayne deserves an honorable mention even if the circumstances around the fight are sketchy.

[@herbthompson8937]

You think Ned and Howland beat Arthur hahaha

[@ScottSmith-jz8zv]

Oberyn died, and the mountain lived. Having an ego/arrogance is as much a factor in fighting as every other consideration

[@kentknightofcaelin4537]

​@@ScottSmith-jz8zvIt's been a while since I read the books but I'm pretty sure the Mountain didn't exactly "live".

[@emmanuela7528]

Honestly, I’m taking Oberyn Martell with the first pick in this draft. Man could barely be touched, and he used a spear which gave him a reach advantage in every open fight, and daggers which gave him the advantage in close quarters when swords won’t be helpful. You can’t beat a guy you can’t touch, and Oberyn could hardly be touched.

[@Kbarz]

I think his face got pretty touched

[@heroinfather8235]

@@Kbarz 💀

[@hugobrook366]

@@Kbarz 😂 😂 😂 that scene gave me nightmares

[@kieronjohn6334]

@@Kbarz yes but that was gloating, he was clearly way more skilled than the mountain

[@johnhamilton5431]

@@kieronjohn6334 more skilled, but still dead

[@Russell3267]

When you know Robert's track record, I believed in Season 1 when he finds out that Joffrey got disarmed by a little girl, I believe he was in disbelief.

[@mubashirhumayoon522]

JAMMIE is a better fighter than robert! is he really son of jammie 😂

[@skapunkno1]

@@mubashirhumayoon522 Jammie was a dodger.

[@LegionVillain]

@@mubashirhumayoon522 Jamie w his plate armour and sword vs Bobby B a 6"6 280lb pounds monster who wields a 30lb warhammer without effort...yeah sword vs plate is not a good matchup.

[@holypaladin4657]

Robert could never really fully accept that Joffrey was his seed. Too bad he didn’t connect the dots.

[@veraxiana9993]

i think youre sleeping on ser pounce's record, he's technically the only character in the list thats never lost a fight to a single knight or armed opponent

[@jackringel485]

My top 10: 10: Garlan 9: Brienne 8: Hound 7: Mountain 6: Oberyn 5: Gerold Hightower 4: Smiling Knight 3: Jaime 2: Barristan 1: Arthur Dayne

[@maxb8749]

Great list

[@vikashkumarsharma1412]

where is robert??

[@kronos1794]

Arthur was 100% that good. Jamie doesn't mess around when giving praise and he knows what elites like Selmy are capable of and yet he still puts Arthur above without question.

[@LegendInThaMakin]

Jaime claimed he could have beaten Arthur dayne though. He says dayne was stronger but that he himself was faster and more skilled.

[@kronos1794]

@@LegendInThaMakin Source?

[@Leo-nc3yx]

@@LegendInThaMakin Lol! Martin claimed Arthur and Barristan are tied in terms of skills, but Arthur could beat him because of Dawn. Jaime is nowhere near this 2, potential isn't everything, Loras got crazy potential as well but never get to fulfill it, just like Jaime. There are also a lot of knights in Westeros' history who could beat Jaime, both Daemon, Ser Duncan the tall,Aegon... Even in Jaime's timeline, he wasn't the best, the Hound and Mountain could beat him and he knew it. He said it himself he won't fight Gregor even with both his hands, he could win, but with one false move, he's gone.

[@LegendInThaMakin]

@@Leo-nc3yx the source is the books, read it. During the fight with brienne, you read it through Jaimes pov. He said that dayne was physically stronger than him but he himself (jaime) was faster and more skilled and because of that, he could have beaten Arthur Dayne. This is not my take, this is not my opinion, this is just what was written in the books. I didn’t say I agreed with it or disagreed with it, I simply quoted what was written, you’re going to have to argue with Jaime Lannister himself about that, not me.

[@brentwyrick3300]

Mandon Moore Jaime had once told him that Moore was the most dangerous of the Kingsguard-excepting himself, always-because his face gave no hint as what he might do next.

[@stevenhayes7910]

I think Oberyn deserves to be high on the list. He defeats The Mountain. He only dies cause he stops fighting and lets his guard down. I’m pretty sure they mention several other things he’s done in his lifetime, and his quote against Loras about tourneys not being real fights is badass, and indicative of how great a True warrior he is.

[@sonorous6200]

"Killing Berric Dondarrian is pretty much a Clegane family tradition at this point..." The perfect one-liner for this realization.

[@manafactariq3439]

Honestly we often forget how sometimes fun GOT can be, that 11:53 Jaimie cracked me up everytime 😂

[@TheSolitaryEye]

Ser Barristan standing in front of the Kingsguard after being excised, insulted, drawing his sword, knowing he could kill them all but staying his hand for his honor's sake... yet still letting them know, "Even now, I could cut through the five of you like carving a damn cake." That has to be the most badass thing ever written. Even if he's not the best fighter, he definitely wins on style.

[@andrewpark78]

Even if he could beat all the kingsguard, there were dozens of Lannister soldiers still there, so the odds someone gets him are very high.

[@collaborativelearning1]

agreed, good insight.

[@anubhavghosh4556]

The man threatened the king in his court and left unarmed yet no one moved a muscle.

[@sammakesstuff4176]

@@anubhavghosh4556 barristan the bold indeed 🙌

[@aljosapetkovic69]

watch the hound and joff's face when Barristan draws his sword "oh shit" lol.

[@Seronns]

Honestly surprised Ned Stark isn't mentioned. As humble as he was, Robert Baratheon makes it abundantly clear that Ned was every bit as good as him, and was the reason he succeeded in taking the throne. If anything, Ned's "code" was why he wasn't more renowned for his fighting. Also, Oberyn was an absolute beast. He died because of his hubris, but he flawlessly cut The Mountain down. Otherwise, the list makes a lot of sense.

[@tabishmirza6469]

Ned almost won in a fight with jaime

[@JohnDoe-zh6cp]

@@tabishmirza6469 They don't fight in the books

[@JohnDoe-zh6cp]

Source for Robert saying Ned was as good a fighter as him? I believe he meant as a commander, not as a fighter/duelist. The only time we see Ned fight is when Sansa watches Yohn Royce, an old man, effortlessly beat the daylights out of Ned and Rodrick in a 2-on-1 sparring match. He was probably decent for a lord but not anywhere close to top 10.

[@tabishmirza6469]

@@JohnDoe-zh6cp i didn't know that

[@MT-UK]

Barristan even respects Neds prowess Maybe not a top 10 of all time - but deserves a bigger mention here

[@CSelH]

"Killed by a pig, his wife, and his crippling alcoholism." Honestly millions of men across time can sympathize with that experience. Pork tastes so damn good though.

[@AroundElvesWatchUrselves96]

We're all Baratheons

[@adipsous]

I made pork chops with soft boiled eggs and buttered toast this morning. Also, I drank myself to sleep last night. I'm just missing the wife element, strangely.

[@lightworker2956]

@@adipsous Guess that's why you're still alive. Jokes aside though, you're in my thoughts. Hope things will look up for you.

[@tedwojtasik8781]

Sometimes you eat the bacon...sometimes the bacon eats YOU!

[@Jamhael1]

Ah, yes, the deadly mix of unhealthy food, stress at home and the cause and solution of all problems. They never tell that on the songs...

[@21stcenturysquid]

I'd argue that Richard Horpe deserves an honorable mention too tbh

[@whatisreddin7367]

dude was such a chad that both Stannis and Robert wanted him on their Kingsguard. Probably the best Knight in the Stormlands excluding Balon Swann but we know very little about him

[@UTU]

I think I'd cut out Loras, Victarion and possibly Brienne or Garlan to fit in: - Oberyn (who beat a top 10 guy fair and square) - Bronn (who is just ruthless and skilled and seems capable of matching many of the top 10) - Drogo (who even if unarmored would likely pose a threat to any top 10).

[@Trepur349]

I'd definitely cut out Loras and Victarian to put Drogo and Rhaegar on this list. Bronn I wouldn't consider top 10.

[@borkwoof696]

Agreed but I’d keep Brienne

[@alvaro4867]

Trust me, no, Drogo cannot be on the list. You cannot kill a man in plate armor while fighting half naked and using a calvalry sabre.

[@Trepur349]

@@alvaro4867 You're not wrong but: 1. Does GRRM know that, because book 1 seemed to seriously imply the dothraki were a threat even if they had inferior weapons and armour 2. When judging how good a fighter is, shouldn't we ignore equipment? Like if some guy is only the best fighter because he has the best equipment, is he truly the best fighter?

[@thebiglebrowski3695]

@@alvaro4867 You can't kill a man in plate armour with a bastard sword either unless you half-sword, at which point you are better off just an actual crushing weapon, yet people do it all the time in ASOIAF. I don't think real life limitations apply.

[@LegoMaul]

i just find it strange that Ned is not on the honourable since he held his ground against Jaime, who was actually trying to kill him. at least in the show. and he also fought Arthur Dayne and survived. so he has to be a very skilled fighter

[@diaklea]

Neds portrayal as a swordsman is very different in the show compared to the books. In the books he is never really mentioned to have been a great warrior and since the ranking is based on the books, it is not really a big surprise.

[@liamtucker3469]

To add to that, in a game of thrones (book) eddard has his leg injured by falling off his horse rather than having a spear shoved through it.

[@Vinmeister]

Agreed. Considering the Tyrells are in there.

[@bullseye5202]

There's not a lot to suggest he was an exceptionally good warrior, but he was absolutely a fantastic tactician and strategist in war.

[@stanza77]

How about Jacquen and the Faceless men, they’re probably quite formidable, I’d imagine. They’d probably have all kinds of underhanded but deadly methods.

[@ch3rlo_1]

"Beware of an old man in a profession where men die young" That line being said for Barristan the Bold.

[@rdizzy1]

I love strong belwas, it is a shame that they never even had him in the show at all.

[@Blackjack1317]

I think that Oberyn Martell is underrated in this ranking. He basically already won the fight against Clegane and only dies because his fury and hybris made him careless. But what we see in the preperations for the fight gives us a lot of information about his ability to change a fight's odds to his favor. Much like Thoros of Myr defeated the hound by exploiting his fear of fire, Oberyn uses a spear in his fight against the Mountain to cancel out his reach advantage. He chooses his armour so that he's quick and agile because he knows that any blow from the Mountain would probably kill him anyway, even if he's wearing armour. So while other fighters rely on their one chosen method to fight, Oberyn adapts to the fight. Which is another factor that makes him such a great fighter. Nobody knows what to expect.

[@el34glo59]

Bingo. Oberyn should be top 4-5 at worst imo

[@MT-UK]

Oberyn at 4 behind only Jaime (just and maybe equal) - Barristan and Dayne Literally don’t see anyone being able to beat him in a 1-1 with his spear and Dornish style especially with the poison (for anyone who dislikes the fact he uses that or says he can’t instantly has to then take Dawn from Dayne and any Valeryen steel swords from anyone else) - even in the books where Gregor actually beats Oberyn by shattering his spear leaving Oberyn to have to try to beat Gregor with his own great sword that only happens due to the freakishly strong Gregor & Oberyn is STILL furious and takes it personally in a showcase fight On the battlefield - 1-1 I don’t see Oberyn losing that fight in books or show- but even so he DOESNT lose to Victorian, Brienne, Robert, Hound regarding the big strong brutal style fighters They don’t have a defence for that style of fighting Dayne and Barristan could outsmart him, keep cool etc Drogo too - amazing fighter - him vs most of these guys weapons only no armour - probably most of them too - with armour? Well the fact his weapon is literally useless vs armour then I don’t see it

[@NTLuck]

I would agree with GRRM's thoughts in ranking the strongest fighters. All it takes is for Jaime to get distracted by the buzzing of a fly to get gutted by Pod lol. Jokes aside, I believe you forgot a very important mention; Bronze Yohn Royce. Ned states that Bronze Yohn beat both him and Robert in the yard all the time like it was child's play. Now this can even be interpreted as him beating them both at the same time which would be insane. Yohn also wins pretty much every melee he participates in. Definitely a top 5 or at least an honorable mention since we never actually see him in action except from other characters' words

[@akosszilagyi2656]

I remember it was said BYR defeated Ned Stark, but i seem to recall the other one was was Rodrik Cassel, not Robert.

[@MetroCrunch]

@@akosszilagyi2656 yep, I think you're right.

[@thegreenreaper6660]

@@akosszilagyi2656 I recall the same. Bronze Yohn Royce was fighting Ser Rodrik Cassel, WF's Master of Arms with one hand, and Ned Stark with the other...and in but a moment he managed to floor Ned already, then continueing to make sport out of Cassel? Lord Royce is a béast!! Imho a bit of a shame that the Show never really went into Lord Royce's swordsmanship. I think he'd be on par with Arthur Dayne even? ...given both men were in their Primes? Dayne was, but Royce has grown older.

[@akosszilagyi2656]

​@@thegreenreaper6660 It must've happened when he visited WF. Also, beating Robert would've been a much greater and talked about feat. OP probably just confused them, since both starts with R.

[@BenOlsberg1995]

I know he doesn't even have a numeric spot on the list but Beric is a personal favorite combatant of mine in the Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire canon. I do really like him as a character but what sealed the deal for me is the fact that he can use pyromancy to ignite the blade of his sword whenever he wants making it that much more dangerous. My tastes are surface level simplistic I suppose, but in a dark/high fantasy setting like ASOIAF when you have a character that fights battles with their respective weapon emitting flames, I'm likely going to take a liking to them.

[@TJS44_]

Oberyn should've been ranked above the mountain, he absolutely would've killed him almost immediately if he wasn't gunning for a confession and to make him suffer before finishing him

[@erichumphreys3951]

If he was skilled enough to do so and didn't just adds to the case against him. Fights are not a test of skill vs skill, they are multifaceted battles that happen on all levels, thus the phrase "all is fair in love and war". Oberyn made emotional decisions that got him killed when he could have won, that's not the sort of thing that earns you a spot in the top 10.

[@Appathetic_Substance_Abuse]

Oberyn technically did kill the mountain though. The venom

[@elmercy4968]

@@erichumphreys3951 Then why the excuses for Jaime losing vs Brienne? If he is too dump to keep himself in good shape, he is not a good fighter obviously.

[@benbutz4900]

Arthur Dayne is one of my favorite fictional legends. good name, incredible nickname, legendary sword with a great name and praised by everyone for how great he was. just can’t beat all that

[@arpyfighter3961]

I think it's no coincidence that he was named Arthur by George RR Martin. The name parallels real world nostalgia of the perfect knight, no longer with us.

[@MrHutchhh]

Watching an Alt Shift X video as soon as possible after a new episode of GoT was sometimes as exciting as seeing that episode. In my mind they will be forever linked. But only one of the two never let me down!

[@aranoarano7927]

I hope so much for more Victarion fight scenes. It’s so absolutely bad ass and brutal. I love it

[@bogregz]

You have the best GoT channel imo. Where others are pessimistic and seem to intensely dislike George R.R. Martin, they are so entitled, you are a positive force in the community. P.S. Your channel is not defined by ASOIAF, which I also appreciate.

[@bogregz]

@@hughmoore6970 Not really. Being forced to promise to fans release dates when you're already not a fast writer and you're getting more projects than ever isn't really his fault. He saw that it actually hurt his brand so he stopped. Now he has made no promises to keep in a while so any perceived promises he hasn't fulfilled is only that, perceived.

[@stupidhandles]

Incorrect, Glidus is king

[@starwarsnerd100]

He’s ragged on Grrm plenty of times, most recently in the video comparing him to Frank Herbert on his other channel. I don’t like it when fans dwell on the negative either but just because someone criticizes a franchise or author does not mean they’re an “entitled fan”.

[@bogregz]

@@stupidhandles No idea who he is.

[@bogregz]

@@starwarsnerd100 Not what I was saying. If you saw Preston Jacobs' new video, that's what I mean by entitled. That guy twists everything into a negative point and he makes GRRM to be a lazy asshole just because he has other projects.

[@xNoahc]

Man, I'm only a minute in but the instant feeling of nostalgia(?) I had for this series swept over me so strongly. The books and the show being in the spotlight was such a great time. Love the lore and the stories GRRM created, as well as Alt Shift X's analysis. Hope the books can save the series again!

[@michiel1162]

same, i can't get enough of these lore videos. I hope GRRM finishes the books asap

[@kingRukus39]

If they ever come out...

[@Appathetic_Substance_Abuse]

House of the dragon is gonna bring it back. Are you not looking forward to that ?

[@nicholaskenneth113]

@@Appathetic_Substance_Abuse Doesn't seem very interesting tbh

[@Appathetic_Substance_Abuse]

@@nicholaskenneth113 ok tuff guy

[@vladcordova480]

The Halfhand should have been on the list, at least for honorable mentions. Outside of that, love the list! 🤙🏽

[@jlshel42]

Good point, wonder how many greats have been forgotten by the realm once they take the black.

[@rivvle1966]

True, I was waiting for his name to drop for the entire video. In my mind he should rank around Jamie and prime time Robert. U think so too?

[@Flokoba]

@@rivvle1966 i should read the books again. I remember Halfhand being badass but i forgot he was this strong.

[@rivvle1966]

@flokoba, yea maybe that's too optimistic but I think in the watch he's a living legend. Also, the fact that he was badass at swords with his right hand and after losing it is now almost better with his left hand implies that he is one of the best. I mean Jamie couldnt do that. But maybe its still kinda hard to compare the two

[@elonif4125]

The best top 10 fighters are probably 10 random guys we never hear the name of. It isn’t an accident that all fighters in this list list are from great houses. They are just the ones who are known, who get the chances to fight in tourneys, who have the most recourses etc.

[@maxb8749]

Nah all the best fighters are from Great Houses because only kids from Great Houses have the luxury of being trained by a master at arms. Jon Snow is nothing special in terms of fighters from Great Houses but one of the best in the Watch for this very reason

[@elonif4125]

@@maxb8749Oh yeah, I didn’t consider that. You’re probably right

[@notting2640]

That’s like the excuse people make when they call the pro leagues in FIFA/NBA bad 😂 “The guy at my local park could probably beat Lionel Messi / LeBron James” type shit 😂😂😂

[@arhamsaa]

Jaime was left in awe to see how easily Oberyn made Gregor dance around the arena and make him his little bitch, he is the probably the most skilled duelist we ever got to see.

[@Asmobia]

There are couple categories/styles: Seasoned fighters with minimal resources: Drogo and Strong Belwas. Seasoned fighters on various occasions: Oberyrn and Bronn... usually they can do quite well in the next category, too. Swordsmen in duel: Jaime, Arthur, Selmy, Brienne, Hound and the mountain. Jousting: Loras, Jaime and Selmy. Close combats in Westeros wars: Robert, Victorian, Jaime, Jorah, Thoros, etc.. Fights in category use minimal protection, sometimes it is intentional (to demonstrate fighters' bravery). Fights in category require streetwise (to read your opponent and environment) and anything could happen (ambush/poison/betrayal). Fights in category are usually 1-on-1; if you beat multiple opponents at once, either they are mediocre (Brienne beats couple minor knights) or you are a legend (Arthur with 2 king's guards almost beat Ned with 6 knights/warriors). Fights in category require special skill. There are also Archery in Westeros tournaments, sadly there are not too many stories about great Archers besides Anguy (brotherhood without banners) and Ygritte.

[@aintijustthecutest3863]

As great and badass as Arthur Dayne was depicted to be, I still believe that Barristan Selmy is the #1. His feats & accomplishments both in the past and present just eclipses all others. And GRRM said that Arthur Dayne would win against Barristan if he uses Dawn. So, if its with any other sword/weapon, Barristan would beat him. Great video by the way! Love the funny bits, as well. I hope you do more videos like this to spark up the community.

[@CorrectionUnknown]

Nope. GRRM himself said Dayne would win if he had Dawn, which he did.

[@MR.Z1991]

@@CorrectionUnknown That's what he said. Arthur Dayne WITH Dawn could beat Barriston but if he uses a a regular castle forged steel it would be a toss up between them.

[@CorrectionUnknown]

@@MR.Z1991 No. He said Selmy would win when GRRM said it's a toss-up. A toss-up means equally matched.

[@jac_o7]

George never said that Selmy would win with any other sword all he said was it would be close but with Dawn Arthur would win 🤨 and obviously he has more accomplishments since he has lived longer

[@gabrielalukavei2374]

I agree. Also, Barristan is alive 👀

[@AlexanderKvant]

Rhaegar deserves a honorouble mention imo. Sure, he lost the only duel he was in but he put up a terrific effort against Robert in unfavorable conditions and was able to grievously wound him.

[@hannibalbarca7902]

Great job adding Garlan and Victarion to the list. Both are badass in their own way.

[@LunchThyme]

Feel like Rhaegar deserved a position, he defeated Barristan in a joust, almost defeated Robert in the field, and was Arthur's best friend and rival. I agree with George's sentiment though, the skill gap is so small at the top that it usually comes down to circumstance.

[@nadstock4587]

Which again is very realistic

[@hokagedlo6133]

Rhaegar differently deserved a spot over the tyrells and victorion this man is tripping

[@logancarlile8895]

Jousts don’t count for shit

[@MartialArtzz]

Just so. I believe the book has a passage that describes it “a grain of sand changing in the wind may bring the gift of victory”. Which I always read as sand getting in the eye of someone. The universe is funny like that, we try to quantify our chaos but it remains chaotic regardless of our efforts.

[@josephpotter7776]

They let Rhaeger win. He was not better than Barry Selmey

[@andyburris2555]

Oberyn is underrated simply by the “left hand principle.” That is every left hander practices constantly versus right handers but right handers barely get any practice versus left handers. You can say the same thing about Oberyns weapon set up, great fighters may practice occasionally against spears but Oberyn likely constantly practices against sword wielding partners.

[@1IGG]

I doubt it as spears are main battlefield weapons and swords are most of the time back up weapons. Any knight will have trained vs polearms.

[@andyburris2555]

@@1IGG I don’t disagree with this in principle but how many* spearman do they practice against in a dueling context? And how many that are nearly as skilled as Oberyn? As an example you can infer that Barristan and Jaime practice against each other. I’d challenge you to list a similarly skilled spearman either of them could practice against or even a single spearman that even specializes in 1 v 1

[@ReivasMC]

well if we're using real world logic, the spear user will almost allways get the better of the sword user. So regardless he has a definite advantage

[@Anthonest1]

How many people go up against a one handed greatsword though? This applies to Clegane as well because his weapon is in a somewhat different class because of how it is wielded.

[@killerdude-hz2bb]

@@1IGG spears are the only real battle weapon, swords are ceremonial

[@JojoM-s1b]

It's very informative and well said one my favorite shows ever in life...thank you for this whole service and information on the different topics too.game of thrones for ever man ... Cpl tweaks here and there but you nailed it ....

[@unsaletype1106]

"The Hound then killed Berrick, which can be considered a family tradition at this point." The savagery, the pure savagery.

[@themightykahn24]

Though we never got to see him in action, Ser Lyn Corbray apparently did a lot of damage with Lady Forlorn, and got the bodies to prove it. He was the one fighter in Westeros I was most curious to see back up his talk. Guess we'll never know.

[@rodrikforrester6989]

Baelish says his greatest accomplishment is somewhat overblown. Lewyn Martell was already dying by the time the battle brought them together.

[@liammccune5453]

In one of the TWOW sample chapters we see him in a practice fight and he wins. Lyn is still alive and around in the books. There is actually a good chance we get to see him fight during the tourney of the winged knights

[@josegradilla798]

@@rodrikforrester6989 requiere

[@themightykahn24]

​​@@rodrikforrester6989I believe you're confusing the Corbray of a previous generation with the current one. I may be wrong, but I don't think I am. 17:46

[@themightykahn24]

​@@rodrikforrester6989What I'm trying to say is that the current wielder of Lady Forlorn isn't quite old enough to have been fighting in Redgrass field. I'm a bit drunk as I type this, but I believe you are confusing battles and whole time periods. I may be wrong.

[@_Gandalf_The_White]

Ser Pounce is my favourite. The thought of housecat sized plate armour is just too adorable :)

[@lonestar6709]

There's Qhorin Half-Hand too. He's so good, there's a rumour that he's actually Arthur Dayne. Loses half his hand, learns with his left hand, and eats Wildlings for breakfast. Ser Alliser, Karl Tanner, Jeor Mormont, and Jon Snow all fear and respect the Half-Hand. Easily the best warrior at castle Black, and puts the fear into the northern tribes. Like the Lord of Bones said, after he toyed with Jon Snow, before allowing him to win; _"Burn him. We don't want this one, coming back!"_

[@JelloTalks]

I like how GRRM is just like "Ya he can beat Aragorn." Like dude that's not up to you 😂

[@continentalextinction]

how is it not up to him? GRRM can make Jaime kill a million men alone if he wants to

[@kingkiller5325]

@@continentalextinction But Aragon is not his creation. So he cannot decide wether Aragorn's skill level is below Jamie. Especially when Aragorn was descended from the Neumenorians and probably had super human strength.

[@swaroopanand2379]

And aragorn has almost 70 years of combat experience.

[@continentalextinction]

@@kingkiller5325 he can make Jaime's skill way above Aragorn's though, if he wants to he can make Jaime a Super Saiyan or some shit, but of course he wouldn't do that because the story would be boring

[@kingkiller5325]

@@continentalextinction The thing is how does he know what Aragorn's skill level is? Aragorn's not his creation. He can make Jamie more powerful than anyone in A Song of Ice and Fire, but he can't make Jamie more powerful than anyone outside that world because he doesn't get to decide how powerful characters outside of his world are.

[@marqj2781]

Robert Won 3 battles in 1 day.. Robert: "Gods, what a glorious day!!!"

[@CapsLock959]

Glad my boy Thoros made it into the honorable mentions. Multiple melee wins and first over the wall at Pyke. The guy is a badass.

[@josephpotter7776]

He was first thru the breach and Jorah Mormant was 2nd. Jorah was knighted for that. Imagine how good Thoros was that day??

[@CapsLock959]

@@josephpotter7776 imagine being an Iron Islander, having lived your whole life worshipping a damp, cold God, seeing an armoured monster weilding a flaming sword clambering over the rubble of your defenses and sprinting toward you. They must have thought they were facing a demon.

[@robchuk4136]

Thoros was awesome

[@mrsnulch]

Alt Shift X may be the smartest and best youtuber who covers this series, but Oberyn not making this list is the most insane thing I've ever seen lol. Makes no sense. We literally see Oberyn beat the Mountain, he only got himself killed after mortally wounding the Mountain because he was trying to get a confession. Prior to that fight, he has a track record of winning single combats and battles around the world. With the right equipment for the job, Oberyn could take down half the people on this list easy.