Top 10 Badass Brienne of Tarth Moments

“What Is Dead May Never Die”

Let’s begin our list with our first introduction to Brienne. When Renly Baratheon, a one-time hopeful to the Iron Throne, holds a tournament, it’s fair to say that the formidable Knight of Flowers, Loras Tyrell is the favorite; both because of his skill and his rather close relationship with the would-be king. Yet, a tall masked fighter is able to battle and defeat Loras in an upset that soon proves a delight, at least to the audience, as it’s revealed that the warrior is a woman: Brienne of Tarth. Brienne’s martial prowess and her unconventional, forthright nature are refreshing, the fight is a good one, and the fact that she’s bold enough to ask for a place in Renly’s Kingsguard is pretty great too.

“Mother’s Mercy”

Sadly, Brienne’s stint as Renly’s bodyguard ends in tragedy after Renly’s brother Stannis has him killed with a magical assassin. Brienne devotes herself to other causes after the tragedy, but she never forgets about finding justice for her murdered king. She eventually gets the chance while in the North, after Stannis makes a disastrous attack on a Bolton-held Winterfell. Brienne finds Stannis wounded and alone and proceeds to execute Stannis for his crime. The Lannisters could learn a thing or two from Brienne of Tarth about paying their debts!

Various Episodes

One of the great advantages of “Game of Thrones”’ sprawling cast is that unexpected character relationships can form. One such matchup came when Brienne took on Tyrion’s former squire, Podrick Payne in her quest to protect the Stark girls. The bond that develops between the two is slow in coming at first, given Pod’s relative ineptitude at fighting, cooking, and other tasks, but it gradually develops into one of the sweetest and most genuine friendships on the show. Brienne shows Pod how to keep his guard up when fighting, while he in turn helps her lower her own emotional guard; at least around those close to her.

“Oathkeeper”

After going through many adventures with Jaime Lannister, Brienne is dismayed after both Stark girls leave King’s Landing. However, Jaime proves he has hidden depths by armoring Brienne in new, custom armor and gifting her with one of the Valyrian steel swords forged from Ned Stark’s own blade. While the moment is a step forward for Jaime, Brienne also shines in the scene, as her name for her new sword, Oathkeeper, is both a compliment to Jaime for holding to his word, and a reaffirmed promise to honor her own oaths.

“Valar Morghulis”

On the road to King’s Landing with Jaime as her prisoner, Brienne is disturbed to find three women hanging from a tree, evidently killed by Stark soldiers for “laying with Lions” – Lannister soldiers. The men responsible arrive, and Brienne and Jaime try to lie their way through the encounter; and Brienne no doubt tries to resist at least belting them for laughing at her for being a woman in armor and for the fact that they only gave two of the trio of dead women quick deaths. However, their ruse is soon seen through, necessitating that Brienne kill them, which she does with badass efficiency; giving the group of men two quick deaths of their own before exacting a more grisly one on the last.

“The Long Night”

The Great Battle of Winterfell is a massive, cinematic battle with a ton of standout moments throughout. Brienne gets a few moments to shine, with her back-to-back fighting alongside Jaime being a highlight. However, we have to give props to her leadership moment during the initial charge of the undead wights on the battlefield that has practically everyone quaking in their boots more than the cold. Brienne leads her troops and holds fast, telling them to “stand [their] ground.” We can’t say we’d have the clarity of mind to be that brave in the face of a literal wave of dead people!

“Dark Wings, Dark Words”

Brienne’s prisoner journey with Jaime is a taxing one, not only because of the dangers, but also because of her company. Jaime is incredibly rude and irritating along the way; frequently attempting to provoke her. Eventually he manages to get one of her swords and they engage in a duel on a bridge. Although Jaime isn’t in the best shape after his long imprisonment, it’s still fantastic to see Brienne defeat him with ease and knock him down a peg. We only wish we could have seen them fight while Jaime was at his best – physically speaking, at least.

“The Red Woman”

Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy experience a veritable hell at the hands of Ramsay Bolton, so after they finally escape his clutches, we feel as much despair as they do when it looks as though they’re about to be recaptured by Bolton men. So it’s a joy and a relief when Brienne and Pod come riding to their rescue. Although the fight itself is great, the best part about this moment is seeing Brienne finally be able to make good on her promise to Catelyn Stark and protect her daughter; swearing fealty to Sansa in much the same way she did to her mother.

“The Children”

Brienne’s efforts to protect the Stark girls have included many obstacles, and arguably the most formidable has been Sandor “The Hound” Clegane. The sad, mean bastard of a fighter takes Arya under his wing while trying to ransom her. When Brienne encounters them, he’s distrustful of her Lannister blade. Their ensuing fight is one of the most brutal duels in the series; involving swords, fisticuffs, and biting. The fact that Brienne is able to best and nearly kill one of the most hardened men in Westeros just proves how much of a badass she really is.





Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Brienne Fights a Bear

“The Bear and the Maiden Fair”



Swears Herself to Catelyn Stark

“The Ghost of Harrenhal”



Waiting for the Candle

“The Gift”

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

Brienne may be noble-born, but she’s never been a lady, always pursuing knightly activities and ideals; upholding a code of honor more than most knights in the Seven Kingdoms. But even she has never believed she could really be a knight. So on the eve of the Battle of Winterfell, when Jaime offers to knight Brienne, she denies her own dream at first. And while watching her and Jaime hook up is also satisfying, this is the real culmination of their relationship, since it was honor and knighthood that first caused them to bond. Seeing Brienne achieve her long held dream is truly heartwarming - just look at that smile!