A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms introduces a new character who joins the ranks of the most notable knights in Westeros. Before getting his own spinoff show, Ser Duncan the Tall was mentioned in Game of Thrones as being considered one of the greatest knights of all time. However, the show itself also proved there were other strong contenders for that title.
While the likes of Jon Snow and Arya Stark proved themselves great fighters, they weren't knights. The qualities of the following knights go beyond skills with a sword. Their dedication and effectiveness in protecting kings and queens, and serving as a shield for the kingdom, proved how well-suited they were for their honored positions.
5. Barristan Selmy
Being a knight in Westeros is a young person's game, but Barristan Selmy showed that age is of little hindrance to him. A legendary knight even before the series began, Selmy served two kings and a queen before he ultimately met his end as Daenerys Targaryen's trusted knight in Meereen. Of course, he died fighting, showing his warrior skills were still sharp.
His decision to serve Daenerys reveals his moral center, as he seeks to utilize his skills to support a leader he believes in. However, his greatest moment as a knight was certainly stripping off his armor and calling out the new king, Joffrey Baratheon, before leaving King's Landing behind.
4. Gregor Clegane
Gregor Clegane, a.k.a. The Mountain, is a perfect example of how a great knight doesn't necessarily have to be a good person. There were a lot of evil men who served as knights in Westeros, but The Mountain was the worst of them all, inspiring fear in the whole kingdom. However, few knights were as effective as he.
Seen as Tywin Lannister's "mad dog," his immense size and deadliness made him an ideal weapon to point towards any enemy. In fact, death only made him more powerful as he became a mindless monster who seemed to have no thoughts other than serving Cersei Lannister's sadistic whims. With Ser Gregor by her side, few sought to challenge her.
3. Jaime Lannister
Jaime Lannister is another deeply flawed knight, as proven in the first episode of the series when he pushes young Bran Stark out of the window. However, time proves that Jaime is somewhat misunderstood, and actually took the role of a knight very seriously. Case in point, the shameful act that earned him the name "Kingslayer" saved hundreds of thousands of lives, more than most any knight can claim.
It becomes Jaime's mission to prove himself a good knight, including tasking Brienne of Tarth to find and rescue Catelyn Stark's daughters. Cersei Lannister was a big roadblock to Jaime really proving himself, but the fact that he fought his way back to King's Landing in order to die protecting his queen says something.
2. Jorah Mormont
Jorah Mormont is another character who began the story with a bad reputation and gradually proved how little that mattered. Exiled from Westeros, he originally planned to act as a spy reporting on Daenerys Targaryen's movements, only to become her most loyal follower.
His dedication to Daenerys was unwavering, and he went to great lengths to prove this to her. He faced down countless formidable enemies in order to keep her safe. In the end, he died while protecting her, which was exactly where his story was meant to end.
1. Brienne of Tarth
The most underestimated knight in Westeros was also the greatest of the bunch. Brienne of Tarth put up with constant insults and unfairness in her path to becoming a knight, but let her skills as a warrior do a lot of the talking for her. Even besting The Hound in battle, she was one of Westeros' greatest fighters.
Beyond that, she truly cared about the oaths she would take as a knight. She was relentless in finding and protecting Sansa Stark, she stood up for the innocent wherever she could, and she even brought justice to Stannis Baratheon for killing her king. Brienne ended the series as one of the noblest characters and a benchmark for what every knight in Westeros should be.