Between the movies and TV, the sword-fighting skills that have been displayed have been everything from absolutely horrible to mesmerizing given that the choreography for various shows has become far superior to what used to be passed off as fighting. It’s easy to say that fans have appreciated it as well since it’s not too difficult to find out what’s realistic and what’s just a lot of fanciful dancing and foolish sword waving. To be fair, some of it is still considered a bit foolish by the experts and those that know the difference between a real sword fight and something that was created to entertain the audience. But the overall feeling is that some of the stuff we’ve seen in the various TV shows that employ these skills is absolutely amazing since while not all of it is practical, a good portion of it is worth a look, if not more. Here are ten of the best swordsmen, and women, on TV.
10. Spartacus – Spartacus: Blood and Sand
Some might want to replace Spartacus with something else, but in terms of how good the fights were and how impressive the choreography was for this show, it couldn’t be left off in good conscience. Plus, the idea of sending soldiers against gladiators is an interesting one since both are trained to kill, but soldiers are often trained to stop when a threat is neutralized, while gladiators were taught to fight to the death, with the only stopping point being when their opponent was down and the thumbs up or down was required to finish.
9. The Widow – Into the Badlands
I’ll admit that I almost gave this spot to Sunny, simply because the man is a living weapon. But it’s been seen that he can become emotional, which is a huge no-no when trying to fight someone like the Widow. Plus, the fact that her only shortcoming in this fight was that she wasn’t as strong as Sunny makes it easy to see that she wasn’t having that much trouble until he used his greater strength. But even then she wasn’t ready to give up.
8. Lagertha – Vikings
There wasn’t a shieldmaiden on this show that could have brought Lagertha down, and it’s fair to say that the physical difference between her and the last opponent was the only deciding factor since otherwise, she was handling him quite easily. What she lacked in strength though, she more than made up for in ferocity and determination.
7. Xena – Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena has been a favorite for years, and no list such as this is ever really complete without finding her on it, even if she manages to get knocked down a few pegs. For a long time now this character has been used as a measuring stick for others, and fans have even wondered if she’ll ever return. If it does happen one can bet that it will be a big deal.
6. Arya Stark – Game of Thrones
It is a big deal to get one over on Brienne of Tarth, especially considering who she’s managed to beat in the past. But given that Arya is more of an assassin than a standup fighter, it’s still easy to argue that she might not last that long if the two were to go full out. But then again, there’s no telling what kind of tricks she might use if the stakes were real. Just ask the Waif.
5. Duncan McLeod – Highlander
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc9lUiK5rYk
There’s been a debate over who would win in a fight to the death, without Connor giving himself up for the greater good, and a lot of people still feel that Duncan would win thanks to his skill set. But there are still plenty of fans that think that Connor might have a solid chance considering that he’s the one that taught Duncan, and there are plenty of ways to justify this.
4. Michonne – The Walking Dead
The easy argument to see here is that Michonne was fighting against walkers, opponents that aren’t exactly skillful but and do mob people, making it difficult to swing a blade at times or even get your bearings. But Michonne is still worth putting on the list since she’s skilled enough that even standing up to her is a sure way to sign one’s death warrant.
3. Ser Arthur Dayne – Game of Thrones
Dual-wielding is not unheard of and in fact, in D&D it’s actually something that a lot of people tend to try or fall headfirst into since it does create an engine of death if a person can master the style. Dayne was too good of a fighter to go out to a stab to the back, but then again, assuming that someone is done just because they’re wounded is a mistake that’s too easy to make in the heat of battle.
2. Ahsoka Tano – The Mandalorian
Out of all the characters that have graced each scene of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka is one of those that people went absolutely nuts about. She took a little while to get used to in the animated series, but as of now, Ahsoka Tano is by far one of the most loved characters in the Star Wars saga.
1. Geralt of Rivia – The Witcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuE1glBpaGs
The Witcher is returning soon and a lot of people are stoked to see it since watching Geralt take up his sword in order to dish out a bit of pain is something that a lot of people can’t get enough of. One has to wonder just who’s going to be left in his wake in the second season, and how many pieces they’ll be left in.
It’s a lot bloodier on average, but sword-fighting does feel a little more exciting than a gunfight now and then.
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