Also to add this, before everyone starts asking why does Robert get to be young but Barristan old? Answer- Because everyone else on the list needed to at least have a chance!
@@TheFandomeClipssure but that makes this whole list inconsistent then. I have no issue with Robert being first but it would have been better if this was worded as an all time list.
One of the craziest book only scenes is when Barristan easily kills mercenary captain Mero with a wooden quarterstaff at age 63. He then apologizes for not killing him sooner. He's using a false name at that point and it instantly blows his cover. Bronn also has some crazy feats. Catelyn thinks without him the mountain clans would have killed her. When Tyrion has him recruit sellswords he challenges each of them to a match of no holds sparring. If they survive Bronn for a while they can fight for him. Tyrion asks '"And if one of them kills you?". The answer: "He'll be one you'll want to hire." That kind of confidence is pretty impressive.
Technically Barristan doesn't for sure kill the Titan's Bastard. He knocks him in the head, and when he falls to the ground all the people Dany freed rip him apart. Though that doesn't actually matter
I think you could make a point for Qhorin Halfhand. He was stationed at the Shadow Tower and is quoted as a living legend amongst the Nights Watch. Also he had to switch his main hand after losing most of his fingers on his right hand but became as proficient with his left, a feat Jaime Lannister hasn't been able to do. I think the constant battling he experienced aswell as venturing Beyond the Wall and coming back alive everytime should grant him an honourable mention.
100% agree the wildlings who don’t seem like the type to fear anyone feared Qhorin, he cut down people twice the size of Tormund giants bane, he even blocked an axe which was going into his face and even beat the fk out of the wildling who cut half his hand off and killed them, I’d deffo say he’d smash Bronn, he’s described by Jon as an ox and he’s very fast and experienced, he’d probably slam Brienne too, Qhorin has not really any personality flaws, he’s not arrogant or anything he’s calm all the time and speaks like dearh as if its nothing, he should be number 7, above Garlan I’d say
@@bloodangel19 it’s a show line, idk if it’s said in the books, and Tormund in the shows like 6ft+, he’s a lot bigger than Jon, he still says the Halfhand killed people who were like giants though
@VDViktor tell me YOU didn't watch the video without telling me. He clearly said he was reading them AS THEY APPEARED ON THE SHOW, meaning old Barrister but when ranking Robert he ranks him as in his prime.
Exactly, if he was so dead, why not let him stand? While he has common sense and wouldn't take it lightly his ambition would probably win out in the end and Tywin and Cersei could have killed two birds with one stone! Thanks for watching! Liam
Arya: "Hot pie, tell Gendry what makes it a battle instead of a fight" HP: "...it's when they got armor on" Gendry: "who told you that?" HP: "a knight" Gendry: "how do you know it was a knight?" HP: "well...cause he had armor on" Gendry: "you don't need to be a knight to have armor. Any idiot can buy armor" HP: "how would you know?" Gendry: "cause I sold armor!" 😂😂😂😂😂
"At number 6" with Joffrey riding in made me feel we were about to hear about Joffrey's talent with Widow's Wail. Truly the greatest swordsman in the kingdom, too bad the Imp murdered him!
Considering Stannis lasted hours on the walls of kings landing and making it back to the forrest while being on the frontline, when the Bolton army charged his army, I would say he is actually one or the most underrated swordman in the show atleast. He outlasted his very last battle enemies, while already being severly wounded and just accepted his fate in the end.
The Mannis is of course no slouch, but nothing seems to imply he is particularly special as a fighter. Underrated by some but not one of the elite. I would probably put him as likely at the top of the non-elite. Like nobody is going to be quoting him as an example, but real fighters would no he is not one to underestimate.
While we've got nothing to go on i think I'd definitely agree with you. I don't think he would have been anything special or to write home about, but he is from the same stock as Robert and was more interested in war than Renly. I'd expect him to be decent if not amazing. Especially the show version who like you say showed not once but twice he could hold his own. Thanks for watching Rob! Liam
@@TheFandomeClips Thanks for the response, I am not saying that he should be in the top 10, because the show and the books even less, do not try to show that he is one of the best fighters, but I just wanted to say that he may be one of the more underrated fighters, considering the things I mentioned. Enjoyed the video!
@@robslebowski6776 Absolutely true what you say. TBH underrated/overrated fighters seems like a decent video idea e.g. 5 over and 5 under from universe X.
One big reason I’d have Arthur dayne over Robert is that Ned called him the best he’d ever seen, after all the fights he’d accompanied Robert on he still called Arthur the best
"the finest knight" Ned could be saying Arthur was the best example of chivalric ideals. Skill, courage, honour, loyalty, etc. as much as Ned loved Robert he also knew he was a brutal man who loved drinking and whoring and was not a perfect knight.
also being the best warrior doesn't mean the best fighter per se. a warrior fights in a war not one v one combat, although that's a huge part of it obviously
I’m glad you guys included Garlan Tyrell. Being a book only character he’s usually overlooked in most lists and clearly he’s my favorite character hence the name lol😅
@SerBretonBriarwhite Good tidings Ser Breton. As my sister Margaery says, we’ve had a blessed harvest and of course it’s our duty to assist in time of need
He needs more recognition. I understand why he was cut in the show (It's always down to money and budget and was cheaper to combine him with Loras) but he's got this awesome reputation following him. If we ever do get winds, I hope we get to see his skills first hand against the Faiths champion. Though I'm a little concerned if a certain theory is correct Garlan might not make it out considering who the theory suggests the champion is going to be 🐶 Thanks for watching Good Ser! Liam
Good video. You guys did a great job differentiating between skilled fighters and dangerous/lethal warriors. Jaime, Dayne, Selmy, etc. are skilled warriors. Some of the very best fighters you're ever gonna see. But being noble knights, they follow a moral code. Guys like Bronn, Oberyn, and prime Robby B, don't follow such morals. They are scrappy, resourceful, do whatever it takes to win, and just love killing and/or fighting. Theirs a difference between the two.
Thanks Dman! Yes honed skill matters, but there's a certain mentality to fighting (at least in grounded universes like Thrones) that can carry you through just the same and obviously equipment is such a big factor in who will win most often. Hammer beats sword when armour is involved 9/10! Thanks for watching as always my man! Liam
important to note is just how much the physicality is worth in a chaotic fight. Like no matter how skilled, if arthur/baristan/oberyn/jamie (so all the skilled, but not necessarily physical fighters) get tackled on the battlefield they’re in big trouble. If somebody tries to tackle the mountain/Hound/Bobby, they just get a piggy bag ride out of it…
@@VHBEngines If by combat wrestling you meant BJJ and the like, that kind of disproves your point. Hoyce Gracey was always smaller than the bruisers he defeated, after they nearly beat him to death. Meaning skill can defeat a bigger opponent. There was a reason Bartholomew mostly competed in the melee, it favored his size and strength over skill.
That's why I don't think that they did disservice to Ser Baristan on the show. Multiple oponents would have probably defeated him even if he was in full armour. (Probably a huge guy like The Mountain, in full armour, could manage, but then again he wouldn't even need a sword, slapping them with his armour gauntlets would be enough). It only takes one of them to grab his arm and slow him down for a second or two so the others can jump him. Yet he managed to slay (almost) all of them before succumbing.
@@toro5280 the mountain was almost beaten by a highly skilled man named oberyn fcking martell. in a 1v1, skill matters more (in terms of sword fighting etc cuz in that elegance is required as well as force). oberyn would have won too if he hadnt been emotional, and here you are talking about barristan being given a fair ranking. even in real life, you can check the battle between ali ibn talib and marhab and see that size doesnt beat skill (atleast not always, in battles its mostly a 50/50 i think cuz luck matters a lot, your opponent can slip and boom he dead so...)
@@lelouchvibritannia8997 That's not my point though. I was talking about how practically no-one stands a chance vs multiple opponents. I didn't say Ser Baristan was given a fair ranking, I meant that the show didn't do him dirty. Ser Baristan took with him as many as he could. I only mentioned the mountain because he might have had a chance because of his size/range and only if he could kill them before he got tired.
I disagree with first you using prime bobby but not prime barristan second him being number 1 becomes of the simple reason that rhaegar a far lesser fighter than jaime arthur or selmy was able to injure robert really badly to the point he needed medical help quite urgently and wasnt able to ride for sometime
Before you throw that point out there… did Rhaegar have Kingsguard at his side in this battle? Because if he did then that would explain why Bobby B was so wounded. He took down three of the greatest fighters in the realm.
It wasn’t an immediately life threatening injury if Robert decided to give his own Maester to Selmy instead. The fact he couldn’t ride means he probably got some deep wounds on his legs or something. Also even if Bob can kill Selmy in a fight, it doesn’t mean it’ll be quick or a clean fight. Also even though Rhaegar hated fighting he was a genuinely good swordsman!
@@hubertwaliszewski5740you forget Selmy. But yeah, we know Selmy wasn’t with the prince and since Martel was noted as leading the Dornish he almost certainly wasn’t either.
One more plus to add for Brienne: she keeps in mind one of the most important lessons she learned from the master-at-arms who taught her: men will want to beat you quickly lest people start saying that a woman gave them a challenge. Let them wear themselves out throwing everything they have at you while you play defense and conserve your stamina. Then go on the attack while they've already worn themselves out. This is an important sub-skill of her battlefield instincts/warrior mentality; it's not dishonorable or underhanded like some of Bronn's favorite tactics, but it is playing to her strengths / weaponizing Westerosi society's misogyny and using it against her opponents
Good insightful comment for the most part and I agree but that’s not “misogyny”… like at all. Maybee sexism but definitely not misogyny. Women by and large are weaker than men, and largely aren’t trained in combat. this isn’t a social construct. It’s the social warrior/ macho climate that makes being beaten or even seriously challenged by a woman in combat an object of ridicule, but it’s not “woman hating” to acknowledge that they are going to be at a disadvantage in combat against a man for the vast majority of cases. It’s like as if a man lost to a child in single combat, he would of course be ridiculed by his peers, but that wouldn’t be misopedia, or child hating. The one getting “hated on” would be the man, as he is expected to beat an opponent that is usually weaker than a male warrior supposed to be in his prime. Feel like most people including yourself don’t know what the word misogyny actually means.
The spike on the back of Robert's warhammer gave him another option if he was ever locked in single combat. A single hammer blow with the blunt end killed Rhaegar on the Ruby Ford. If Robert reversed his grip and let the spiked-end of the hammerhead strike first, he would win any duel in a single hit.
A lot of people forget that in the battle of the trident, Rhaegar wounded him pretty badly and that it was still a very close fight. There are strategies and tactics a sword user can fight against a war hammer user. Even one who is much bigger and stronger.
Exactly my Lord! It's an unbelievably overwhelming advantage when armour is concerned. A sword has to find very VERY small targets, The hammer (providing the blow is committed) can hit ANYTHING, even the shield and affect the opponent. Thanks for watching as always my Lord! Liam
@@KingSlayer_. You can make a sword work vs a hammer, but it's the exception not the rule and 9/10 the hammer will win if armour is involved and both fighters are of a comparable level of skill. A non specialised sword just doesn't have the capacity to do anything meaningful against proper plate armour. You often found that the sword user would most often turn the sword upside down to turn it into a makeshift hammer (known as a murder stroke) or they'd try to wrestle the enemy to ground to get a dagger into a joint. Neither is a good tactic vs someone as big and strong as Bobby, I'd only put odds on the Mountain, Sandor and the Greatjon been capable of getting Robert on the ground and a murderstroke still won't equalise the damage from the real thing because there isn't the same weight behind it. Robert also wasn't wounded badly by Rhaegar, just wounded (Which is pretty typical when good fighters face each other in a grounded fiction, even the winner often doesn't get out unscratched). Its even noted Bobby made his maester treat Barristan instead of him because Barristans wounds were quite severe and his were less serious. Enough to need a bit of rest, but not enough to warrant urgent treatment. I don't know how you only type these comments with one Hand Ser Jaime! Thanks for watching! Liam
@@KingSlayer_. nope it was not stated who wounded Robert but it was stated that he was in the frontline while being down 5000 men. So go read the books again because clearly there's no text in there that said Rhaegar injured him.
"You can't have the looks of prince charming made flesh, be a phenomenal acto,r and then also be a top tier swordsman this is reality..." Viggo Mortenson would like a word and a duel please...
I mean it wouldn't really change much, he'd basically just be joint 2 with Dayne which is basically what we said in the Dayne section by stating their equals, along with saying Selmy would take 1 in his prime for me personally just on pure badassery alone 😂 he wasn't done dirty in the slightest, i personally think its super impressive he can still make a list of the best warriors while been Grandpa aged, when the rest certainly wouldn't. People get waaayyy to hung up on placement 😂 the top 10 are all awesome and its more about celebrating them all rather than saying "this fighter beats everyone below them" because in a grounded fiction like thrones styles make fights and its bollocks to think 1 fighter can beat everyone below them on a list 😂 they're all awesome in their own way, Robert only got number 1 because he seems to have the most common sense with his weapon 😂 doesn't mean Dayne couldn't take him if he was smart about it, or Oberyn wouldn't figure out a counter for the hammer or even the Mountain at the other side of the list couldn't get lucky. There's no intention to do anyone dirty. I wanted every fighter on the list to be recognised for the badass they are, and I don't think old man Barristan should be discounted the same way I don't think young Robert should be over looked. Thanks for watching! Liam
@@anmolanand2350 You're exactly right. GRRM himself said that Selmy and Dayne were equals and the best, with Dawn pushing Dayne into the #1 spot. This video was odd.
Another reason why I think Dayne deserves the N. 1 spot (aside from the author's words, which when it comes to just their own universe are final.) is Ned's opinion. Ned was raised alongside Robert, sparred with him countless times and fought besides him on the Battlefield on numerous occasions. Therefore he knows Robert's skill better than anyone. If he was unsure wether or not Dayne was better than Bobby he wouldn't have said that Dayne was the finest knight he ever saw (Robert was most likely knighted like most nobles). Instead Ned says with full confidence that Arthur is the best based on one encounter. That leads me to believe Dayne must have done something legendary. As it was pointed out Robert once fought six men with a sword and came out victorious, but injured. This leads me to Believe that Dayne, like on the show, fought four or five men on his own and made it look like it was easy and came out unscathed before Howland stabbed him in the back (something which we can't knock off points for because as far as Dayne was concerned that guy was dead, because he saw him fall to the ground after the slash and because he was focused on the others didn't see him move. In a battle when you are constantly surrounded that would be a fair argument but here not). While this is a theory I think it does make a lot of sense. Again if Ned thought Robert could be better he probably would've favored his friend in his judgement.
You make an interesting observation. Yes, you are quite right that Ned Stark has probably seen both up close in a fight and is likely the one person who can give an accurate comparison. He does say Arthur is the finest Knight he ever saw. However he also says Robert is the greatest warrior he ever saw. If you ask me its a 60/40 in favour of Robert. Both of them are modelled over peak masculine Gods
Very important distinction for best warrior is that there is a difference between overall and specific match ups. For example Brienne would probably lose to the Mountain in a one on one, but I would put money on her over Bronn. As you say Sandor could beat the "better" people on the list if he gets a bit lucky or has some other edge. Otherwise I am pretty much in agreement with you on the list, though you could make a credible case for any of the top 5 in any order.
@@TheStraightestWhitest Don't I know it. I do martial arts and there are people in my club I can beat in a match, then people I can't. And sometimes people I win against can beat people I lose against. You can be "the best" but face an opponent whose strengths just so happen to line up to your weak spots perfectly.
@@neodigremo I always had this in Judo as well. There was a kid I always lost to without exception, and he usually lost to another guy that I usually tied with and often beat. And when I got older and later got into BJJ and kickboxing, those situations became more common and more normal to me. I stopped questioning it. Everyone develops their own style past the basics.
This comment has actually inspired a video for us Neo buddy! and your right, in a grounded works like thrones, anyone can beat anyone if the day is favouring them or the circumstances are in their favour. I always looks to Oberyn vs the Mountain. That fight would have been over in seconds if weapon parity was forced on the fighters. If they'd been forced to fight with Oberyns arms and light armour Obs would have that spear through Gregors neck in a heartbeat, if vice versa Oberyn would have been bashed to death in no short order. Styles do indeed make fights as The straightest whitest notes! Thanks for watching! Liam
I would put Arthur at number 1, Arthur was described by Catelyn as the most dangerous of Aerys kingsguard, deadlier than a like 40 year old Barristan since it’s 20 years before, everyone says he was the best, Ned said Arthur’s the finest knight he ever saw and in the books says he would’ve been killed by Dayne if not for Howland Reed. While I do have Robert in my top ten I disagree on him being top 1, he was a monster in his prime but Rhaegar Targaryen who was good at jousting and maybe just above average with a sword brutally wounded him in their 1v1, while Robert’s war hammer is strong, I’d put Dayne, a younger Selmy and a prime Jaime as those who could defeat him, they’re much skilled and a lot faster, especially Dayne since dawn’s like valaryian steel, the three know what they are doing and could get their swords in his armour joints and bring him down, Robert would have to catch them to land a hit, an old Gerold Hightower in the show says if they were on the trident the usurper ‘Robert’ would be in the ground, but Gerold was old well in the books anyway unlike the show where he’s younger and a mix of Oswell whent, so I don’t really think he’d put Robert down , Oswell Whent says it in the books though but I doubt he could pull it off either, but I think Arthur could, Arthur’s not arrogant, he’s calm and just does his duty until the last, so he would not mess about he would just put him down. I could be wrong on this but I think Dayne never lost a melee, he lost jousts but that’s a lot different than sword fighting, I think even Barristan talks about how good Dayne was in the books.
Ned also said Robert was a "peerless warrior" which I think also holds weight. There's a difference between been the finest knight and the best warrior. There's also a difference between been the best swordsman (Which Dayne no doubt was) and been the best fighter. By all accounts and from what we can tell Robert wasn't a big slow Gregor type, he was big but also fast (Size doesn't equal slow, quite the opposite in some cases) , Dayne Barristan and Jaime aren't super human, they're all in peak condition, but so is young Robert, their speeds are all without a doubt comparable. Trust me there is no speed advantage apart from the fact a sword can move quicker than a hammer. Taking a sword against a warhammer when you both have plate (even a lighter and faster VSword) is an absolute death sentence. Getting into an armour joint without wrestling the opponent to the ground is so unbelievably difficult when the enemy is fighting back and often requires you to get close and do something called half swording so the blade stays rigid enough to get through the defences underneath the plate. You'd be leaving your self wide open to swings from that hammer and unlike the sword that hammer will hurt you and do damage no matter where it hits. It's an insanely unfavourable match up even for a master swordsman like Dayne. The statement about putting Robert in the ground is no doubt nothing but talk from Whent, the same way its all talk when Jaime waxes lyrical about how no one can beat him. Rhaegar also didn't wound Robert that badly, enough that he needed a bit of rest sure, but can't of been that bad since Robert insisted his maester treat a much more severely wounded Barristan instead of himself. I also don't know why people think Rhaegar was average either, he was clearly like Oberyn and good at anything he set his mind to and he set his mind to learning how to fight. I feel like people discredit him because he had other interests, but he clearly invested a lot of time and dedication into becoming a great fighter and while he may not have been at the top he was definitely noteworthy. I absolutely think Dayne, Barristan and Jaime are the greatest swordsmen and would make the top 3 easy. But there's more to fighting and been a warrior than skills with a sword :p Thanks for watching Richiebob and sharing your thoughts, was an interesting read and a well made argument! Liam
@@TheFandomeClipsI agree with most of that however if you take in GRRM’s statements about Dayne he says Dayne would beat a prime Barristan in a fight if armed with Dawn and if they had equal equipment he said it’s 50/50. When asked point blank who George would have as champion to defend him, that includes everyone, he answered Arthur immediately. I still think Dayne is a better warrior. I feel like he was experienced enough to use Roberts anger and aggression against him when Rhaegar wasn't skilled enough and not on the levels of the best swordsmen and knights in the realms, Rhaegar was skilled but he ain’t nowhere near top 15 warriors, but he’s still good, dawn was so sharp that it drew blood from Jamie during his knighting and Arthur barely touched him, so I'm guessing that one well placed slice from dayne could end the fight as quickly as Roberts war hammer. As Syrio tells Arya, it's more about reading your opponent. Robert was quite the fighter however he hadn't been in many one-on-one situations with skilled fighters in combat at this point. I'm assuming Arthur Dayne had way more experience, tourneys, the brotherhood, he sparred with the greatest knights in the realm constantly, the kingsguard consisting of the likes of a much younger Barristan than what we see in the tv series and at the start of the books, a young Jaime who even at that point was one of the best in the realm, I may be wrong but I think he never lost a melee either. Robert has to swing his warhammer with quite some force behind it in order to crush Dayne's armour, this would have made his swings long and predictable to a fighter like Dayne, on top of that Robert was extremely hot tempered and he’d probably try to catch Dayne out which would leave somewhere for Dayne to cut and end the fight. Dayne on the other hand could also jab, slice, thrust to deal damage making his movements more unpredictable and flexible to adapt to Robert's elaborate movements. Assuming they are on foot, Robert is more likely to trip and slip given his aggression while Dayne could be very observant of his surroundings and could actually lead Robert into environmental traps, Robert’s armour could be cut as the mountain wore the thickest set of armour in the 7 kingdoms and Oberyn still found his way through his armour joints, Rhaegar and Robert fought on for quite some time and Robert was said to have been wounded by Rhaegar to the point where he couldn't continue on right away to KL, but you are right he did tell the maester to help Barristan first but that may be due to him wanting to be honourable as in his prime Bobby B had honour and also Ned stark had to March to kingslanding in roberts place due to the injuries he withstood from Rhaegar. While Rhaegar was good he’s not up there with Dayne, Selmy, Jaime, Robert didn’t one shot him with his hammer, it took a while so I don’t think he’d one shot Dayne, while Robert was an absolute beast I’d still choose arthur but I do see and agree with most of your points. It would be high difficulty for Dayne imo on the trident that day, but any other day could argue mid diff.
@@richiebob5477 You are imagining Robert going for great over the head swings but he wouldn't need anything close to that to deal significant damage, he can be swinging that thing back and forth incredibly quickly as a swordsman would and if you can't dodge every single time then wfrom a hammer that size even a single hit and its over.
@@loganwallace101 He fought Rhaegar head on, on horseback and they did not have that much mobility during their fight yet he did not one shot Rhaegar, the two fought for quite some time and in that time Rhaegar actually wounded Robert quite badly and Robert had to have ned go to kings landing for him, Rhaegar is not on the levels of Dayne, Selmy, Jaime etc
Media and other common misconceptions have really skewed the perception of late medieval arms and armor. Plate armor (meaning full plate, what you see in your mind when you think of a knight) didn't become the norm until *at least* the mid-14th century; the transition to mauls and poleaxes and warhammers as the primary arms of the nobility is no coincidence. I've recently applied to a internship at a local museum's collections of medieval arms and armor, so you can trust this is a subject I've given some serious inquiry into.
Because he was pants. His arms and armor were intimidating but he was better with a lute than a sword. Also, he had the arrogance of Jamie Lanister, believing himself to be the Prince that Promised right up to the moment he crossed Big Bobby B.
Brienne remembered her fight with Jaime Lannister in the woods. It had been all that she could do to keep his blade at bay. He was weak from his imprisonment, and chained at the wrists. No knight in the Seven Kingdoms could have stood against him at his full strength, with no chains to hamper him. Jaime had done many wicked things, but the man could fight! His maiming had been monstrously cruel. It was one thing to slay a lion, another to hack his paw off and leave him broken and bewildered.
Ser Barristan fought very uniquely before his death, I remember a particular move where he had his sword pointed down and killed a harpy simply by pulling it up.
Upwards cuts are the hardest to do in real life because the Swords weight isn't helping you. Barristan was a beast and probably saw his sword as an extra limb, I wish we could have see him doing more cool and unique things it! Thanks for watching ozzywozzy! Liam
Robert's warhammer is so huge if he really could wield it as described then even a single hit will shatter half the bones in your body and is absoloutley an instant death even for the mountain in full plate. I mean honestly if you arent wearing armour he could probably smash people in half.
I actually agree with Robert's placement in the top spot. We must remember he defeated and killed Rhaegar Targaryen in single combat at the Trident and Rhaegar was also a top tier fighter, probably close to the level of Jaime and Barriston in his day. As an interesting aside, I now think it would be fascinating to see a fight between the Hound and Oberyn, the Hound and the Viper if you will. Oberyn won't be able to use his speed or reach advantage in nearly the same way and is dealing with an opponent far more skilled and talented yet no less strong and aggressive than the Mountain. This would be very interesting especially if they were dropped in cold without prep.
Thanks James! Always good to see you in the comments. Yeah he got the top spot by virtue of his common sense. Only guy to use an anti armour weapon in a realm where armour is a common sight on your enemy. Doesn't matter how skilled with a sword you are if you can't get to the squishy bits with any kind of ease. Especially if your opponent can take you out with a single clonk to your head. I think if you dropped Oberyn in cold vs Sandor we'd have one dead dornish prince on our hands, Thom made a great point to me in our discord server and that is Oberyn is like Batman, capable on the fly, but preperation is the key to him hanging with the big dogs! Thanks for watching! Liam
oh fck that Rhaegar thing, It wasn't even that impressive. whats impressive is that Robert killed the prince and was fighting in the frontline being down 5000 men and still survived being the most targeted. for context, Arthur Dyane with dawn died being down only 4 men. HAHAHAHAHA again Robert is down 5000 men and he was in the frontline, LET THAT SINK IN for a moment
Was Rhaegar a top tier fighter? I'm sure he was good but the only person who says he was top tier that I recall is Viserys, who never actually saw him fight and is completely delusional about everything. Dany talks about he was the greatest to Barristan and Barristan(who actually knew Rhaegar) clearly seems to disagree but doesn't want to outright say so to be polite.
I believe Barristan Selmy is a BEAST! Im with you when you said at his prime he would be #2 Maybe...# 1...idk tho, the Sword of The Morning is like a Super Legend!
(I lean more to the books here) For me its: 1. Prime Barristan 2. Arthur Dayne 3. Jaime 4. The Mountain 5. Oberyn Martell 6. Victarion Greyjoy 7. Prime Bobby B 8. Garlan Tyrell 9. The Hound 10. Areo Hotah I wanna put Lyn Corbray and Balon Swann on here so bad but we havent seen either of them throw tf down
bro you don't read the books if that's your list. where the hell is Daemon Blackfyre, Dragonknight, Sandoq the shadow, Gwayne Corbray? you clearly doesn't read the books bro HAHAHAHAHA or you do but failed on comprehension or you are just bias. Also, Robert Baratheon has the best feats alongside Barristen Selmy so I don't think this list is close to being justified, more like opinion and bias
Going up this list, i was like, alright, cool. And top three was like, who is winning, and im all for this top three. Robert, Arthur, and Jaime with Barristan and Oberyn rounding it out. Love this
Thanks Akodo! As you can see in the comments not everyone is happy with Bobby over Dayne, but in a fight with armour, Hammer beats sword 9/10. I've heard common sense is pretty valuable in fights 😂 Thanks for watching! Liam
Dayne and Barristan in their primes are about even. Dayne has the advantage when wielding Dawn. Behind him its going to be Obereyn, or Jaimie. Then its probably going to be Gregor Clegane over Bobby B. Hes bigger, stronger, and more durable with his giant tower shield and armor.
@@appa609Yea exactly, Dayne would humiliate Robert, I can smell the biased from miles of way, saying Barristan would be number 1 when Arthur’s above the bold with dawn
I was a bit nervous when I saw Arthur at 2, I thought you were boutta go full show mode and pick Jon Snow. Roberts a good pick, people kinda underrate him a lot, which is pretty odd for a character who’s whole reputation is being a conqueror and an absolute menace on the battlefield.
Maybe i’m dumb or missing something but how come Ned wasn’t on this list at all? He was definitely very skilled and kept up pretty well with Arthur and was also doing well against a Jaime who still had both hands? I don’t see anyone else asking this which makes me definitely feel like i’m missing something lol
Ned was a battle proven knight. Thousands witnessed his feats in war. People are confusing swordsmanship with being a battle hardened knight. Jaime in a sword battle without armour would beat Ned but the armour in an open war the match up changes. Robert was also proven in this fashion.
Hear me out, Barristan and Arthur Dayne are battletested against men. Jon Snow defeated two white walkers who had super human strength. He has the best resume.
Nice video the fandome can't wait for what you do next. Bonus points for the dig at Cersei there calling her an arrogant egotistical entitled brat is the most accurate description I have ever seen. 🤣
We've heard there's some pretty crappy commanders and also some great warriors across the sea................... Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching! P.S- I fucking hate Cersei😂 Liam
To be fair about Bobby B as a strategist losing one battle... Jt was to Randyl goddamn Tarly. Bobby's biggest strength was as a fighter, Tywins biggest strength was being politically unstoppable, and Randyls biggest strength was commanding an army. Randyl was a tactical GENIUS. I am confident that if Randyl was at the battle of the ruby fjord the loyalists would have won.
Finally! Someone actually mentions how OP Robert's weapon choice is! Seriously hammers were and axes were definitely the best weapons overall to use is a medieval setting. Armor is not soft and you can't just poke through it. If you could nobody would wear it. Hammers and axes just straight up use kinetic energy to bulldoze right through your defenses. Great vid😊
Thanks. I enjoyed the video. I'm not going to argue too much, I just want to stick up for Arthur Dayne a little. As a Martial Artist/fighter myself, I appreciate that you discuss battlefield tactics & realities of combat. I'm not in any way denying the good points about Robert & his hammer. I would like to point out that Myamoto Musashi (as well as other great warriors in history) talked/wrote quite a bit about the advantages of dual-wielding. (And I don't just mean the ability to pull out your dagger in combat for a close range strike). Arthur seems to have an extreme proficiency in this department which I think makes him even more dangerous & efficient. Also, when people talk about Dawn, they usually talk about it's quality as a blade & the unique metal it was made from. Although, it's also important to remember that unlike many Valyrian swords, Dawn was not passed down. You had to EARN Dawn & be worthy to wield it. (I know you already know this, but I feel it's worth mentioning). Again, I Love the video & I'm not trying to change anything, I just wanted to voice those other points about The Sword of The Morning.
This is the best list I’ve seen and to be honest I agree on nearly everything. Except that I think that the giant like lord of Robbs army wasn’t put above the mountain. But I understand why because we never saw him fight
Ah Greatjon! Yeah that dude is a unit and you could in all reality put him in The Mountains place. But without enough fights and feats behind him, we'd have opened our selfs up to "You've got nothing to base that on" comments. Thanks for the kind words and thank you for watching! Liam
Basically we wanted to celebrate all the fighters from the ASOIAF era (which we see as covering RR up to the end of the show and the latest book) We used old Barristan because he's still a complete badass even as an old man, but used Young Robert because older Robert is a fat drunken mess, but that doesn't mean his younger self should be discounted on a list like this and should get the credit he deserves as a fighter. Thanks for watching Johnathan! Liam
Yeah he only killed like 30 guys at the battle of the bastards, white walkers ,beat the shit out of Ramsey , if it's life or death I wouldn't mind Jon on the list
@@AstroSully Why not book Jon? Also, he can warg so like its permanently a 2v1 with Ghost isn't it? He doesn't even need to actively be warging with their connection, Ghost would just move in tandem no?
Nice list, thanks! But it's kinda unfair imo, that you are considering everyone at their prime except Barristan (who was a one-man-army that ended conflicts singlehandidly) (Also the Greatjon bullies the hell out of the lower fighters on this list)
The point around weaponry is so underrated. It’s no wonder so many “great” warriors lived so long when none of them used weapons that actually might kill each other
Why thanks Josh 😊 I have had many compliments on my voice, "Like a male banshee" which I think means my voice is very melodic and "like sandpaper for the ear" which I'm assuming means I sound rough and manly 😂 Thanks for tuning in! Liam
Makes you wonder what was written on those four pages about Ser Duncan in the Kingsguard Book of Brothers. Most of what we know puts him at above average combat skill, beastial strength, with a Cat's luck, but their is still a lot we don't know.
Bruh…. Gorge R.R. Martin himself said the best two in all (his world that he created) are Barristan Selmy and Arthur Dayne. And Arthur Dayne being better than Barristan if he uses the sword of the morning.
Nice list good to see someone talking about the historical badasses. There's some other I would have on that list instead but with the ones you've got I'd put Sandoq higher probably number 3 after Selmy and Dayne, and Daemon Blackfyre at number 4. Gwayne Corbray higher too, he must have been nearly equal to Daemon to fight him for so long.
Are you and Robert related 😂 lol. All jokes aside. He always gets too many favorable considerations. The way you described it, he and the mountain both had very similar points and advantages, like eeriely similar, yet they were separated at opposite ends of the list, because of a hammer. Sir Arthur Dayne is rolling over in his grave haha. great vid, love your topics.
Difference is mountain is probably only slightly above average in skill and only gets so high because of his size and strength. Robert has had statements talking about his actual skill as well. Robert defeated Rhagar in single combat, who was at least top 10 if not top 5 of his time behind likely only Robert, Jamie, Selmy and Dayne, meanwhile the mountain hasn’t fought anyone notable other then Sandor in the first book, who seemed to handle him without too much trouble, and obviously the Viper, who he definitely lost too and only killed him because of Obyrn desperately trying to get a confession before he died of his mortal wounds. While I do agree giving Robert number 1 is debatable, especially as we don’t see him in his prime, what we do have places him considerably above the mountain.
haha No i just think the big man deserves some credit (the current bobby love is also a bit of an inside joke between me and Thom, I've been winding him up about it for a while now, it has had its day though and we're going to veer away from it a little in future vids) . Trust me a hammer vs a sword is a ridiculously unfair match up if you've got the sword and both of you are rocking armour. The sword has to find extremely small and specific targets to even so much as hurt the opponent, whereas the hammer can hit literally anywhere on the body and it will do damage, regardless of armour. Bobbys hammer as depicted would break the bones of even the mountain with every hit, its that monstrous. The Top 5 are all comparable anyway we only gave Robert #1 because he seemed to have more common sense than the others when it came to weapons. Finlay has also made some good points in his comment that I won't repeat. thanks for watching as always man! Liam
@@finlayames6216 I don't think Rhaegar is really that elite of a fighter. He was certainly good but I think the only word of him being truly elite was from Viserys who like 5 when Rhaegar died and is shown to be totally delusional about his family. I do agree though that Robert is far more skilled than Gregor.
Yeah, that's crap. Dane was killed in combat by 7 opponents and You hold that against him? Guess what was the fat man killed by. Nah, Rob's going down with his hammer against Your top 5. Rhaegar who was a hobby swordsman wounded him to the point he was barely saved. Besides, you're being inconsistent making a list about best overall combatant and then giving only Robert permission to use a warhammer. I bet any of those skilled warriors could use similar weapon to kill him or were skilled enough with a longsword to put the manbearpig down cutting his plate's weak points and avoiding/blocking the hammer - yes You can block the strikes of a stronger man if You're quick enough and catch his weapon in unfavourable positions. Also why take Robert young and not Selmy? The books are clear Arthur, Barristan and Jaime are the best warriors in westeros and it's not particularily close to the rest.
I agree Robert is somewhat overrated and shouldn't be number 1, but it's not like killing Rhaegar is his only thing. And the battle of the bells he killed a bunch of soldiers with a sword, which wasn't even his preferred weapon, and despite being already wounded before the battle started. He was a monster
@@anatoldenevers237 that's fair. He sure is a monster in his youth, we know that much. Still i just can't believe him being on Dayne, Selmy or Jaime's level. Not with how Martin describes them and their prowess.
@@AJb248 He probably wasn't quite as good as them(Dayne and Selmy are both top 3 all time), but certainly I think would have been the best around aside from them during his prime. Hard to know exactly of course
It's very good you mentioned in the throne room where the Hound puts his hand on his sword but not drawing it. And even the Hound wasn't laughing or anything.
One thought I’ve always had about the Bron vs The mountain debate is that Bron comes up with the exact same strategy(dance around him tire him out before striking) as Oberyn but stresses the importance of never getting distracted even for a second because of Gregor’s obvious freak physical factor. Maybe if he thought to use poisoned weaponry he would’ve stepped in for Tyrion lest it be forgotten he was willing to run it with the hound during the battle of blackwater so who knows.
I honestly think Barristan, Arthur, Robert, and Jaime are all roughly equal and it depends on the circumstance and they each have their own drawbacks and strong suits.
This is absolutely spot on. We're actually going to do a video about this very thing and how styles make fights in a grounded verse like Thrones! Thanks for watching! Liam
And you didn't mention John snow ?? Like really he killed the leader of thenn, a white Walker, Ramsey Bolton and many more in single combat and have been in many fights like battle of bastard ect he totally deserves to be on this list
George Martin has already said in an interview that Arthur Dayne is the best fighter who has ever lived in Westeros, checkmate, nothing more to discuss.
One thing that i think is fun to think of (even if its just in the show) is that Bronn didn't outright refuse the idea that he could beat the mountain, he just stated the uncertainty isn't worth risking his life for.
Your wrong. Just kidding lol. Solid list and y’all have some good knowledge. I found myself saying. That low? Then realized I just can’t everyone in the top three which is obv not realistic lol good video
If Bobby B gets points for using a hammer, the Mountains hude broad sword probably has the same effect if not dodged or properly parried and so should get points as well?
Another thing about Bobby B is that he killed Rhaegar in full plate with a blow to the CHEST, not the head or another vital spot. That's the spot where the armor and padding are the thickest, so he could literally get you with his worst shot and still end you
Oh yeah, this comment section is going to be civil and polite
Also to add this, before everyone starts asking why does Robert get to be young but Barristan old?
Answer- Because everyone else on the list needed to at least have a chance!
Trail by seven😂
@@TheFandomeClips What are you talking about, in his final months, Robert was an inspiring sight for the people. Come, bow before your king!
@@TheFandomeClipssure but that makes this whole list inconsistent then. I have no issue with Robert being first but it would have been better if this was worded as an all time list.
@@TheFandomeClipsLOL, Facts!
4. Jamie Lannister
3. Arthur Dayne
2. Robert
1. The dude that managed to put Jaqen H'ghar in a cage
1: So, Jagen? There’s little chance he wasn’t there by his own choice.
A man puts himself in a cage
i do believe that was chuck norris
i always wondered how this happened lmao
Obviously the mountain
Bobby B in his prime was basicly a souls boss
Pretty much 😂 except even the best souls player alive wouldn't be able to beat him. Thanks for stopping by as always Debater! Liam
''Parry this, filthy casul!'' *Jumping R2 with Ledo's Greathammer*
Full horned helmet and all.
I mean, one of his monikers is literally *Demon of the Trident*
@@silver057 ai LOVES Robert baratheon lol.
One of the craziest book only scenes is when Barristan easily kills mercenary captain Mero with a wooden quarterstaff at age 63. He then apologizes for not killing him sooner. He's using a false name at that point and it instantly blows his cover.
Bronn also has some crazy feats. Catelyn thinks without him the mountain clans would have killed her. When Tyrion has him recruit sellswords he challenges each of them to a match of no holds sparring. If they survive Bronn for a while they can fight for him. Tyrion asks '"And if one of them kills you?". The answer: "He'll be one you'll want to hire." That kind of confidence is pretty impressive.
yah thats why i think bobby b doesnt deserve the first spot, maybe 4th but certainly not in the top 3
Most bron answer ever lmao
I still think his craziest feat is killing two gold cloak members with his barehands. But nothing really beats Duskendale.
Technically Barristan doesn't for sure kill the Titan's Bastard. He knocks him in the head, and when he falls to the ground all the people Dany freed rip him apart. Though that doesn't actually matter
I think you could make a point for Qhorin Halfhand. He was stationed at the Shadow Tower and is quoted as a living legend amongst the Nights Watch. Also he had to switch his main hand after losing most of his fingers on his right hand but became as proficient with his left, a feat Jaime Lannister hasn't been able to do. I think the constant battling he experienced aswell as venturing Beyond the Wall and coming back alive everytime should grant him an honourable mention.
100% agree the wildlings who don’t seem like the type to fear anyone feared Qhorin, he cut down people twice the size of Tormund giants bane, he even blocked an axe which was going into his face and even beat the fk out of the wildling who cut half his hand off and killed them, I’d deffo say he’d smash Bronn, he’s described by Jon as an ox and he’s very fast and experienced, he’d probably slam Brienne too, Qhorin has not really any personality flaws, he’s not arrogant or anything he’s calm all the time and speaks like dearh as if its nothing, he should be number 7, above Garlan I’d say
@@richiebob5477wasn't Tormund described as average/short but broad? So not a very large guy Robert or Hound style
@@bloodangel19 it’s a show line, idk if it’s said in the books, and Tormund in the shows like 6ft+, he’s a lot bigger than Jon, he still says the Halfhand killed people who were like giants though
I'm off the belief that quorin is Arthur dayne in the books. There's a bunch of hints to it
er no chance. guy can't do well against a well trained disciplined swordsmen.
You did Barristan dirty here. Compared:
Barristan when he was old
Arthur when Barristan was still in his prime
Baratheon when he was young
💯
Barristan in his prime is an easy contender for the #1 spot.
Absolutely did him dirty, why the change with Robert
I mean he literally said prime barristan is nr1
Tell me you didnt watch the video without telling me. He said prime Selmy is #1.
@VDViktor tell me YOU didn't watch the video without telling me.
He clearly said he was reading them AS THEY APPEARED ON THE SHOW, meaning old Barrister but when ranking Robert he ranks him as in his prime.
5:16 Cercey and Tywin both seeing Bron as having a chance of beating the Mountain certainly more than implies how strong a fighter he was.
*Cersei
@@carastone3473ms know it all
*Ser-C
Exactly, if he was so dead, why not let him stand? While he has common sense and wouldn't take it lightly his ambition would probably win out in the end and Tywin and Cersei could have killed two birds with one stone! Thanks for watching! Liam
Man forgot gaints 😂😂
Arya: "Hot pie, tell Gendry what makes it a battle instead of a fight"
HP: "...it's when they got armor on"
Gendry: "who told you that?"
HP: "a knight"
Gendry: "how do you know it was a knight?"
HP: "well...cause he had armor on"
Gendry: "you don't need to be a knight to have armor. Any idiot can buy armor"
HP: "how would you know?"
Gendry: "cause I sold armor!"
😂😂😂😂😂
"At number 6" with Joffrey riding in made me feel we were about to hear about Joffrey's talent with Widow's Wail. Truly the greatest swordsman in the kingdom, too bad the Imp murdered him!
Remember, Joffrey was dangerous with Widow's Wail. He did kill a book.
@@ultimaterealist1377 he was even more dangerous with a knife, i once read him killing multiple organisms in under a minute.
@@Leo-dt5ic I'm sure you jest sir.🤠
Considering Stannis lasted hours on the walls of kings landing and making it back to the forrest while being on the frontline, when the Bolton army charged his army, I would say he is actually one or the most underrated swordman in the show atleast. He outlasted his very last battle enemies, while already being severly wounded and just accepted his fate in the end.
The Mannis is of course no slouch, but nothing seems to imply he is particularly special as a fighter. Underrated by some but not one of the elite. I would probably put him as likely at the top of the non-elite. Like nobody is going to be quoting him as an example, but real fighters would no he is not one to underestimate.
While we've got nothing to go on i think I'd definitely agree with you. I don't think he would have been anything special or to write home about, but he is from the same stock as Robert and was more interested in war than Renly. I'd expect him to be decent if not amazing. Especially the show version who like you say showed not once but twice he could hold his own.
Thanks for watching Rob! Liam
@@neodigremo I don‘t say he should be in the top 10, just wanted to point out that he is really really underrated, atleast in my opinion!
@@TheFandomeClips Thanks for the response, I am not saying that he should be in the top 10, because the show and the books even less, do not try to show that he is one of the best fighters, but I just wanted to say that he may be one of the more underrated fighters, considering the things I mentioned. Enjoyed the video!
@@robslebowski6776 Absolutely true what you say. TBH underrated/overrated fighters seems like a decent video idea e.g. 5 over and 5 under from universe X.
One big reason I’d have Arthur dayne over Robert is that Ned called him the best he’d ever seen, after all the fights he’d accompanied Robert on he still called Arthur the best
"the finest knight"
Ned could be saying Arthur was the best example of chivalric ideals. Skill, courage, honour, loyalty, etc. as much as Ned loved Robert he also knew he was a brutal man who loved drinking and whoring and was not a perfect knight.
@@appa609But Barristan is equal to Dayne and Barristan’s feats are insane however Dayne’s superior while wielding dawn
@@appa609 The question Arya was asking was clearly about fighting. He meant in terms of fighting.
also being the best warrior doesn't mean the best fighter per se.
a warrior fights in a war not one v one combat, although that's a huge part of it obviously
@@emilegriffith1473 What? lmao
I’m glad you guys included Garlan Tyrell. Being a book only character he’s usually overlooked in most lists and clearly he’s my favorite character hence the name lol😅
@SerBretonBriarwhite Good tidings Ser Breton. As my sister Margaery says, we’ve had a blessed harvest and of course it’s our duty to assist in time of need
He needs more recognition. I understand why he was cut in the show (It's always down to money and budget and was cheaper to combine him with Loras) but he's got this awesome reputation following him. If we ever do get winds, I hope we get to see his skills first hand against the Faiths champion. Though I'm a little concerned if a certain theory is correct Garlan might not make it out considering who the theory suggests the champion is going to be 🐶 Thanks for watching Good Ser! Liam
Garlan Vs two handed Jamie is the prequel fight I want most
If Selmy is neutered by being old in the story, Dayne shouldn't be on the list since he's quite literally dead..
@@ryanfitzpatrick3008 bro they choose young robert instead of current fat bobby
When I saw Arthur Dayne as Number 2, I realized "Number 1 is going to be Robert, isn't it?
I hit the like button as soon as I saw you included Garland Tyrell on this list. That boy is one of the most unsung badasses of A Song of Ice & Fire.
Loved the Joffrey cameo. I was stunned and like What!? You got me. Good one mate.
He was the obvious choice, who else could it be 😂 thanks for watching professor! Liam
@@TheFandomeClips Darth Vader? Lol...
@@professorsassafrasyou really thought he was serious?
Good video. You guys did a great job differentiating between skilled fighters and dangerous/lethal warriors. Jaime, Dayne, Selmy, etc. are skilled warriors. Some of the very best fighters you're ever gonna see. But being noble knights, they follow a moral code. Guys like Bronn, Oberyn, and prime Robby B, don't follow such morals. They are scrappy, resourceful, do whatever it takes to win, and just love killing and/or fighting. Theirs a difference between the two.
Thanks Dman! Yes honed skill matters, but there's a certain mentality to fighting (at least in grounded universes like Thrones) that can carry you through just the same and obviously equipment is such a big factor in who will win most often. Hammer beats sword when armour is involved 9/10! Thanks for watching as always my man! Liam
Why do you consider Robert in his prime but in the exact same vid consider Barristan in his old age? Nah man this is unfair, justice for Selmy 😂
important to note is just how much the physicality is worth in a chaotic fight. Like no matter how skilled, if arthur/baristan/oberyn/jamie (so all the skilled, but not necessarily physical fighters) get tackled on the battlefield they’re in big trouble. If somebody tries to tackle the mountain/Hound/Bobby, they just get a piggy bag ride out of it…
Even in modern combat wrestling is the number one skill to have so I'd have to agree with ya
@@VHBEngines If by combat wrestling you meant BJJ and the like, that kind of disproves your point. Hoyce Gracey was always smaller than the bruisers he defeated, after they nearly beat him to death.
Meaning skill can defeat a bigger opponent. There was a reason Bartholomew mostly competed in the melee, it favored his size and strength over skill.
That's why I don't think that they did disservice to Ser Baristan on the show. Multiple oponents would have probably defeated him even if he was in full armour. (Probably a huge guy like The Mountain, in full armour, could manage, but then again he wouldn't even need a sword, slapping them with his armour gauntlets would be enough). It only takes one of them to grab his arm and slow him down for a second or two so the others can jump him. Yet he managed to slay (almost) all of them before succumbing.
@@toro5280 the mountain was almost beaten by a highly skilled man named oberyn fcking martell. in a 1v1, skill matters more (in terms of sword fighting etc cuz in that elegance is required as well as force). oberyn would have won too if he hadnt been emotional, and here you are talking about barristan being given a fair ranking.
even in real life, you can check the battle between ali ibn talib and marhab and see that size doesnt beat skill (atleast not always, in battles its mostly a 50/50 i think cuz luck matters a lot, your opponent can slip and boom he dead so...)
@@lelouchvibritannia8997 That's not my point though. I was talking about how practically no-one stands a chance vs multiple opponents.
I didn't say Ser Baristan was given a fair ranking, I meant that the show didn't do him dirty. Ser Baristan took with him as many as he could.
I only mentioned the mountain because he might have had a chance because of his size/range and only if he could kill them before he got tired.
I disagree with first you using prime bobby but not prime barristan second him being number 1 becomes of the simple reason that rhaegar a far lesser fighter than jaime arthur or selmy was able to injure robert really badly to the point he needed medical help quite urgently and wasnt able to ride for sometime
Before you throw that point out there… did Rhaegar have Kingsguard at his side in this battle? Because if he did then that would explain why Bobby B was so wounded. He took down three of the greatest fighters in the realm.
It wasn’t an immediately life threatening injury if Robert decided to give his own Maester to Selmy instead. The fact he couldn’t ride means he probably got some deep wounds on his legs or something. Also even if Bob can kill Selmy in a fight, it doesn’t mean it’ll be quick or a clean fight. Also even though Rhaegar hated fighting he was a genuinely good swordsman!
@@elijahalbiston The only two king's guard that were there were Jonothor Darry and Lewyn Martell. And they died NOT besides Rhaegar
@@hubertwaliszewski5740you forget Selmy. But yeah, we know Selmy wasn’t with the prince and since Martel was noted as leading the Dornish he almost certainly wasn’t either.
@@finlayames6216 Lol. I totally forgot him🤣
One more plus to add for Brienne: she keeps in mind one of the most important lessons she learned from the master-at-arms who taught her: men will want to beat you quickly lest people start saying that a woman gave them a challenge. Let them wear themselves out throwing everything they have at you while you play defense and conserve your stamina. Then go on the attack while they've already worn themselves out. This is an important sub-skill of her battlefield instincts/warrior mentality; it's not dishonorable or underhanded like some of Bronn's favorite tactics, but it is playing to her strengths / weaponizing Westerosi society's misogyny and using it against her opponents
Good insightful comment for the most part and I agree but that’s not “misogyny”… like at all. Maybee sexism but definitely not misogyny. Women by and large are weaker than men, and largely aren’t trained in combat. this isn’t a social construct. It’s the social warrior/ macho climate that makes being beaten or even seriously challenged by a woman in combat an object of ridicule, but it’s not “woman hating” to acknowledge that they are going to be at a disadvantage in combat against a man for the vast majority of cases.
It’s like as if a man lost to a child in single combat, he would of course be ridiculed by his peers, but that wouldn’t be misopedia, or child hating. The one getting “hated on” would be the man, as he is expected to beat an opponent that is usually weaker than a male warrior supposed to be in his prime.
Feel like most people including yourself don’t know what the word misogyny actually means.
Im so happy you took the Warhammer into consideration againt the plate armor!! Thank you!! That has always has drove me nuts haha
The spike on the back of Robert's warhammer gave him another option if he was ever locked in single combat.
A single hammer blow with the blunt end killed Rhaegar on the Ruby Ford.
If Robert reversed his grip and let the spiked-end of the hammerhead strike first, he would win any duel in a single hit.
A lot of people forget that in the battle of the trident, Rhaegar wounded him pretty badly and that it was still a very close fight. There are strategies and tactics a sword user can fight against a war hammer user. Even one who is much bigger and stronger.
Exactly my Lord! It's an unbelievably overwhelming advantage when armour is concerned. A sword has to find very VERY small targets, The hammer (providing the blow is committed) can hit ANYTHING, even the shield and affect the opponent. Thanks for watching as always my Lord! Liam
@@KingSlayer_. You can make a sword work vs a hammer, but it's the exception not the rule and 9/10 the hammer will win if armour is involved and both fighters are of a comparable level of skill. A non specialised sword just doesn't have the capacity to do anything meaningful against proper plate armour. You often found that the sword user would most often turn the sword upside down to turn it into a makeshift hammer (known as a murder stroke) or they'd try to wrestle the enemy to ground to get a dagger into a joint. Neither is a good tactic vs someone as big and strong as Bobby, I'd only put odds on the Mountain, Sandor and the Greatjon been capable of getting Robert on the ground and a murderstroke still won't equalise the damage from the real thing because there isn't the same weight behind it.
Robert also wasn't wounded badly by Rhaegar, just wounded (Which is pretty typical when good fighters face each other in a grounded fiction, even the winner often doesn't get out unscratched). Its even noted Bobby made his maester treat Barristan instead of him because Barristans wounds were quite severe and his were less serious. Enough to need a bit of rest, but not enough to warrant urgent treatment.
I don't know how you only type these comments with one Hand Ser Jaime! Thanks for watching! Liam
@@KingSlayer_. nope it was not stated who wounded Robert but it was stated that he was in the frontline while being down 5000 men.
So go read the books again because clearly there's no text in there that said Rhaegar injured him.
@@KingSlayer_.the wound wasn’t serious at all tho
"You can't have the looks of prince charming made flesh, be a phenomenal acto,r and then also be a top tier swordsman this is reality..."
Viggo Mortenson would like a word and a duel please...
Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin have a word or two as well.
Deamon targeryan
Criminal to use young Robert and not young Selmy 😭
You did dirty to Selmy as you've considered every other fighter in their prime but Selmy when he was old..
I mean it wouldn't really change much, he'd basically just be joint 2 with Dayne which is basically what we said in the Dayne section by stating their equals, along with saying Selmy would take 1 in his prime for me personally just on pure badassery alone 😂 he wasn't done dirty in the slightest, i personally think its super impressive he can still make a list of the best warriors while been Grandpa aged, when the rest certainly wouldn't. People get waaayyy to hung up on placement 😂 the top 10 are all awesome and its more about celebrating them all rather than saying "this fighter beats everyone below them" because in a grounded fiction like thrones styles make fights and its bollocks to think 1 fighter can beat everyone below them on a list 😂 they're all awesome in their own way, Robert only got number 1 because he seems to have the most common sense with his weapon 😂 doesn't mean Dayne couldn't take him if he was smart about it, or Oberyn wouldn't figure out a counter for the hammer or even the Mountain at the other side of the list couldn't get lucky. There's no intention to do anyone dirty. I wanted every fighter on the list to be recognised for the badass they are, and I don't think old man Barristan should be discounted the same way I don't think young Robert should be over looked. Thanks for watching! Liam
@@anmolanand2350 You're exactly right. GRRM himself said that Selmy and Dayne were equals and the best, with Dawn pushing Dayne into the #1 spot. This video was odd.
Another reason why I think Dayne deserves the N. 1 spot (aside from the author's words, which when it comes to just their own universe are final.) is Ned's opinion. Ned was raised alongside Robert, sparred with him countless times and fought besides him on the Battlefield on numerous occasions. Therefore he knows Robert's skill better than anyone. If he was unsure wether or not Dayne was better than Bobby he wouldn't have said that Dayne was the finest knight he ever saw (Robert was most likely knighted like most nobles). Instead Ned says with full confidence that Arthur is the best based on one encounter. That leads me to believe Dayne must have done something legendary. As it was pointed out Robert once fought six men with a sword and came out victorious, but injured. This leads me to Believe that Dayne, like on the show, fought four or five men on his own and made it look like it was easy and came out unscathed before Howland stabbed him in the back (something which we can't knock off points for because as far as Dayne was concerned that guy was dead, because he saw him fall to the ground after the slash and because he was focused on the others didn't see him move. In a battle when you are constantly surrounded that would be a fair argument but here not). While this is a theory I think it does make a lot of sense. Again if Ned thought Robert could be better he probably would've favored his friend in his judgement.
You make an interesting observation. Yes, you are quite right that Ned Stark has probably seen both up close in a fight and is likely the one person who can give an accurate comparison. He does say Arthur is the finest Knight he ever saw. However he also says Robert is the greatest warrior he ever saw.
If you ask me its a 60/40 in favour of Robert.
Both of them are modelled over peak masculine Gods
@@muhinkabir1415dayne is the greatest , this is common knowledge
@@muhinkabir1415 I think that distinction between knight and warrior is super important
Very important distinction for best warrior is that there is a difference between overall and specific match ups. For example Brienne would probably lose to the Mountain in a one on one, but I would put money on her over Bronn. As you say Sandor could beat the "better" people on the list if he gets a bit lucky or has some other edge.
Otherwise I am pretty much in agreement with you on the list, though you could make a credible case for any of the top 5 in any order.
This is very true. Styles make fights.
@@TheStraightestWhitest Don't I know it. I do martial arts and there are people in my club I can beat in a match, then people I can't. And sometimes people I win against can beat people I lose against. You can be "the best" but face an opponent whose strengths just so happen to line up to your weak spots perfectly.
@@neodigremo I always had this in Judo as well. There was a kid I always lost to without exception, and he usually lost to another guy that I usually tied with and often beat. And when I got older and later got into BJJ and kickboxing, those situations became more common and more normal to me. I stopped questioning it. Everyone develops their own style past the basics.
This comment has actually inspired a video for us Neo buddy! and your right, in a grounded works like thrones, anyone can beat anyone if the day is favouring them or the circumstances are in their favour. I always looks to Oberyn vs the Mountain. That fight would have been over in seconds if weapon parity was forced on the fighters. If they'd been forced to fight with Oberyns arms and light armour Obs would have that spear through Gregors neck in a heartbeat, if vice versa Oberyn would have been bashed to death in no short order. Styles do indeed make fights as The straightest whitest notes! Thanks for watching! Liam
Would Brianne or prince rhaegar come out on top I wonder?
This type of video always has the most views on your channel, you should make more of this type. Very good.
Oh don't worry Shinobi, more are in the works we know a good thing when we see it 😂 Thank you for watching! Liam
I would put Arthur at number 1, Arthur was described by Catelyn as the most dangerous of Aerys kingsguard, deadlier than a like 40 year old Barristan since it’s 20 years before, everyone says he was the best, Ned said Arthur’s the finest knight he ever saw and in the books says he would’ve been killed by Dayne if not for Howland Reed. While I do have Robert in my top ten I disagree on him being top 1, he was a monster in his prime but Rhaegar Targaryen who was good at jousting and maybe just above average with a sword brutally wounded him in their 1v1, while Robert’s war hammer is strong, I’d put Dayne, a younger Selmy and a prime Jaime as those who could defeat him, they’re much skilled and a lot faster, especially Dayne since dawn’s like valaryian steel, the three know what they are doing and could get their swords in his armour joints and bring him down, Robert would have to catch them to land a hit, an old Gerold Hightower in the show says if they were on the trident the usurper ‘Robert’ would be in the ground, but Gerold was old well in the books anyway unlike the show where he’s younger and a mix of Oswell whent, so I don’t really think he’d put Robert down , Oswell Whent says it in the books though but I doubt he could pull it off either, but I think Arthur could, Arthur’s not arrogant, he’s calm and just does his duty until the last, so he would not mess about he would just put him down. I could be wrong on this but I think Dayne never lost a melee, he lost jousts but that’s a lot different than sword fighting, I think even Barristan talks about how good Dayne was in the books.
Ned also said Robert was a "peerless warrior" which I think also holds weight. There's a difference between been the finest knight and the best warrior. There's also a difference between been the best swordsman (Which Dayne no doubt was) and been the best fighter. By all accounts and from what we can tell Robert wasn't a big slow Gregor type, he was big but also fast (Size doesn't equal slow, quite the opposite in some cases) , Dayne Barristan and Jaime aren't super human, they're all in peak condition, but so is young Robert, their speeds are all without a doubt comparable. Trust me there is no speed advantage apart from the fact a sword can move quicker than a hammer. Taking a sword against a warhammer when you both have plate (even a lighter and faster VSword) is an absolute death sentence. Getting into an armour joint without wrestling the opponent to the ground is so unbelievably difficult when the enemy is fighting back and often requires you to get close and do something called half swording so the blade stays rigid enough to get through the defences underneath the plate. You'd be leaving your self wide open to swings from that hammer and unlike the sword that hammer will hurt you and do damage no matter where it hits. It's an insanely unfavourable match up even for a master swordsman like Dayne.
The statement about putting Robert in the ground is no doubt nothing but talk from Whent, the same way its all talk when Jaime waxes lyrical about how no one can beat him.
Rhaegar also didn't wound Robert that badly, enough that he needed a bit of rest sure, but can't of been that bad since Robert insisted his maester treat a much more severely wounded Barristan instead of himself. I also don't know why people think Rhaegar was average either, he was clearly like Oberyn and good at anything he set his mind to and he set his mind to learning how to fight. I feel like people discredit him because he had other interests, but he clearly invested a lot of time and dedication into becoming a great fighter and while he may not have been at the top he was definitely noteworthy.
I absolutely think Dayne, Barristan and Jaime are the greatest swordsmen and would make the top 3 easy. But there's more to fighting and been a warrior than skills with a sword :p Thanks for watching Richiebob and sharing your thoughts, was an interesting read and a well made argument! Liam
@@TheFandomeClipsI agree with most of that however if you take in GRRM’s statements about Dayne he says Dayne would beat a prime Barristan in a fight if armed with Dawn and if they had equal equipment he said it’s 50/50. When asked point blank who George would have as champion to defend him, that includes everyone, he answered Arthur immediately. I still think Dayne is a better warrior. I feel like he was experienced enough to use Roberts anger and aggression against him when Rhaegar wasn't skilled enough and not on the levels of the best swordsmen and knights in the realms, Rhaegar was skilled but he ain’t nowhere near top 15 warriors, but he’s still good, dawn was so sharp that it drew blood from Jamie during his knighting and Arthur barely touched him, so I'm guessing that one well placed slice from dayne could end the fight as quickly as Roberts war hammer.
As Syrio tells Arya, it's more about reading your opponent. Robert was quite the fighter however he hadn't been in many one-on-one situations with skilled fighters in combat at this point. I'm assuming Arthur Dayne had way more experience, tourneys, the brotherhood, he sparred with the greatest knights in the realm constantly, the kingsguard consisting of the likes of a much younger Barristan than what we see in the tv series and at the start of the books, a young Jaime who even at that point was one of the best in the realm, I may be wrong but I think he never lost a melee either. Robert has to swing his warhammer with quite some force behind it in order to crush Dayne's armour, this would have made his swings long and predictable to a fighter like Dayne, on top of that Robert was extremely hot tempered and he’d probably try to catch Dayne out which would leave somewhere for Dayne to cut and end the fight.
Dayne on the other hand could also jab, slice, thrust to deal damage making his movements more unpredictable and flexible to adapt to Robert's elaborate movements. Assuming they are on foot, Robert is more likely to trip and slip given his aggression while Dayne could be very observant of his surroundings and could actually lead Robert into environmental traps, Robert’s armour could be cut as the mountain wore the thickest set of armour in the 7 kingdoms and Oberyn still found his way through his armour joints, Rhaegar and Robert fought on for quite some time and Robert was said to have been wounded by Rhaegar to the point where he couldn't continue on right away to KL, but you are right he did tell the maester to help Barristan first but that may be due to him wanting to be honourable as in his prime Bobby B had honour and also Ned stark had to March to kingslanding in roberts place due to the injuries he withstood from Rhaegar. While Rhaegar was good he’s not up there with Dayne, Selmy, Jaime, Robert didn’t one shot him with his hammer, it took a while so I don’t think he’d one shot Dayne, while Robert was an absolute beast I’d still choose arthur but I do see and agree with most of your points. It would be high difficulty for Dayne imo on the trident that day, but any other day could argue mid diff.
@@richiebob5477 You are imagining Robert going for great over the head swings but he wouldn't need anything close to that to deal significant damage, he can be swinging that thing back and forth incredibly quickly as a swordsman would and if you can't dodge every single time then wfrom a hammer that size even a single hit and its over.
@@loganwallace101 He fought Rhaegar head on, on horseback and they did not have that much mobility during their fight yet he did not one shot Rhaegar, the two fought for quite some time and in that time Rhaegar actually wounded Robert quite badly and Robert had to have ned go to kings landing for him, Rhaegar is not on the levels of Dayne, Selmy, Jaime etc
The weight of the hammer would slow Robert for a moment, and a moment is a fatal opportunity for someone as skilled as Dayne.
amazing video as always, and perfect for my study breaks. Can not wait for the next video
Hey Tug great to see you in the comments! Thanks for watching! Liam
Media and other common misconceptions have really skewed the perception of late medieval arms and armor. Plate armor (meaning full plate, what you see in your mind when you think of a knight) didn't become the norm until *at least* the mid-14th century; the transition to mauls and poleaxes and warhammers as the primary arms of the nobility is no coincidence.
I've recently applied to a internship at a local museum's collections of medieval arms and armor, so you can trust this is a subject I've given some serious inquiry into.
nobody cares bro
I care and this was some good info!
Why wasn't Prince Rhaegar Targaryen included? We are told that Bobby B and he circled around four times in an epic battle at the Trident...
@@r.andrewwhy5828 I was wondering why he was not even an honorable mention 🤔
Because he was pants. His arms and armor were intimidating but he was better with a lute than a sword. Also, he had the arrogance of Jamie Lanister, believing himself to be the Prince that Promised right up to the moment he crossed Big Bobby B.
Arthur Dayne is the GOAT.
Great video all around. Im very glad you give Jamie the respect he deserves. Jamie is my favorite character ever.
Don't mess with the Kingslayer with both hands is a good way to stay alive! Thanks for watching! Liam
Brienne remembered her fight with Jaime Lannister in the woods. It had been all that she could do to keep his blade at bay. He was weak from his imprisonment, and chained at the wrists. No knight in the Seven Kingdoms could have stood against him at his full strength, with no chains to hamper him. Jaime had done many wicked things, but the man could fight! His maiming had been monstrously cruel. It was one thing to slay a lion, another to hack his paw off and leave him broken and bewildered.
Jaime is a beast 💪 well with two hands anyway 😂
5 bobby b
4 oberyn m
3 Jaime L
2 Barristan S
1 the sword of the morning
Another great video always love your content
Hey Connor great to see you in the comments as usual! Thanks for watching! Liam
Ser Barristan fought very uniquely before his death, I remember a particular move where he had his sword pointed down and killed a harpy simply by pulling it up.
Upwards cuts are the hardest to do in real life because the Swords weight isn't helping you. Barristan was a beast and probably saw his sword as an extra limb, I wish we could have see him doing more cool and unique things it! Thanks for watching ozzywozzy! Liam
@@TheFandomeClipsSeriously we need a short series of his life.
Robert's warhammer is so huge if he really could wield it as described then even a single hit will shatter half the bones in your body and is absoloutley an instant death even for the mountain in full plate. I mean honestly if you arent wearing armour he could probably smash people in half.
I actually agree with Robert's placement in the top spot. We must remember he defeated and killed Rhaegar Targaryen in single combat at the Trident and Rhaegar was also a top tier fighter, probably close to the level of Jaime and Barriston in his day. As an interesting aside, I now think it would be fascinating to see a fight between the Hound and Oberyn, the Hound and the Viper if you will. Oberyn won't be able to use his speed or reach advantage in nearly the same way and is dealing with an opponent far more skilled and talented yet no less strong and aggressive than the Mountain. This would be very interesting especially if they were dropped in cold without prep.
Thanks James! Always good to see you in the comments. Yeah he got the top spot by virtue of his common sense. Only guy to use an anti armour weapon in a realm where armour is a common sight on your enemy. Doesn't matter how skilled with a sword you are if you can't get to the squishy bits with any kind of ease. Especially if your opponent can take you out with a single clonk to your head. I think if you dropped Oberyn in cold vs Sandor we'd have one dead dornish prince on our hands, Thom made a great point to me in our discord server and that is Oberyn is like Batman, capable on the fly, but preperation is the key to him hanging with the big dogs! Thanks for watching! Liam
oh fck that Rhaegar thing, It wasn't even that impressive. whats impressive is that Robert killed the prince and was fighting in the frontline being down 5000 men and still survived being the most targeted.
for context, Arthur Dyane with dawn died being down only 4 men.
HAHAHAHAHA again Robert is down 5000 men and he was in the frontline, LET THAT SINK IN for a moment
Was Rhaegar a top tier fighter? I'm sure he was good but the only person who says he was top tier that I recall is Viserys, who never actually saw him fight and is completely delusional about everything. Dany talks about he was the greatest to Barristan and Barristan(who actually knew Rhaegar) clearly seems to disagree but doesn't want to outright say so to be polite.
I believe Barristan Selmy is a BEAST! Im with you when you said at his prime he would be #2 Maybe...# 1...idk tho, the Sword of The Morning is like a Super Legend!
This channel deserves at least 1 million followers.
Call the banners. - Thom
(I lean more to the books here) For me its:
1. Prime Barristan
2. Arthur Dayne
3. Jaime
4. The Mountain
5. Oberyn Martell
6. Victarion Greyjoy
7. Prime Bobby B
8. Garlan Tyrell
9. The Hound
10. Areo Hotah
I wanna put Lyn Corbray and Balon Swann on here so bad but we havent seen either of them throw tf down
bro you don't read the books if that's your list. where the hell is Daemon Blackfyre, Dragonknight, Sandoq the shadow, Gwayne Corbray?
you clearly doesn't read the books bro HAHAHAHAHA
or you do but failed on comprehension or you are just bias.
Also, Robert Baratheon has the best feats alongside Barristen Selmy so I don't think this list is close to being justified, more like opinion and bias
@@hexflash. i've only read the main books and yeah.... this IS my opinion. Youre allowed to have a diffrrent answer
@@unovasfinest2623 i mean sure but your opinion is not different to 1+1=3. I don't think it's entirely wrong but lacks a big big whole lot of things
@@hexflash. lemme repeat it. This is all people's opinions. I have my opinion. You have yours. And thats fine
first 3 are definitely right and I think your 4-10 are the right people but i think the spots could be debated
Going up this list, i was like, alright, cool. And top three was like, who is winning, and im all for this top three. Robert, Arthur, and Jaime with Barristan and Oberyn rounding it out. Love this
Thanks Akodo! As you can see in the comments not everyone is happy with Bobby over Dayne, but in a fight with armour, Hammer beats sword 9/10. I've heard common sense is pretty valuable in fights 😂 Thanks for watching! Liam
Finally someone gives Garlan Tyrell the respect he deserves.
Dayne and Barristan in their primes are about even. Dayne has the advantage when wielding Dawn. Behind him its going to be Obereyn, or Jaimie. Then its probably going to be Gregor Clegane over Bobby B. Hes bigger, stronger, and more durable with his giant tower shield and armor.
BRO DID YOU WATCHED THE VIDEO??? HOW THE HELL MOUNTAIN CAN EVEN THINK OF BEATING PRIME ROBERT
Why have you considered Prime Bobby B, but current Ser Barristan? I feel both should be considered in their primes.
Because he loves Robert
@@appa609Yea exactly, Dayne would humiliate Robert, I can smell the biased from miles of way, saying Barristan would be number 1 when Arthur’s above the bold with dawn
Prime Selmy was wounded in the battle of the trident by a no name fighter. He is overrated man.
@@richiebob5477dayne was killed by a nobody. Another overrated dude he was.
@@connormacleod1490 The author statements put him and Dayne well over Robert and any other fighter, lmao, Robert is overrated
This video is awesome, absolutely excellent breakdown
I was a bit nervous when I saw Arthur at 2, I thought you were boutta go full show mode and pick Jon Snow.
Roberts a good pick, people kinda underrate him a lot, which is pretty odd for a character who’s whole reputation is being a conqueror and an absolute menace on the battlefield.
Jon can’t even beat Karl Fucking Tanner😂😂 - Thom
Great top! I would only disagree a bit on Barristan. I think my top 4 would be:
4: Jaime
3: Robert
2: Selmy
1: Dayne
You could even say that the Hound has that dawg in him 😏
Bollocks, Crap, Dammit that would have been so much better than our actual closer to his segment 😂 Thanks for watching! Liam
Maybe i’m dumb or missing something but how come Ned wasn’t on this list at all? He was definitely very skilled and kept up pretty well with Arthur and was also doing well against a Jaime who still had both hands?
I don’t see anyone else asking this which makes me definitely feel like i’m missing something lol
@Bowser2332 it's because it's popular to say Ned wasn't a good fighter.
Ned was a battle proven knight. Thousands witnessed his feats in war. People are confusing swordsmanship with being a battle hardened knight. Jaime in a sword battle without armour would beat Ned but the armour in an open war the match up changes. Robert was also proven in this fashion.
#7 YES! God I love Garlan (plus, from the limited scenes he has gotten in the books, it seems like he's a decent guy as well)
Hear me out, Barristan and Arthur Dayne are battletested against men. Jon Snow defeated two white walkers who had super human strength. He has the best resume.
Nice video the fandome can't wait for what you do next. Bonus points for the dig at Cersei there calling her an arrogant egotistical entitled brat is the most accurate description I have ever seen. 🤣
We've heard there's some pretty crappy commanders and also some great warriors across the sea................... Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching! P.S- I fucking hate Cersei😂 Liam
Jamie's monologue about Selmy while he was captured by Robb was one of my fav moments of the show.
To be fair about Bobby B as a strategist losing one battle...
Jt was to Randyl goddamn Tarly. Bobby's biggest strength was as a fighter, Tywins biggest strength was being politically unstoppable, and Randyls biggest strength was commanding an army. Randyl was a tactical GENIUS. I am confident that if Randyl was at the battle of the ruby fjord the loyalists would have won.
Finally! Someone actually mentions how OP Robert's weapon choice is! Seriously hammers were and axes were definitely the best weapons overall to use is a medieval setting. Armor is not soft and you can't just poke through it. If you could nobody would wear it. Hammers and axes just straight up use kinetic energy to bulldoze right through your defenses. Great vid😊
Valyrian steel can cut through plate no? So could dawn yes? Neither ever dull correct?
Thanks. I enjoyed the video. I'm not going to argue too much, I just want to stick up for Arthur Dayne a little. As a Martial Artist/fighter myself, I appreciate that you discuss battlefield tactics & realities of combat. I'm not in any way denying the good points about Robert & his hammer. I would like to point out that Myamoto Musashi (as well as other great warriors in history) talked/wrote quite a bit about the advantages of dual-wielding. (And I don't just mean the ability to pull out your dagger in combat for a close range strike). Arthur seems to have an extreme proficiency in this department which I think makes him even more dangerous & efficient. Also, when people talk about Dawn, they usually talk about it's quality as a blade & the unique metal it was made from. Although, it's also important to remember that unlike many Valyrian swords, Dawn was not passed down. You had to EARN Dawn & be worthy to wield it. (I know you already know this, but I feel it's worth mentioning). Again, I Love the video & I'm not trying to change anything, I just wanted to voice those other points about The Sword of The Morning.
This is the best list I’ve seen and to be honest I agree on nearly everything. Except that I think that the giant like lord of Robbs army wasn’t put above the mountain. But I understand why because we never saw him fight
Ah Greatjon! Yeah that dude is a unit and you could in all reality put him in The Mountains place. But without enough fights and feats behind him, we'd have opened our selfs up to "You've got nothing to base that on" comments. Thanks for the kind words and thank you for watching! Liam
Did i miss the explanation for what the timeframes for qualification are?
Young Robert but old Barristan?
Basically we wanted to celebrate all the fighters from the ASOIAF era (which we see as covering RR up to the end of the show and the latest book) We used old Barristan because he's still a complete badass even as an old man, but used Young Robert because older Robert is a fat drunken mess, but that doesn't mean his younger self should be discounted on a list like this and should get the credit he deserves as a fighter. Thanks for watching Johnathan! Liam
I think Jon Snow should have gotten a slot
@AdamRiley20 he was put in the worst commander’s list
Yeah he only killed like 30 guys at the battle of the bastards, white walkers ,beat the shit out of Ramsey , if it's life or death I wouldn't mind Jon on the list
@AdamRiley20I think Show Jon has a case certainly not Book Jon.
@@AstroSully Why not book Jon? Also, he can warg so like its permanently a 2v1 with Ghost isn't it? He doesn't even need to actively be warging with their connection, Ghost would just move in tandem no?
Jon snow had the best plot armor
Best list I’ve seen. Bobby B is an absolute savage
Nice list, thanks!
But it's kinda unfair imo, that you are considering everyone at their prime except Barristan (who was a one-man-army that ended conflicts singlehandidly)
(Also the Greatjon bullies the hell out of the lower fighters on this list)
Yeah, like how does Robert Baratheon just suddenly get to be his best version?
Everyone else needed a chance. Putting Prime Barristan into the mix is a bit like putting Anakin in a room with younglings 😂 Thanks for watching! Liam
Do we have any evidence that the Greatjon would bully the Mountain in a fight? Or those above him?
The point around weaponry is so underrated. It’s no wonder so many “great” warriors lived so long when none of them used weapons that actually might kill each other
Just love Liam's voice
Why thanks Josh 😊 I have had many compliments on my voice, "Like a male banshee" which I think means my voice is very melodic and "like sandpaper for the ear" which I'm assuming means I sound rough and manly 😂 Thanks for tuning in! Liam
He does have a very distinctive voice.
Makes you wonder what was written on those four pages about Ser Duncan in the Kingsguard Book of Brothers. Most of what we know puts him at above average combat skill, beastial strength, with a Cat's luck, but their is still a lot we don't know.
Bruh…. Gorge R.R. Martin himself said the best two in all (his world that he created) are Barristan Selmy and Arthur Dayne. And Arthur Dayne being better than Barristan if he uses the sword of the morning.
Swordsman**
Those are the 2 best swordsman, Robert would bash in both with the warhammer though.
"Yet-to-be-humbled Jaime Lanister" is a funny line. Being humbled is the theme of his story.
1 arthur dayne
2 barristan selmy
3 jaime lannister
4 robert baratheon
5 aemon dragon knight
6 daemon blackfyre
7 sandoq the shadow
8 sandor cleygane
9 oberyn martel
9-10 gwayne corbray
10 gregor cleygane
@@dflctrq8881 i would put criston cole at a similar level as the hound
Nice list good to see someone talking about the historical badasses. There's some other I would have on that list instead but with the ones you've got I'd put Sandoq higher probably number 3 after Selmy and Dayne, and Daemon Blackfyre at number 4. Gwayne Corbray higher too, he must have been nearly equal to Daemon to fight him for so long.
Gotta be your best video yet! I wonder if the video we’re going to make can top it 👀.
Hey Star Wars Danger! (Subscribe to this guys channel its great) we've heard there's some pretty cool fighters across the sea and beyond the wall ;)
@@TheFandomeClips Thank you, but I’m referring to a certain Star Wars video Liam and I have talked about.👀
Almost first x3 love your videos guys
The whole "prep time" for Oberyn Martell makes him sound like Batman.
Im backing that list with the set conditions. Good job.
Thanks Alfred! Liam
I’m love that you used Reacher footage for Bobby B
Been watching Reacher lately and the man's an absolute unit, perfect for some bobby b - roll ! - Thom
Lyanna mormont must be on the list,she's the only one who fought an undead giant and won!give her highnesses her flowers she deserves it.
Cringe
@@paulcervantes528 yeah,she's the baddest MF in GoT.
Plot armor and screaming is outmatched only by arya.
Why's bobby get put back to being in his prime when you don't do that for barristan?
Are you and Robert related 😂 lol. All jokes aside. He always gets too many favorable considerations. The way you described it, he and the mountain both had very similar points and advantages, like eeriely similar, yet they were separated at opposite ends of the list, because of a hammer. Sir Arthur Dayne is rolling over in his grave haha. great vid, love your topics.
Difference is mountain is probably only slightly above average in skill and only gets so high because of his size and strength. Robert has had statements talking about his actual skill as well. Robert defeated Rhagar in single combat, who was at least top 10 if not top 5 of his time behind likely only Robert, Jamie, Selmy and Dayne, meanwhile the mountain hasn’t fought anyone notable other then Sandor in the first book, who seemed to handle him without too much trouble, and obviously the Viper, who he definitely lost too and only killed him because of Obyrn desperately trying to get a confession before he died of his mortal wounds. While I do agree giving Robert number 1 is debatable, especially as we don’t see him in his prime, what we do have places him considerably above the mountain.
haha No i just think the big man deserves some credit (the current bobby love is also a bit of an inside joke between me and Thom, I've been winding him up about it for a while now, it has had its day though and we're going to veer away from it a little in future vids) . Trust me a hammer vs a sword is a ridiculously unfair match up if you've got the sword and both of you are rocking armour. The sword has to find extremely small and specific targets to even so much as hurt the opponent, whereas the hammer can hit literally anywhere on the body and it will do damage, regardless of armour. Bobbys hammer as depicted would break the bones of even the mountain with every hit, its that monstrous. The Top 5 are all comparable anyway we only gave Robert #1 because he seemed to have more common sense than the others when it came to weapons. Finlay has also made some good points in his comment that I won't repeat. thanks for watching as always man! Liam
@@TheFandomeClips Before veering away, Who do you all think is the best female fighter in GOT?
@@finlayames6216 I don't think Rhaegar is really that elite of a fighter. He was certainly good but I think the only word of him being truly elite was from Viserys who like 5 when Rhaegar died and is shown to be totally delusional about his family. I do agree though that Robert is far more skilled than Gregor.
Bobby B swinging his hammer that Ned could struggle to swing two handed lol
Great Jon not detected, opinion rejected.
I see you're a man of culture
I know only myyyyy queeeeeen
@@nipurnbandi9114The Greatjon, not Jon Snow
@@dutch148 if jon isn’t here, that’s a good top
@@Biloute11 I am talking about Greatjon Umber, not the bastard of Winterfell.
I've never read a book or watch the show but this was entertaining I'm subscribing
Yeah, that's crap. Dane was killed in combat by 7 opponents and You hold that against him? Guess what was the fat man killed by. Nah, Rob's going down with his hammer against Your top 5. Rhaegar who was a hobby swordsman wounded him to the point he was barely saved. Besides, you're being inconsistent making a list about best overall combatant and then giving only Robert permission to use a warhammer. I bet any of those skilled warriors could use similar weapon to kill him or were skilled enough with a longsword to put the manbearpig down cutting his plate's weak points and avoiding/blocking the hammer - yes You can block the strikes of a stronger man if You're quick enough and catch his weapon in unfavourable positions. Also why take Robert young and not Selmy? The books are clear Arthur, Barristan and Jaime are the best warriors in westeros and it's not particularily close to the rest.
I agree Robert is somewhat overrated and shouldn't be number 1, but it's not like killing Rhaegar is his only thing. And the battle of the bells he killed a bunch of soldiers with a sword, which wasn't even his preferred weapon, and despite being already wounded before the battle started. He was a monster
@@anatoldenevers237 that's fair. He sure is a monster in his youth, we know that much. Still i just can't believe him being on Dayne, Selmy or Jaime's level. Not with how Martin describes them and their prowess.
@@AJb248 He probably wasn't quite as good as them(Dayne and Selmy are both top 3 all time), but certainly I think would have been the best around aside from them during his prime. Hard to know exactly of course
@@AJb248Robert would defeat Jaime for sure !! I don’t get the jaime Hype 😂 he is so overhype
My only complaint is that we're talking about prime Robert and not prime Barristan
Robert is fully tested in war whereas Ser Barristan is not.
It's very good you mentioned in the throne room where the Hound puts his hand on his sword but not drawing it. And even the Hound wasn't laughing or anything.
One thought I’ve always had about the Bron vs The mountain debate is that Bron comes up with the exact same strategy(dance around him tire him out before striking) as Oberyn but stresses the importance of never getting distracted even for a second because of Gregor’s obvious freak physical factor. Maybe if he thought to use poisoned weaponry he would’ve stepped in for Tyrion lest it be forgotten he was willing to run it with the hound during the battle of blackwater so who knows.
I honestly think Barristan, Arthur, Robert, and Jaime are all roughly equal and it depends on the circumstance and they each have their own drawbacks and strong suits.
This is absolutely spot on. We're actually going to do a video about this very thing and how styles make fights in a grounded verse like Thrones! Thanks for watching! Liam
Bro how can you make content about Game of Thrones for years now it's amazing you are not bored yet
And you didn't mention John snow ?? Like really he killed the leader of thenn, a white Walker, Ramsey Bolton and many more in single combat and have been in many fights like battle of bastard ect he totally deserves to be on this list
What's the movie/show you used for clips in the Bobby B section?
mark of chaos cinematic trailer
@@mosikprosik Thanks!
Barristan the Bold > everyone else
Untrained civvies with knifes > Barristan the Bold
Well that was a quick ending. Discussion over, comments section closed.
G.R.R Martin said himself that Arthur Dayne was the greatest swordsman who ever lived though, so nah😬
@@DingoAteMyMailGive Barristan Dawn and let’s see who’s better. Barristan did 10X more feat than Arthur with a regular sword and even his bare hands 😂
@@AstroSullymartin said they're equal unless arthur wields dawn so case closed
Why did you grade Robert based on his prime but graded Selmy based on his late age?
George Martin has already said in an interview that Arthur Dayne is the best fighter who has ever lived in Westeros, checkmate, nothing more to discuss.
One thing that i think is fun to think of (even if its just in the show) is that Bronn didn't outright refuse the idea that he could beat the mountain, he just stated the uncertainty isn't worth risking his life for.
Wait, so youre not willing to consider Barriston Selmy when he was young, but your number one is Robert when he was young???? i call bias.
Your wrong. Just kidding lol. Solid list and y’all have some good knowledge. I found myself saying. That low? Then realized I just can’t everyone in the top three which is obv not realistic lol good video
Not sure why you used robert in his prime but not baristan? So would you rate baristan above robert and Dayne in his prime?
If Bobby B gets points for using a hammer, the Mountains hude broad sword probably has the same effect if not dodged or properly parried and so should get points as well?
Another thing about Bobby B is that he killed Rhaegar in full plate with a blow to the CHEST, not the head or another vital spot. That's the spot where the armor and padding are the thickest, so he could literally get you with his worst shot and still end you
i like this list, very much, Bobby B is the man