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!

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 aboveis 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.

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.

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.

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Which other supernatural beings from Lord of the Rings should have made the list? Let us know in the comments!

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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.