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| The Hound by Amok © |
Update (July 2026): (Since the conclusion of the television series, I have gone back and reworked all of the “Top Warriors of Westeros” posts. What began as a Top 10 has now expanded to a full Top 20 in light of the additional material and perspective we gained.
With George R.R. Martin’s remaining books still unwritten, these rankings remain a mix of book canon and informed speculation. The core arguments and personal opinions are unchanged, I’ve simply improved formatting, clarity, spelling, and flow so the series reads better and holds up as a proper archive piece.)
The overall Top 20 Greatest Warriors of the Westeros can be found here.
I'm now up to #8 on the list of Greatest Warriors of the Westeros and its getting tougher and tougher to rank them as I go. It's with some trepidation that I place this next warrior at #8. But, when you consider who is on the list at spots from #1-7 you'll see why Sandor Clegane is here. Its not that he is a "bad" warrior far from it, simply the list is getting tougher with those above him.
The Hound, or simply Dog as Joffrey refers to him is Sandor Clegane. Sandor is the younger brother of the Mountain that Rides. Has there ever been a family with such cool nicknames? The problem is that the Cleganes are far from a happy family. Sandor was burned horrifically by his older brother Gregor for playing with a unused toy of Gregor's. The result was that Sandor's face was burned, lost an ear and has no hair on the section of scalp where he was burned. With his innocence shattered Sandor grew to despise knights (which he has previously idolized) and harbor a great rage for his brother.
As a warrior, the Hound is one of the finest fighters in the current time frame of the Seven Kingdoms. His fearsome size and abilities make him an intimidating foe. He has no real fear other than fire—which, given the circumstances of his childhood, is entirely understandable.
Sandor distinguishes himself repeatedly during the War of the Five Kings. At the Battle of the Blackwater he fights ferociously, cutting through Renly’s (and later Stannis’) host. Reports of his prowess appear before and after that clash, though he would have been a bit too young to fight in Robert’s Rebellion. He killed his first man at twelve and later slew Beric Dondarrion in single combat after the assault on King’s Landing. In short, crossing swords with Sandor is a risky proposition for any opponent—and one likely to prove fatal.
The Reluctant Kingsguard Sandor holds a deep contempt for knights and the hypocrisy he sees in them. It is rather amusing, then, that he is appointed to the Kingsguard without ever becoming a knight. He simply refuses the title, as his goals in life revolve around one thing: slaying his brother Gregor.
For all his gruff exterior and disdain for knightly ideals, the Hound reveals curious “soft spots” that set him apart from many true knights. As a member of the Kingsguard, he is often called upon to guard Sansa Stark while she is betrothed to Joffrey. While other Kingsguard members obey Joffrey and strike her without hesitation, the Hound does not. He deflects and shields her from the boy-king’s wrath.
During the riot in A Clash of Kings, when the mob turns on the noble party fleeing to the Red Keep, chaos reigns. Several members of the party are dragged off—some killed, others (like Lollys) raped. Sansa goes missing initially, as does the Hound. Where Ser Preston Greenfield, Ser Aron Santagar, and others fall, it is the Hound who comes through, saving Sansa’s life and protecting her from violation. Later, after the Battle of the Blackwater, he comes to her room and could have taken advantage of her, but he does not. For all his mocking attitude, genuine affection and protectiveness shine through. Perhaps he sees in her the innocence he himself once possessed.
Another notable act comes during the tourney at King’s Landing for the Hand. Sandor saves the life of the Knight of the Flowers (Loras Tyrell) from his brother the Mountain. Whether he did so purely out of a desire to finally get to grips with Gregor, or for other reasons, we may never know—but no one else stepped in.
Toughness and Conscience The Hound is exceptionally tough. After taking serious wounds that became infected, he still managed to cross significant distances before his fate became uncertain in A Storm of Swords. It is worth noting he was fighting three men at once during that encounter—no small feat.
He is also implied to have led forces, at least in part, at the Battle of the Blackwater and survived, which says something. That said, we see little direct evidence of his abilities as a commander, so in this ranking I give him only middling marks for leadership. What elevates him is his raw warrior skill.
Of special note, Sandor is a warrior with something of a conscience. Make no mistake—he has his flaws (killing Mycah under orders, an act that clearly haunts his reputation and arguably himself). Yet there is more to the Hound than meets the eye:
- He protects Sansa during the Riot in King’s Landing, almost certainly saving her from gang rape and death.
- He repeatedly places himself between her and danger.
- He attempts to shield her from Joffrey’s malice.
- He never exploits her, despite having multiple opportunities.
- In the television adaptation, Sansa clearly understands him; when drunk and ranting at the Battle of the Blackwater she tells him you won't hurt me," and he visibly softens.
- He treats vows with more seriousness than many anointed knights, even if he refuses to take them.
- He has a clear moral line when it comes to children.
- Unlike many other warriors and knights, we do not see Sandor taking any women to his bed—in a way upholding knightly vows of chastity.
But make no mistake, when it comes time to kill, he doesn't mince words. Case in point when at the Crossroads Inn in A Storm of Swords:
Polliver "You're going to die for some chickens?"
The Hound: "Someone is..."
In closing, Sandor Clegane is one of the best warriors of his generation. The only thing missing from his legend is slaying Gregor—though given the Mountain’s demise at the hands of the Red Viper of Dorne ("Frankengregor" notwithstanding), that possibility may yet remain. I feel comfortable placing him high on this list. He keeps mighty company and is arguably the greatest warrior in the series who is not a knight, outside of the Red Viper himself.
