Tower of Joy fight review: Game of Thrones

[@scholagladiatoria]

FFS. This video had a copyright claim launched against it the second I made it public. Well I filed the dispute, as it's a review, which is legally entitled to use copyrighted material. I'm sure it will meet the criteria required, but it's getting very tiresome having to keep filing disputes.

[@BattlerEvil]

+scholagladiatoria #youtube #muchrights By the way, Dawn is almost indestructable so i think that could be gone without a minus?

[@WeretigerX]

+scholagladiatoria This is a prevalent issue in the reviewing community. Especially when it comes to Japanese content. I wish KZbin's algorithm would be updated.

[@SodaPrezsing]

+scholagladiatoria As soon as Arthur Dayne stuck his sword in the ground I thought of you and laughed.

[@entropy11]

+scholagladiatoria I wonder if the automated claimbots would have a harder time if you mirrored the linked video.

[@bulletdancestorm554]

+scholagladiatoria #WTFU This is a perfect example of fair use. You are using the clip to teach / critique / criticize.

[@diceprophet6920]

Lessons Learned from GoT fight scenes: + wear a gorget + wear a helmet + actually use your shield + be a main character The last one is subject to shifting terms and conditions.

[@DannyKay.]

Jon Snow proves that, he just respawns like Kenny 😂

[@Almaxai]

lol i don't know why but the post script about main characters just made me laugh its like saying "you suck.....in my opinion" very diplomatic but i mean you're not wrong

[@SirSmurfalot]

Plot armor is the best armor.

[@tommerker8063]

"always taunt your enemy when you could easily kill him" -oberyn martell propably

[@Majorhavoktv]

If Dayne had worn a gorget he would have slain them all....no Ned would make a strange storyline.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Hey folks - a lot of you have commented about the thrusting through armour and Dayne's magic sword. This is a good point! However, wasn't the first thrust through armour done by Dayne's companion, with a non-magical sword? I'd also add, that if Dayne's sword is magical and penetrates armour so easily, then why doesn't it break/cut through opposing swords as well?

[@MrEolicus]

+scholagladiatoria Or maybe these men were tricked by the props staff and went into battle armed with mail that covered their forearms only and cardboard instead of metal plating... only to discover in the worst possible manner that they had been undone...

[@pettersundbyindrevoll6522]

+scholagladiatoria Swords of valyrian steel has been shown to cut through other blades previously, most notably by Brienne in season 5 during the horse chase. It might be because Dayne didn'tadd enough force to it when he hits the others swords. His sword having enhanced steel also explains his carelessness with the edge before he fight because it doesn't lose the edge like a normal sword.

[@Oberstgreup]

+scholagladiatoria It's not THAT magic (i.e., not a katana). He doesn't cut through their armor with it.

[@George-gs9sj]

+scholagladiatoria From Asoiaf wiki: *Valyrian steel blades are lighter, stronger, and sharper than even the best castle-forged steel, and feature distinctive rippled patterns similar to real world Damascus steel, the mark of steel that has been folded back on itself many thousands of times. + About the note u made about Dayne thrusting his sword on the ground: Valyrian steel keeps its edge forever* Even though his sword Dawn is said to be made from metal forged from the heart of a fallen star. it says on wiki that looking like no Valyrian blade, yet sharing all of the properties, being incredibly strong and sharp and probably the "keeping its edge forever without the need for sharpening". And i do believe Arthur Dayne's companion does have a valyrian steel sword.

[@CobraTeamGuys]

+Jklolx Dawn isn't a Valyrian steel blade though, it is made of a different material (said to be forged of a fallen meteorite). It is completely unique. It does share its properties with valyrian steel, but Dawn is even lighter.

[@ZandarianTheHoly]

Assuming they have armour on their backs too. does that not mean that the blades went through six layers of protection?

[@timdillon4876]

+Torbjørn Kvalheim I'm pretty sure Dayne is using a sword made from Valerian steel which is like some kinda super metal, That would explain why it has power to ease through armor like it did.

[@ZandarianTheHoly]

I read a lot of comments saying that it is not Valerian steel, but something like it. Anyway, all I am saying is that it is poking out the back, so it must be going though six layers and not just three.

[@Kriegerdammerung]

+Torbjørn Kvalheim Seven considering the body

[@deadshot1995]

+Torbjørn Kvalheim His sword is forged of ore from a meteorite, described to be on par with Valyrian Steel.

[@MrLegitGamerMLG]

+Torbjørn Kvalheim Yes, assuming that was Dawn (I think it was), it is a sword with the same properties as Valyrian steel. In the books the sword was forged from a fallen star and the blade actually glows white. I assume it was dawn due to how easily he stabbed one of the men like he was putting a sword through butter.

[@NUSensei]

I've been watching a few of your analyses. What I really like about your style is that you're fairly chill and respectful of the fact that these fight scenes inherently have elements that are going to get unrealistic. I like that you do play the "semi-plausible" line, while other commentators can get caught up in the black and white extremities, and it gets a little nasty and obnoxious. As much as I enjoy comparisons and critiques, it's nice to see an expert go "I probably wouldn't do that, but I can see why it's done here". Keep it up.

[@mrneutral8423]

Well said.

[@erykczajkowski8226]

That approach just encourages the full-of-shit movie creators to continue showing all flashy at the cost of realism and plain common sense. Movie creators assume majority of their audience to be complete idiots and don't care about those who are not and don't care if a sword stab going through 2 sheets of plate armor and 2 of mail like it was butter completely spoils immersion. Is this a respectful attitude on their side? Why would you be respectful to those assholes in return?

[@CLEBCHARU]

@@erykczajkowski8226 rofl. You sound like an asshole. Keep it up.

[@sircar4876]

@@erykczajkowski8226 That's the exact obnoxiousness the op was trying to convey. If you need "realism" to be immersed in a fantasy story (literally the opposite of realism), then maybe you're consuming the wrong media in the first place. The main motive of the creators isn't to make a historical documentary. There are other media that do that. The audience isn't there to learn historical battle tactics, they're there to see something badass and awesome. Realistic things can be awesome, too, but it isn't the point of goddamn fantasy. Also, fictional materials can be different from real life ones. Valarian steel is explicitly said to go through other forms of steel like it was cheese.

[@erykczajkowski8226]

@@sircar4876 Sorry mate, but your arguments are inept. I'm not saying and am not expecting that fantasy movies should be documentaries, but that they should simply apply common sense. Fantasy worlds are still based on rules some of which ARE THE SAME as for 'real' world. Like gravity. Or people breathing and eating. If fantasy world hosts medieval armor and weaponry it is reasonable to expect that adequate tactics is employed for them, unless explicitly explained why something is different. Eg. when I watch battle of Minas Tirith and see how king of Rohan orders his cavalry to charge the oliphants head on - the most stupid decision he could have taken - why do you expect me to stay immersed? How his manouver relates to the 'fantasiness' of the world this is based in? He is fighting oliphants, oversized fantasy elephants, how does this invalidate the fact that the outcome is easy to foresee - his troops get obliterated, because basic rules of physics apply - huge elephants crush horsemen. Fantasy or not. And the most important is - what you admit yourself - realistic can be awesome too. So why the hell instead of brainless head on charge on oliphants can't they show some brilliant manouvers that will also have the wow effect but not be blatantly stupid??? PS. My example is based on a different movie, because it is a striking example of the overwhelming stupidity in fantasy (and other) movies and my original comment was general.

[@Adamdidit]

One thing I liked that you didn't touch on was the way Dayne continually moved with the goal of putting as many attackers in front of him every time they tried to surround him.

[@unknownchannel3141]

Agreed. I noticed it too.

[@Liesmith424]

I think Dayne might've been planning on disarming and capturing Ned, since he _is_ Lyanna's brother. It could be that they were ordered to not let anyone else in, and that's why they had to defeat the entire group. Remember, Dayne even wishes Ned luck in the wars to come; that's an odd thing to say to someone you don't expect to survive the next ten minutes.

[@bronyatheistfedora]

He was right about to stab him when Howland got him

[@Liesmith424]

_Allegedly_ about to stab him. Maybe he was going in for a surprise hug.

[@invincibleomega546]

He already disarmed bed in the end and was making a line off attack. And if they couldn't let anyone else he in he courage simply told them to wait outside and bring Ned in.

[@impact0r]

"I wish you good fortune in what's to come" not "wars to come". Lol...

[@JBSOUNDADVICE]

impact0r listen to it again. It's wars.

[@Volound]

1:40 only in the TV series. it isnt the case in the source material, the books. the TV series makes ned out to be a liar. in the books it is repeatedly described, how ned would have died to dayne had reed not saved him at the last moment.

[@attzec1]

+Volound your dishonoured brutal rampages are some godly shit

[@Volound]

+SlumdogTrillionaire cheers lad.

[@Cyprienroche]

+Volound Actually in the TV series, Bran Stark told Meera (sp?) that his father told him that Arthur Dayne would have killed him if not for Meera's father's help. It was in season 4 I think, don't recall the episode but it's definitely in the show. Ned probably embellished the truth to protect his friend's honor (dude saved his life, but people would shit on him and his honor had Ned told the true story in details), Stark doesn't strike me as a bragger...

[@axeltahir9885]

+Volound Seeing my favourite KZbinrs comments on random videos is so weird :D Love your Dishonored vids!

[@ChristopherN4G]

I thought I remember Ned himself saying something different in the first season when talking to Bran about that fight. Something alone the lines of "that's not how it went" or the like. It's just they kind of rewrote Bran now thinking otherwise himself. Ned has, AFAIK, never said he defeated him, only that he came out the victor.

[@ricwalker6600]

From a point of real swordsman view it was actually nice to see that Dayne not stand in the 1vs4 encirclement till the end. In a real fight an enemy behind you is mostly your death. So i enjoyed it, that he broke out of it and with steps backwards made shure that they stayed in front of him, where he can see all incomming attacks and react to them. You see it often in movies that the fighter between some enemys magically see strikes at his back as if he has eyes on his neck. thats unrealistic and nice to see that Dayne cares about not getting someone behind him. hope you got what i mean. english ist not my mother tongue.

[@daemonredfield3211]

Regarding the sword piercing the front and back layer of armour, in the books that was used by Jaime to convince Loras that Renly's death was supernatural. He concluded that it was physically impossible for Brienne to stab through multiple layers of armour with a sword.

[@filomenaa]

So the lesson to take away from this is, "wear neck armour"

[@fludblud]

+Theopontus Problem with neck armour, its restricts movement of your neck.

[@CZProtton]

+fludblud The problem with not having it is getting killed. You do want some. All gambesons had some around the neck. It does not restrict jack shit. And even if it did, why would I move my neck? I am fencing for a year now... I cannot see how moving my neck more than slightly would ever give me an advantage.

[@dentistguba]

Chainmail doesn't restrict the neck at all.

[@zedex1226]

It restricts your neck from moving away from your torso.

[@CZProtton]

@S F You, my friend, have no idea what you are talking about :) Study the crusades for a moment and you will see how much out of your ass you are talking.

[@lyq3r2]

Now I know why Sir Arthur Dayne kept his sword backwards facing, he subconciously had felt he would get stabbed from behind.

[@lyq3r2]

+Kamil Prystapczuk (Alechanted) Yeah, or maybe he thought:"Neh, I'm a professional. Let's be serious about it".

[@Handrea82]

Greensight?

[@APStarCraft]

I just thought his hand got tired from holding it in the other position and was resting it momentarily

[@christobalev3246]

Nope,what i think is he did it to confuse Ned.Now,Ned is a skilled warrior,its not some common idiot with a blade and Dayne knows that.Hes using some exotic technique witch would be new to Ned and eventually something he wouldnt expect.He uses it,Ned manages to defend from it and ser Arthur goes like: Ok,one way or another i will kick your northern arse,my son.....

[@chrisf247]

This is probably the only channel where I'm happy to see a half hour review of a 5 minute scene

[@kristadisgumundsdottir3658]

I like how he moves around and makes them get in the way of one another.

[@sambaughn]

I was surprised Matt didn't mention the positioning. Notably better than most cinematic fights with multiple people against one in that they do try and mob him as a group instead of standing around waiting their 'turn' and that Arthur Dayne is shown as leading them so that they can't get too much of an advantage from their numbers. Also, they don't just stab through 'plate, gambeson, mail and clothing'. They stab through that, then through a living body, then the whole set of armour again! I've been telling myself that GoT people often wear mail under cloth to justify the apparently poor level of protection a lot of knights seem to have. This scene seems to back that up with the northerners, so maybe the kingsguard are also wearing mail under their jackets?

[@KaedeLanyo]

Valyrian steel or not, GOT people are made of plasticine and armor out of dry twigs. It's really hard to take fights seriously when people fly to pieces at the slightest touch of a blade. I know it makes for more of a spectacle but.... Cmon...

[@DirtyAtreyu]

Yeah the part that I really enjoyed was getting out of being surrounded and forcing them all on one side. Sure it wasn't perfect, but it's definitely on the high end of fight choreography.

[@rorschach775]

I like how the guy in the front decides he doesn't want to hold a shield anymore at 19:02.

[@secularnevrosis]

Rule number 1 in triangulation. Fight one at the time and let your opponents fight eachother for position.

[@trillionbones89]

Dayne's sword is supossed to be of meteorite metal and equal to Valyrian Steel: it stays sharp no matter how often you stab the ground. Dayne's friend however stabbing though breast armor doesn't seem that accurate

[@matthewmuir8884]

It also is supposed to be a greatsword almost as big as Dayne himself. Funny enough, a greatsword would have been far better for fighting while outnumbered, as bodyguards used them for that very purpose.

[@Zephyr01]

@@matthewmuir8884 yuh but hard to find an actor that can show that on screen and in an impressive way.

[@matthewmuir8884]

@@Zephyr01 They went out of their way to find an actor that practices HEMA for Arthur Dayne. I'm sure they could've found someone.

[@aidanford4285]

I am so very late on the reply, so sorry for the notification But there is no way at all that either of the swords Dayne were using here was Dawn. Dawn was a great sword made of the core of a fallen star/meteorite. It was known to be pale as milk glass, so basically white. Not to mention that Dawn was not once mentioned throughtout the whole series. He wasn't using Valyrian steel either, as Valyrian steel is known to be dark and have the signature Damascus steel wave pattern. He used two steel swords. There was nothing special about either of them except the fact that they were used by one of the best swordsman ever in the GOT/ASOIAF universe.

[@Niko257x]

@@aidanford4285 might be misremembering but I don't think any of the valyrian steel swords where dark in the TV show. I think its meant to be dawn but they just couldn't be asked putting in the book details on it

[@kjanikova6731]

I have absolutely no sword fighting education whatsoever and I probably won't watch most of your videos, but I stayed through this entire review, because I really like your enthusiasm and passion for the subject and it was very informative and well done! I'm glad I chose to randomly click on this video, thank you! :)

[@robinburt5735]

You, Lindybeige and Skallagrim should form a TV fight choreography company hehe, market yourselves to film studios and stuff. :)

[@Finkeren]

+Doreen Green They'd be so bogged down in discussing minutia, the films would never get done.

[@lewiskeats9911]

Omg yes

[@deathscythehellfunk]

+Finkeren "That leaf is wrong." XD

[@2canines]

+Doreen Green don't forget Thegn and Thrand channel

[@CeroAshura]

These guys would end up like the Holy Grail coconut guys.

[@babybalrog]

The thing that impressed me about this fight was the length of the video cuts (not sword cuts). Many shows/movies, use short clips to hide actors being unable to fight. There were relatively long clips 2-3 times this fight. I think this fight and the Viper vs Mountain are the two best fights in GoT so far.

[@Cakevspie94]

+babybalrog Indeed! It helps they had the luxury of being able to employ trained stunt me for the flashback actors instead of using the actual actors or stunt doubles. With it being a flash back, the only person we need to recognize is Nedd.

[@alkaholic4848]

Yeah and no "shakey cam"!

[@L.J.Kommer]

5:31 So what you're saying is that calling Italian duel wielding Florentine is *boloney*

[@shrekas2966]

he said that dual wielding sources are only mentioned in bolognese sources.

[@L.J.Kommer]

*sigh I guess people not getting my meaning comes with the territory of making shitty puns.

[@shrekas2966]

***** k im gonna leave now 😂

[@cybersasho]

bollocks

[@Carewolf]

I prefer to refer Bolognese sauces.

[@ForgottenHonor0]

This is gonna sound kinda weird, but can you review the fight between the Black Knight and the Green Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail? I know it's short. But it's always seemed fairly realistic, if a bit exaggerated, to me. At least, more so than the following fight between the Black Knight and King Arthur. LOL

[@millitron3666]

Something worth pointing out is that once Arthur Dayne's ally gets killed and it's 5v1, Dayne tries to keep the odds in his favor. Watch his movements, he's always keeping several of Stark's men out of reach, especially at first. We see him back away, keeping all of Stark's men in front of him and 3-4 out of reach, so he's never really fighting more than 2v1. When he does get surrounded, he immediately tries to break out.

[@gwennblei]

+Millitron Really ? It looks like the exact opposite to me, he only does this for about two secconds, and stays surrounded in most of the fight. (A full video would be better for the timers, but here is what I see :) 15:14 From the moment he's alone he's surrounded and stayz that way, his attackers have the ideal position to attack him, but keep moving arround, until instead of surrouding him completely they're only in half a circle almost in front of him ( 15:25 ), by their own fault since he doesn't try anything to get out of the circle.) From there to 15:39 he is always in a position to be attacked by all of his opponent, and even rushed back into them, instead of moving out to use the tactic you described (which would be the sensible one) 18:58 - 19:01 he does keep one out of reach, but still deals with two, if he had walked backward and to the left or the right instead of going straight backward, he'd have faced one. Then he runs in the middle of the three again ( 19:03 Shield too heavy ? XD ) 19:07 Ned is indeed in the back of his team mate and advance to prevent him to step back and escape pressure, but while he helps his friend to be killed, the third northman is supposed to be on Arthur's left, but does nothing again. 20:27 Then he again fights in the middle of the two, and stab through his opponent without ned taking any actions in the mean time. To conclude it seems it's a viable tactic to him since he only kills people when he can potentially be hurt by other people while doing so :D

[@Fuyoc]

+Millitron I noticed that as well, it was a nice little touch to see him constantly moving to keep his opponents largely in front of him. It's a principle taught in hand to hand fighting as well if you're outnumbered (and can't immediately escape), try to move in such a way that the aggressors are "threaded" in a line/cone in front of you. With weapons in hand, only so many people can be facing you at once and swinging a sword. I kinda wish they had shown less floaty choreography and had a few of Ned's companions get in each others way, or accidentally strike each other but for GoT it was a pretty well done fight scene.

[@Strategiusz]

1 - The guys with shields - completely rubbish, they hold their shields anywhere but not in front of or close to their bodies. 2 - Ned Stark could attack his opponent when he was killing his last comrade. He was close to the action but he mysteriously disappeared in that scene. 3 - The swords had penetrated through 6 layers of armour, not 3 (front armor, human body, back armor). And I think it should made a "tent" effect on their backs, if you know what I mean.

[@SmileyFace08121996]

+Strategiusz 4 - They got Dayne surrounded, but the two behind him just waited for fight to go on.

[@Ponen77]

+SmileyFace08121996 yeah that always bothers me in movie fights ...there were a couple of moments where his back was completely exposed for quite a while and any of the two guys behind him could have easily attack him especially his unarmoured legs...

[@araincs]

The thing that annoyed me was how the line "no, now it ends" was turned into a one liner quip when it was suppose to be resigned and sad.

[@salociin7887]

+araincs NAHWITTENZ

[@Loiner_Leftie]

+araincs Also as a Yorkshireman, that accent is pretty dubious

[@iamcleaver6854]

+araincs I didn't like this young Ned. He feels like a spoilt kid.

[@Loiner_Leftie]

Iam Cleaver He kinda was spoilt up until this war to be fair.

[@alimccord3519]

+Jack Coxon The actor is from Hull

[@LadyQ_1169]

I LOVE these reviews you do. I’ve been writing a high fantasy series for years now, just finished the first manuscript in August, and I’ve learned so much from you about laws,/styles/etc. (though it’s difficult to remember it all!). I want to avoid silly Hollywood stuff like striking for no reason when you aren’t in range. You’ve ruined some movie fights for me but I think you’ve made my books better! 🥰

[@STNeish]

A quick thing... that sword is "Dawn," made from some otherworldly material; I rather doubt sticking it in the ground is going to harm it. As I understand it, they had Dayne dual wielding to illustrate his superior skill, making his combat style more dynamic. Also, Dawn would likely be able to pierce three levels of armour, being a "magic" sword. That doesn't explain the first time we saw this, but when Dayne does it, it's more believable. This was probably my favourite fight in all of Game of Thrones.

[@pantherapardus1398]

The way I see it is that the thought process that went into the decision for duel-wielding instead of Dawn being a greatsword is that the average GOT has no knowledge whatsoever (unless they do actually study HEMA) of medieval swordplay and so don't know that greatswords do take some skill to wield becaus e when an average viewer hears "greatsword" , they think of the Mountain

[@TMmodify]

I love the fact that Iain Glenn is an actual swordsman, it's pretty noticeable during the Battle of Yunkai

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Wait, is he really? That's fucking awesome.

[@Someloke8895]

"So the Bolognese sources..." Oh I see what you did there.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

So I'm not crazy. Good to know.

[@johnapple6646]

I need sauce for that claim pls

[@sameerthakur720]

I prefer the Mayonnaise sauces....I mean sources, of course.

[@seabassplayer9308]

I have @@fuzzydunlop7928 h ughhuh Bbbbbbbbbb. Bbbbb

[@seabassplayer9308]

@@fuzzydunlop7928 b

[@garvon_]

He stuck the sword in the ground because it was the show version of Dawn. And Dawn is forged from a heart of a fallen star and its doesnt lose edge, ever.

[@Skoogplay125]

+garvon Now what exactly is a fallen star.

[@GoldeneBremm]

+Steel Noodle How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! Arthur Dayne = Lucifer confirmed

[@garvon_]

***** thats the mystery

[@tmsmyth46]

+Steel Noodle from the *heart* of a fallen star... One theory is that Azor Ahai forged Dawn by plunging it through the heart of his wife, a Dayne, whose sigil is a falling star and a sword

[@Skoogplay125]

Tom Masson-Smyth Weird way to forge a sword I tell you.

[@LordStimpy]

I heard "Bolognese sauces" and chuckled heartily.

[@timbrowning4899]

with your analysis at 14:00 and again at 21:00, that is Arthur Dayne's character, and if the weapon in his right hand is in fact Dawn as described in the books, then we don't need to suspend disbelief. His sword was "forged from the heart of a fallen star and was said to have all the properties of valyrian steel" mainly its otherworldly strength and sharpness. It's a fantasy gimmick that would let him get right through all that pesky armor.

[@richardradejr.4258]

+Tim Browning Unless it also multiplies his strength 10 fold, it still doesn't make sense. MAYBE I could kinda believe it if both his hands are on the blade & he was thrusting up with a good amount of force, but you're telling me that while using his left hand to block his opponents blade, he was able to gather enough force, with a relatively short thrust to go through SIX layers of armor(front & back) plus his body, in one go?

[@timbrowning4899]

+Richard Rade Jr. through the first 3 layers and his body? maybe. running him through was just purely for cinematics, but welcome to the "because it's magic" argument lol

[@stephanelegrand8181]

+Tim Browning I don't beleive in the going through the 6 layer (+body) even with a magic blade, but I'm prety sure it is mutch more cinematic has Tim said. Nevertheless going through 3 layers and Half a body is generally sufficient to kill your opponent (and that's half the work ...)

[@chriskrause6280]

+Stéphane Legrand Yeah, I was going to post that as well. Valyrian steel, or in this case, Arthur Dayne's own weapon, is supposed to be essentially magic. In this fantasy world, it could easily pass that this blade was so superhumanly sharp that it made passing through flesh and armor easy whereas it would otherwise be not possible.

[@applepie231]

+Chris Krause Magic swords are a staple of the fantasy genre. You wouldn't try to make out the logistics of Frostmourne would you? It's a sword that eats souls!

[@morallyambiguousnet]

Old motorcycle rider's proverb: $50.00 helmet, $50.00 head.

[@jaga121]

How about a "Bronn vs. Ser Vardis" fight review?

[@MałyShmeiker]

+Joe Aga Yes, please - analysis of this fight would be so nice :o)

[@dors.sc1]

+Joe Aga whats to analyze? ser vardis swigging and flailing around and bronn just cuts him the first chance he gets

[@aboot2754]

Took like 10 minutes of watching for this channel to become my favorite youtube channel. Looking forward to more!

[@discochoir]

Another thing about the scissor cut was that Dayne had manuvered so that the guy he killed was between him and Stark. This limited Stark's ability to attack Dayne at that moment. So it was a great tactic against multiple opponents.

[@Talondel]

In addition to the real-world (choreographical) logistics of wearing less armor, I imagine the in-character reason for the combatants to wear less armor (and for one of Ned's companions to have on that cloth headdress) was where the fight took place; the Tower of Joy is in the Red Mountains of Northern Dorne (and Dorne is generally the warmest and driest part of Westeros). To men accustomed to cooler climates (particularly Stark and Howland Reed, Northmen!), perhaps skimping some on armor might have been a concession to the warmer climate.

[@trevorp8124]

Seems to me like gorgets would have resulted in this fight ending very differently

[@balgursdate5955]

+Trevor Partch Or, you know, crossbows.

[@Swarm509]

This. Brings a guy or two with a crossbow and tell them to stand out of sword range.

[@gehtkeinenwasan2928]

He isn't thrusting through three layers but through six actually, since it comes out on the back. Im not sure how strong the backside of the coat of plates is but he definitely has to thrust through the mail and gambeson again, while it even is a bit more loose.

[@Riwillion]

That final disarm, as well as the general way Arthur Dayne was handling his swords, were from Eskrima - a Phillipino martial art that I´ve done :P Dual wielding is very common in Eskrima, with knives and sticks, or even with swords in fact. But Eskrima uses swords that are shorter than a typical medieval European one handed swords, which makes them much easier to handle while dual wielding, and the sticks are also shorter, in addition to being a lot lighter as well. So that´s number one thing I had a problem with with this fight. They should have given him short swords, not regular one handed swords. Then he wouldn´t have to twirl them in such a limiting manner, which by the way, would likely make it difficult for him to maintain the proper edge alignment (then again, he doesn´t really cut much, so that probably makes sense actually).

[@matthewmuir8884]

I think he should've been given a proper greatsword (Zweihander, Montante, etc.). It would've been far cooler to see and it would've been more realistic: greatswords were actually used by bodyguards for fighting off multiple opponents at once. From what I've heard, it also would've been more accurate to the books, as his sword, Dawn, is a greatsword in the books.

[@2serveand2protect]

That "helmet" is a blow-TRAP, not a blow-deflector...

[@2serveand2protect]

King Dormak the chromosome expelling forniphile ...yeeeah, about that! - I wouldn't be so sure...

[@2serveand2protect]

King Dormak the chromosome expelling forniphile ...yeah, that's also true...

[@shrekas2966]

+King Dormak the chromosome expelling forniphile the only bad thing is that eyes are left open on the sides. in reality open face helmets are kinda good design because if you cut, you cant hit face directly so from sides hits just didnt hit face. in this care this helmet is a death trap. i wouldnt go into fight without a helmet, but i could use any helmet to this one.

[@mybawzarerichie]

The reason armour was easily pierced in this fight by the two kingsguard was due to the fact they are both most likely wielding Varlaryian Steel. Arthur daynes sword he is wielding in his right hand is dawn (the GoT equivalent of a Lightsaber) which is rumoured to be made of a meteor. Love your vids, keep up your awesome work.

[@Shinji72]

I appreciate you've improved a lot the video quality of this Tv show combat Reviews. And you pronunciation of Bologna was quite spot on....

[@sparrowhawk81]

I had an issue with this scene. I will admit a small part of it was just that I personally think dual-wielding swords is kind of silly. I know it was done, but it seems impractical. Now, if they had setup somehow that this guy does it as some sort of personal trademark or to be cocky, that's fine. What I suspect though is that this is just another example of a producer or writer saying "Oh! Give him two swords because he's THE BEST SWORDSMAN! If we give him two swords, he'll seem super badass and awesome! Also, have him hold it goofy and backwards, because according to the movie choreography playbook, that's what AWESOME swordsmen do!". I feel like if they had choreographed something that showed someone doing some really slick, awesome practical longsword fencing, it would have been even cooler. People in the audience perhaps would have done things like say "Wow, I didn't know you could do that with a longsword! That is really cool!" Someone who fences in a more controlled yet fluid manner would have looked cool as well. He could be contrasted against these guys from the north who take big chops and swings with their swords.

[@Swordsman3D]

+Sparrowhawk You just about said exactly what I was thinking, great minds think alike! I read the books and when discussing this with my friends I did concede that if there is a man to pull it off in this situation its Ser Arthur Dayne.

[@BenniBodinJagell]

He wasn't thrusting trough three layers of armor. He was really thrusting trough six layers, because the sword came out on the other side.

[@cruelfish4824]

+Benni Bodin Jagell Cant forget that he is stabbing through the person aswell, I'd say friction would stop the blade after it had penetrated 1-3 inches.

[@andreww3033]

Could you do a review of the fight between hector and Achilles in Troy.

[@joebaxter6895]

Love the channel, WHAT WOULD happen if someone thrust through that much armor? A bruise? The fighter would be winded? You say, "not going to happen" but what exactly would happen? Would the sword/lance get stuck and the reinvent have the advantage?

[@HumanRights4Everyone]

You know I think Sir Dayne didn't want to kill Ned. He seemed to be going easy on Ned when they were going 1 on 1. I think he was trying to to take him prisoner and then have see his sister, but on his terms. It does make sense from a R+L=J perspective.

[@josephhubbard4332]

+HumanRights4Everyone The point is he wished him luck in the wars to come, so he either wanted to or thought he was going to lose.

[@TheInfamousBertman]

+HumanRights4Everyone Unlikely...when Ned says "now it ends", I think it was clear to both of them that only one side was gonna walk away from it.

[@Duke_of_Lorraine]

Why was Arthur Dayne so badass ? Because he had armour. And TWO big f***ing swords !

[@SLAPPEDbyAhat]

The Hound likes this

[@Loosehead]

I also notice that Dayne at one point is surrounded by four opponents, and manoeuvres the fight so that his opponents are all coming from one direction. Contrariwise, the one-on-one phase against Ned Stark features one fighter moving forward, the other backward, then it seems like they both decide "OK, time to go the other way".

[@fakjbf3129]

If you read The World of Ice and Fire (basically a history book about the world Game of Thrones takes place in) there's a cool story that happens during the Dance of Dragons, which was a civil war that happened a couple hundred years before the main story. The way most people tell it, there were twin brothers in the Kingsguard who had to face each other in battle, and that they fought nobly for hours and both died in each others arms telling each other they still loved them. But what actually happened is that when their fight was short and bloody and they died cursing each other. Which is a pretty good parallel for movie fights vs real fights. The movies want to make it flashy and drawn out, but really they're just violent bursts or action that probably aren't very entertaining to watch.

[@napornik]

Mmmmmeeeeehh... the guy who gets sizzored actually has a shield that he *for no reason whatsoever* drops on the ground and proceeds to fight with just a sword. 19:03 Sorry.

[@RamekGreen]

+Kancho It's possible he might have been stunned and/or hurt the arm, so he dropped it as a sort of "last ditch" move.

[@napornik]

RamekGreen Just watch the whole fight. What happened is he got hit by the massive, invisible hammer of Plot, better known as the Writer's Hammer.

[@xSpiegelschattenx]

Shields are pretty effective, even in a duel scenario. Two swords can be scary too; the shieldbearers must have been spooked and lost their shit (and shield).

[@Tome4kkkk]

What I liked best about the scene was how it showed the confidence of Dayne, clearly a mature, superior warrior to the bunch he faced, including the youngster Ned Stark.

[@pizzaman6784]

I was anticipating this video, from the moment I saw this scene I thought to myself, "I wonder what Matt Easton thought of this fight?" lol, it was definitely my favorite fight this season so far.

[@ThiLI0n]

The stabs are actually going through more than three layers - I don't know about plates on the back, but it would have to at least pass through mail and padding on the way out the back

[@themightyryden4458]

I wasn't sure how to feel about the fight when I saw it because I didn't know how plausible the dual wielding was. But now I can appreciate it a lot more

[@cool140000]

What are some of the movies with realistic sword fighting?

[@smackedinthejaw]

+DaS Guardians Rob Roy has a rep as portraying realistic looking sword fights.

[@bingersblends7800]

i quite liked it, its got good tactics in my opinion, such as when he is surrounded, he fights his way out and uses their numbers to block each other.

[@thisguy253]

Damn it dude, I was about to make a comment on that.

[@theM4R4T]

I think he put his sword into the ground, because in the books it's said it's made of a meteorite and has same qualities as Valyrian Steel, which always stays sharp.

[@grinningchicken]

100% agree with Matt. Only point I thought he'd add which hes made in other vidoes is that historically many lethal wounds don't kill immediately and people mortally wounded will get up fight some more then expire.

[@KingdomOfDimensions]

+grinningchicken It really depends. Some wounds were only mortal because they either caused long-term damage or infection, both of which would take a while to kill. Others could cause someone to collapse either in short order through blood loss, or even immediately from either brain damage or hypo-tension induced shock. I think this clip actually features a variety of them, including Ned's companion killing Arthur Dayne despite definitely being on the road to bleeding out.

[@rhemorigher]

+grinningchicken That doesn't really work for film and television though, you need the people to die quickly because otherwise you can lose track of things in the rush of a battle (unless it is one on one) and it would just get very grisly, distracting and messy. People would start falling over dead seemingly at random as they bleed out without an enemy nearby, the floor would be covered in moving and flailing combatants, you can't show close detail fighting and people on the ground hacking at people's ankles in the same shots etc. It's less an inaccuracy than a needed conceit.

[@KingdomOfDimensions]

rhemorigher I'd generally agree, but imagine if a director could get the scene to work. Now that'd be a harrowing experience for both the characters and the audience.

[@jagvillani338]

Howland Reed actually survived the fight. He was the first one wounded right at the start and it looked like he was glanced across the abdomen, rather than really well stuck in the gut.

[@icarus9097]

KingdomOfDimensions The movie "High Crimes" has a scene like this. One of the protagonists (who at this point in the movie is shown to be actually the antagonist) is shot on the belly... then he disarms his shooter, beats the hell out of him (the ex-protagonist is a trained marine soldier), only to weaken, pass out and die because of the bloodloss. The belly shot was lethal, but the audience is led to believe it wasn't (because it wasn't _instantly_ lethal) and then gets surprised - yet not confused - when he falls.

[@savagehenrylive]

just discovered your channel and it's fantastic! just wondering what movie/tv show sword fights would you consider to be 10/10, or to be especially realistic?

[@dalibork]

you are an expert on sword fights, I presume - but the only reason Dayne stabs the sword in the ground is so we the watchers can see the sun above its hilt, so we can deduce that it is the sword called Dawn...

[@Swarm509]

If that was actually Dawn the sword would probably be undamaged by shoving it in the ground since it is claimed they can stay sharp even after a battle. Good call.

[@RevanAlaire]

Thank god for people like you Matt, who speak a voice of reason against the countless naysayers.

[@LyricBent]

+RevanAlaire You might say he is the nayslayer!

[@RevanAlaire]

+LyricBent Dammit! Why didn't I think of that? Now I'm sad...

[@Robert399]

+RevanAlaire I think he's just resigned to the fact that choreography will always result in stupid, dance-like fights. He's simply happy any time he sees even the vaguest nods to realistic techniques.

[@RevanAlaire]

Robert R I think Matt is realistic in his fight scene reviews and instead of constantly crying about how something is wrong, he actually goes into depth with how it is done or what was done in the past. Too many of these kind of videos by others are simply constant whining about how this or that is wrong instead of appreciating the choreography and the story that goes into a movie fight.

[@Robert399]

RevanAlaire But this isn't realistic, basically all of them fight like retards. Matt didn't say it's realistic, he was just glad that in a series with routinely shit choreography there were at least a couple of moments sloppily imitating something realistic. At this point he's basically given up on realistic fight choreography and instead just enjoys his historical TV shows in all their dumb glory. Unfortunately that's not something everyone can enjoy.

[@hellstorme]

Hollywood is terrible about armor though, everywhere. It's part of the trope that armor = bulky and bad. The helmet thing is 'show the face, people want to see their face' which is a director of photography thing. The lack of effective armor is a costume/production decision for money, but also the idea that heroes are so good they don't need that big bulky armor. Shame that no one involved in the production can just say 'guys, you can't fight without arms and hands... they would be pretty well armored, as well as the chest and head at least.'

[@Yora21]

+Gaius Maecanus Complete agreement. All that characters need is distinctive looking armor. Nobody has a problem picking out Darth Vader and Boba Fett.

[@mjludema]

+Yora True. However, these are both villains. Which means the audience is not asked to identify with them or connect with them emotionally. In fact the covered faces helps them convey the one thing the filmmaker wants: menace. They become inhuman and other. They ran into this problem with the first few modern superhero movies too. It is hard to act through a mask. Even a spandex one 😊 The only really good example I can think of is in V for Vendetta and that took an exceptional and theatrically trained actor with a lot of the plot devoted to developing his character.

[@gunnargrautnes4451]

Gaius Maecanus. Yeah, that's why I tend to root for the villains in Hollywood epics. The villains are well-armoured, generally well-equipped, well-trained, and have sound tactics and sensible strategic goals. Essentially, they're professionals who know what they're doing. Then the heroes come along, charge head first into battles that they're not supposed to win, and completely luck out. My main objection to this isn't even that it is unrealistic, but the message it sends. Repeatedly, Hollywood tells us that competence doesn't matter and that material circumstance is always overcome if you have a good heart. Those are equally terrible life lessons. Believing those things will not only make us less able to face the challenges of life, but will likely make us morally worse and less compassionate people.

[@aboot2754]

Matt, you should really go back and rewatch GoT and review more fights. This video is how I found your channel and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. It could really help get you more subscribers.

[@cstarh123]

I'm not sure if someone already said this, but the only thing I would say about the armour on Ned's forearm is that it is most likely supposed to be metal covered with leather. The men from the north tend to coat their metal armour in leather for protection against the cold, as mentioned by Sansa in the 7th season. That season was not out when this video was made, but just thought I would mention that as it could explain why Ned was able to block that blow with seemingly only leather protection. I only found your videos just now, and I'm really liking them. :)

[@darkblood626]

As soon as I saw this scene I was was looking forward to this.

[@SmigGames]

+darkblood626 Yeah, I was wondering what Matt had to say as I was watching it.

[@AB8511]

What I like in this fight, is that Ser Arthur Dayne shows some tactical understanding of his situation. When the 4 guys are around him, they actually try to attack him and he knows he must move from them, what he did. He nicely demonstrates the basic principle of fighting multiple oponnents, that you want to fight single person at time. This was nicely shown when he cut the throat of one of the northmen, while Ned was standing right behind the guy...

[@matthewantonello5029]

+AB8511 but he didnt. for the first liek 4 or 5 seconds and liek 10 parries he was literally surrounded by what was not 4 but 5 assailants. He didnt move away from them at all during this time he just copped them all. to move tacitcally he would have had to rush one person with a dash to break from the circle.

[@AB8511]

***** Yes but this breaking of a cycle of opponents is not always easy thing to do. He did not do it as a first move (I agree he should), but at least did it later and as a fight continued he tried to apply this principle. And I have seen a lot of movie scenes when protagonist stays in the middle of the bunch of opponents and miraculously kill them all...

[@KatalystW]

This is why, kids, you should wear aventails with your helmets.

[@goonwanger88]

the sword came out of the ground... it went into his scabbard somehow

[@Karak971]

+Orion Barbalate Except it didn't if you look again. He clearly drew it from the ground.

[@goonwanger88]

i call bullshit sorcery

[@mybawzarerichie]

+Orion Barbalate it was in the ground.....

[@Farscryer0]

+Orion Barbalate Effective sorcery, though, sword-in-ground notwithstanding.

[@JordanKnotts]

Cool video! I always cringe a little when people stab their swords into the dirt too. And it's almost always when they're just chilling or something, not even a life and death situation. I guess in Arthur Dayne's defense, his sword is made from the heart of a fallen star and stays razor sharp even without sharpening, so, I suppose he can afford to be sloppy with that one. I think they had Arthur wear a helmet because the actor who does the actual fighting looks pretty different from the actor who plays Arthur standing around, so a helmet helps hide that transition a little. Bonus, the guy who does the sword play is the guy who is later turned into the first White Walker, so when the Night King actually gets around to lifting a sword, it should be a pretty sweet fight scene! I hope you'll do a video on it too.

[@CanadaMMA]

In defense of the thrust through the armor I think it can be excused because Dawn, the sword Arthur Dayne carries, is made from mysterious metal of a "fallen star". Much like Valyrian steel, but not quite. Valyrian steel is much more powerful than regular steal, and CAN penetrate plate armor in the ASOIAF universe. It stands to reason that whatever Dawn is made out of, it too would be able to go through traditional plate.

[@manny655321]

+CanadaMMA I came here to post this. The stabbings only make sense because he is wielding the best sword in the novels, even better than Valyrian steel. That's why he can stab though layers of armor, and thats why he is cocky enough to push it into the ground. It was actually an intimidation move: "Look and despair, bitches: DAWN. Now you die"

[@lucasfsm51]

+MustBeNoodly It is stronger. basically it has some magical properties that the forging process give it that make it harder to dull, sharper, and I believe lighter

[@DullTorpedoFilms]

+MustBeNoodly You do know we're dealing with a fantasy universe, that has fantasy materials in it that don't apply to real physics? Could you imagine trying to make a video about what a light saber logically can't cut through? It would be ridiculous because light sabers don't exist.

[@bjrnhalfhand2258]

I've been waiting for this vid the second the scene finished on TV :)

[@markjaypeegonzales7404]

Throwing a sword into rocky ground... Piercing through multiple layers of armor... Maybe it was actually intentional and they wanted to imply that the Targaryen swords were very very sharp and made of better material? (You know, dragons, and valyrian steel, and stuff) At least that's what I see in it, and I wouldn't be realizing those without watching this video of yours. Thank you very much! This is the first video I watched of you and it's really fun to watch someone so passionate about swords. I'm a fan of swords but I don't know anything about them. I just know that I like swordfights way better than gunfights. It's nice to watch you since I'm getting some knowledge while enjoying. You got yourself a new subscriber!

[@Coldblade106]

In my understanding, Ser Arthur Dayne's sword is Valyrian steel, a game of thrones world magical material which is nearly indestructible. It is forged with magic and things of that sort, so stabbing the sword in the ground would most likely not harm it at all, and the sword itself probably only needs to be cleaned of blood after a battle rather than sharpening it.

[@scholagladiatoria]

It's not valyrian steel, but see my latest video on the topic of valyrian steel swords in the TV show please :-)

[@Coldblade106]

Oh really? interesting. This was the first video i watched of yours about an hour ago, just subbed too! I really liked the sort of professional outlook on the medieval fighting. Just watched that valyrian steel video, that would have been MUCH better knowing all that before going in to watch this video. Thanks (:

[@OwenLikesGoats]

+Daniel Pryor While supposedly they have similar properties this sword is made out of a 'fallen star' (meteor) and not Valyrian steel like Ice or Longclaw. It is however the family sword like Valyrian steel swords normally are in older houses.

[@SyberStain]

Daynes have carried it for thousands of years. It is said to be made from metal forged from the heart of a fallen star. The blade is as pale as milk glass looking like no Valyrian blade, yet sharing all of the properties, being incredibly strong and sharp.

[@allmightlionthunder5515]

Arthur pendragon ! .

[@GumaroRVillamil]

Those thrusts actually go through 6 layers + the body! I might buy that a thrust pierces the front armor and into the body, but to go fully through the body AND the layers of armor on the back??

[@MrColuber]

It really wasn't a twist. It's stated within the book that Ned would have died without the help of Howland Reed.

[@malcolmwright5793]

+MrColuber In the show, it's a twist, because the audience doesn't inherently have that information.

[@klioseth4336]

+MrColuber true but most expected poison since HR is a crannogman

[@Gala-yp8nx]

+MrColuber In the books we never actually get to hear the details of the fight. It's a dream that ends before they start killing each other.

[@benselectionforcasting4172]

Book reader here, Great rendition, Just wish the dialogue had been kept the same, and also I actually thought the battle would be similar to how it ended. Ned being basically completely outclassed and Howland finishing the fight in a "dirty" way. The ONLY Complaint I have is that in the Books Dayne did use a Two handed Great sword, and so did Ned, as Ice (the Stark Sword) is not just ceremonial. So I was anticipating Dayne and Ned Breaking off into a one on one duel and the other 8 combatants fought leaving Ned to Fight Dayne in quite possibly the most badass duel ever. Two people each wielding basically indestructible Two Handed monstrosities.... Yeah I was left both awestruck and dissapointed.

[@therealr0bert]

What about the spinning around? 23:18? It looks like it just gave Ned an opportunity for a strike at the legs or those unarmored arms. Also, if he can slit a man's throat with a sword in either hand with absolute ease without any wind up is there any advantage at all to putting so much more force behind an attack going, presumably to another man's throat?

[@bartonbrevis3831]

Regarding the reverse/point down grip argument at 21:56, the technique is from eastern weapon arts and meant for very close fighting (inside a forearm's length) where blocking is more likely to occur with the ulnar edge of the forearm. It also positions the point for a thrust backwards in a twisting/rolling/grappling fight. However, this manner of fighting is often with short blades (large knives or small swords, 10-15 inch blade length) and in this situation it is probably a misleading or preemptive maneuver, though not necessary, as the fight doesn't close to that level of distance and the blades are seemingly too long for that manner of fighting.

[@SaoGage]

So many armchair experts dissing this fight scene, the actual expert liked it. Irony and the internet at its finest.

[@vanders4198]

+Good Apollo This scene was brilliant, but having an opinion on something based on generally understood, although mistakenly understood, norms doesn't make people armchair experts. People simply saw dual wielding which even the expert says was rare, thus people would not know of its reality, and highly choreographed moves like a less over the top lightsabre fight. It seems pretty understandable to me that they could make the mistake of thinking it was highly unrealistic.

[@kebab6969]

The story is far better in the books, but tv shows have the advantage of visuals, so it's a shame the fight scenes in the show are usually pretty bad, but this fight was great in my opinion.

[@tare_]

+kebab6969 It was a genuinely good fight scene. I haven't read the books and hadn't heard much from Sir Arthur Dayne prior to the scene, so it wasn't overhyped or anything. But in the few minutes that I saw the fight, the guy became one of my favorite characters.

[@Loiner_Leftie]

To be fair Jamie has only once (I think?) been shown fighting with his dominant hand and in good health.

[@RedSky-vf8bf]

I thought we never saw him fight with his right hand, but you're right- he fought Ned early on. After that, every time we've seen him fight, he's using his left hand and he had said many times that he'll never be even close to as good as he used to be. In this context, I suppose it makes sense that he'd look a little sloppy; yes, he trained with Bronn to get his left hand usable, but it seems impossible to get it on par with his dominant hand.

[@Zephyr01]

@@RedSky-vf8bf he fought bre early too but he was chained and hadnt eaten or rested in a very long time so its not a very accurate representation of his abilities

[@TheMan-je5xq]

@@Zephyr01 I think he does fine at first but he realizes too late how out of shape he is. The feeling of fatigue probably hit him immediately and he knew he was done for

[@materiaproductions8653]

22:38 I risk to assume that this backward grip would help for a tired arm. Holding a sword like this allows to make a solid blow driven primarely by the biceps. Can it be something one can do to help an exhausted forearm recover during a prolongued duel?

[@mitchgunzler3737]

I loved Dayne’s dual draw, it looked like skilled practiced action... but hadn’t he stuck his sword in the ground? How did it get back in the scabbard for the flashy draw? (Yes, I know I’m late to the party.)

[@DaMarlboroMan3]

I thought it looked silly because Dayne's opponents were flinching a lot for no reason to make up for how open he was to strikes from them. At one point a shield user just stumbles and drops his shield for no reason even though Dayne's back is exposed to him. And how the best knight ever lets himself be surrounded when even today they teach in boot camp that if you are about to be surrounded in melee attack immediately and furiously so that they cannot get the best angles on you. I also just think the obsession with dual-wielding is so silly. I understand it from a narrative lens in that dual-wielding immediately tells the audience "this guy knows what he is doing". Seeing a European-inspired knight twirling around like George Lucas is choreographing just looks so strange. Also my experience with medieval fighting comes from playing Chivalry so I don't understand why everyone doesn't just use a zwiehander and spam horizontal slashes like I do.

[@TMmodify]

because you can't exploit bugs to strike instantly in reality.

[@OljeiKhan]

Oh by the way , i have no problems with Arthur Dayne getting stabbed in the back. Ned Stark was trying to save her fucking sister. If they kidnapped my sister i would go as far as to make a deal with Cthulhu so that i can suck the souls out of the kidnappers. Altough R+L=J kinda implies that Lyanna wasn't kidnapped at all.

[@dwarvensphere1094]

r+l=j really could only happen if rhagar kidnapped lyannna

[@Arcessitor]

+Dwarven sphere No, because someone going willingly isn;t kidnapping. That's the point, genius.

[@truedps8]

He shoved the sword in the ground to make a point, it's to give a signal to his opponents that they will not pass.

[@vShoTzZ25]

+TrueDPS Obviously, but he could of done a plethora of other things to make a point instead of destroying his own point in the process. Would you start smashing your fist against the pavement to prove a point to your attacker?

[@truedps8]

vShoTzZ25 Counting a few facts that 1: He is most likely very wealthy. 2: There isnt many other obvious signs/gestures to say "If you try to continue on I will kill you". 3: Putting your sword in the ground does not harm yourself and does not pose any damage to your weapon that would affect the outcome of a immediate battle. So yes, I think that putting his sword in the ground wasn't a bad idea considering his position, especially since he is most likely rich and could care less about his sword.

[@Manuelomar2001]

+vShoTzZ25 Dayne's sword was supposed to be Valyran steel, a type of fictional material in the setting that is essentially indestructible. That would account for how careless Dayne is with the weapon. (and for how he's able to shove that thing through coat of plates)

[@woody10198]

+vShoTzZ25 The sword he thrust in the ground was probably Dawn, which is supposed to be like Valyrian steel and never loses it's edge (due to magical properties), so it could probably resist being thrust in the ground like that. But yeah with a regular sword I can understand that being a bad idea

[@Manuelomar2001]

woody10198 unless you were some highlander fighting the vikings in the 9th century, and your sword was just a 12 pound sharpened piece of iron. In those kinds of situations, I can see a warrior not caring if he damages his weapon. But the Kingsguard and Ser Dayne were clearly men of high caliber who were used to having the best equipment, and taking good care of it. But maybe having Dawn as his sword engendered some careless habits in Ser Dayne.

[@4ndr3c3s4r1n0]

@scholagladiatoria At 15:15, is it even possible to survive, being surrounded by four opponents? Seems very unlikely to me. The original battle was 7 against 3, and I assume the 3 used a formation, or a narrow passage, to fight more enemies.

[@MrMiddleWick]

18:15 "...he [Jamie Lannister] looks completely cuthanded with a sword" Matt you sneaky bastard, I love that pun.

[@robertzio]

Cackhanded - cack is british slang for shit. (Cack may be spelled wrong)

[@jakebishop7822]

dawn is magic metal that doesn't lose it's edge, so he can stick it in the ground.

[@calebwheeler3891]

+GWnmDanTheMan Yes it was magical. Ser Arthur Dayne carried Dawn, a valyrian steel sword with historical origination in an older Targaryen house. People say that Valyrian steel is simply a more chemically treated metal, but there is evidence from two books that blood magic makes it

[@theM4R4T]

+Caleb Wheeler It's not Valyrian Steel, it was forged from a fallen Star (a meteorite). But yeah it still has the same qualities as Valyrian Steel swords.

[@jakebishop7822]

Basicly all valarian steel or dawn dies is hold its edge forever, so he could stab it in the ground no problem

[@campbellsoup93]

If that was Dawn, why was he sharpening it?

[@beareggers]

The sword, Dawn, that Arthur Dayne wields is a mythical sword, forged from a fallen star. I think being able to piece various layers of armor is within it's near-magical abilities. I kind of thought Dayne switching to a reverse grip was a kind of taunt to goad Stark into an error. He put his strong arm and legendary sword in a weaken position.

[@CorvinTheSwasian]

i don't think that was Dawn though. if you know wether the show runners have said it was or wasn't, please let me know.thx

[@omega1397]

+themonkeywarrior111 watch the scene again. He has two swords, one is longer then the other. That one has a star on it. It's Dawn :)

[@manicdemise]

+omega1397 yeah but they don't talk about the sword in the TV show.

[@CorvinTheSwasian]

omega1397 true. i just interpreted it as a nod to book readers. i thought it was a bit too subtle, but then again so was Ice. maybe they will mention it at some later point

[@ChrisGeisel5000]

Matt, tell us some of your favorite movies with good fight choreography!

[@samwilliams6820]

I may not be matt, but go take a look at Rob Roy's final fight scene. Excellet choreography of a basket hilt broadsword vs a rapier.

[@GumaroRVillamil]

+Sam Williams not a rapier though, but a spadroon/small sword. Matt mentioned that already.

[@samwilliams6820]

Ah yes, my bad.

[@kc724444]

I have a question now so much to the actual fighting, but why is it that people hold onto the sword with their LEFT hand when it's still sheathed to be 'on guard'? Since most people were right-handed, shouldn't their right hand be on the pommel so they can draw right away if needed? At 7:39 Howland and Eddark and the person on the right are all carrying with their LEFT hand. The person on the far left is the only person ready with his actual sword hand.

[@MrMartinSchou]

My main question/oddity with this fight, is at 15:15 (in your video). Aside from story telling, is there a particular reason that someone wouldn't try a low slash at the back of the knees of the lone, surrounded fighter?

[@NevetsTSmith]

What are some of your favorite medieval movie fights, Matt? Most of the fight reviews are either popular contemporary movies, or classics. Are there some that have sort of flown under the radar? And what, even in the best choreographed battles, still goes consistently wrong?

[@gilgamesh310]

+Steve Peters Something I've noticed to be consistently wrong, even in the best battles, is that there's too much sword clashing. Swords rarely clashed during battles, as they would get chipped and destroyed if it happened too much. They aim for the body.

[@Ninjamanhammer]

+gilgamesh310 Yes you aim for the body, doesn't mean that sword's didn't clash though.

[@gilgamesh310]

Ninjamanhammer No, but they don't clash as much as they do in a lot of films and tv. Kingdom of Heaven in particular, is something that stands out to me, as having way too much of it.

[@Ninjamanhammer]

I agree, but you wrote it happened rarely, which isn't true.

[@gilgamesh310]

Ninjamanhammer It happens rarely in specific battles, is what I meant.

[@dragatus]

I'm disappointed there was no mention of how whenever one of the northmen was stabbed through their armor, the kingsguard was vulnerable to attack and yet nobody took the opportunity. Or how that one northman randomly drops his shield for no reason at all.

[@lewiskeats9911]

They could have gotten tired or it could have fallen off, plausible reasons and when you've just been stabbed it's difficult to swing or whatever properly with any power...

[@kleetorix4967]

+dragatus He drops it after being hurt by an attack on the buckler. He even seems to be hurting in his arm. Check it.

[@kenmcnutt2]

If that's only a 7.5/10 fight, I wonder what a 10/10 fight looks like.

[@hyokkim7726]

About the lack of armor on wrist and forearm, that's nothing unusual. Roman Legionaries had no armor on wrist and forearms either (other than Dacian campaign briefly). Dayne was a soldier, not a gladiator. Soldiers had to perform many tasks other pure combat on day to day basis. Now, gladiator only have put performance for a few minutes. Dayne was not a gladiator, but a soldier.

[@Dhomazhir]

Matt, if Florentine is two swords, is Venetian... Blind Fighting?

[@mortman200]

What are some films or shows that do have realistic fight choreography, Matt? I'd be interested in checking them out.

[@AntiNihilist]

+John Cole me too...GoT has the best sword choreography I've ever seen yet he says it's crap or average? References?

[@stefanomorandi7150]

+John Cole check out "rob roy" (if you havent), there's a final duel which is really good... BUT I GREATLY SUGGEST that you watch the whole movie, because its awesome and watching the fight first would kind of ruin it. it's got great story, great setting and scenery, great development of story and characters, great soundtrack, the cast is just AWESOME.... man i love that movie! EDIT: i just found out that Matt has a fight review video of it! ahaha

[@AntiNihilist]

Stefano Morandi I'll check it out. I've never heard of that movie

[@michaelrex6948]

Umm... Matt? You're not going to mention the blatant stupidity of not wearing a cloth cap and maille under the helmet? Wearing just a metal helmet with nothing underneath would be really uncomfortable, it wouldn't fit well (and would hence shift on your head a lot), and would give you serious problems from blunt force if a solid hit to the helmet were landed. Right?

[@Finkeren]

Though it was uncommon, helmets with a padded lining did exist.

[@scholagladiatoria]

+Michael Rex Most late-medieval helmets have a liner attached inside. We don't know what this helmet has attached inside.

[@michaelrex6948]

scholagladiatoria Ahh... okay. I did not know that. Thank you.

[@lourenskaufmann7639]

+Michael Rex I'm just wondering about those northeners without helmets.

[@DETHREAPER11]

+Michael Rex My guess is that cheaper helmets still do need caps and shit, but this guy's head of the kingsguard, I'm sure he can afford a helmet with a liner, yeah?