The 50 Best Game of Thrones Characters, Ranked
20. Ser Barristan Selmy
It ain’t a battle until Barristan the Bold (Ian McElhinney) drops in. He may have been old for a knight, but he had no problem carving through enemy combatants like a cake. He was over 60 years old and members of the Kingsguard were visibly frightened of him when he drew his weapon. That’s a guy you want on your side, but of course King Joffrey dropped him like a bad habit. Too bad for Joffrey, because Ser Barristan Selmy found a true home within Dany’s Queensguard.
He was regarded as one of the greatest knights the realm had ever seen, which he proved during his decades of service to multiple Westerosi kings. Like Ned, few could doubt his loyalty, straightforwardness, and dedication. Still, he carried around a lot of guilt for failing to protect the young Targaryen children, which may be what kept him fighting in the first place.
The audience enjoyed this character a lot, so naturally he had to die. But he went down swinging, tearing through a dozen or more Sons of the Harpy before meeting Grey Worm in that alleyway in Meereen. He was a fighter until the end and we’ll always think of him fondly.