Who are the 10 best swordsmen in the series?

[Lady of Long Lake]

1 Syrio

2 Red Viper

3 Barristan

4 Mance

5 Sandor

6 Gregor

7 Jaime

8 Brienne

9 Bronn

10 Jon

[Tagganaro]

Just to bring up a point made a while ago that I've found textual evidence for, Jon actually considers himself the best swordsman in Winterfell. Someone brought up the point that Jon shouldn't be on this list because there's nothing that tells us he's better than Robb or Theon with a sword, but Jon specifically tells Benjen that he's the best sword in Winterfell although Robb is the better lance.

So I definitely think there's enough evidence to put Jon on the top 10 swordsmen list. He beasts out on 2 or more inexperienced swordsmen at a time in the practice yard, he holds his own against both Mance Rayder and Qhorin halfhand, and he's just too cerebral for me to not consider him a good swordsman. He reminds me of Bronn actually with his quick analysis of everyone's fighting tactics and cerebral approach to fighting.

I'd definitely say Jon deserves to be placed in the top 10 from what we know.

[Black Wind]

At the risk of sounding a bit fangirlish – yes, Mance should be in the Top10 list and also get a place above Jon – but I don't get why so many people talk about Jon having completely kicked his ass during their practice fight. We see the fight from Jon's POV only and he is very surprised that „Rattleshirt“ is much stronger and faster than his physique suggests. But only because Mance announces very loudly to the whole yard that he never broke a sweat this doesn't necessarily mean that he didn't have any difficulties at all.The fight goes on for a rather long time and only when Jon pushes Mance to the ground and they both lose their swords and have their bitch fight on the ground then Jon is defeated because Mance is apparently much better in brawling.

Just saying.

[oba]

Just to bring up a point made a while ago that I've found textual evidence for, Jon actually considers himself the best swordsman in Winterfell. Someone brought up the point that Jon shouldn't be on this list because there's nothing that tells us he's better than Robb or Theon with a sword, but Jon specifically tells Benjen that he's the best sword in Winterfell although Robb is the better lance.

Jon doesn't say he's the best sword in Winterfell, though. He says that he's a better sword than Robb, but that Robb is the better lance. Being better, at age 14, than another 14-year-old doesn't mean that Jon was (or even that he thought he was) the best sword in Winterfell.

Jon swelled with pride. "Robb is a stronger lance than I am, but I'm the better sword, and Hullen says I sit a horse as well as anyone in the castle."

[The King in the South]

It's kind of disturbing that people are putting Jon on their lists and not people like Garlan Tyrell. Did you guys actually read the books or...?

[Zaydan]

Hmm, very few respect in this thread for the northmen :P

Is it because we don't hear too many of them from POV's?

Or is it because they don't do knighthood there, unlike in the south where pretty much everyone wielding a sword, whether they're worth their swords of not, stands a good chance of being knighted, especially after battles, thus elevating their "swordsman" status to the commonfolks and their peers?

Jon and Ned and Robb are the three mentioned here, as they should be because they're castle-trained, have access to the best arms, and would spend a lot of time in training. I think they'd be equal to Garlan or Loras or some Kingsguards (Meryn Trant, Boros Blount, Kettleback).

I'm gonna throw another name here : Greatjon. He's described to be as tall as Hodor (nearly seven feet tall) and twice as wide. He wields a big-ass greatsword and a fearsome warrior, not just a swordsman. He knows no fear (always among the first to scale a wall) and feels no pain (his fingers get chopped off and he just laughs it off; me, I'd probably be screaming like a bitch). Oh sure, he may not have style like Barristan or Jaime, but neither does Bronn. With very few exceptions, I think most of the "best swordsmen in Westeros" mentioned above would be wary to face him, be it one on one or in the battlefield.

[Symmy1234]

1) Arthur Dayne- Viewed by everyone in the series as some sort of super knight demi god

2) Jamie Lannister- Won a melee when he was 13, dunno about you but most 13 year olds cant even wipe their nose let alone swing a sword

3) Barristan Selmy- Still going strong at 53

4) Garlan Tyrell- Loras states that his brother is better with a sword, and loras is pretty dam good

5) Sandor Clegane- He is huge and has skill

6) Loras Tyrell- Jamie describes him as a younger version of himself

7) Gregor Clegane- no skill but he is an absolute monster

8) Bronn- he has survived this long so he must be good

9) Qhorin halfhand- Seasoned ranger

10) Strong Belwas- What a hero

[mediocre cheese]

Jon being the best in winterfell really wouldn't mean much if it were true (I actually think he's better than any guardsman, but worse than ned and rodrik and theon, so he's 4th best) as we don't know how skilled anyone in Winterfell is. Bronze Yohn beat Ned and Rodrik at the same time, and is 6'6 or thereabouts so I don't think Jon is close to him in skill. If Jon was, I imagine Ned would have given Jon a chance to go against Bronze Yohn we he was at Winterfell.

[headtrip_honey]

...he holds his own against both Mance Rayder and Qhorin halfhand, and he's just too cerebral for me to not consider him a good swordsman. He reminds me of Bronn actually with his quick analysis of everyone's fighting tactics and cerebral approach to fighting.

Doesn't Jon say that Qhorin was holding back and would have thrashed him otherwise?

[The Bloody Boar]

In order of skill:

1. Barristan the Bold. As a member of Aerys's legendary Kingsguard it goes without saying he's in a class above any of the current generation. And he's proved on 3 occasions that age hasn't slowed him down.

2. Syrio. As first sword of Braavos he was clearly the best fighter using that type of sword, and they duel a lot over there. Bronn is another good fighter with the same type of weapon but he can't be as good as Syrio so he doesn't belong high on the list.

3. Jaime. Jaime beat the Smiling Knight so he could hold his own against some of the really tough ones from the old days, but he admits himself that he wasn't in the same league as Aerys's seven.

4. Brienne of Tarth. She impressed Jaime. He was in a weakened state, but then she was holding back as she didn't want to kill him. She beat everyone to be in Renly's kingsguard, and has beaten everyone she's come up against since.

5. Garlan Tyrell. Anyone who routinely goes up against four others is a force to be reckoned with.

6. Loras. He's acknowledged to not be as good as Garlan, but he's deadly when roused as he showed when Renly died and in the assault on Dragonstone.

7. Brandon Stark. Not sure where to place him but he was supposed to be a hell of a fighter, better than Ned. Perhaps not fair to include him when he belongs to a previous generation.

8. Ned Stark. Beating 3 of the Kingsguard must mean he is extremely good even if the odds were unfair. Howland Reed saved him probably by blocking a blow, but he still got in under Ser Arthur Dayne's guard.

Joint 9th. Sandor Clegane and Bronn. Both very seasoned fighters. Sandor stands up to Gregor and only has problems with Beric because of his fear of fire. Not in the same league as the top 6, however, or he would have cut through all 3 soldiers at the inn without so much difficulty. Bronn has shown he can beat multiple opponents and knows how to use others' shortcomings against them.

The Mountain doesn't belong on the list of great swordsmen because it's not skill with a sword that makes him great but his freakish strength. Oberyn would have killed him but for a stupid mistake, and Bronn says he could figure out a way to beat him.

Jon Snow probably will make the top ten list at some point but he hasn't achieved his full potential yet. He says himself, he needs good opponents in order to improve - and whenever he's up against a really good opponent he always rises to the challenge, showing he has the talent. Mance beat him, proving that Mance must be very good, but something tells me in a real fight (and wielding Longclaw) Jon would have reached down a little further and found a way. We see something of his potential when he's thinking about how he wants Winterfell and destroys an opponent who's normally a match for him. Jon is only going to get better.

No list of big names will ever be really comprehensive, when there's always new undiscovered talent coming up, and there are so many skilled, experienced fighters in the ranks.

[BrosBeforeSnows]

1. Daemon Blackfyre

2. Arthur Dayne

3. Jaime Lannister

4. Barristan Selmy

5. Sandor Clegane

6. Syrio Forel

7. Mance Rayder

8. Randyll Tarly

9. Qhorin Halfhand

10. Rhaegar Targaryen

Totally forgot about the Halfhand on my initial list, so I had to add him.

[Errant Bard]

Doesn't Jon say that Qhorin was holding back and would have thrashed him otherwise?

He does, and it's funny that people gloss over the fact that he was helped by a goddamn direwolf (and won because Ghost managed to bite the other guy's tight, at that)

[headtrip_honey]

8. Ned Stark. Beating 3 of the Kingsguard must mean he is extremely good even if the odds were unfair. Howland Reed saved him probably by blocking a blow, but he still got in under Ser Arthur Dayne's guard.

I'm not doubting Ned's skill (although I do doubt that he's better than Sandor or Bronn), but it was seven against three, and only two left alive. He's no doubt good, but I'm not sure he's *that* good. Dayne was about to finish him off when Reed stepped in.

That said, we've not seen many examples of Ned actually fighting, so it's hard to say. But I'd personally put Bronn and/or Sandor above him.

[BrosBeforeSnows]

Damn. I totally forgot about Bronn too. I should've looked over some of these lists before making mine own.

[Symmy1234]

Ned wasn't renound for his fighting skill, more his tactical genius, there is no way that in a fair fight he would have beaten arthur dayne, even with the bog devils help

[Lord of the Night]

Hm the Top 10 Swordsmen in the series. That is a good question, here's my opinion. (I've excluded Daemon Blackfyre and Arthur Dayne from the list, only people who've actually appeared in the series make my list.)

1. Barristan the Bold - He's 63(4 by ADwD) years old and he can still fight with the best of them. Takes some serious skill to pull this off and he is definitely the most dangerous man with a sword alive in the world of ASOIAF. He challenged a freaking Dragon! And the fact that I can't say whether or not he'd be annihilated in such a fight shows how good he is. (I would note that considering how good Barristan is, if he were still a younger man I think he would be the best swordfighter in a list of 50.)

2. Sandor Clegane - The Hound is not only dangerous and ferocious but he's amazing at control. Fighting his brother who aimed every single blow at Sandor's face and neck, the Hound actually controlled his sword style enough to only strike Gregor where it would knock him back and not hurt him. Plus he took on Polliver, the Tickler and the Sarsfield squire in a fight that took only a moment to start, and he won. And he was able to fight through his fear of fire and kill Beric Dondarrion.

3. Jaime Lannister (Pre-maiming) - Jaime is deadly as hell with a blade. Barristan admits he is a natural and Jaime proved how good he was at 13 when he lasted against the Smiling Knight. Even chained and manacled he managed to put up a good fight against Brienne of Tarth.

4. Brienne of Tarth - Brienne may be a woman but she's better than most men in this series. Despite her build she is very fast and able to outpace most fighters, giving her a crucial advantage. Oathkeeper is a fine blade but I think she's no less skilled with a common steel longsword. She was clearly the best of Renly's Rainbow Guard and I don't doubt she could have beaten Loras Tyrell if it came down to it.

5. Bronn - Bronn is one of the best fighters because he's skilled with a sword and he fights with his mind as well. He could use his mind to outfight anybody he comes across, because he actually studies what they do and how they do it, allowing him to anticipate how an opponent will fight and match them with a strategy tailor-made against them. I think he could have killed Gregor Clegane in the Trial, since Bronn wouldn't have been trying to get a confession out of him, he would have just hamstrung him and killed him.

6. Garlan Tyrell - Train against four men at the same time, and assuming they are skilled, you end up with one hell of a swordsman.

7. Qhorin Halfhand - Qhorin was reputed to be a great swordsman, and even greater so because he fought left-handed and re-learned how to sword fight after he lost the fingers of his right hand. Very impressive, shame he died so easily.

8. Lyn Corbray - Corbray is a psychopath. That is the feeling I get from him in the scenes he has been present, and from how people have discussed him when they see him. And of course every character who has seen him has remarked on how dangerous he is. Because of that I think he'd be very deadly in a swordfight, he'd be very tough to predict. Plus he has the sword with the greatest name in the world, Lady Forlon. Hopefully in TWoW he'll get to dance with his lady.

9. Gregor Clegane - Dangerous but likely unskilled. Gregor relies on his size and brute strength to win, he doesn't need skill to kill people so I put him quite far down on the list. He's fearsome but I think the swordsmen above him could kill him if they strategize about it, really think about how to get around his size.

10. Mance Rayder - Mance may be ordinary looking but his brief duel with Jon shows us he's dangerous with a blade, very dangerous. I'd like to see him in a proper fight though, get a real idea of just how strong the King Beyond the Wall is. He did have to beat the previous Magnar of Thenn three times in a row before he was accepted by them, he has to be very good at swordfighting if he could do something like that.

Lord of the Night

[headtrip_honey]

2. Sandor Clegane - The Hound is not only dangerous and ferocious but he's amazing at control. Fighting his brother who aimed every single blow at Sandor's face and neck, the Hound actually controlled his sword style enough to only strike Gregor where it would knock him back and not hurt him. Plus he took on Polliver, the Tickler and the Sarsfield squire in a fight that took only a moment to start, and he won. And he was able to fight through his fear of fire and kill Beric Dondarrion.

Not to mention he was DRUNK for those last two fights. Drunk or hungover. My man. :cool4:

[Danyl Stark]

1. Ned Stark (he could of had Jaime untill he gets speared & consider Tower of Joy)
   
2. Jaime Lannister (before losing his hand)
   
3. Bronn (batters Ser Vardis)
   
4. Jorah Mormont (Kicks bloodrider ass)
   
5. Syrio Forel
   
6. Barristan Selmy
   
7. Gregor Clegane (although i doubt that this has anything to do with his actual skill)
   
8. Jon Snow
   
9. Sandor Clegane
   
10. Arya Stark
    

[Lord of the Night]

Not to mention he was DRUNK for those last two fights. Drunk or hungover. My man. :cool4:

Indeed.

Oh and honourable mention to Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully. I don't know if he is skilled enough to make the list but Jaime thinks he is a very great swordsman, so he might do. But i'll need to see him in an actual fight before I can judge.

Lord of the Night

[headtrip_honey]

Indeed.

Oh and honourable mention to Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully. I don't know if he is skilled enough to make the list but Jaime thinks he is a very great swordsman, so he might do. But i'll need to see him in an actual fight before I can judge.

Lord of the Night

I know Jaime idolized him, but was it for strategic brilliance or swordsmanship?