of powerful forces, creatures, and beings. The world of the books
and the films is built upon successive incarnations of the good and
the wicked in conflict with each other. Those who strive to attain
greater power for themselves at the expense of others always face
brave resistance from the free peoples of Middle-earth and their
leaders. The raw power in The Lord of the
Rings tends to be held disproportionately
by sinister forces as the two Dark Lords, Morgoth and Sauron
threatened Middle-earth more than any other beings. But, there are
plenty of great forces, beings, and creatures that fight for good,
even if they cannot equal the Dark Lords in pure strength.
All throughout the films, we see powerful wizards, walking
trees, and giant eagles. They do battle with colossal dragons, fire
demons, and formidable wraiths, but there are plenty of
powerful beings in Tolkien’s books that we never see in the films
directly. The angelic Valar, a pantheon of higher spirits, watches
over Middle-earth and the people within it. This brought the first
light into the world and inspired the Elves, Men, and Dwarves to
fight for the greater good. However, how does their power rank
up against the more familiar wizards/creatures and Dark Lords? Who
holds the greatest power in Middle-earth and beyond? And who among
this series of fantastically magical beings can be considered the
weakest of the bunch, even if their relative power is still
considerable? Here are the 10 Strongest and 10 Weakest
Supernatural Beings in Lord of the Rings, Officially
Ranked!
CONTINUE SCROLLING TO KEEP
READING
20 STRONGEST: SARUMAN
Saruman was the leader of the Istari, a group of five Maiar
spirits dispatched to Middle-earth to oppose Sauron. While taking
the form of elderly, cloaked wizards, the Istari were meant to
unite and lead the free peoples of Middle-earth against Sauron.
Saruman was the wisest and most powerful wizard. He studied ancient
magic, historical lore, and speech craft. Eventually, the lure of
Sauron’s power influenced him and Saruman hatched designs on
ruling Middle-earth alongside the Dark Lord.
Saruman easily overpowered Gandalf during their duel in the
Tower of Orthanc and he also conjured mighty storms to impede the
Fellowship’s progress. With the palantir, Saruman also took control
of King Theoden of Rohan, crippling his kingdom while the forces of
Isengard pillaged the country.
19 WEAKEST: SMAUG
Smaug was the last known fire-drake in Middle-earth by the time
of the Third Age. Even though he was smaller and weaker than some
of his kind, Smaug was still a fire-breathing dragon larger than
most creatures in Middle-earth. The Dwarves of Erebor could not
withstand Smaug’s first assault on the Lonely Mountain and the
dragon forced the dwarves into exile, while none dared approach the
mountain while Smaug lurked within it. When the company of Thorin
Oakenshield tried to take back their home from Smaug, they faced
the full brunt of his strength and fiery breath.
In revenge for their attack, Smaug let loose his wrath on the
people of Laketown, eliminating hundreds and destroying the town
before Bard ended the dragon with a well-placed black
arrow.
18 STRONGEST: GANDALF
Gandalf was a much gentler and kinder wizard than Saruman.
Although he steadfastly worked toward defeating Sauron, he always
believed that friendship, courage, and love would win the day, not
raw power. As Gandalf the Gray, he made friends and allies with
people all throughout Middle-earth, but he had a special fondness
for Hobbits. His appraisal was not misplaced after all, since four
Hobbits played critical roles in the War of the Ring.
His own power was considerable, too. He stopped the Balrog from
giving chase to the Fellowship in Moria and when he returned as
Gandalf the White, his power became greater still. He banished
Saruman from possessing Theoden and his staff could ward away the
Ring Wraith’s Fell Beasts.
17 WEAKEST: DURIN’S BANE
The Balrogs were Maiar spirits that chose to follow Morgoth and
took up dark powers of shadow and flame. Most of the Balrogs were
defeated long before the Third Age, but the dwarves of Moria
learned the hard way that not all the Balrogs were gone. In their
avarice for mithril, they awakened the Balrog and it slew their
king Durin VI.
From then on, the Balrog was known as Durin’s Bane, a great
creature with wings, hooves, and horns. In battle, it could conjure
giant, magical versions of ordinary weapons like whips and swords
(except those made of fire), causing the Fellowship to flee from
it. After Durin’s Bane and Gandalf both fell from the Bridge of
Khazad-dûm, the two battled until they both perished.
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16 STRONGEST: ANCALAGON
Morgoth was the first Dark Lord to rule over Middle-earth. With
his great powers, he created dangerous beasts like the world had
never seen before. In the final battle of the War of Wrath, Morgoth
unleashed his most destructive servants, the winged dragons of
Angband.
Ancalagon the Black, the largest and mightiest dragon, led these
creatures, and although his exact size is not specified, it is
still hotly debated by Tolkien fans (but he was at least several
times larger than Smaug). The picture above[1]is at least one artistic
rendering. Eärendil, a half-elven mariner, battled against
Ancalagon with a host of Eagles and ultimately ended him.
15 WEAKEST: THE KING OF THE DEAD
In the Second Age, an ancient race of men separated from the
Númenóreans of Gondor, dwelt in the mountains. They swore fealty to
Isildur and to fight alongside him when he called, but when they
did not join Isildur in the first war against Sauron, Isildur
cursed them. The Men of the Mountain roamed as phantoms, never to
gain freedom from their curse until they fulfilled their oaths.
Centuries later, Aragorn called on the Oathbreakers to fight
against Mordor, and once they agreed, their fury was relentless.
The King of the Dead could not be harmed by normal weapons, yet he
and his army could rush like the wind and scatter their opponents
like dust. Not even a Mumakil could resist their onslaught.
14 STRONGEST: SAURON
Sauron started as a Maiar spirit learning the ways of
craftsmanship. When Morgoth started his own campaign to warp and
conquer Middle-earth, Sauron joined him and became his top
lieutenant. After Morgoth fell, Sauron went into hiding until he
built up enough power and armies of his own to threaten
Middle-earth. While embodied, Sauron was an
imposing, formidable foe in battle.
His greatest gambit was tricking the Elves into forging Rings of
Power, while secretly creating a ring for himself that could
influence the bearers of the lesser rings: the One Ring to rule
them all. Even if Sauron was defeated, the Ring itself contained
his indomitable will to seize all life. Only those of the
purest of hearts could hope to resist the Ring’s influence.
13 WEAKEST: THE WITCH KING
The Ringwraiths were Sauron’s servants. Originally, they were
all men of great renown in their times, but the influence of
Sauron’s rings of power corrupted them until they turned into
spectral beings ready to perform the Dark Lord’s
bidding.
The leader of the Ringwraiths was known as the Witch King. He
had all the dangerous powers of his fellows including a
mighty-winged stead and voice that immobilized the hearts of
mortals with despair. The Witch King also wielded great melee
weapons like a spiked mace that was larger than any man could hold.
In a confrontation with Gandalf near the top of Minas Tirith, The
Witch King’s flaming sword broke Gandalf’s staff. In the end, he
was beaten by the precise blows of Meriadoc Brandybuck and Éowyn of
Rohan.
12 STRONGEST: TULKAS
Tulkas is the most combative of the angelic Valar, who watch
over the light and the free peoples of Middle-earth. They each have
their own domains of power and influence, and Tulkas lives to
fight. When the Valar fought against Melkor for the first time, the
battle seemed lost until Tulkas showed up. He burst forth onto the
scene with such speed and strength that he needed no stead or
weapon, which is where Melkor witnessed the wrath and strength of
Tulkas and fled.
Tulkas may have been stronger than Melkor at that point, but
Tulkas was not wise or patient. As a result, Tulkas urged his
fellow Valar to pursue and punish Melkor to the ends of the world,
but they could not find Melkor while he weaved his treachery among
the mortals in Middle-earth.
11 WEAKEST: GWAIHIR
The Giant Eagles are messengers of Manwë, Lord of the Valar.
Eagles are swift, strong, and capable of speech, and throughout the
history of Middle-earth, the Eagles have flown to the aid of the
good guys multiple times. By the Third Age, the swiftest and
greatest of all the Eagles was Gwaihir, who was very close with
Gandalf and Galadriel. When Saruman held Gandalf captive atop the
tower of Orthanc, Gwaihir flew in during one autumn night to free
him and carry Gandalf to safety.
Thanks to their size and speed, Eagles could knock over whole
hordes of orcs like dominos and they can also go talon-to-talon
with the Fell Beasts of the Ringwraiths.
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10 STRONGEST: YAVANNA
Yavanna is one of the Valar spirits who holds domain over all
the growing flora found throughout the world. All trees, plants,
fruits, and fungi originate from her. When the Valar began shaping
the world through song, Yavanna sang of great branches that would
make the world green and provide aplenty.
Yavanna’s greatest creations were the Two Trees: silver
Telperion and Golden Laurelin, which shone bright enough to light
the entire world. However, Melkor and the spider progenitor
Ungoliant destroyed the trees, but Yavanna and the Valar managed to
collect a single flower from Telperion and a single fruit from
Laurelin, creating the Moon and the Sun, respectively. Yavanna also
inspired Eru Iluvatar to create the Ents, so that some beings would
watch over her creations in Middle-earth.
9 WEAKEST: TREEBEARD
Treebeard is the leader of the Ents, and as gigantic, arboreal
creatures, they inhabit and watch over the forests of Middle-earth.
Ents are slow and deliberate in their words and their actions, but
if any threaten their domain, they can wield tremendous strength.
In the earliest ages of Middle-earth, Ents roamed all over the
lands through interconnected forests, but as the kingdoms of men
grew, and dark creatures fueled their war machines, the forest
dwindled. Eventually, the Ents came to reside only in Fangorn
Forest just north of Isengard.
Merry and Pippin found themselves in Fangorn Forrest after
getting separated from the Fellowship and they convinced
Treebeard and the Ents to rise up against Saruman and stop the
destruction of their home.
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8 STRONGEST: VARDA
Varda is the Queen of the Valar and the wife of Manwë, Lord of
the Valar. She knows all light that exists in all the world. No
words, verse, or song can sufficiently describe her beauty, for
they say that the light of creation itself shines from her face.
Varda distrusted Melkor immediately and Melkor was most wary of
Varda in turn since her power of light was inaccessible to him. No
matter how many times Melkor destroyed the sources of light that
she created, she kept finding new ways to bring light to the
world.
Elves hold Varda in particularly high regard. When they first
awoke in Middle-earth, they witnessed spectacular starlight in the
heavens, which Varda had placed there just to inspire the
Elves.
7 WEAKEST: SHELOB
Shelob was a gigantic arachnid creature descended from the first
great spider Ungoliant. Shelob’s ancestors fought for Morgoth
during his dominion over Middle-earth, and although Shelob was not
quite a servant of Sauron, they made natural allies. From her lair
in the pass of Cirith Ungol, Shelob made an effective deterrent to
any intruders into Mordor for Sauron. For Shelob,
Sauron’s behavior meant that she would occasionally receive
gifts of fresh meat.
Shelob had all the speed and strength of spiders blown up to her
own proportional size, meaning she could chase down any prey that
entered her lair and encase them in webs within seconds. But, she
was vulnerable to injury from regular weapons and she could not
stand light from the phial of Galadriel.
6 STRONGEST: MANWË
Manwë is the Lord of the Valar and King of the physical realms
in the Lord of the Rings series. As a spirit,
his purview includes the winds and the sky with the Great Eagles
serving as his messengers and agents. Manwë is closest to the mind
of Eru Iluvatar and best understands his divine vision for the
world.
Melkor and Manwë are like brothers, and because of their
connection, Manwë repeatedly underestimated Melkor’s drive to
attain greater power and twist the world. Melkor convinced Manwë of
his penitence, only to sew further chaos in the world once he was
free, but Manwë did not shy away from confronting Melkor when the
time came to stop his wicked schemes.
5 WEAKEST: RADAGAST
Radagast is a member of the order of Wizards. Even though the
Valar had separated their realm from Middle-earth by the Third Age,
they worried over the fate of the free peoples with Sauron
returning. Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast all came to Middle-earth
to help the free peoples.
Radagast is perhaps the most humble of the wizards in
Middle-earth and he has the greatest kinship with plants and
animals. In The Hobbit films, he relies on
herbal concoctions to perform healing magic on injured creatures.
Radagast travels over land by sled, pulled by a troop of Rhosgobel
Rabbits. On this sled, Radagast outran and outmaneuvered a pack of
wargs that were giving chase to Thorin’s company.
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4 STRONGEST: MELKOR
Melkor was the first and most powerful spirit created by Eru
Illuvatar. Eru wanted Melkor to contribute to his music and
help shape the world, but Melkor quickly hatched his own,
discordant designs on Middle-earth and the beings that would
populate it. Melkor may have even held power equal to all of the
Valar combined.
Wherever the Valar toiled to bring light and order to the world,
Melkor marred their efforts with darkness and chaos, he even
created all the original orcs, Balrogs, and dragons. Towards the
end of the First Age, all of Middle-earth and the free peoples
therein became servants and oppressed by Melkor. For his crimes and
treachery, the Elves renamed Melkor “Morgoth,” and it took the
combined might of all the Valar, Elves, Men, Dwarves, and Eagles to
finally defeat him.
3 WEAKEST: TOM BOMBADIL
Tom Bombadil is a very mysterious figure in Middle-earth.
Although legends claim that he existed in the world even before
Melkor and the Valar arrived, no one knows how he came into being,
but he did bear witness to all the struggles and changes that came
to Middle-earth.
Tom appears as a stocky man with a blue coat and hat who dwells
in the Old Forest. Unfortunately, no screen adaptations
of The Lord of the Rings books have included
him, yet. However, in the first book, Tom has the Hobbits Frodo,
Samwise, Merry, and Pippin as guests in his house. Tom doesn’t
wield much overt power, but he was the master of the Forest. When
he convinced Frodo to show him the One Ring, the Ring had no effect
on Tom whatsoever.
2 STRONGEST: ERU ILUVATAR
In Tolkien’s tales of Middle-earth, Eru Iluvatar is the Supreme
Being from which all things originated and he is transcendental,
having always existed beyond any physical, tangible realm. His
thoughts created the race of spirits called the Ainur, including
Melkor, Manwë, and the other Valar. Together, Eru and his brain
children sang the Music of the Ainur and brought the universe to
life as the characters know it.
Eru intended to populate the world with sentient beings, the
Elves and the Men. He created these people himself and awakened
them in Middle-earth when they were ready. He also holds unique
knowledge of the ultimate destinies of Men and Elves and what the
End of the Universe will be like.
1 WEAKEST: BEORN
Beorn was one of the last race of beings known as Skin-changers
and appeared as a tall, broad man, but he could also transform into
a great bear. No one knows exactly where his people came from, but
their numbers and territory are greatly reduced today from ages
past.
Beorn is slow to trust and dislikes orcs and goblins in
general: he’s not very fond of dwarves either and thinks them
greedy. However, he agreed to shelter and help Gandalf and the
company of Thorin Oakenshield. After Thorin took back Erebor, Beorn
came to his aid and fought against the goblins and wargs in the
Battle of the Five Armies.
—
Which other supernatural beings from Lord of
the Rings should have made the list? Let us know
in the comments!
next
Although a lot of the time, it seems no matter who you are, even if
you don’t play the game of thrones, you’re likely to die. That is,
unless you’re one of these warriors, nobles or creatures of legend.
They come from all corners of George R.R. Martin’s dark fantasy
world and they all have one thing in common: they’ve survived
through sheer strength. While it’s important to note that these
characters have each exhibited strength in all its forms (strength
of will, strength of character, etc…), we’re mostly talking about
how they use their physical strength and skills to dominate the
world around them.
So who’s the strongest character in all of Westeros and Essos?
To answer that question, we’ve ranked each character according to
the feats of strength they’ve displayed. Of course, even though
we’re focusing on physical strength, we will take the more abstract
aspects of that concept into account, because in the end, it’s all
important when navigating the harsh laws of medieval society and
dark fantasy. That does mean that characters like Daenerys
and Tywin Lannister — powerful as they may be (or may have
been) in other respects — will not be appearing on this list. For
the sake of fairness, we’ll be looking at these characters as they
were at their peak. It’s also worth noting that we will not be
taking the books into account. Now that that’s clear, let’s take a
look at the strongest beings in Game of Thrones.
30THEON
GREYJOY
Since the first season, Theon has been through quite a journey
and he’s proven that he is far from the strongest warrior in
Westeros. Where other characters have proven themselves capable of
performing clean executions, Theon had trouble executing Ser
Rodrick at Winterfell. It took not one, not two, but three swings
of his sword for Theon to behead the former master-at-arms.
Theon has endured a lot over the course of the show and has
learned to keep fighting even if he isn’t the strongest in the
fray. He proved that during his fistfight with the ironborn soldier
who refused to obey his command. After being beaten to within
an inch of his life, Theon rose up and struck back, finding
victory. Whatever your thoughts are of Theon, it’s undeniable that
there’s a strength there worth praising.
29SHAE
Judging by her readiness to kill and her general attitude,
there’s no doubt that Shae is a fighter. Very little is known about
her as she never revealed her origin or how she came to be at that
camp where she met Tyrion, but we can gather that she’s been
through quite a lot of hardships and violence. It’s why she
was ready to murder the handmaiden who would have told Cercei that
Sansa was ready to bear children.
She was never seen in an actual fight so there’s no way of
knowing how strong she is or how skilled she is with knives, which
seem to be her weapon of choice. The fact that she doesn’t shy away
from fights suggests that she’s more than capable of holding her
own. She might have actually overpowered Tyrion in the end, if it
weren’t for that golden necklace.
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28YGRITTE
Like most other wildlings, Ygritte endured a harsh life growing
up beyond the Wall. It’s likely how she developed her skills as a
hunter and a fighter. The show made it very clear that Ygritte is
an exceptional archer. Tormund said that he’d seen her hit a
rabbit’s eye from 200 yards. That kind of steady aim requires a lot
of strength, as any archer would know.
Other than that, she’s proven her strength by tussling with Jon
Snow more than once and by scaling the height of The Wall. She’s an
extremely capable wildling warrior but she seems to be deadlier at
a distance as opposed to close combat, which is where she’s at a
disadvantage when up against the others on this list.
27ROBB
STARK
The Young Wolf proved himself a worthy opponent to the feared
Tywin Lannister. He was as good a fighter as the rest of them, as
we could see when he took on the wildlings who threatened Bran.
What really distinguished him from others was the fact that he knew
his limits. When Jamie Lannister offered to end the war with a
duel, Robb declined because he knew he wouldn’t win.
Unfortunately, his limited skill and strength in combat is why
he ranks this low on the list. He’s something of a military
mastermind, but he’s young and relatively inexperienced in combat.
All things considered, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Even if he
was a master combatant, he couldn’t have escaped the bloody ambush
at the Twins.
26GENDRY
Gendry was simply a blacksmith’s apprentice and one of the many
illegitimate children of the debauched King Robert Baratheon. He
trained with the weapons he helped to make but as we saw in
Harrenhal, he wasn’t exactly a master swordsman. His weapon of
choice, as we later discovered, is a war hammer.
During his escape from King’s Landing in the seventh season, he
proved himself effective with the hammer when he dispatched two
gold cloaks as they were about to seize Tyrion. Much like his
father was, Gendry is a mighty combatant. However, so far we’ve
only seen him up against wights, making it difficult to ascertain
just how strong he is when fighting other formidable opponents.
25LORAS
TYRELL
We never quite got to see Ser Loras of Highgarden in intense
combat before his death at the Great Sept of Baelor, but there are
two great examples by which we may judge his strength. The first is
his performance at the tourney when he jousted against the
Mountain. He managed to knock the colossal knight off of his horse.
That took a great amount of strength and steadiness.
The second great example is his duel with Brienne of Tarth,
which he lost. He handled himself well but was unfortunately not
strong enough to defeat her. That’s why, although he’s a formidable
opponent at tourneys — reportedly defeating Jaime Lannister
at one — he shouldn’t be seen as that great a warrior, at
least not as he’s depicted in the show.
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24OBARA
SAND
Seemingly the toughest of the Sand Snakes, the eldest of
Oberyn’s daughters relied only on her strength in combat. The first
look we’re given as to that strength was during her introduction in
the fifth season when she threw a spear right through the head of a
captured merchant. Before that, she gave Ellaria a speech about the
weapon she chose when she was just a girl, meaning she had likely
trained since she was very young.
That experience and training showed when she battled Bronn and
Jamie in the Water Gardens in Sunspear, Dorne. It’s difficult
to determine what the outcome of that battle would have been if it
hadn’t been interrupted by Areo Hotah and the Martell guards. Obara
was definitely her father’s daughter.
23RAMSAY
SNOW
Cruel, sociopathic, maddeningly strategic and villainous to the
core — unlike most of the characters in Game of
Thrones — Ramsay Snow, later Bolton, is someone you
definitely don’t want to mess with. He’s a decent archer, a
fearless fighter and a sadist. Unfortunately for him (and
fortunately for everyone else), he’s not quite the strongest
warrior out there in Westeros.
He enjoys pain, which is evident in his relationship with
Myranda. It’s also evident in the way he rushed into battle without
armor when Yara and the ironborn invaded the Dreadfort. Armed with
just a hand axe and a short sword, he managed to dispatch his fair
share of fully-armored and shielded ironborn soldiers. Despicable
as he may be, that’s still an admirable feat of strength and
skill.
22YARA
GREYJOY
A true ironborn warrior, Yara Greyjoy exhibited everything old
Balon wanted to see in each one of his sons. She’s a fearless
captain and a deadly warrior. Those qualities allowed her to fight
her way into the Dreadfort with just a handful of soldiers at her
side.
During that battle, she managed to defeat the Bolton guards and
corner Ramsay. He might very well have been killed if it
weren’t for his dogs and the fact that Yara believed her brother to
be lost to the submissive creature named Reek. Her strength and
bravery is the reason why Yara is such a strong contender for the
throne of the Iron Islands. Over the course of the show, Yara has
only truly been bested by one person: her borderline insane
uncle.
21BRONN
Over the course of the series, Bronn has gone from common
sellsword, to bodyguard, to commander of the city watch, to knight,
all because — as he told Oberyn — he killed the right people. He’s
an exemplary fighter and while he’s usually ready to take on any
opponent, he knows his limits, which is why he refused to fight The
Mountain for Tyrion.
Aside from that, as we said, Bronn readily fights everyone else,
relying on his strength and speed to take on adversaries like the
Hill Tribe warriors or the soldiers of Stannis’ army. More than
that, he uses his head in combat, which often leads to the use of
dirty tactics. It might be unfair, but it shouldn’t detract from
his many feats of strength.
20JORAH
MORMONT
Jorah the Andal has a long history as a soldier. He fought to
quash the Greyjoy Rebellion and was knighted by King Robert
Baratheon. After he sold poachers into slavery and fled into exile,
Jorah eventually found himself marching and fighting alongside a
Dothraki horde before finally being appointed as Daenerys’
bodyguard.
He may be old, but he consistently proves himself in combat. He
fought Dothraki soldiers in the first season, he fought in the
fighting pits of Meereen to get back to Daenerys and more recently,
he fought an army of wights alongside Jon Snow and company. There
can be no doubt about Jorah’s strength as a soldier. That being
said, there are several soldiers who have proven themselves even
stronger.
19EURON
GREYJOY
Euron seemingly emerged out of nowhere, murdered his brother
Balon and took over the Iron Islands by force, forcing his nephew
and niece into exile. Euron has authority in Westeros. He commands
the Iron Fleet and has allied himself with the ruler of the Seven
Kingdoms, Queen Cercei. He was able to achieve all that thanks to
his strength and skill in combat.
He has said that he has travelled the world and seen many things
and the experience shows in his readiness and frivolousness in
combat. He laughs as he swings the sword and doesn’t seem to fear
death, which suggests that he’s faced worse and grown from it. It’s
likely why he was able to duel his niece Yara and capture her
mid-battle during the Assault on the Targaryen Fleet. He proved to
be the stronger. In fact, just before that fight, he defeated Obara
Sand with her own spear and lifted her body off the ground in a
tragic but impressive display of physical strength.
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18STANNIS
BARATHEON
Stannis was a warrior at heart. He was famously stoic and almost
never smiled before his demise at the hands of Brienne. He was an
experienced soldier and it showed in the way he endured even the
most excruciating battle wounds, as he did after his failed assault
on Winterfell.
He limped through the woods, bleeding out and even then, he was
able to take on two Bolton soldiers and defeat them. That strength
and endurance is the reason why so many people, such as Ned
Stark, respected Stannis Baratheon and trusted him to lead in
battle and times of struggle.
17BARRISTAN
SELMY
The former lord commander of the Kingsguard was commanded to
step down by Joffrey because of Selmy’s failure to protect King
Robert from the boar that ultimately killed him. That was a
mistake, as Selmy is among the strongest knights in the kingdom.
When he claimed that he could cut down the other knights of the
Kingsguard, he wasn’t exaggerating.
That was made abundantly clear in Selmy’s last moments when he
took on a horde of the Sons of the Harpy in Meereen. He managed to
slay more than a dozen of his attackers before he was finally
defeated. It was thanks to Ser Barristan’s undeniable strength that
saved Grey Worm from certain death that day.
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16NED
STARK
Even in his youth, Stark was a powerful soldier. He was able to
hold his own against the more experienced Arthur Dayne below the
Tower of Joy, after the latter — along with Gerold Hightower — had
slaughtered the four soldiers accompanying him. As he got
older, his skill and strength only improved and we see that several
times throughout the first season.
The first bit of evidence that speaks to Ned Stark’s strength is
the fact that he wielded a greatsword of Valyrian steel with ease.
Then there was his duel with Jamie Lannister in the streets of
King’s Landing. Jamie’s mastery of the sword was well known across
Westeros, but Ned was able to fight him and might have actually
beaten him if it weren’t for the Lannister soldier that wounded
him.
15OBERYN
MARTELL
The Viper was known for his speed in a fight. The first time we
see that was in Littlefinger’s brothel in King’s Landing, where
Oberyn nearly killed a Lannister guard for insulting him… and for
fighting for the Lannisters. He was able to draw his blade and fix
it into the guard’s wrist before the guard even had a chance to
draw his sword.
Then there’s Oberyn’s climactic duel against The Mountain. For
the most part, Oberyn fought using his speed and agility, both of
which require a certain amount of strength. Even more impressive,
yet easily missed, is the fact that Oberyn was able to even parry
the giant knight’s greatsword. He may have lost the battle — rather
spectacularly at that — but he showed great strength before he
did.
14JAIME
LANNISTER
In his prime, before he lost his hand, Jaime was known as one of
Westeros’ greatest swordsmen, if
not the greatest. We saw the
Kingslayer take on Ned Stark in front of Littlefinger’s
brothel in King’s Landing and he managed to be doing quite well
before one of his guards intervened.
Even more impressive is the fact that he managed to hold his own
against Brienne of Tarth while his hands were bound and after weeks
of relative inactivity. Even after the loss of his hand, Jaime
displayed strength in almost all its forms. His strength was
clearest in the Battle of the Goldroad, when Daenerys unleashed her
dragon upon the Lannister army. Bravely, even after all he had
witnessed, after ending more than one Dothraki screamer, he
mustered the courage and strength to charge at a full grown
dragon.
13DAARIO
NAHARIS
The former lieutenant of the of the Second Sons sellsword
company, Daario, was molded by the unforgiving societies of Essos.
He told Dany that he was sold by his mother at the age of 12
and ended up fighting in the pits where he earned fame. When his
master died, he offered his strength and skills to any who could
afford it, as a sellsword.
Aside from that little contest he had with Grey Worm where they
held their swords in the air the entire morning, Daario proved his
strength once again in the fighting pits, when he helped to defend
Daenerys and Missandei from the swarm of Sons of the Harpy before
Drogon arrived to end the attack completely.
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12GREY
WORM
Each of the Unsullied were trained, often from birth, to fight.
They trained from dawn to dusk with a variety of weapons. They were
broken down from the inside so simple, thoughtless soldiers could
be forged. The process was cruel — Master Kraznys stated that only
one in four survived — but it produced soldiers of purportedly
unmatched skill.
Grey Worm was one out of eight thousand and has proven himself
to be an exceptional soldier of the Unsullied. He has proven
himself to be at least as strong as Daario Naharis. What
distinguishes him in strength is the fact that, unlike other
Unsullied, who perished at the hands of the Sons of the Harpy, Grey
Worm managed to survive his ambush, fighting the Sons to the last
man.
11JEOR
MORMONT
Lord Commander Mormont was feared by some, beloved by others and
respected by all at the Night’s Watch. He was a hardened soldier
who readily faced the horrors Beyond the Wall, undeterred by
supernatural creatures such as the undead wights. That’s likely why
he was able to survive the attack on the Fist of the First Men at
the end of the second season.
Mormont exhibited great strength in everything he did until the
bitter end. His strength is what kept him standing even after being
stabbed in the back. He managed to hold Rast in the air by the
throat for quite a long time after being mortally wounded. It’s
that kind of strength that earned him the nickname “The Old
Bear.”
10JON
SNOW
Here’s where we start delving into the mystical. There’s much
more to Jon Snow than meets the eye. His return from death proves
that the Lord of Light watches over him. Whether or not R’llor
aided him in battle is up for debate. What’s certain is the fact
that Jon has proven himself more capable than most other characters
in the show. He’s fought everything from rogue members of the
Night’s Watch and Free Folk to White Walkers.
He doesn’t run from battle; in fact, even when death seems
certain, he charges into it and so far, he has always emerged
victorious, thanks to pure might and fury. For his strength, both
physical as well as his strength of character, those he leads are
generally incredibly loyal.
9TORMUND
GIANTSBANE
There is little doubt that Tormund is among the strongest of the
Free Folk north of the Wall. We saw his incredible strength in the
way he scaled the Wall and still managed to stand where the others
had to collapse momentarily to catch their breath. We also saw his
strength during the wilding attack on the Wall.
His wild and powerful attacks were more than enough to dominate
Ser Alisser Thorne in one-on-one combat. He fights with a singular
ferocity and confidence. It’s why he was chosen to lead his
battalion of wildlings and it’s why other wildlings respect him, no
matter what clan they come from… except for those terrible Thenns,
but they don’t respect anyone.
8THE
HOUND
There’s a reason why Sandor Clegane has been able to move about
Westeros with the kind of freedom no other character seems to
possess. Remember that this is the man who insulted the king and
walked away from his place in King’s Landing, confident that no one
would stand in his way. Sandor is one of the strongest fighters in
Westeros and that was made clear in the first season at the Hand’s
tourney.
Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, lost his joust against Loras
Tyrell and in a fit of rage, attacked Ser Loras. Luckily, Sandor
intervened and duelled his brother to save the Knight of the
Flowers. He held his own in that duel, which is impressive,
considering the Mountain’s size and elephantine strength.
7BRIENNE OF
TARTH
Brienne wasn’t like other ladies in Westerosi society. For one
thing, she was bigger. She also enjoyed fighting, which is why her
father, Lord Selwyn Tarth, decided to have her trained in the use
of swords so she could fight properly. Her skill and strength has
served her extremely well. She was easily able to defeat Loras
Tyrell in a duel, earning her the title of Kingsguard to Renly
Baratheon.
In a great show of her strength, Brienne was able to take on
Sandor Clegane. She fought him first with her sword before they
both moved on to using their fists and brute strength.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know if Brienne would have truly emerged
victorious since it was gravity that ended up defeating the
Hound.
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6KHAL
DROGO
In Dothraki culture, warriors who are defeated must cut off
their braids. Khal Drogo’s braid was significantly longer than
most, meaning he was never defeated in combat. What ultimately
ended his rule over the Dothraki horde was poison and witchcraft,
courtesy of Mirri Maz Duur.
It’s easy to see why he was never defeated. In the one and only
fight we see Drogo engage in, he drops his weapon and relies purely
on his own physical strength. With his bare hands, Drogo manages to
almost literally tear his opponent, Mago, apart, by tearing Mago’s
tongue out through his open throat. He even takes a strike to the
chest and barely flinches, showing immense strength.
5THE
MOUNTAIN
Even when he was alive, Ser Gregor Clegane was a nearly
unstoppable fighter, able to cleave a man in two with just one
swing of his sword. That indomitable brute strength is what earned
him command over his own unit during the War of the Five Kings and
it’s why he was, and continues to be, Cercei’s most valued knight.
So valued was he that Cercei saw fit to have Qyburn raise him from
what looked to be certain death.
The Mountain’s strength is made abundantly clear throughout the
show and not just through other characters talking about
it. There was the Hand’s tourney when, in a fit of rage, he
beheaded his horse with a single swing. Then there’s his fight with
Oberyn Martell, when lifts the Viper with one arm and proceeds to
crush his head. It’s horrific but a clear example of his physical
power; the strongest human in the show.
4WUN WUN
Far stronger than any human are the giants from beyond the Wall.
Wun Wun — though seemingly the last of his kind — was a testament
to the strength of the giants. When Jon Snow first met him at
Hardhome, they were forced to fight their way to the boats. That’s
when Wun Wun first proved just how physically powerful he was.
He tore the wights apart and managed to destroy them by lifting
and swinging a giant log. Few other characters on the show are
capable of those feats. No one else could simply punch their way
through the gates of Winterfell or endure dozens of crossbow bolts
and arrows for as long as Wun Wun did in his final moments… except
for our last three.
3THE NIGHT
KING
As Bran witnessed for himself, the Night King was created
thousands of years ago to help protect the Children of the Forest
from the First Men. Not only is he capable of effortlessly raising
the dead, creating White Walkers from inbred babies and mystically
marking his targets, the Night King is also incredibly strong.
All other White Walkers on the show have exhibited unnatural
strength, so we can assume that the Night King is at least just as
strong, if not stronger, in combat. We’ve only seen him physically
kill one thing: Vyserion. It took just one throw. Before Daenerys’
dragons could obliterate his army of wights, the Night King hurls a
spear far into the air with such force that it managed to pierce
the hide of Vyserion and kill him. That’s more strength than most
creatures have shown.
2RHAEGAL AND
VISERION
For the sake of simplicity, we’re treating these two
Dragons as creatures of legendary strength. They are each
capable of great destruction and not just because of the mystical
power behind their fiery breath. Their physical strength allowed
them to destroy the walls of their prison in Meereen when it was
time to join Drogon and Daenerys in retaking the city from the
slave-owning invaders.
Even after being starved and imprisoned, these two dragons still
proved to be active and dangerous, which speaks to the
inconceivable level of strength they possess. We must also consider
the strength of their breath, which destroyed the thick stone door
to their prison and incinerated an entire ship, easily.
1DROGON
The largest of Daenerys’ dragons was given the nickname, the
Winged Shadow, owing to the black of his scales and wings and the
sheer size of him. Drogon has always been the most aggressive of
the three and because he was able to roam free, he has proven
himself to be the most powerful.
Drogon is no stranger to combat. Even when he was a much
smaller, younger dragon, Drogon was clearly stronger than any human
and managed to incinerate Master Kraznys, easily. When he grew
larger, he was able to take on dozens of Sons of the Harpy during
the attack in the fighting pits, enduring their spears. It was easy
to see how terrifying Drogon would become later on. When he finally
unleashed his power upon the Lannister army, the raw power of his
fire and his ability to keep flying, even after being wounded by
the scorpion, was something we all knew he was capable of.
References
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picture above
(www.artstation.com)