Daemon Targaryen has earned his reputation the hard way, but House of the Dragon has also given us enough evidence to know that Dark Sister does not make him unbeatable. He slaughtered enemy soldiers during the Stepstones campaign on House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 3, while the Season 3 finale again had him cutting through Hightower troops at Tumbleton. Yet Ser Jon Roxton pushed Daemon dangerously close to defeat when Dark Sister met Orphan-Maker, with a collapsing building interrupting the duel just as Daemon appeared to be losing ground.
Take Caraxes out of the equation, then, and several Game of Thrones veterans become serious problems for the Rogue Prince. This ranking considers individual skill, battlefield experience, reputation, endurance, and what HBO actually put on screen. One technical note: Ned Stark was never formally knighted, despite fitting the warrior comparison requested here.
5. Ned Stark Could Make Daemon Earn It
Ned Stark rarely boasts about his swordsmanship, which makes his record easy to underestimate. On Game of Thrones Season 1 Episode 5, Barristan Selmy remembers watching Ned cut down “a dozen great knights,” while Ned later holds his own against Jaime Lannister until a Lannister soldier interferes and wounds him. Ned sits fifth because the show presents him as seasoned rather than transcendent. Daemon is faster, more aggressive, and carries Valyrian steel, so I would hardly call this comfortable.
Still, Ned survived Robert’s Rebellion and proved he could trade blows with prime Jaime. That is enough to give him a plausible chance against Daemon in a disciplined, grounded fight, even if the Rogue Prince would probably enter as the more naturally aggressive duelist.
4. Robert Baratheon Brought Frightening Force
Young Robert Baratheon was built for war, and his defining achievement leaves little room for modesty. At the Battle of the Trident, Robert killed Prince Rhaegar Targaryen with his warhammer despite being wounded himself. Daemon has technical finesse, but Robert offers a different nightmare. His strength and heavy weapon could punish one failed parry brutally, especially against an opponent accustomed to fighting with a sword. Robert ranks above Ned because he combined battlefield experience with the raw physicality needed to end elite opponents quickly.
3. Jaime Lannister Was Born For The Sword
Before losing his right hand, Jaime Lannister built his entire identity around being Westeros’ premier swordsman. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau himself discussed how losing that hand destroyed Jaime’s sense of self because he had viewed himself as the greatest swordsman (via Esquire). The Wolf and the Lion also lets us see enough of prime Jaime to understand the reputation. He trades blows evenly with Ned on screen and becomes furious when one of his own soldiers interrupts the duel (via Rotten Tomatoes). Daemon would have Dark Sister, but prime Jaime’s speed, confidence, and lifelong specialization with the sword give him the stronger case in a pure duel.
2. Arthur Dayne Nearly Beat An Entire Party
Arthur Dayne requires less speculation because Game of Thrones actually demonstrates the gulf between him and excellent fighters. During Bran’s Tower of Joy vision on Season 6 Episode 3, Dayne fights several of Ned’s men simultaneously, kills most of them, disarms Ned, and loses only after Howland Reed attacks him from behind. The Guardian described Ned as thoroughly outclassed and Dayne as the finest knight in the land. That performance exceeds anything Daemon has achieved on foot. Dayne’s ability to handle multiple attackers while wielding two swords makes him my pick to defeat Daemon decisively in a conventional duel.
1. Barristan Selmy Has The Complete Résumé
Arthur may have the flashier demonstration, but Barristan Selmy gets first place because his excellence survived decades of war, regime changes, and old age. Ned tells Barristan that Rickard Stark considered him the best fighter he had ever seen, while even an elderly Selmy remains lethal. On Season 5 Episode 4, Barristan enters the Sons of the Harpy ambush, kills several attackers, and continues fighting despite being badly outnumbered before suffering fatal wounds.
Arthur probably wins the argument for pure swordsmanship, but Barristan’s longevity, battlefield record, nerve, and demonstrated ability long past his prime give him my No. 1 spot. Daemon is an exceptional warrior, yet the Season 3 Roxton fight reminded me why reputation needs context. Against Barristan at his peak, I would put my gold dragons on the Bold. If this ranking considered swordsmanship alone, Dayne would have a strong claim to No. 1. Barristan takes the crown here because the criteria also reward battlefield experience, longevity, endurance, and proven effectiveness across multiple wars.
Would you still put Arthur Dayne above Barristan Selmy, or does Jaime Lannister deserve to crash the top two? Tell us your ranking below, and follow FandomWire for more Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon debates.
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