The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and the Game of Thrones TV series are certainly some of the best pieces of fantasy entertainment, which fans of the genre have received within the last 20 years. Their brilliantly portrayed and realized characters have greatly contributed to the popularity of the franchises.
Some of those heroes are magicians, others are beasts but all of them are more or less, warriors and fans of both fictional worlds can't help but compare their respective strengths and skills. Here are 10 exciting match-up battles between characters from both series that every J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin admirer would pay to see.
10 Treebeard vs. Wun Wun
Tremendously strong and strikingly built, the last surviving giant in the North and the leader of the Ents would produce a truly spectacular showdown. Wun Wun definitely has more of a fighting spirit than Treebeard who can literally put people to sleep with his niceness. When he gets angry, the walking tree can showcase his bigger punch range and quite possibly - greater overall physical power.
The Ent can lift massive boulders and hurl them with ease just like he demonstrated in The Two Towers. On the other hand, Wun Wun is surely better at handling weapons - particularly the gigantic bows and arrows that some giants used during the siege of the Wall in Season 4.
9 Ghost vs. Shelob
There is a significant difference in size between the enormous, ancient, creepy spider, lurking inside the cave above Minas Morgul and Jon Snow's favorite direwolf. Shelob is much more deadly because of her poisonous sting and for a beast of her size, she is unnaturally quiet judging by The Return of the King.
Ghost, however, is more battle-tested and has overcome numerous armed opponents unlike Shelob, who is preying on helpless victims. The white wolf is capable of taking down enemies quickly with a single well-placed bite and the Mordor creature's eyes are always wide open and vulnerable to an attack.
8 Eomer vs. Khal Drogo
As leaders of two of the most formidable cavalries ever depicted in a fantasy world, Eomer and Khal Drogo's confrontation would be even more intriguing if they face each other on a horse or better - in the midst of a battle. In a direct duel and on foot, the enormously built, insanely agile and skilled in close combat leader of the Dothraki is likely to have the upper hand.
The glorious Rohirrim commander's exquisite skills with sword, spear, bow, and arrow would give him the edge in the chaos of the battlefield. As a whole, Rohan's riders utilize better strategies and are certainly more disciplined and organized even if they can't quite match the Bloodriders' sheer savagery and athleticism.
7 Eowyn vs. Brienne
The best female warriors in their respective fictional universes have accomplished remarkable victories through their skills with the sword. Eowyn participated in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and ended up slaying the powerful Witch-King of Angmar, beheading his terrifying fell beast in the process.
Brienne defeated the mighty Hound, overpowered the legendary duellist Jamie Lannister and survived the grueling Battle of Winterfell. The Shield Maiden of Rohan will match the greater height and strength of Oathkeeper's wielder through her natural speed and exceptional evasion skills.
6 Arya vs. Witch-King
The beloved member of House Stark and the highly skilled Faceless assassin Arya Stark already finished off one dark, sorcerous king in the final season of Game of Thrones. The Greatest of the Nine or otherwise known as the one "no living man can kill" would be a worthy target for her.
The Witch-King of Angmar is capable of letting out a bone-chilling screech that terrifies his human foes, destroying enemy weapons through magic, as the extended versions of the movies show and he wields a ridiculously oversized mace. Arya doesn't need a special weapon to kill this particular King but she will definitely be forced to use the full extent of her abilities.
5 Legolas vs. Bronn
The prince of Mirkwood is renowned among fans for his irresistibly beautiful, effortless and dominant fighting technique. If there is one man from Westeros who can pose a threat to him that would most certainly be Bronn. Both have outstanding triumphs on their resume. Legolas has easily taken down trolls, oliphants, a record number of Uruk Hai and Orks.
Bronn destroyed approximately half of Stannis' army with a single shot, successfully hit Drogon in the Battle of Blackwater Rush in season 7 and has taken out numerous honorable opponents. He is fast, strong and experienced enough to stay alive in a battle with the Elf. Can he find a crack in Legolas' defense and land a killing blow before he gasses himself out against a virtually tireless opponent is another question.
4 Gandalf vs. Night King
Pitting the most terrifying, mysterious and powerful individual in A Song of Ice and Fire against the universally admired and inspiring protector of Middle Earth would be the very incarnation of the battle of good versus evil. Despite the fact that he defeated the Balrog of Morgoth, Gandalf proved to be inferior to the Witch-King of Angmar and this blue-eyed undead ruler is cut from an entirely different cloth.
Other than the fact that the leader of the Others has supernatural strength, not a lot is known about his combat skills. Does he have what it takes to oppose Gandalf's light beams, magical shields, and decent sword skills? Even if he doesn't, Mithrandir would still need a Valerian steel sword or a shard of dragon glass to win this great battle of wizards and finding a suitable replacement for those items will likely take a while.
3 Drogon vs. Balrog of Morgoth
If those two mythical creatures get to fight, it will hopefully be somewhere safely deep beneath the earth, where the ensuing firestorm won't incinerate everything and everyone in its path. Fully grown, Daenerys Targaryen's biggest dragon is nothing less than a killing machine with thick scales that protect him from all kinds of attacks, a destructive breath of fire, a powerful tail and piercing fangs.
But for all its might and greater size, the dragon is a mere baby compared to the Balrog, which has stayed alive and untouched for millennia. Durin's Bane is armed with a whip, a fire sword and is constantly engulfed in shadow and flame. If Drogon is to defeat him, he will surely have to keep his distance and count on his speed and ferocity to counter the demon's wisdom and magic.
2 Aragorn vs. Jon Snow
The greatest fighters of their time, each owning a sword with special abilities, gorgeous looks and a claim to the throne of a kingdom, Aragon and Jon Snow (Aegon Targaryen) can make a duel for the ages. The two of them would find it hard to cross blades due to their innate nobility.
Then again, they have defeated so many tough enemies such as Lurtz, White Walkers, Nazguls, and Karl Tanner and have survived through such an astounding number of horrifying battles such as the Siege of Helm's Deep, the Battle of the Bastards, the Siege of the Wall, the Battle at the Black Gate and the Battle of Winterfell that predicting the outcome of such a fight is simply impossible.
1 Ned Stark vs. Boromir
Sean Bean plays two very different characters in Tolkin and Martin's fantasy world adaptations and each of them is flawed in their own unique way. They have two things in common - first, both Boromir and Eddard Stark meet their deaths in the name of a worthy cause and second, they are both terrific warriors.
Ned Stark fought in many battles during his quest to free Westeros of tyranny and Boromir successfully defended his home from the forces of Mordor for long years. The Warden of the North is older and therefore - more experienced as the first season of the show proves. Boromir on the other hand, certainly seems like the more talented fighter, especially after he single-handedly took down an entire party of Uruk Hai in The Fellowship of the Ring.