Part of what made Game of Thrones such a popular and well received TV show was the fact that the fight scenes were just so well done. For the most part, they were perfectly choreographed and just so tense that we didn’t know what was going to happen and who was going to come out on top.
This was especially true when our favorite characters were in these scenes. Some of the duel scenes in this show were so suspenseful that we couldn’t even look at the screen while they were going on. So, let us take a look at the best duel scenes in the show!
10. Arya v Brienne (Season 7, Episode 4)
9. Drogo v Mogo (Season 1, Episode 8)
This is an easily forgotten duel that takes place very early on in the show. In it, Khal Drogo faces one of his generals and has to decide what to do with him, eventually leading to a bloody and vicious duel between the two.
The reason for this happening in the first place was that Mogo heavily disrespected both Dany and Drogo, and also put himself as the one to take Drogo’s place as head of the Khalasar. Drogo obviously wouldn’t stand for this level of disrespect to him and his wife so he chose to battle Mogo to the death, in a fight that really only served the purpose to show how much of a beast Drogo truly was.
8. Ned v Jaime (Season 1, Episode 5)
This is the duel scene that takes place in Kings Landing after it becomes common knowledge that Catelyn has kidnapped Tyrion. This is a scene that takes quite some liberties from the books for 2 reasons, one is because it never really happens in the books and the other is because Ned puts up a decent fight. Jaime in the books is said to be a mythical warrior that no one can beat but in the show Ned, who isn’t even really much of a fighter, puts up a decent fight.
Despite not being truly book accurate, this scene is still amazing. It still shows Jaime to be an incredible fighter as he is never really in any danger throughout the clash, and it even gives justice to Ned as he was a warrior in the past. It also humanizes Jaime a lot more because before this, we see him as pure evil. But, it does show how much he cares for his little brother.
7. Jon v Ramsay (Season 6, Episode 9)
This isn’t exactly a duel in the traditional sense, but it is still worth mentioning because it has 2 fighters going up against one another. After the legendary Battle of the Bastards, Jon’s forces end up getting the better of Ramsay’s, forcing Ramsay to retreat back to Winterfell with Jon being right on his tail and chasing him back the entire way.
This leads to their final encounter, with Ramsay continuously firing arrows at Jon who keeps inching closer with a shield. The atmosphere here is incredible as they are surrounded by Jon’s men, who Jon tells to stand down because he personally wants to pummel Ramsay himself, catching up to him and beating him bloody with his hands.
6. Brienne v Jaime (Season 3, Episode 2)
This scene takes place a little while after Catelyn has freed Jaime from captivity and sends Brienne to go with him to make sure he keeps his oath to save her daughters. At one point in the middle of this, however, Jaime decides that he no longer wants to do this, causing him to get a sword and fight Brienne.
What follows here is a battle between 2 incredible warriors which is very close, but ends with Brienne coming out on top. This shows that it really takes a special warrior to overcome the legendary Jaime Lannister. However, it also speaks to his prowess as a fighter because even though he was starved and weak and kept prisoner for months, he still managed to make it a very close fight against a great fighter.
5. Bronn v Vardis Egen (Season 1 Episode 5)
Early on in season 1 after Tyrion is captured, the deranged Lysa Arryn calls for his execution on a bogus charge that she has absolutely no evidence for. Upon hearing this, Tyrion invokes his right to call a trial by combat against Lysa’s champion, Ser Vardis Egen. Bronn then steps up to the challenge as Tyrion’s champion and what follows is an exhilarating battle between 2 skilled fighters. Bronn’s speed and skill, however, are too much for Vardis and Bronn ends up killing him, consequently freeing Tyrion.
4. Brienne v The Hound (Season 4, Episode 10)
This is one of the most complete duels in the entire show as we get to see the whole thing from start to finish, and we even get a clear and decisive winner. Upon her quest to find the daughters of Catelyn Stark and protect them from further danger, she finally comes across Arya, who is journeying around with the Hound.
When she asks Arya to join her, The Hound steps up and says that Arya is already protected and being looked after, with neither of them willing to back down from their point. This leads to an intense duel between the 2 of them where they both get the better of each other multiple times, with Brienne eventually coming out on top and nearly killing Sandor by throwing him down a cliff. Arya doesn’t join either of them.
3. Jon v White Walker (Season 5, Episode 8)
This is an integral part of one of the greatest episodes in television history; Hardhome. This takes place when Jon and Tormund sail to Hardhome to get the rest of the remaining Wildlings to join their side and help them fight against the White Walkers and the army of the dead. They need the Wildlings in order to bolster their own numbers as well as to keep the numbers of the enemy as low as possible.
However, this all goes very wrong and the White Walkers attack while Jon is there, killing everyone and turning them into a part of their army. While this is happening, Jon gets into a 1v1 battle with a Walker. This Walker is a very formidable fighter as he is armed with his ice spear that can shatter swords on impact. However, Jon is no mere fighter and he has no mere sword. His Valyrian Steel sword puts him in even footing with the Walker but his skill puts him further, causing him to slay the Walker single-handedly.
2. Ned v Arthur Dayne (Season 6, Episode 3)
This wasn’t a duel for most of the runtime of the fight but it certainly ended with one. On his quest to rescue his little sister Lyanna, Ned found himself and his party face to face with the most dangerous of the Kingsguard outside the Tower of Joy in Dorne. This led to a fierce battle that saw the death of everyone but Ned and Howland Reed.
Ned came 1v1 against Arthur Dayne, the man said to be the greatest fighter to have ever lived. He slew much of Ned’s party using his advanced swordsmanship and when it was finally him against Ned at the end, he easily overpowered Ned. Just as he was about to strike the killing blow, he got backstabbed by Howland Reed. A tense moment that truly ended in tragedy.
1. The Mountain v The Viper (Season 4, Episode 8)
It couldn’t have been anything else. Season 4 was the best season of the entire show, and everything leading up to this trial by combat was nothing short of perfection. Part of what makes this battle so amazing was the fact that the entire season leading up to it was building it up and when the moment came, it lived up to it in droves.
It showed the agility and skill of Oberyn completely overcoming and getting the better of the sheer brutish strength of Gregor, with every little jab from his spear slowly poisoning the Mountain slowly. This caused Gregor to fall down and seemingly be defeated, causing the audience to breathe a sigh of relief as we all thought Tyrion had been saved and this monster was finally defeated.
This, however, proved to be incorrect. During Oberyn’s showboating and cockiness of taunting a downed Gregor, the Mountain was able to grab his leg and completely burst his head open like a watermelon, causing everyone to scream in terror as the reality set in of what was going to happen to Tyrion, as well as seeing a new fan favorite character die so viciously.
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