Who do you think is the best blade master?

[Viezael]

Is Gawyn a blade master?  I don't remember...

 

I voted for him anyways, because Gawyn doesn't get nearly enough love.

 

Of course, I actually think it is Lan, though :) haha.  Lan is totally the best.

 

As for Rand--I get the feeling that he would spend more time practicing the OP and everyone else can only practice the sword, so they would be better at just using the sword (if using the OP wasn't allowed). -- So on those grounds I would say most of the others are better at this point, but hey--there's no proof, and given that Rand is the hero, he would probably win against anyone if it was in the actual books. :)

[Morindin]

To add to everything I have read so far...

 

Being the best blade master is not only being the quicker and the best with the forms... it also has alot to do with the mind and attitude...

 

To clarify my point, let take the attitude of Valda at the beggining of KoD compared to Lan... I go from memory from here, but he is one of the best using the blade... but he likes to bleed his opponents to show them who is the better... for him it is about ego and not about crushing the other... if Valda would have had the same attitude and presence of mind as Lan, meaning you do not toy with your opponent but go for the kill as fast as possible... I think then that Galad would not have won the fight... Valda was thus much superior than Galad but his arrogance made him loose in the end...

 

As for Rand, I do not remember when was the last time he had a really good fight with the sword against another blade master... most of the times now he uses the one power to help himself... did anyone ever was in awe of Rand while using the sword? I do not remember... with all this, this is why I beleive it is hard to judge Rand...

 

This is why Lan to me is by far the best... it is also why I included Tam in the list because I beleive Tam would have had an attitude and presence of mind similar to Lan...

[BKVMC]

Lan  was raised  from the cradle to  be a  blademaster  and to avenge his lost nation  i  consider him the standard  of measuring all the others against.  havent seen  enough of Tam for me to  judge him  he obviously was good  to  be given his rank in the companions at  a young age  and to  be awarded  the heron blade, but something in the aiel  war  turned him against  continuing  his sword skills.

[Moghedian]

Lan  was raised  from the cradle to  be a  blademaster   and to avenge his lost nation  i  consider him the standard   of measuring all the others against.  havent seen  enough of Tam for me to  judge him  he obviously was good  to  be given his rank in the companions at  a young age  and to  be awarded  the heron blade, but something in the aiel  war  turned him against  continuing   his sword skills.

 

Possibly seeing brilliant soldiers be destroyed by unarmed 'savages'...

[Guest The Thin Inn Keeper]

something in the aiel  war  turned him against  continuing   his sword skills.

 

Possibly seeing brilliant soldiers be destroyed by unarmed 'savages'...

 

It was because his wife didn't approve. I'm sure he mentions it a couple of times in TEOTW, certainly once during his fever.

 

I think that Kari's dislike of the sword (probably quite natural for a non-combatant living in such times as the Aiel War), the fact that they had a baby and that they were moving to a rural, back-end-of-beyond kind of place, probably meant that he just felt that that part of his life was over.

 

Anyways, I don't see Tam as a contender. Sure, he's a blademaster so he's good, but he's out of practice.

 

He held a high rank in the Companions. So what? Gareth Byrne is a Great Captain, but he's not amazing with a blade. Why would Tam's rank have any bearing on his skill with a sword, as some people seem to be suggesting? Attaining a high rank in any military is less about your combat skills and more about your ability to lead and grasp tactics and, as you increase in rank, strategy.

 

We simply haven't seen enough of Tam fighting to make a judgement.