Who is the bravest by known actions

[Dreadwolf]

I actually dislike and distrust any absolutes.

I'll buy that. (absolutely ;) )

Thank you for the courtesy (which seems is a rare comodity nowadays.)

If I try to prtened I am original I coud also say that:

If one thing is to be absolutely for sure this should be that 'Nothing is absolute/ unconditional'

[Mongrel]

Dunk!

The showdown in the river in the end of The Sworn Sword is classic.

[Ninepenny King]

Jaime Lannister- For telling qyburn he would stay awake while he cut away the corupted flesh of his Stump. It take alot of grit to sit there with a puss filled wound while someone saws and cuts away at it...

[Forge]

To some degree, most, if not all the people in ASOIAF have shown some degree of bravery (except maybe joff...i really can't think of anything he did that could be considered brave in the least). Especially considering the massive definition that bravery can encompass (as has been discussed in this thread). So I'd rather simply talk about my favorite "bravery moments" rather than who is the bravest, as i'm not sure one can quantify how brave any particular action can be against another.

Jon Snow- Love him or hate him, he's done a lot of things that have been brave. Standing up to Alliser Thorne. Joining the wildings. Leaving the Wildings and going back to the wall. Turning down Stannis. Switching Gilly and Mance's babies. Sure, they're not brave actions that will be depicted in song, but brave nonetheless.

Quorin Halfhand- His plan was crazy brave, knowing what was going to happen. It may be my fave.

Squire Dalbridge for his last stand, Donal Noye for his battle with Mag the Mighty, and Yoren for his refusal to give up Gendry. Samwell for all the things he has done despite alway being afraid. Orell for going for the horn rather than his weapon first.

Raynald Westerling for trying to get grey wind free despite wounds. Im not sure why, but i have always loved this action.

Smalljon Umber, for picking up a table and throwing it on Robb during the Red Wedding with all the confusion. He could have looked out for himself, but he protected his king first, even if it didn't work out in the end.

Tyrion Lannister, for leading the charge, and many other actions such as protecting sansa when joff had her stripped in public.

Brienne, for being who she is despite others, and for agreeing to take jaime to kings landing.

Davos for the intent to kill the red woman, for talking advicing Stannis and not just agreeing with him, for stealing Edric Storm. Also Master Cressen for trying to kill the red woman as well, even when he knew it would be his death when they drank it together.

Eddard Stark, for doing a ton of brave things. renouncing his honor, always telling the truth (even the queen of thorns knew his reputation, and she was way down in highgarden), for doing what was right in regards to stannis and his claim on the throne.

Jory Cassell and Alyn. Jory for coming back, Alyn for not leaving and restoring ranks to dondarrion's cadre so thoros and company could escape.

I forget his name, but the Darry who took Dany and Viserys overseas and looked over them until his death.

[Dreadwolf]

@Forge

Your summary is very well done :thumbsup: and I can accept all of the nominations.

Perhaps there could be some heroes omitted. One of them (IMO) is Catelyn - when it was for her children and family she has never hesitated. To me her character is built (amongst many other things) as a paragon of the mother's love and sacrifice. Some would say these are things that a mother is expected to do. And even if we accept it is true (well IMO it is a slighly frivolous and a little bit mechanical assumption) I still consider that Cat went beyond of the standards.

[Chalky]

Jaime Lannister- For telling qyburn he would stay awake while he cut away the corupted flesh of his Stump. It take alot of grit to sit there with a puss filled wound while someone saws and cuts away at it...

Not that this makes any difference, but he didnt stay awake

[Cold Pie]

@Forge

Your summary is very well done :thumbsup: and I can accept all of the nominations.

Perhaps there could be some heroes omitted. One of them (IMO) is Catelyn - when it was for her children and family she has never hesitated. To me her character is built (amongst many other things) as a paragon of the mother's love and sacrifice. Some would say these are things that a mother is expected to do. And even if we accept it is true (well IMO it is a slighly frivolous and a little bit mechanical assumption) I still consider that Cat went beyond of the standards.

Yeah, and when Cat sawed that Frey boy's head of was totally badass aswell.

[Dreadwolf]

Yeah, and when Cat sawed that Frey boy's head of was totally badass aswell.

I am not sure if you really need that clarification. But No - that is the point after which I started to consider that Catelyn got her personality irreparably twisted . Nevermind...

[Silverstar]

That was after Catelyn went insane. If we're counting Jaime who pushed a little boy out of a window whilst totally sane, and the Hound, who chopped up a young boy and found it funny whilst perfectly sane, I do think we can count Catelyn here too...

[Jaan Vikary]

Ser Waymar's coming of age and subsequent demise, is one of the most visceral and bandass moments I can imagine. It is not the incredible diplomacy of the great Tyrion's reign as hand, writing letters and winning friends as Secretary of State, nor is it the Darth Vader like entrance seen by his father Lord Tyrion Lannister at the Inn of the Crossroads, nor is it the Biblical everyman wisdom of Davos Seaworth, yet these great paragons of Westerosi Literature fall short in badassery to the lesser child of Lord Waymar, if not in glory in drama.

All Hail Ser Waymar!

[dolorouseddwasright]

GRRM

He gives us something good to read, gets us all foaming at the mouth to read the next book, then makes us wait years to get that next book.

And is still willing to come out amongst the fans, while we're still waiting for the book. That takes guts.

[Ser Chaos of Skagos]

Some great examples in this thread.

I think Squire Dalbridge is way up there. I remember thinking about how aweful that would have been when reading that each time.

Brienne is also a brave soul, the fight at the inn was brutal.

Loras Tyrell's Dragonstone attack was brave if it happened like reported.

Davos with the Edric Storm thing was mucho brave IMO.

Jon Arryn was very brave to refuse giving up Robert and Ned to Aerys. Maybe not as epic a moment as some others but awesome still.

I think Sam is brave also. Not just for the Other thing. But for staying so solid with his duties after sailing from Eastwatch. I think being brave in "the moment" is awesome but remaining brave for a prolonged period of time is even more badass IMO.

[The SmilingKnight]

Yeah, except he totally dismantled the five armed guards without breaking a sweat. Something he knew he could do. And if he didn't think he could take Meryn with naught but a wooden sword then why wouldn't he have picked up one of the five swords on the ground around him? Either he had an unnecessary deathwish or he knew(thought) he could handle Meryn without any trouble. Either one takes away form the super-bravery factor.

Your wrong.

The scene clearly depicts him knowing full well he is a goner when Trant showed up.

He clearly bought Arya time and he knew it.

Also, simply, - if he knew he could win that fight he wouldnt have told/chased her to go away like he did.

Guards were lightly armored if at all so Syrio was confident he can get them.

And he had a total surprise on his side.

Neither in case of Trant whom he couldnt hit in sensitive spots because of the protection. While he was also one of the more trained and fairly capable fighters with killer instincts.

One of the reasons he didnt pick up any sword from the guards was because there was no time.

- Donal Noye for me also.

- Brienne most of the time and Jaimie for jumping in into the bear pit.

- Dondarrion, all the way.

- Tyrion for lighting the fire and waiting for mountain Clans like that.

- Davos for onions

- Samwel for arranging the elections

To say just a few.

[Kymeera]

I'd nominate Podrick. On the surface he seems shy and not particularly bright, but over and over he goes above and beyond what's expected of him. He could have run off with no one the wiser, but he keeps jumping back into the fire.

[rockxwl]

Wanted to make a post about this topic until I utilized the Search bar. Wanted to offer my opinion that Sam Tarly is the bravest character in the series, as others have said, because of Bran and Ned's famous exchange: "Can a man be brave even if he is afraid?" "That's the only time a man can be brave."

Same constantly acts despite crippling fear and has done great things while breaking through the walls created by his fear - slaying an Other, manipulating the elections, confronting Darian, etc. Plus, as Jon says, it takes a weird sort of courage to admit to being a craven.

[Nafro]

Its a tie between Brienne and Davos. And there is a large gap between those two and everyone else.

[Goddan]

A lot of people seem to find squire Dalbridge to be bravest, but what about the other ranger? Stonesnake?

He actually volunteered to stan behind and cover the halfhand and Jon's escape, since his horse fell or something, but was comanded by the halfhand to get himself back to the fist, since if anyone could do it by foot, it was him.

squire dalbridge on the other hand got a hint from Qhorin that " from up there the RIGHT man could make all the difference" (something like that atleast) and first after that said that he would gladly do it.

[gilby]

Personally I think Squire Dalbridge is the bravest character because literally the only thing he does is the most selfless, dangerous thing in the whole book.

But some characters who haven't been mentioned that deserve consideration are Beric, Blackfish, and Tytos Blackwood. Maybe Mance for showing up at Winterfell when he was already king-beyond-the-wall and had so much to lose (not to mention treating with people like cannibals/varamyr)

[Tall Tyrion Lannister!]

That squire who stayed behind to buy Halfhand and jon some time. he knew he was a goner and the chance he was going to survive was about 0, yet still did it. That takes some balls.

Also Jaime jumping into the bear pit with nothing to use as a weopon and already being disabled.

Brienne saving the kids at the Inn.

[mediocre cheese]

No one wants to mention the hand after connington? That guy threw his hand away in disgust rather than be a party to an evil plan. He told someone who was violent and dangerous that he was evil and that he would have no part of his evil, despite the physical consequences that might arrive from it. To me that is far more brave than 99% of whats been listed, most of which seemed to be the sort of typical "jump on a grenade" sort of thing.