The Definitive GVN Ranking of the Top 20 Fighters in Game of Thrones

Throughout the past couple of weeks I’ve seen a lot of other blogs and websites posting what they believe is the top 20 fighters in Game of Thrones. However, they’re wrong. The more I read these posts, the more I see that there is no right answer, nobody has a right answer because it’s an opinion question. And I have an opinion on the matter, because I love Thrones and of course, I think I know who the top 20 fighters are. This list began with 30 names, and then dwindled to 25, then down to 20, and then put in the proper order. Honestly, this was harder than I thought it would be, and required the help of some fellow Thrones lovers, but here we are. Now, before we begin, I must say that there are some notable names missing. Yara Greyjoy, Ned Stark, The Night King, The Blackfish, and Robb Stark are just some of the names not featured. One reason is because I strictly stuck with how the characters fought on screen only, no legends or stories. So without further waiting, let’s begin with number 20…

20. Ramsay Bolton

Son of Roose Bolton, Ramsay is the other bastard in the Battle of the Bastards. He is best known for his torture of Theon Greyjoy and Sansa Stark, but he’s also a superb fighter, and an excellent general. Yes, he’s probably one of the most hated characters on the show, but this article isn’t about how well liked the characters are (that’ll come later). The big reason Ramsay lands on this list is when Yara and company attempt to rescue Theon, and how Ramsay is able to slash his way through the Greyjoy soldiers. Ramsay showed right there that he isn’t all bark, no bite, and that’s why he’s number 20.

19. Stannis Baratheon

Ole Stanny boy. What a guy he is. The brother of King Robert and Renly, and defender of Dragonstone, Stannis is a warrior. He’s described as a stern, no nonsense general, who loves nothing more than a good fight. We see then when Stannis storms King’s Landing in an attempt to take the throne. He’s not the typical leader that might stand in the back either. No, Stannis leads the charge on the beaches of Blackwater Bay and holds his own; he would’ve won if Tywin and the Tyrell army hadn’t come to save the day. Stannis also invades the Wildling army in season 4, saving Jon and the Night’s Watch, and while he may not be shown leading the pack, he does command the troops, and orders Mance Rayder to be burned alive. While he may not be the best person, Stannis is a fighter, and a damn good one too.

18. Euron Greyjoy

Euron is a punk. And that’s putting it nicely. However, he is a very skilled fighter. We see that all through seasons 6 and 7 as he is taking the Iron Island as his own and fighting Yara and Theon. He kills his brother Balon Greyjoy as well, just for good measure. It’s no wonder why Euron is one of the main people Cersei wants on her side going into season 8. The man is an excellent swordsman, and an even better naval commander. His navy, and primary ship “The Silence” is of legendary skill. We see that his best work his done on the water, instead of land, since he knows the water better than anyone else on the show. He even defeats Yara, again, and captures Ellaria and Tyene Sand, delivering a big blow to Daenerys’ forces in her war against Cersei.

17. Syrio Forel

The First Sword of Braavos, Syrio is hired by Ned Stark to help train Arya Stark to become a swordsman. While he doesn’t live long, Syrio’s impact is lasts very long on the show, appearing often in the way Arya fights. While his skill is of legend, we only see him wielding a wooden training sword, but boy does he wield it well. We see in his trainings with Arya how smooth he is with his footwork and how versed he is in the Water Dance style of sword fighting. When Ned is captured and the Lannister troops come looking for Arya, it’s Syrio who holds them off, with his wooden sword, while Arya escapes. Granted, this is when Syrio meets his fate, but it’s not a stretch to assume that if Syrio had an actual sword, he would’ve killed those Lannister troops rather easily.

16. Beric Dondarrion

Beric Dondarrion is a complicated character to put on this list, mainly because he’s been defeated and died…6 times. However, Dondarrion is a heck of a fighter nonetheless, as we see mainly in season 7. He loses a trial by combat to the Hound in season, after returning to the show with the Brotherhood Without Banners, but Thoros of Myr brings him back to life. Beric is on his 7th and final life, but he seems to be making the most of by going North and helping Jon fight the White Walkers and the Army of the Dead. We see Beric kick some major ass in season 7 episode 6, and arguably the coolest part about Dondarrion, he uses his fire sword to do it, proving to be pretty valuable.

15. Ygritte

The first girl on this list, Ygritte is easily the best shot in all of Westeros or Essos. The Free Folk archer falls in love with Jon Snow, after being captured by him, and ultimately is able to con her way into escaping him, which adds to her skills in the show. Later on, after Snow abandons her, she puts 3 arrows through his chest, but not in lethal areas because she doesn’t want to kill him. Then we see how badass Ygritte really is when the Free Folk storm Castle Black and she unleashes arrows on the Night’s Watch, even killing Pypar; however, her love for Jon is her doom as she sees him and freezes, then gets shot by Olly and dies in Jon’s arms.

14. Ser Barristan Selmy

Now, I’ll admit that Ser Barristan should maybe be higher up on this list; HOWEVER, peak Selmy skills aren’t shown on screen, and I’m basing this solely on their on screen fighting. That being said, Ser Barristan is still pretty damn badass. He’s the commander of the Kingsguard when we first meet him, so he must be pretty good at fighting, and then he leaves to join Daenerys’ army and instantly becomes one of her most loyal and trusted advisers. We really see Ser Barristan’s skills put to use in season 5 with the whole Sons of the Harpy storyline though. It’s here where he, along with Grey Worm and Daario Naharis, really get to showcase their skills; however, it’s also here where we bid Ser Barristan farewell as he is overrun by the Sons of the Harpy and dies in combat. He’s still revered as a great warrior and easily deserves a spot on this list.

13. Jorah Mormont

My guy Jorah has been through it all with Dany. And through it all, he’s shown some major skills in combat, and in his will. Originally knighted by Robert Baratheon, Jorah’s skills are of legend; however, the difference between Jorah and Ser Barristan is that we actually see a lot of Jorah’s skills on display. Whether it be fighting Dothraki riders who want to kill Daenerys, fighting for Daenerys in the fighting pits, or holding off White Walkers, Jorah does it all, and is really good at it. We also see that Jorah has a certain will to live that many other people do not posses. After he is kicked out of Daenerys’ service, he captures Tyrion Lannister and returns to fight in the fighting pits of Mereen, where he wins rather easily. However, on the trip back, Jorah contracts the deadly Greyscale disease; but instead of fleeing or killing himself, he pushes on for Daenerys. He’s the one responsible for saving her from the Sons of the Harpy, and even while exiled to the Citadel, we see his will to live by letting Samwell Tarley perform a procedure that had only been done a few times successfully on him. Jorah then returns and goes with Jon and company to kick some White Walker ass, which he does using the two dragonglass knives.

12. Daario Naharis

A lieutenant of the Second Sons, and current Regent of Slaver’s Bay for Daenerys, Daario Naharis is one of the most skilled fighters in Game of Thrones. Using a multitude of different styles and weapons, Daario’s quickness is one of the things that makes him so hard to kill. We see it in Astapor, when he goes one on one with the armored rider, while wearing no armor, and having just one throwing knife and his sword. We learn from his backstory that he was involved in the fighting pits, where he rose to great fame, and ultimately was so good, that he was awarded his freedom; however, we’re not using that information because it’s not shown on screen. What is shown on screen is his brash, somewhat arrogant behavior, and his sword that backs up that attitude. He, Jorah, and Grey Worm single handily capture Yunkai for Daenerys, he kills both of his higher officers in the Second Sons for Daenerys, and he, along with Jorah, defend Daenerys from the Sons of the Harpy, despite being severely out numbered. Currently, Daario is overseeing the Bay of Dragons for Daenerys, as she has entrusted him to keep the peace there.

Now we’re getting to the knitty gritty of the list. Pretty much everyone from here on out could be argued to best the best fighter on the show; however, there can only be one winner.

11. Tormund Giantsbane

Tormund is about as badass as they come. A savage is the easiest way to describe him. While people like Jorah and Ser Barristan have a fighting style, Tormund doesn’t…he just kills and kills and kills. And he’s damn good at it. If you look closely during the Battle of the Bastards, you can see Tormund just ripping Bolton soldiers to shred with his bare hands. He’s a machine. He’s also really good with swords, knives, and axes, as we see when the Wildlings invade Castle Black and he takes down a chunk of the Night’s Watch. We see his rage and aggression at Hardhome when he bets the Lord of Bones to death with his own staff for insulting him and Jon Snow. Tormund is easily the best Wildling fighter, but he could also make a case as one of the best fighters in the show period.

10. Grey Worm

The chose leader of the most feared army in the world, the Unsullied, Grey Worm proves that he’s much more than just another soldier time and time again. He shows his military prowess in suggesting ideas of attack against the Sons of the Harpy to Dany. But let’s not beat around the bush here, Grey Worm is a NBK…natural born killer. He’s got moves. Every strike he takes has a purpose, you see that especially when he, Jorah, and Daario take Yunkai. He leads the charge against the Sons of the Harpy, and though he gets harmed, he takes out a good amount of their soldiers too. Like Euron Greyjoy did for Cersei, Grey Worm gives Daenerys a big win in her war against Cersei, when he takes Casterly Rock. Grey Worm is a quiet man, but he’s a killer, and he’s good at it.

9. Brienne of Tarth

Brienne is an excellent, excellent fighter. She easily takes down Ser Loras Tyrell in her very first episode of the show. Later on, she defeats Jaime Lannister in sword to sword combat, even though Jaime is depleted and nowhere near his healthy self. Brienne then goes on to fight off a good amount of Bolton soldiers with just her hands and feet. And she clearly lasts a good distance with the bear before Jaime arrives to rescue her. But easily, Brienne’s crowning moment is her fight with the Hound. A brutal, knockdown, drag out, brawl between the two ensues when Brienne sees that the Hound has Arya Stark. Brienne is able to absorb the Hound’s punches and kicks, and dishes them out just as hard, ultimately knocking the Hound down the hill, effectively defeating him. She fights with a knight’s style, but is much more aggressive and swings with all her might. She ultimately kills Stannis Baratheon, and steals Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy from Ramsay Bolton in a rescue mission.  Brienne is a warrior, she deserves to be in the top 10.

8. Arya Stark

Arya may not be the best fighter in Game of Thrones, but she’s easily the best assassin. A follower of the Many Faced God, Arya has gone from wanting to be a knight to becoming one of the most feared and unpredictable characters on the show. She’s ruthless, starting from an early age, after witnessing her father being beheaded. It’s in King’s Landing where Arya is trained by Syrio Forel in the ways of the Water Dance sword fighting style, then afterwards is taken by Yoren to the Wall; however, before they arrive, Arya is captured by Lannisters and taken to to Harrenhall where she serves as Tywin Lannister’s cup bearer. After joining with the Hound, Arya really becomes the ruthless killer she is, learning from the Hound. To complete her training, she travel to Braavos where she is trained in the ways of the Many Faced God, leaves, and continues exacting revenge on the people who have wronged her by destroying the whole Frey household. We see jsut how talented Arya is when she is sparring with Brienne and actually beats her, and how ruthless she is when she slices Littlefinger’s throat mid-sentence. The best assassin in the Great Game, Arya is also an excellent fighter.

7. The Mountain

Gregor Clegane is a big, bad, killing machine. Nobody takes more delight in ending lives than The Mountain. It’s almost like every scene he is in, someone is dying by his sword, or his hands. The Mountain is just a mean guy. He takes vicious, strong hacks with his sword, overpowering anyone who would dare oppose him. His only weakness is his speed, as he’s so big it’s hard for him to move around effectively. However, he easily makes up for it in strength. He’s no doubt the strongest character on the show, by a large margin, and he seems to be harder to kill than one would think…just ask Oberyn Martell.

6. Oberyn Martell

Speaking of Oberyn, he comes in at number 6. The Red Viper is a vengeful character with his eyes set on destroying the Lannister house for the crimes they committed against his family. Oberyn is as skilled a fighter as any on the show, using his quickness to his advantage. Oberyn is well versed in the work of poisons, which is something he uses to his advantage whenever he fights, coating his spear in poison before squaring off with the Mountain. Oberyn won that fight, very clearly. However, it was Oberyn’s passion and thrist for revenge that gave the Mountain the ability to crush Oberyn’s face in and kill him. Oberyn was an excellent warrior though, and does deserve a top 10 spot.

5. Ser Jaime Lannister

This was another extremely hard one to place. But once again, going with just on screen action, Ser Jaime is a cut above the rest…even with one real hand. He killed the Mad King and saved the Realm, that gets you bonus points. He also took down the majority of Ned Stark’s bannermen in King’s Landing, and was prepared to take down Ned himself. However, Jaime loses…a lot. He loses a battle against Robb Stark and is captured, then he loses to Brienne of Tarth, and gets captured, then he loses his sword hand. However, Jaime learns from Bronn and successfully takes down a few Dornish soldiers, even showing that his gold hand can come in handy as he blocks a sword with it. Jaime transitions from on the ground soldier to overseeing commander in season 6 and we see just how useful he is as he overtakes Riverrun and the Riverlands. He then sacks Highgarden, ending House Tyrell, and delivering another blow to Daenerys’ forces in her war against Cersei. Jaime was once one of the greatest soldiers ever, but we don’t get to see that Jaime. The Jaime that gets this spot is the wiser Jaime that knows what the opponent will do before the opponent does.

4. Bronn 

Ser Bronn of the Blackwater. The greatest salesword in the history of saleswords. Bronn has no honor, fights with no honor, and normally wins. We see it in the Eyrie, where he kills Ser Vardis Egen and saves Tyrion’s life. We see it in the Battle of Blackwater Bay, where he uses his marksmanship to ignite the wildfire that puts a large dent in Stannis Baratheon’s fleet. Even after arguing with The Hound before the battle, Bronn arrives back on shore just in time to save the Hound with yet another expertly shot arrow. His contributions to the battle earned him the title “Ser Bronn of the Blackwater.” Bronn even trains Jaime Lannister later on, after Jaime loses his hand. Whereas other fighters use speed or strength to their advantage, Bronn uses both. He’s quicker than most, smarter than you’d think, and stronger than he appears. He really has all the assets to be the best fighter in the show, and that’s not even mentioning his daring, and successful, attempt to harm Drogon in season 7. It’s easy to make an argument for Bronn to be number 1 on this list, but I’ve got him at a very respectable 4.

3. Khal Drogo

It would be a crime to NOT have Khal Drogo on this list. Besides introducing the world to the gift that is Jason Momoa, Khal Drogo also provides us with some of the greatest fighting skills seen on the show to date. He’s a savage, similar to Tormund, but incredibly stronger. The Dothraki are known for their fighting skills, and Drogo has never lost a battle, as we can see by his incredibly long braid. Using pure strength, elusive quickness, and precise strike, Khal Drogo takes down anyone who opposes him. However, his pride is his demise as he refuses treatment for a wound he received, that ultimately led to his death. While he wasn’t on the show for long, we got enough of Khal Drogo fighting to concur that he would be one of the best fighters in Game of Thrones history.

2. The Hound

Ah the Hound. He’s strong, he’s ruthless, he’s a killer, he’s vengeful, and he’s an amazing fighter. Whether it be fist fighting or sword fighting, Clegane is a cut above the rest. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Brienne beat the Hound in that fight in season 4.” And yes, you’re correct. BUT, the Hound already had a wound that slowed him down and weakened him from the start. He’s also proved in numerous battles that had he not been injured, he would’ve won that fight. Clegane’s obvious weakness is his fear of fire; however, season 7 showed that he may be on his way to overcoming that fear…maybe. The Hound has one mission on this show though, and that is to kill his brother, the Mountain. I think during #CleganeBowl we’ll see all the skills the Hound posses come to fruition and will genuinely see how good of a fighter he is.

And finally, the number 1 fighter in Game of Thrones is….Jon Snow.

The King in the North, the White Wolf, the Bastard, the Prince that was Promised, The Rightful Heir to the Iron Throne, Aegon Targaryen, whatever you want to call him, Jon Snow is far and away the best fighter in Game of Thrones history. He’s quick, he’s smooth, his shots are well targeted, he’s smart, he’s strong, and he’s resourceful. Jon really is the total package when it comes to fighting. Yes, he’s died; but it was a mutiny, and Jon really couldn’t defend himself as he was betrayed by the Night’s Watch. HOWEVER, he was brought back, which clearly shows his time wasn’t done, and he went on to become the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, and killing those who wronged him. There’s so many instances in which Jon showcases his skills (First of His Name, Watchers on the Wall, Hardhome, Beyond the Wall) but the obvious high-point of his skills is seen during the Battle of the Bastards. I mean, the guy literally takes on a whole freaking army by himself. Just go and watch that scene, it’s easily a top 5 Game of Thrones scene. And to go on and block all of Ramsay’s arrows like that and beat him within an inch of his life…peak Jon Snow right there. There are arguments for all of the fighters on this list, but I genuinely believe that if any of the previous 24 fighters went one on one with Jon, Jon would come out victorious.

So there you have it! It took almost 4 days to do, but we did it. Did I forget anyone? Do you disagree with the list? Let us know in the comments below!