Best and most overrated fighters

[Knight of the fallen]

Which fighters are the best in the world of ice and fire (including those who are dead) and the most overrated.

[The King in Black]

I guess Daemon Blackfyre was the best

[Pox Americana]

Daemon Blackfyre was the best sword of his time and a master of all the martial disciplines. He fought with the best plate money could buy and a Valyrian steel sword. Dude was sick. I'd put prime Ser Barristan and Ser Arthur Dayne with Dawn as tied for second.

I think Ser Gregor Clegane is overrated, and probably Show Ned. The Ned was a bad dude, and certainly competent as a fighter, but still overrated in terms of long lists.

[Shadrich]

Bronn is the most overrated. He's not bad, by all means. But some people make him the best swordsman of the Seven Kingdoms.

I'd say Hound was one of the best (out of the ones alive in the main books).

[Knight of the fallen]

I think prime selmy ranks up there and I agree gregor is overrated. The main thing for him was his physical stature and his ability to put fear in his enemies. Someone skilled like the red viper ( not letting his emotions taking the better of him) would be able to take him down.

[Universal Sword Donor]

Balerion the dread has to be the best, followed by Vhagar. The Mountain seems like he'd be a good option, but realistically there are a dozen knights or lords we've read about who can make a decent claim:

Lyonel Baratheron

Dunk (later)

Jaime

Daemon

Cregan

Dayne

Barristan

Sandor

Most overrated, probably Ned at least in terms of fans.

[Knight of the fallen]

I think Bronn is good but a little overrated

[The King Of Cooked Steak]

Yeah, Bronn is kind of overrated. He might be decent, but he's nowhere near the best. The only reason he's considered a good fighter at all is because he relies on a lot of cheap tactics. Also I'd say Sandor and Brienne. They are very competent and challenging, but not at all best. Not to say they're mediocre, but just not impeccable in a way that they can be considered incredibly talented IMO. I'd say they just have good swordfighting skills, but not awesome.

Best: Jaime, Barristan, Garlan, Oberyn, Arthur Dayne, Greatjon Umber, Ser Duncan (later), Daemon Blackfyre (since everyone here mentions him)

Most overrated, probably Ned at least in terms of fans.

Ned overrated? Probably Show-Ned by people who think he could've beaten Jaime Lannister in the show, but not Book-Ned. I haven't really seen fans pick Ned when talking about best fighters. I doubt Book-Ned was a good fighter at all. He would've been killed at the ToJ if it wasn't for Howland Reed. His brother Brandon had to be much better.

[AdmiralKyrd]

There was a thread a few weeks back about Arthur and Gerold Dayne. Basically, Gerold is regarded by almost everyone in Dorne as being an insanely deadly fighter that almost no man can match. Gerold's own opinion of Arthur is rather low, and that it was using Dawn that gave him a figurative edge over everyone in his time. While Gerold might not have Dawn, he probably has a really good sense of what that sword can do to make someone near invincible. Thus, Arthur Dayne as a swordsman without Dawn is probably quite overrated.

[Universal Sword Donor]

Best: Jaime, Barristan, Garlan, Oberyn, Arthur Dayne, Greatjon Umber, Ser Duncan (later), Daemon Blackfyre (since everyone here mentions him)

Ned overrated? Probably Show-Ned by people who think he could've beaten Jaime Lannister in the show, but not Book-Ned. I haven't really seen fans pick Ned when talking about best fighters. I doubt Book-Ned was a good fighter at all. He would've been killed at the ToJ if it wasn't for Howland Reed. His brother Brandon had to be much better.

Just look around the forum. There have got to be a dozen threads asking "How good was Ned really?" and dozens more where it's discussed. GRRM called him competent/average, but that's for a lord. He's a perfectly capable fighter, but he's a better leader and commander. Many, many board posters seem to think he's better than he is.

[The King Of Cooked Steak]

Just look around the forum. There have got to be a dozen threads asking "How good was Ned really?" and dozens more where it's discussed. GRRM called him competent/average, but that's for a lord. He's a perfectly capable fighter, but he's a better leader and commander. Many, many board posters seem to think he's better than he is.

Strange. I haven't seen that many of those threads you speak of (I don't really come here that often either), but I've seen that the general consensus is that he wasn't the best fighter and I do tend to agree. For a lord, it's logical to receive decent training, but it didn't seem to me that swordfighting was a huge talent of his. That's why Brandon had to be better, since he was groomed since to birth to be a lord of Winterfell, and therefore a much better fighter. Not to say Ned was horrible or anything, BTW, just not the most talented swordsman of the bunch. As Martin said, he's average. The show made him up to be a lot better. Oh well. I do agree though, he's a much better leader and commander as you said.

[ManderlysPies]

At the start of GOT, I think the best are Jaime, Barristan, the Tyrell brothers (minus Willas) and Sandor. Gregors talents are more in cruelty and pillage, 1 v 1 he didn't look that great. Also I thibk the Halfhand deserves a mention, in my mind he's third behind Jaime and Barristan.

Of all time, it between Arthur Dayne, Jaime and the Daemon. Toss up for me.

[aryagonnakill#2]

According to GRRM Barristan and Arthur Dayne were equals, but Dayne with Dawn wins.

Sandor is 1 of the absolute best fighters in the world, he is not overrated at all. Ned feared Sandor more than anyone else in KL, Jaime considered him 1 of the best, and he stood toe to toe with Gregor without ever getting aggressive and trying to attack him.

Victarion is in my mind overrated by many people on this forum.

[Knight of the fallen]

Honestly I have no idea how good ned was.I'd say he was pretty good maybe not the best in a historical context but in the rebellion id say he was one of the better on the battlefield.

[LittleMissTyrell]

Ser barristan Selmy

[Universal Sword Donor]

Strange. I haven't seen that many of those threads you speak of (I don't really come here that often either), but I've seen that the general consensus is that he wasn't the best fighter and I do tend to agree. For a lord, it's logical to receive decent training, but it didn't seem to me that swordfighting was a huge talent of his. That's why Brandon had to be better, since he was groomed since to birth to be a lord of Winterfell, and therefore a much better fighter. Not to say Ned was horrible or anything, BTW, just not the most talented swordsman of the bunch. As Martin said, he's average. The show made him up to be a lot better. Oh well. I do agree though, he's a much better leader and commander as you said.

Just a quick peek:

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=site%3Aasoiaf.westeros.org%20ned%20swordsman

They pop up fairly often.

[Fred Dii]

I think Robert shouldn´t be underestimated. In his prime he defeatet Rhaegar.
Jamie before he lost his hand
Ser Barristan in his prime
The mountain is overrated. He is the strongest, but he lacks speed. The red viper actually defeated him if he wasn´t so arrogant.
Khal Drogo was maybe the strongest fighter with horse.

[Pod The Impaler]

Best fighter? Hard to say, but someone like Barristan Selmy, Robert, the Hound.

At the end of ADWD: the Hound seems to be regarded as most dangerous, but those who think so do not know about his lef injury & limp, if the Gravedigger is actually him. Of those fully healthy? Perhaps it is Balon Swann or Areo Hotah. I can't speculate whether Darkstar is that dangerous in battle, or is dangerous because he's vicious and unpredicable. Same goes for Lyn Corbray - he provokes people like he wants to fight everybody, but it might just as easily be exaggeated.

Overrated? The Mountain. This is a case where he is not the best skill-wise, but his size an strength make him much more dangerous. As some commented in the text commented, he knows his stuff, but the real danger is that he's so hard to hurt and if you get hit by him, you die. Oberyn proved that he has flaws. However, I shudder to think what "Ser Robert Strong" might be capable of, if as a side effect of being whatever he is, he becomes immune to things like bloodloss or fatigue. He'd be a goddamn juggernaut.

As well, I think Daario Nahaaris is overrated by most. He's not going to be a slouch, but I suspect that he's also one who's gotten where he has by being a backstabber, not some peerless swordsman. One of these days, he's going to take on Jorah, or Barristan, or Victarion, and then we'll see.

Khal Drogo was maybe the strongest fighter with horse.

I think people underestimate him on this forum. The guy is huge and fast, and you do not get to be khal over a huge khalasar by relying on privelege - theirs is a society where leaders lead because they are stronger in battle, and they are encouraged to challenge each other all the time. (And not tourney contests, but real bloodshed.) The confrontation he has after Dany saves those slaves was probably one of many similar ones he's experienced. (And as they do not wear armour, they have to be very good at doling out hits while not taking them.) And he'd be a great horseman and archer too.

[Sword of the Morgan]

How can one answer this? How would we know?

[Knight of the fallen]

How can one answer this? How would we know?

its just opinions