Gwen Stacy: The Fall That Changed Everything

Gwen with the iconic black headband

Gwen Stacy: The Fall That Changed Everything

In June of 1973, one of the most important comic book arcs of all time reached a devastating conclusion — The Night Gwen Stacy Died.

I was only four months old when that issue hit shelves, and I wouldn’t read it until years later while raiding my older brother’s comic book stash. At age eight, it didn’t fully register. But decades later, when I picked it up again via a Spider-Man DVD-ROM collection, it hit like a gut punch. Gwen’s fall from the George Washington Bridge hurled her into comic book immortality, and left a mark on the medium that still echoes today.

More Than Just a Love Interest

Gwen Stacy wasn’t just Peter Parker’s girlfriend. For many fans, and creators, she was the one. Not Mary Jane. Not Felicia Hardy. Not Betty Brant. Gwen. Introduced early in Amazing Spider-Man #33, she was Peter’s equal: smart (chemistry major), kind, elegant (Stan Lee wanted her to be “a lady”), and drop-dead gorgeous: a former beauty queen with the classic girl-next-door vibe. The boots, the dresses, the signature black headband; she was iconic even before her death.

Stan intended for Peter to marry her. But fate, and the editorial team — had other plans.

Gwen's death 

The Moment

In Amazing Spider-Man #121–122, Gwen is kidnapped by the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) and thrown from a tower of the George Washington Bridge. Spider-Man’s webbing catches her...but the sudden stop snaps her neck. Whether it was the Goblin who killed her or Peter’s attempt to save her, it didn’t matter. Gwen was gone.

And so was the Silver Age of Comics.

Why It Mattered

Gwen’s death mattered because it was the first time a superhero truly failed, and not in a “lost the fight” kind of way. This was personal. Tragic. Devastating. The hero didn’t just lose the girl. His actions directly caused it. Uncle Ben died due to Peter’s inaction, but Gwen died because he tried to save her.

That kind of emotional complexity was unheard of at the time. And it shattered the illusion that superheroes always win.

The impact was so great, Marvel received a tidal wave of letters: angry, heartbroken, confused. Editors later tried to walk it back with the Clone Saga and other retro-cons, but the damage (and brilliance) was done.

Gwen’s death defined the Silver Age and led to the Bronze Age. It ushered in darker themes, morally gray heroes, and stories where the good guys didn’t always get the girl...or win at all.

While not exactly like the comics, her death in the movie is extremely done. This is mainly because the chemistry of Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield was near perfect.

Peter’s Greatest Loss

Here’s the thing: Gwen wasn’t just important to readers. She haunted Peter Parker far more than Uncle Ben ever did. Ben’s death was formative, but Gwen’s was personal. She was real. Developed. Beloved. Her death had weight — not just for Peter, but for the entire comic book world.

Years later, even when Peter was married to Mary Jane, it was Gwen who lingered in his thoughts — as if he still sought her approval from beyond the grave. 

The Legacy (and Lame Attempts to Undo It)

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy in the Amazing Spider-man

Of course, the Big Two can’t resist a resurrection. Gwen’s been cloned, revived, rebooted, and retconned more times than Kenny from South Park. But the truth is: she’s never truly come back — and that’s why her death still resonates.

It’s also why Sins Past — the infamous storyline that tried to tie Gwen romantically to Norman Osborn (ugh) — was retconned out of continuity almost immediately. Fans rejected it because it spat in the face of everything Gwen was and stood for.

When she died, she became untouchable — forever preserved as perfect, untainted by years of character drift or editorial meddling.

That's not to say many wouldn't try, or turn her into Spider-Gwen. All the while missing just why she is so iconic and important.

Why Not Mary Jane?

It’s ironic: in the ’80s, Marvel decided Peter needed a wife — and they turned Mary Jane into Gwen Stacy to make it work. MJ, once the carefree party girl, was re-imagined into a grounded, sensible, supportive partner. The bad girl became the good girl…which raises the question: if you wanted Gwen, why not just leave Gwen?

Even in the Sam Raimi films, they mashed the characters together. That wasn’t Mary Jane on-screen — that was Gwen with red hair.

Which is why The Amazing Spider-Man reboot felt so promising. Enter Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy — smart, strong, stylish — and finally, the real deal. And for once, no Mary Jane in sight. (Though for the record, where was the black headband? EDIT: it would indeed be shown later in the movies.)

All kinds of amazing indeed.

A Story That Shouldn’t Change

Gwen’s death is comic book tragedy done right. It still hurts. It still matters. And that’s what gives it power. If they had saved her — or worse, just “faked” her death — the whole arc would’ve felt cheap. Instead, it hit like a freight train — and set the standard for emotional stakes in superhero storytelling.

If the movies ever go back and really tell that story — the real version — they could make cinematic magic. Think Castaway levels of heartbreak. Peter standing on that bridge, Gwen’s body in his arms. No snappy comeback. No win. Just silence. Just failure. Just loss.

That’s powerful.

Gwen Stacy was amazing. Still is.

In a sea of anti-heroes, edgy brooding types, and sunglasses-at-night clichés, she reminds us of a time when superheroes were noble, when tragedy meant something, and when comics weren’t afraid to make us feel something real.

As long as comic book fans are out there, there will always be some of us who remember her — not just for how she died, but for what she represented.

Gwen Stacy: the first, the best, and the one who never came back.

And in trying to kill off the character the writers ensured she became something different.

Immortal. 

Stoneskin: The Most Abused Spell in 2nd Edition AD&D?

Ahhh Stoneskin... I've thought I had this spell down pat over the years then looked at others' interpretations of it and thought they were right and then went back to the source and wondered if there is no clear-cut definition on perhaps the most abused spell in 2nd edition AD&D.

I must admit I've played 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons for years and thought I knew this spell inside and out. But much like a quirky politicians language in a law it's a bit puzzling in its phrasing. There is one pertinent part that is unclear or at least hinges on how it's interpreted. By this I mean consider the following:

Stoneskin
4th level Mage spell (page 163 in the 2nd Edition Players Handbook)
Range: Touch
Components: V, S M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast, the affected creature gains virtual immunity to any attack by cut, blow, projectile or the like. even a sword of sharpness cannot affect a creature protected by stoneskin, nor can a rock hurled by a giant, a snake's strike, etc. However, magical attacks from such spells as fireball. magic missile, lightning bolt, and so forth have their normal effects. The spell blocks 1d4 attacks, plus one attack per two levels of of experience of the caster has achieved. This limit apples regardless of attack rolls and regardless of whether the attack was physical or magical. For example, a stoneskin  spell cast by a 9th-level wizard would protect against five and eight attacks. An attacking griffon would reduce the protection by three each round; four magic missiles would count as four attacks in addition to inflicting their normal damage.

The material components of the spell are granite and diamond dust sprinkled on the recipient's skin.

Now I'm no rules lawyer, but the section that says "This limit applies regardless of attack rolls and regardless of whether the attack was physical or magical."

Now you can interpret it to say: Attack rolls whether the hit or not remove one "skin" from the spell.

Or you could say it doesn't, much...

So what did Sage Advice have to say about it?

Stoneskin:

"This spell is subject to considerable abuse by player characters. Multiple stoneskins placed on a single creature are not cumulative. If two or more stoneskin spells are cast on the same creature, roll normally for the number of attacks each spell protects against. If a new spell protects against more attacks than the present spell does, the recipient gets the benefit of the increased protection; otherwise there is no effect. The caster does not necessarily know how many attacks the spell can shield him from.

Stoneskin protects only against blows, cuts, pokes, and slashes directed at the recipient. It does not protect against falls, magical attacks, touch-delivered special attacks (such as touch-delivered spells, energy draining, green slime, etc.), or non-magical attacks that do not involve blows (such as flaming oil, ingested or inhaled poisons, acid, constriction, and suffocation). Stoneskin lasts for 24 hours or until the spell has absorbed its allotment of attacks."

Well...this helps, but only a little.

The Greatest Warriors of the Westeros - Those who didn't make the Top 10 List (Superseded)

 Update (July 2026): Since the conclusion of the television series, I have gone back and reworked all of the “Top 10 Warriors of Westeros” posts. What began as a Top 10 has now expanded to a full Top 20 in light of additional material and perspective we gained.

This original Top 10-20 list stays as is for historical purposes, as it has been superseded by the overall new and updated Top 20 ranking. The core arguments and personal opinions remain largely unchanged. With George R.R. Martin’s remaining books still unwritten, these rankings are still a mix of book canon and informed speculation. I’ve simply improved formatting, clarity, spelling, and flow so the series reads better and holds up as a proper archive piece.

The original Top 11-20 is as follows:

I realize that any list put forth is going to be tough and not everyone will agree, but as I stated with my first post in this series about Brynden Tully: that's the fun! There are so many warriors here that I shuffled around my list a number of times before deciding on who I did. So without further delay: warriors #11-20.

#11- Victarion Greyjoy. I actually had him listed in the Top 10, but he didn't survive the final cut-down to 10. He is certainly the most deadly warrior of the Iron Islands. One can easily make the case of Victarion being somewhere between #6 and 10 in the Top Ten. Every time I've read the series I've gotten the feeling that there are not to many people that would want to cross swords with him. He is surprisingly a thinking warrior and not a hulking brute like The Mountain calm off the battlefield and deadly on it.

#12- Ser Garlan Tyrell- Unfortunately I can't place him higher. He is widely acknowledged as one of the finest swordsmen living in the Seven Kingdoms, but we have nothing more to go on. Even his brother, Loras (in talking to Sansa) admits that Garlan is the better swordsman.

#13- Prince Rhaegar Targaryen- Admittedly I had a hard time with him. Prince Rhaegar was apparently a splendid jouster, but when he took the field against Robert on the Trident it was Robert that prevailed; to me looking at this point there is nothing wrong in that combat: Robert in his prime was just that good. Rhaegar represents the unfulfilled promise of many characters in the book (least of all his own) from Cersei, to Lynna Stark to his younger brother Viserys. He is the sum of all of those characters "what might have beens."

#14- The Knight of Flowers-  Probably controversial being placed this low, but here's why: if the list was for best jouster and showman then he vaults to the top of the list bar none. But it's not. Loras plays at war and his Grandmother the Queen of Thorns says as much. Despite his bezerk fury at Renly's death Loras can't really be placed higher in my honest opinion. He has flashes of brilliance, but interestingly enough when it comes time to lead in battle he utterly fails a the Siege at Dragonstone.

#15- Qhorin Halfhand- he leads off the "bottle-neck" of northerns on my list. He is probably the best warrior living north of the Neck. Certainly he is the greatest warrior the Black Watch. GRRM loves to parallel characters and stories in the book so it will be interesting to see if Jaime's switch to his opposite hand parallels Qhorin's.

#16- Greatjon Umber- every time I think of Greatjon Umber I get the impression of bezerk fury! At the Red Wedding it takes 8 men to subdue him!

#17- Eddard Stark- Eddard never engages in combat in the series, but he somehow managed to walk out of the Tower of Joy alive one of only two men to do so out of 10 in that epic battle.  However, until the details of that fateful encounter are fully known then he's in limbo. He also falls further because GRRM has stated that his brother Brandon was the better warrior.

#18- Brienne of Tarth- well, the warrior maiden is massive and bigger then Jaime, but not quite as large as Ser Gregor. At over 6 feet tall she is worthy of a spot on this list as she has taken out a few bad guys in the series. She does fight Jaime, but then again Jaime wasn't really trying to hurt her either. She almost gets killed  by Biter of all characters... that actually hurts her standing in my opinion.

#19- Jon Snow. Like Robb we get the sense that he is good, but we are never sure just how good, at least not yet... Obviously he has outstanding leadership qualities and if this list were for that alone he would be in the top 10. He leads the Black Watch ably, but he is one of those characters that there is more to come namely in A Dance of Dragons.

#20- Robb Stark. We never get a sense of just how good of a warrior he is with a sword, but it's obvious that he is an outstanding leader on the battlefield, too bad his promise is cut short.

The Greatest Warriors of the Westeros #1 Ser Arthur Dayne, The Sword of the Morning

Ser Arthur at the Tower of Joy

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.  

We’ve made it from #10 down to #1 on the list of Greatest Warriors of Westeros, and only one warrior remains. And that one warrior is only told through recollections via the main characters, and interestingly enough, by two of the main antagonists. It is also interesting further still that for different reasons, both come to the same conclusion.

But, as a movie once said, in the end “There can only be one,” and that choice is Ser Arthur Dayne, The Sword of the Morning.

The Sword of the Morningis by consensus the greatest knight that ever lived. It’s not just one person saying this, it’s everyone in the whole damn series. The main problem is that as of now we know precious little about him. So how can he be number one? Easy. Read on.

#1- Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning

Ser Arthur was a member of the Kingsguard and is widely considered one of the greatest knights of that order. Now that is saying something when you consider some of the men that have worn the white: Gerold Hightower, Duncan the Tall, (read the Dunk and Egg stories for more info), Ser Ryam Redwyne, Ser Serwyn of the Mirror Shield, amongst others. When one can mention the Sword of the Morning in the same breath as these legendary fighters…you know you are talking about someone special.

Ser Arthur was instrumental in defeating the Kingswood Brotherhood as well as slaying the Smiling Knight. While fighting the Smiling Knight, the man’s sword broke. Ever the chivalrous knight, Ser Arthur let him retrieve another before recommencing combat. 

Jaime Lannister was made a knight at that point and was deeply impressed by Ser Arthur. So is it simple hero worship on Jaime’s part? Doubtful? Hero worship? Consider Jamie's own words:

"That boy had wanted to be Ser Arthur Dayne, but someplace along the way he had become the Smiling Knight instead."

It was Ser Arthur who brought the grievances of the smallfolk to Aerys II during the time of the Kingswood Brotherhood. Because of this, he became beloved by the smallfolk, and they turned their support away from the Brotherhood. Couple this with his actions against the Smiling Knight. Would anyone let The Mountain that Rides get another sword if he broke it? Again, doubtful.

In short, Ser Arthur was the real deal when it came to living and breathing what a knight should do and be. Martin loves contrast, so he uses Ser Arthur as the epitome of knighthood, then casts this against the events of the books.

Now from here it takes a bit of reading and then deductive reasoning on the part of… well, everyone everywhere. Look at the list so far: Is there anyone on the list that Ser Arthur couldn’t beat? Ser Arthur is one of those warriors that comes along once every thousand years. He is designed to be legend. The fact that he was one in his own time just makes everything add up. There is no one listed so far that he would fear and have a better than everage chance of beating outright. Think about those that I haven’t listed — is there anyone there who could beat him? I say no. Those I have listed? No again.

If for no other reason, Ser Arthur Dayne gets the top spot when you consider the words from none other than the Kingslayer himself, when he says this to Ser Loras Tyrell about Ser Arthur in A Feast for Crows:

“I served with Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, who could have slain all six of you with his left hand while taking a piss with his right.”

Now Jaime is no slouch himself when it comes to a blade (He was #3 on this list) and this is pretty high praise from someone who is about as arrogant as they come prior to his sword hand being lopped off. 

The Praise would be off putting if it was from just Jaime, but once again Eddard Stark saves the day by taking the same stabce as Jaime about Ser Arthur on a different occasion:

 "He was the finest knight I've ever seen and he would have killed me if it were not for Howland Reed." 

Strong stuff and coming from Eddard and it's hardly open to interpretation. Think about who Eddard has seen in his lifetime: Ser Barristan Selmy, Bronze Yohn Royce, Robert Baratheon, Prince Rhegar and many more. Yet Eddard gives him the compliment that he does. A way to honor a foe who is insanely heroic? A trick of sorts? Highly unlikely as it's Eddard saying this, a man famous throughout the kingdom for his honor.

Oh and we got to see The Sword of the Morning in action in the television version of Game of Thrones.

No boasting, no threats, simply the quiet confidence of knowing hes about to slay multiple people despite the odds.

Another unusual thing about Ser Arthur is that he is the only character in the series having a mighty blade, but one that is wholly unique: it’s not Valyrian steel.. Now, this could just be an odd coincidence, but GRRM rarely does things for happenstance in the series. Ser Arthur’s sword, Dawn, is actually made from the metal of a fallen meteor and is featured in the house’s coat of arms as a result. Again, this may mean nothing, but then again it could be an interesting angle considering the whole "Prince who was promised" prophecy (although the leading candidate is Daenerys).

More interesting is the fact that after the Tower of Joy (see below), Ned brings his sword to Ser Arthur’s heir. This heir is Edric Dayne, who is wet-nursed along with Jon Snow. That’s interesting… very interesting. Why would Eddard bring Jon Snow to a family to be wet-nursed when said family is one that he just killed its most famous scion? In short, you don’t — at least not without a reason. Even Eddard is not going to do something like this for no reason. It could be Eddard’s famous honor, but I’m doubting that is the reason. In short, Ser Arthur’s story is not done yet, I’m guessing, and it is very much tied up in Jon Snow and Eddard.

Another point is that Ned’s statement about Ser Arthur begs the question: What exactly happened at the Tower of Joy in Dorne? We know (or are pretty certain) that Jon Snow is the son of Lyanna Stark and Prince Rhaegar. Why else would three of the Kingsguard (including its Lord Commander, Gerold Hightower) be guarding it and Lyanna while a war for the crown of the Seven Kingdoms was being waged? Either way, it’s apparent that you don’t send your best warriors and their commander to the end of the kingdom for no reason.

So again — just what happened there? One gets the feeling that it wasn’t your average sword fight. It could turn out that it was nothing like we expected. Howland Reed poisoning Ser Arthur, or any number of other possible explanations? Apparently it was Eddard who killed Ser Arthur Dayne, but to me that seems a bit too tidy. We do know that it was seven against three. Ten men in the fight, and only two walked out alive, with neither ever talking about what happened. With the only one now left alive being Howland Reed…

Obviously, as of the video clip above noted above we know what happened in the television show — but not in the books.

So unless some new characters get introduced in the series, it’s Ser Arthur Dayne that stands as the Greatest Warrior of the Word of Ice and Fire.

That’s right — we know little about him, and none of it directly. But from what we do know, we know this: the Sword of the Morning stands head and shoulders above the rest. How is this so? Two of the main characters of the books, Jaime and Eddard, have the same opinion. That alone is saying something…

Ser Arthur is a mystery with some holes poked through the shroud of his character. He is not a deep history character, and his exploits are well known to the Seven Kingdoms — just not to the reader as of yet.

And there it is. I don’t expect that people will totally agree with my selections, but as I stated, that’s the fun. Something like this makes it impossible to ever reach consensus. But if you don't like my conclusion? Take the word of the man who wrote the books:

Question:

GRRM: Dayne... if he was armed with Dawn.

If both men had equivalent weaponry, it might be a toss-up.

In the end I wanted to get this done before A Dance of Dragons is out, and I made it with eight days to spare.

My next post will contain my list of warriors #11–20 — i.e. those that didn’t make the top 10. It was tough to get to 10, so there are some excellent warriors that have nothing to be ashamed about being where they are.

The Greatest Warriors of the Westros- #2, Oberyn Martell- The Red Viper of Dorne

The Red Viper 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.   

When you look up “bad-ass” in the dictionary, there’s Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne, staring back at you — and kicking your ass from the page at the same time. Prince Oberyn is just that hardcore. If he met up with Chuck Norris… I’m not so sure Chuck would win.

The mercenary, screw-everything-that-walks, kill-it-all, balls-to-the-wall Red Viper stands head and shoulders above almost everyone else in the books and rightly takes his place as #2 of the Greatest Warriors of Westeros.

#2- Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne

Right before he dies (in perhaps the ultimate combat of the books), who does the Red Viper slay? None other than The Mountain that Rides, Ser Gregor Clegane, that’s who. That’s right — the largest warrior to walk the Seven Kingdoms falls to the Red Viper’s spear.

Using poison? Dies in the attempt?

Doesn’t matter.

While a Prince (and hardly a knight), he eschews the traditional weaponry of knights — the sword — and prefers to fight with a spear. While his climactic opponent uses massive plate armor, he is armored lightly, dancing around the Mountain, taunting him. One gets the sense that the Red Viper could kill him at any time, but wants to draw it out after the murder of his sister Elia of Dorne during the Sack of King’s Landing at the culmination of Robert’s Rebellion. The epic duel of Oberyn and Gregor is one of the, if not the, best duels in the entire series thus far. 

Before he fought the Mountain That Rides, he was in a duel when he was just sixteen. Apparently he was found bedding the paramour of Lord Yronwood. Due to his age, a duel to first blood was arranged. Well, Oberyn won the duel, drawing first blood as prescribed by the rules. The problem was that Lord Yronwood’s wound festered and he died from but a scratch. It was rumored that Oberyn poisoned his spear, and thus the legend of the Red Viper was born.

 Oberyn Martell’s actions are also responsible for the enmity between House Martell and House Tyrell. At a joust, Willas Tyrell had his leg mangled in a freak accident. Oberyn was blamed. Interestingly enough, there is no bad blood between Oberyn and Willas over this incident. Oberyn even sent his own maester to tend to Willas.

Adding to his fame is the fact that he served as a mercenary leader, studied at the Citadel and forged six links of his chain before becoming bored, as well as serving in the Free Cities. And it was not “just” in the Free Cities, but the Disputed Lands, where warfare is constant, serving with the Second Sons.

For even more badass: the fact that he has eight bastard daughters known as the Sand Snakes. Lord Walder Frey might be able to fill an army with the fruits of his loins, but I’d take the Red Viper’s progeny any day of the week — twice on Sundays.

Back to THE fight, and I mean THE FIGHT of the series

"Her name was Elia Martell, SAY HER NAME!" 

When Joffrey finally bites the dust inA Storm of Swords, everyone except Cersei is rejoicing. I mean, really — is there anyone who actually liked the annoying, "mini-male version of Cersei?" However, the King being killed is naturally going to cause some accusations to fly, and it’s Tyrion who gets blamed. When it becomes apparent that he will not get justice, he demands trial by combat. To which Cersei gleefully calls for Ser Gregor Clegane to be her champion. Everyone figures that Tyrion is now dead — who is going to fight the Mountain That Rides, let alone for the Imp?

Calmly and coolly, Oberyn Martell tells the court that he will stand for Tyrion. Not for Tyrion’s sake, mind you, but for his thirst for revenge on Gregor for what he did to his sister Elia of Dorne. Tyrion’s defense merely provides the excuse.

 It’s readily apparent that, like Bronn vs. Ser Vardis in the Vale, Oberyn has sized up his opponent quite well. He knows how to kill him. Also on his side is the fact that, unlike everyone else, he is not frightened by Ser Gregor’s size. Ellaria Sand, his paramour, remarks, “You’re going to fight that?” to which the Red Viper dryly replies, “No. I’m going to kill that.”

How about that for hardcore? Most knights would be turning in their ser’s or pissing in their armor, and the Red Viper is ready to kill the most massive warrior in the Seven Kingdoms — and looking forward to it.

Right off the bat, it’s apparent what the Red Viper’s strategy is: wear down the massive Gregor and taunt him. In this, Bronn would approve — it’s the same basic strategy he used in the Vale. Oberyn jabs and thrusts and, most importantly, stays out of Ser Gregor’s massive reach. Simultaneously, he taunts the massive Gregor, knowing this will add to his frustration and open him up to a well-placed strike. Ser Gregor, who is not the most patient under the best of circumstances, falls for this, shouting for him to shut up.

The strategy works as Oberyn continues to strike, eventually wounding Ser Gregor. All the while, the taunting continues: “You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children!” Over and over, the Red Viper speaks this (something akin to Inigo Montoya, but I digress) to wring as much vengeance from the fight as possible. You can feel this scene ooze with tension as well as a deep connection to the backstory of the Seven Kingdoms.

Finally, the Red Viper moves in and, after a running vault, pins the Mountain to the ground with his poisoned spear rammed through the giant’s gut. And with that, the Mountain is defeated. As Oberyn reaches for the Mountain’s sword to finish him off, he continues to taunt him and drops his guard. In coming too close to the dying giant (something he avoided doing all fight), the Mountain is able to grab ahold of him, thrust his hands into Oberyn’s eyes, and bash his skull with his massive fists, shouting, “You mean like this and this?!” in reply to the Red Viper’s taunting. At such close range the Prince is slain, but the Mountain is now succumbing to the poison’s effect. Not even a man as massive as Ser Gregor can shake it off.

So while he is slain because of his own zeal and thirst for revenge, ultimately it’s Prince Oberyn that triumphs. The poison used causes the Mountain to die a slow, agonizing death in incredible pain. His sister is avenged, and his place in the halls of badassery is assured.

Say what you want, but to me the Red Viper of Dorne is as badass as they come and one of the best characters in the books, hands down. It’s unfortunate that he only appears in A Storm of Swords and is gone within a few chapters. But as far as hardcore, kick-ass warriors go: there is only one ahead of him in the Song of Ice and Fire.

Stay tuned.

At this point I'd like to point out the excellent work at The Wiki of Ice and Fire, Westeros.org as well as the Tower of the Hand keep up the great work guys!

The Greatest Warriors of the Westros - #3A Jaime Lannister, The Kingslayer

The Kingslayer 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.   

Every good book series needs a villain, right? Well, in the first few books it looks as if Ser Jaime Lannister is just that guy to fit the bill...that is, until the end of A Storm of Swords and into A Feast for Crows. From there, the reader’s view of Jaime (likely) changes drastically.

With that said, it’s the Kingslayer himself, Jaime Lannister, that makes my list as the #3 Greatest Warrior of Westeros.

#3 -Ser Jaime Lannister, The Kingslayer

The Kingslayer is a tricky character. Like every character Martin writes, there is more than meets the eye. Certainly at first glance we see a shallow, cruel man (throwing Bran out the window, anyone?). But by A Storm of Swords we see a much more complex character.

Jaime is, in every sense, the golden boy. Just look at him! He has everything, and oh yeah, he gets the hottest woman in the kingdom. Too bad it’s his twin sister Cersei. See, that’s where he goes really wrong in the character department: to quote him "the things I do for love", namely pushing Bran out the window in Winterfell.

First off, let’s start with his nickname: The Kingslayer. He earned this moniker when he slew the Mad King Aerys II during the Sack of King’s Landing, when Aerys tried to destroy the city with wildfire. For this act, Jaime thought people would love him for saving the city, but they recoiled from him instead. He remarked on this fact, saying he wanted to be Ser Arthur Dayne, but became the Smiling Knight — referring to the previous generation’s monster, the predecessor to Ser Gregor Clegane.

Despite this, Jaime is brave. So brave that as a squire for Sumner Crakehall he saved his life when he stopped Big Belly Ben, another member of the infamous Kingswood Brotherhood along with the Smiling Knight. It was after this that he was knighted by Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning himself.

Further intrigues involving his sister led him to become a member of the Kingsguard as a means to stay close to Cersei as well as avoiding marrying Lysa Tully. Knighted by the Lord Commander, Gerold Hightower, Jaime took the white, much to the displeasure of his father, Lord Tywin. It’s also important to note that at 17, he became the youngest member ever to serve in the Kingsguard.

In combat, Jaime is a master with the blade; he can make his sword do whatever he wants it to. His sword abilities make him one of the deadliest warriors in the Seven Kingdoms. He is one of the younger characters to make the list and represents the generation of Ser Loras Tyrell and his brother Garlan. In the lance he is quite skilled as well, having won tourneys that he reflects upon when he becomes Lord Commander.

In battle he is fierce, as befits the words of House Lannister “Hear me roar!” He defeats Ser Edmure Tully at the Golden Tooth and then leads his host onwards towards the Riverlands. He is only bested by Robb Stark at the Battle of the Camps through superior numbers, in which he is captured. In the process of trying to get to the Young Wolf he slays several men, including the Karstarks. From there he is taken prisoner and finally only released by Catelyn Stark. So for that he gets bonus points for not only being a great warrior, but a leader of men as well.

Jaime’s only real blind spot is his devotion to his sister. Their relationship is so lopsided that he is at a handicap — until their falling out in A Feast for Crows, that is. It is also in A Feast for Crows, and after his sword hand is cut off, that Jaime becomes a different man. Vargo Hoat does this in order to drive a wedge between the Lannisters and Roose Bolton, but this ploy fails. His hand being severed is nothing more than a gambit in the Game of Thrones and achieves none of the aims it was intended to convey. Jaime’s whole life is wrapped up in how good he is at arms. It’s when he can’t swing a sword that he drops into a depression and only emerges after he saves the life of Brienne of Tarth.

Jaime’s reputation is such that he is able to get Ser Boros Blount (when Jaime can hardly swing a sword on his return to King’s Landing) to acquiesce to his commands. Such is his reputation that he is able to humble a member of the Kingsguard with words alone, knowing full well that people know of the reputation of the Kingslayer, not as he is now.

Still later in A Feast for Crows, Jaime begins the oft-painful process of sparring with Ilyn Payne in order to learn to swing a sword with his left hand.

Prior to his sword hand being cut off, the Kingslayer is one of the deadliest warriors and as such merits his inclusion on this list. It’s well earned, and only time will tell if Jaime is as good with his left hand as he was with his right.

His closest peer is Ser Barristan Selmy. The two are so close in skill to be near equivalent. If Jaime represents, natural gifted aka prodigy like talent, Ser Barristan is the opposite in decaded long excellence. 

Or put another way, Jaime is a shooting star in terms of his ability. 

The Greatest Warriors of the Westeros- #3B Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard

 

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.   

The venerable Lord Commander of the Kingsguard,, Ser Barristan Selmy, makes my list as 3B of the Greatest Warriors of Westeros. 3B because Jaime Lannister is at #3A. The two are near equivalent and near impossible to differentiate. So much so that one could easily say it is Ser Barristan who is 3A, and they would not be wrong.

#3B-Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard

 Advanced in age for a warrior, but showing no signs of slowing down, Ser Barristan certainly lives up to his moniker of “The Bold.” A lifetime of combat, and a true and honorable man and knight. Ser Barristan is revered — nay, beloved — by the highborn and smallfolk of the Seven Kingdoms alike. He is the type of knight that fits the romance, the ones that Sansa dreams about.

At the time of the War of the Five Kings he is the Lord Commander for King Robert Baratheon and had served under the Mad King Aerys, presumably as a knight rather than Lord Commander. I say this because at the time of the Tower of Joy, the Lord Commander was Gerold Hightower. Gerold was actually at the Tower and was slain, so it’s unclear exactly when Barristan became Lord Commander. He was pardoned by Robert after the Trident, so it’s possible that there was a gap between Gerold and Barristan.

After the pardon he serves Robert as Lord Commander until dismissed by Cersei after Robert’s death. This has a profound effect on him, denouncing the Baratheon heir (actually Lannister heir when you look at it) and setting out on the road of seeking Daenerys. The best part of his dismissal is his frank appraisal of Joffrey and the fact that he takes crap from no one over it. When the pathetic Gold Cloaks of the City Watch of King’s Landing (aka “Red Shirts”) arrive to arrest him, he dispatches them and disappears until turning up in A Feast for Crows.

Ser Barristan had been a member of the Kingsguard for ages it seemed, as he joined when he was 23. He earned his nickname by taking part in a joust at the age of 10 when he was still a squire after acquiring some armor.

He defeated Prince Rhaegar at the Tourney at Storm’s End and even The Hound in another joust, so his skill is not to be doubted. And on top of all of this he was knighted at 16. He is most likely a prodigy as a knight by any sense of the definition but tempered with decades of experience as time wears on.

Much like some of the other characters in the book, we get a sense of his prowess only through the past. But like other mighty warriors he is seen as an outstanding example of knighthood and a great warrior. Slaying Maelys the Monstrous in the War of the Ninepenny Kings (aka the Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion) probably doesn’t hurt your knight credentials either. Barristan is not one of those “deep history” characters but from a generation prior — a generation prior to Robert/Ned’s generation. But it’s important to note that everyone who talks about his prowess is united in their praise.

The interesting part is that he is not caught in the “crossfire” of having served The Mad King, which was responsible for Robert’s Rebellion through his actions. Presumably the Kingsguard do just that: guard the king, not judge him. This is alluded to by Jaime when he talks about slaying Aerys. Perhaps Ser Barristan’s fame is beyond reproach.

So much so when he seeks out Danerys it seems right. Of course after a lifetime of serving perhaps that is all he knows to do? 

We do not, however, get a sense as to what kind of leader of men he is on the field of battle. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard yes. The fact, however, that he survived the Trident when many didn’t is important to note. Again, he has fought on the field of battle, just not leading it. Being a member of the Kingsguard presumably precludes a lot of this as his primary role is the protection of the king. That is not to say he couldn't, but its not featured for him in the books until its mentioned/previewed in The Winds of Winter, if it ever comes out.

As an aside, one gets the sense that Barristan is set in the mold of William Marshal. He is a renowned tourney fighter like Marshal and a warrior par excellence. Given Martin’s penchant for “borrowing/being inspired by” history, I think this is likely the case. Having fought in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, one wonders how familiar he is with Brynden Tully (at #15 on this countdown) he is?

Ser Barristan’s ranking sits comfortably here: beloved by the high and low in the Seven Kingdoms and with the prowess to back it up, even at the age of 57. He is one of the finest blades of the realm and fitting that he appears at #3B.

Lastly? Barristan's exploits are too numerous to mention. Above is just a glimpse of this legendary warrior.