Quick Question - Is Lan a Blademaster Bc He Killed Toram Raitin?

[Cillian]

I certainly have no doubt whatsoever that Lan is the greatest blademaster in WoT. Lan was probably modeled after Lancelot/greatest knight of Camelot.

Gawyne probably similar, one of the great knights of Camelot, Gawayne. I think he has surpassed Galad in abilities with the sword and probably only second to Lan.

 

I must point out that nothing in WOT is a direct, one for one reference or translation of our myths. Every place & person is an amalgamation of several different things.

 

Lan took out a true blademaster in Toram Riatin with a minor scratch. Lan should be around 40 years of age by now.

 

I think Lan is about 47 now.

[capuga]

Gawyne probably similar, one of the great knights of Camelot, Gawayne. I think he has surpassed Galad in abilities with the sword and probably only second to Lan.

 

Note the Brandon quote on the previous page that indicates that Galad is still better than Gawyn.

[Elan Tedronai]

i find it hard to believe galad is better than gawyn even if sanderson says so.

 

look at the facts.

 

Gawyn killed hammar and coulin. 2 blademasters.

took on 2 warders at the same time including sleete who bested lan 2 out 7 times

took out three bloodknives.

 

has been told by bryne that he was the talented one.

[Mats Spare Hat]

i find it hard to believe galad is better than gawyn even if sanderson says so.

 

look at the facts.

 

Gawyn killed hammar and coulin. 2 blademasters.

took on 2 warders at the same time including sleete who bested lan 2 out 7 times

took out three bloodknives.

 

has been told by bryne that he was the talented one.

 

 

Just sayin` man, more on-screen references doesn't = better

 

...Heck, you barely see Lan fight genuine duals on-screen 1v1 or 1v2, or have those encounters referenced on-screen, outside of New Spring. Yet, you've got the author(s) telling you straight up he, Lan, is A-number 1. Thereby, Lan > Galad > Gawyn.

[Jon Paul]

Gawyn killed hammar and coulin. 2 blademasters.

 

And Valda was widely acknowledged to be one of the finest Blademasters alive. That lasted until he met Galad of course.

 

took on 2 warders at the same time including sleete who bested lan 2 out 7 times

 

I wish people would stop going on about this. Wow, Sleete bested Lan twice out of every SEVEN times years ago. Probably whilst Gawyn was still a babe at his mother's teat.

 

took out three bloodknives.

 

Exactly. He's lucky. He nearly died for it as well.

[Haran]

Is it just me or do all blademasters use katanas?

[Jon Paul]

Is it just me or do all blademasters use katanas?

 

It seems to be the favoured style. Even in the Borderlands where a katana-like blade would be useless against Shadowspawn.

[Mats Spare Hat]

Is it just me or do all blademasters use katanas?

 

 

Yeah pretty much, except for the Seanchan dude in tGH if I recall correctly.

[Mats Spare Hat]

Is it just me or do all blademasters use katanas?

 

It seems to be the favoured style. Even in the Borderlands where a katana-like blade would be useless against Shadowspawn.

 

 

Nnaahh, against Shadowspawn it's the wizard, not the wand that counts. Even so, despite having said that, the first Shadowspawn you ever see killed on screen in the entire series, pre-NS, is killed by Tam's heron-mark katana blade. NNNAARRGGGgggggg!

[Jon Paul]

Nnaahh, against Shadowspawn it's the wizard, not the wand that counts. Even so, despite having said that, the first Shadowspawn you ever see killed on screen in the entire series, pre-NS, is killed by Tam's heron-mark katana blade. NNNAARRGGGgggggg!

 

It's power-wrought though so that's different . And the wizard hasn't been helping the Borderlands in centuries. Remember where was the wizard when Malkier fell? Where was the wizard at Tarwin's Gap ?

[Elan Tedronai]

Gawyn killed hammar and coulin. 2 blademasters.

 

And Valda was widely acknowledged to be one of the finest Blademasters alive. That lasted until he met Galad of course.

 

took on 2 warders at the same time including sleete who bested lan 2 out 7 times

 

I wish people would stop going on about this. Wow, Sleete bested Lan twice out of every SEVEN times years ago. Probably whilst Gawyn was still a babe at his mother's teat.

 

took out three bloodknives.

 

Exactly. He's lucky. He nearly died for it as well.

 

Gawyn is much talented that galad. sanderson may say gawyn is lucky but it in the end he still finished off those bloodknives who were wearing terangreal that made them elusive.

 

Fact he killed his teachers. It takes real skill to kill 2 blademasters who taught you how to use the sword in such a short space of time.

 

Fact he can wipe the floor with sleete a man who has more combat experience than him.

 

by law of averages gawyn>galad

[Zentari]

 

Gawyn is much talented that galad. sanderson may say gawyn is lucky but it in the end he still finished off those bloodknives who were wearing terangreal that made them elusive.

 

Fact he killed his teachers. It takes real skill to kill 2 blademasters who taught you how to use the sword in such a short space of time.

 

Fact he can wipe the floor with sleete a man who has more combat experience than him.

 

by law of averages gawyn>galad

Word of god has placed Gawyn after Galad so whatever you say Galad > Gawyn.Perhaps he will eventually surpass him but current standings are valid.

[Mats Spare Hat]

Nnaahh, against Shadowspawn it's the wizard, not the wand that counts. Even so, despite having said that, the first Shadowspawn you ever see killed on screen in the entire series, pre-NS, is killed by Tam's heron-mark katana blade. NNNAARRGGGgggggg!

 

It's power-wrought though so that's different . And the wizard hasn't been helping the Borderlands in centuries. Remember where was the wizard when Malkier fell? Where was the wizard at Tarwin's Gap ?

 

 

Wah-wee-wah wee-wah-wah? *sound of world's tiniest violin playing

[Jon Paul]

Gawyn is much talented that galad.

 

No he isn't. Even Gawyn would say as much. Galad is a better swordsman. Deal with it. The Warders were orgasming over his talent with the sword. Gawyn was just good. Galad was great.

 

sanderson may say gawyn is lucky but it in the end he still finished off those bloodknives who were wearing terangreal that made them elusive.

 

What Sanderson says is enough. Gawyn was pure lucky to finish of the Bloodknives and was basically dead anyway. If Egwene hadn't woken up at just the right time then Gawyn would be dead. End of.

 

Fact he killed his teachers. It takes real skill to kill 2 blademasters who taught you how to use the sword in such a short space of time.

 

Do you think Gawyn just walked into the White Tower as a novice with the sword? He isn't Rand. He's been training with the sword since he was old enough to hold one. He's had other teachers. The Warders were just the last leg. I am not denying the accomplishment however. Gawyn is good. Galad is just better.

 

Fact he can wipe the floor with sleete a man who has more combat experience than him.

 

And? He's better than Sleete, so what? I'm not saying Gawyn is not good, he is in the top three, Galad is just better.

 

by law of averages gawyn>galad

 

By word of God Galad > Gawyn.

[Entreri]

Gawyne probably similar, one of the great knights of Camelot, Gawayne. I think he has surpassed Galad in abilities with the sword and probably only second to Lan.

 

Note the Brandon quote on the previous page that indicates that Galad is still better than Gawyn.

 

Sanderson ranked Lan, Galad then Gawyn.

 

Fine.

 

However, rankings can fluctuate in the real world, fighters get better, reach their prime. IMO, Gawyn has reached his and is the better swordsman.

 

Nobody holds a candle to Lan.

[Entreri]

"Gawyn was pure lucky to finish of the Bloodknives and was basically dead anyway."

 

Luck and skill go together.

 

He easily held off 1 bloodknive and was facing off against 2. That is pure awesomeness. What the Seanchan sul'dam would say is "impossible", against one bloodknive.

 

 

When Lan vs. Sleet, Sleet was a young man...Almost always fighters tend to become slower and weaker with age (exceptions in WoT is Lan, Rhuarc, real world somebody like Randy Couture, obviously age catches up with everyone eventually)...So Gawyn's victory while impressive was not that impressive in this case.

 

 

If God says it is Galad > Gawyn, oh well.

[Durinax]

I just wish we had a real comparison by RJ that said at the end of the books how the standings where

[Demiandre]

Wow a rankng per book would be difficult. Try to rank book after book the fight-skill classement of, say : Rand, Mat, Perrin, who took stregth differently and were of different level at the beginning. And then you've got some other characters, who were of a good skill and yet improved : Galad and Gawyn.

 

And, of course, people wanting a ranking of strength in the One Power book by book, tjus ending with more glossaries than pages in the book :p

 

Well, in my book, in ten years, maybe it will be like Gawyn>Galad>Lan, who knows? :D

[Andea]

A tournament for swordsmen would have been a very good idea for the book, but, alas, it is to late for this now ;)

Had there been one, I am sure Lan would have won it. Throughout the series he is an immaculate blademaster, while here and there we see Gawyn and Galad sometimes insecure, sometimes lucky, sometimes making mistakes.

[Entreri]

I just wish we had a real comparison by RJ that said at the end of the books how the standings where

 

From what I gathered Jordan said Rand was better than Galad, before losing his hand. Toram Riatin was nearly equal to Rand. Lan destroyed him easily.

 

So there is a very large gap between Lan and Galad.

 

Lan may be even better than Jearom.

 

At their best/peak fighting prowess, Lan is easily the greatest blademaster in the world. The other blademasters are soft (physically), weak (mentally) and slow (see Egwene et al looking at Lan practicing the sword in amazement) in comparison to Lan: All of which will result in death. In the real world at the elite level, it all comes down to mental toughness.

[dovien]

I think people are putting too much emphasis on Gawyn's fights with the likes of Sleete and Hammar. To me Galad has always clearly been superior and you can look to descriptions of his fights for the reason. Galad has had the deadly flowing grace apparent in his combat scenes for some time now and while Gawyn is definitely deadly, he's never achieved the same fluid ease that accompanies the best fighters.

Galad also has a much more focussed mind. He is supremely confident in his own abilities and the purity of his motivations while Gawyn is generally full of doubt or anger. The calm fighter always has an advantage over the agitated one.

 

As noted above, Lan is obviously on a whole different level of prowess and experience. He's the most skilled Blademaster alive and may well be at a level fit to challenge Jearom by now.

[Elan Tedronai]

ha,

 

i would take the fighter who killed 2 white tower blademasters both whom were his teachers, fought in bloody combat expeditions like dumai wells, schooled 2 experienced warders at the same time and took on 3 bloodknives over someone who has more 'grace' as you put it.

 

And now he's got the warder bond which makes him even more lethal.

 

Sanderson is just blowing smoke. half the time he's not even aware about the series histories

[dovien]

not even aware about the series histories

Are you aware Galad, too, has an impressive resume?

[sleepinghour]

Sanderson is just blowing smoke. half the time he's not even aware about the series histories

Brandon was basing his comments on RJ's notes. Whether you like it or not, Lan > Galad > Gawyn is how it currently stands.

[Elan Tedronai]

not even aware about the series histories

Are you aware Galad, too, has an impressive resume?

 

indeed. But gawyn's is much better

 

randon was basing his comments on RJ's notes. Whether you like it or not, Lan > Galad > Gawyn is how it currently stands.

 

while i am basing my comments on what i have read so far. May be sanderson and RJ should stop showing off gawyn's skills and achievements in the book.