Summary

• Swordfighting is a crucial element in Game of Thrones, often leading to shocking deaths and settling disputes in court.
• The debate on the best swordfighter is intense with legendary characters like Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth in consideration.
• Characters like Bronn, Mance Rayder, and Arya Stark showcase unique skillsets and demonstrate proficiency with a blade.

The debate around the best swordsman in Game of Thrones (or, in the case of many of the best and most deadly characters, swordswoman) is still ongoing despite the series concluding several years ago. Swordfighting became a staple of Game of Thrones throughout it's run. It’s how characters settle disputes, even official trials in a court of law. It was also the buildup to some of the most shocking deaths on the show too, with many of its most brutal moments being when one character beat another with a blade.

What makes the debate around the most skilled swordfighter in Game of Thrones so intense is that many characters have an almost legendary proficiency with their weapons, with more than one gaining a reputation throughout Westeros for just how deadly they are with a blade. Whether it's the Kingslayer Jaime Lannister or the bias-defying Brienne of Tarth, there are multiple contenders for whom the best character with a sword in Game of Thrones actually is — though one clearly stands out as being the most technically proficient (even if their presence in the show was minimal).

20 Bronn

Played By Jerome Flynn

Bronn is far from the best fighter in the Seven Kingdoms, but he is certainly one of the most reliable and consistent warriors on the show. Perhaps Bronn's best moment came when he fought as Tyrion's champion in the Eyrie, winning the Lannister's freedom in the process. The fight as Tyrion's champion showed that Bronn, while not being the most skilled swordsmen, is one of the cleverest and is more than able to use his environment to win a fight.

While he's not the most proficient swordfighter in Game of Thrones, he is still one of the best, and this is partly why he manages to survive the brutal events of the series despite being in the midst of most of them.

Bronn is an easy opponent for his foes to underestimate, especially highborns who think little of him due to his status. However, the fact that Bronn is a successful sellsword is of itself testament to his skills with a blade. While he's not the most proficient swordfighter in Game of Thrones, he is still one of the best, and this is partly why he manages to survive the brutal events of the series despite being in the midst of most of them.

19 Brynden "The Blackfish” Tully

Played By Clive Russell

Many of the best Game of Thrones swordsmen aren't main characters in the series, and this fact is perhaps evident in none more so than Brynden Tully, also known as The Blackfish. The Blackfish may be one of the most underrated characters in Game of Thrones. The uncle of Catelyn Stark and Edmure Tully, Brynden gained a reputation for being a fearsome warrior and skilled commander during his time fighting during the War of the Ninepenny Kings.

Blackfish would gain his name after refusing to marry a girl from House Redwyne, much to the disappointment and anger of his brother, Hoster Tully. A legendary warrior from a time that's all-but-gone-by at the point Game of Thrones starts, Brynden Tully was also well known for his skills as a tactician and commander as well as his abilities with a blade.

18 Loras Tyrell

Played By Finn Jones

Loras Tyrell's reputation was played down slightly for the Game of Thrones TV series, but like many of the most skilles swordsmen in Westeros, the books detail just how deadly he can be with a blade. In the books, Loras Tyrell is compared to Jaime Lannister, with Jaime himself even suggesting that Loras reminds him of himself. Additionally, Loras Tyrell ed the Kingsguard after being a member of Renly Baratheon's Rainbow Knights.

A Lannister guardsman is heard proclaiming that Loras is a better swordsman in his estimation than bother Jaime Lannister and The Mountain.

One doesn't just the Kingsguard on a whim, it is a high honor that requires a high level of skill and there's no denying that Loras Tyrell is one of the best fighters in the Seven Kingdoms. Also known as the Knight of Flowers, Loras's skills in combat don't just extend to swords, either. He bested Jaime in a jousting tournament despite Jaime being the clear favorite to win. Moreover, in a season 2 episode, a Lannister guardsman is heard proclaiming that Loras is a better swordsman in his estimation than bother Jaime Lannister and The Mountain.

17 Ser Harrold Westerling

Played By Graham McTavish

Being a member of the Kingsguard is always a sign that a Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon character will be incredibly skilled with a sword, and being promoted to Lord Commander doubly so. This is definitely the case for Ser Harrold Westerling, who becomes the Lord Commander in HotD season 1 following the death of Ser Ryam Redwyne. A knight of House Westerling, King Viserys trusted Ser Harrold with the life of both himself and his family, and at various points, Ser Harrold shows he's more than capable when it comes to his duties.

Unfortunately, the Game of Thrones prequel hasn't yet given Ser Harrold many opportunities to fully display his skill with a blade for viewers. His reputation and the way he's spoken of by other characters (along with, of course, his rank) solidifies that he's a more-than-capable swordsman. Until he's had a bit more screentime putting these skills on display, however, it's difficult to see exactly where he'd rank against some of the proven best fighters in Game of Thrones.

16 Jon Snow

Played By Kit Harrington

The combination of being raised at Winterfell with the Starks, his Targaryen heritage, and the harsh conditioning of life with the Nights Watch, it's no surprise at all that Jon Snow is close to being the best swordsman in Game of Thrones. However, despite being perhaps the closest thing Game of Thrones has to the "hero" in the show, he's still not the most skilled with a blade. Jon is bested several times throughout the show's run, and even dies at one point. However, this is more a testament to the skills of his opponents than it is any fault of his own.

Among the men of the Night's Watch, it's likely that few can match Jon Snow's skill with a weapon, and the same is likely true throughout most of Westeros. However, given that Jon is a ranger and not a knight, he has a much broader skillset than some of the other swordfighters of renown on the show, who often tend to focus purely on their skills with a blade at the expense of everything else.

15 Mance Rayder

Played By Ciaran Hinds

Mance Rayder is one of several characters whose role was greatly reduced in the Game of Thrones TV series, but even with the diminished presence in the plot, it was clear that he was incredibly skilled with a blade. While his storyline in the books is similar to the show, in the books Mance isn't burned alive by Melisandre. A glamoured Rattleshirt is burned in his place, with Mance Rayder heading to Winterfell under the name of Abel.

Given the might-makes-right culture of the Wildlings, it's almost a given that Mance Rayder was a fierce warrior, as they simply wouldn't have accepted an outsider as their leader if he wasn't lethal with a blade.

As King Beyond the Wall and a former member of the Night's Watch, there's no denying that Rayder was a strong fighter. In fact, he even defeated Jon Snow in a duel with relative ease. Given the might-makes-right culture of the Wildlings, it's almost a given that Mance Rayder was a fierce warrior, as they simply wouldn't have accepted an outsider as their leader if he wasn't lethal with a blade (and it's entirely likely that if Rayder had been anything other than deadly, he wouldn't have lasted long among them at all, much less lived long enough to become the King-Beyond-The-Wall).

14 Rhaegar Targaryen

Played By Wilf Scolding

Rhaegar Targaryen was known for having a general disdain for violence and combat. He preferred his books and his harp, was actually pretty melancholic and didn’t much like the idea of fighting — and yet, he was known to be an amazing knight anyway, and the only reason Robert Baratheon bested Rhaegar in combat when dueling him was because he was wielding his hammer, not a sword.

Despite the fact he’d rather have been known for something other than sword fighting, Rhaegar Targaryen was a swordfighter of renown with a reputation for his skills with a blade that preceded him in Westeros. Unfortunately for Rhaegar, his reputation for both was overshadowed by the fact that by the time he died his father had become The Mad King. This was especially tragic given that, for his part, Rhaegar was known to be disgusted by his father's actions.

13 Qhorin Halfhand

Played By Simon Armstrong

A lesser known character in the show who is still undoubtedly one of the best swordfighters in Westeros, Qhorin Halfhand didn’t really get the treatment he deserved on the Game of Thrones TV series. In the Game of Thrones novels, the Halfhand was one of the most feared Rangers of the Night’s Watch, with a reputation for being one of the best fighters in the land, and was considered a living legend up until he ordered Jon Snow to kill him.

Since most fighters in Westeros are right-handed, they're also trained to block attacks coming from a right-handed opponent.

The Halfhand gets his name from the fact that he lost most of the fingers on his right hand to a Wildling axe. However, Qhorin Halfhand taught himself to fight with his left hand. This gave him a distinct advantage in more ways than one. Since most fighters in Westeros are right-handed, they're also trained to block attacks coming from a right-handed opponent. By using his left, but still trained at blocking attacks from his opponents right, Qhorin enters almost every confrontation on the upper hand, forcing his opponents to think and consider their movements much more than he does.

12 Ser Harwin Strong

Played By Ryan Corr

The fact that his nickname is Breakbones is already a sign that Ser Harwin Strong is considered an incredibly dangerous character in House of the Dragon. Much like GoT's The Hound and The Mountain, Ser Harwin is a swordfighter who relies more on his brute strength than he does on his technique or expertise with a blade, though this doesn't serve to make him at all ineffective. Ser Harwin is still incredibly skilled in his own right, but as (supposedly) the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms, he simply doesn't have to rely on his knowledge all that much with most foes.

Ser Harwin was the commander of the City Watch of King's Landing in HotD, a position not quite as prestigious as the Kingsguard, but still one that would only ever go to an incredibly adept and skilled swordsman. While Ser Harwin ultimately wouldn't be that long-lived in the show, and viewers perhaps didn't get to see him in as many combat situations as some other characters, it was never in doubt that he ranked among the best fighters in the Game of Thrones spinoff.

11 Syrio Forel

Played By Miltos Yerolemou

A man from Braavos, Syrio was specifically hired by Ned Stark to train Arya Stark, and it’s safe to say that —as House Stark is a great house and Ned was Hand of the King — Syrio was the absolute best money could buy. Syrio doesn't appear much in Game of Thrones, and died in season 1 at the hands of Ser Meryn Trant, but it was proven pretty quickly that he was an amazing sword fighter and that Arya was learning from the best. His skills are evidenced in his various lessons with Arya, but it's in his final moments that his true skill becomes apparent.

Armed only with a wooden sword and his wits, Syrio was able to defeat an entire squad of Lanniest guards, immobilizing all of them with relatively little difficulty. It's highly unlikely that Meryn Trant could have killed him had Syrio been equipped with a proper weapon instead of a wooden sword, too. What makes Syrio Forel particularly interesting among the most skilled swordfighters on Game of Thrones is his use of fencing weapons and focus on footwork, a distinct difference between the straightsword wielding knights and warriors that make up most of the rest of the characters.