The West
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1. Jaime Lannister vs 4. Thoros of Myr
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The Kingslayer is in for more of a fight here in round two compared to his bout with the Strongboar Lyle Crakehall. Jaime feels confident he could defeat opponents who surpass him in strength due to his speed and skill but Thoros is a different breed of fighter than anyone could be used to. Armed with a sword on fire, Thoros has a mad and frenzied fighting style best suited for open battle and melees, the latter of which he won on a regular basis. We learn early in the series that he wins the melee at the Hand’s Tourney in which he outlasts 40 men. We also know he was first through the walls at Pyke during the Greyjoy rebellion so the Red Priest isn’t one to shy away from the action.
The problem for Thoros is that he’ll have to win fast. His flaming sword grows weaker with every passing second and someone as skilled as Jaime is not the type of person you want to have fight with urgency against. We know that this problem has happened before when Thoros was bested by Bronze Yohn Royce, another competitor in our contest. Davos Seaworth recalls the tourney in which the Red Priest put on quite the spectacle but once his flames died, Royce was able to do him in quickly with a common mace. Jaime is more than skilled enough to handle the flaming sword and aggressive opening and his opponent’s weapon will continue to grow weaker and weaker until Jaime outright breaks it. The Kingslayer seals the deal soon after.
Winner: Jaime Lannister
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2. Gregor Clegane vs 3. Sandor Clegane
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We really wanted to avoid the super predictable and ever increasingly tacky Cleganebowl but, at the end of the day….screw it, it’s the Cleganebowl! This potential event may be the most hyped showdown in the world of ice and fire and since the Gravedigger of the Quite Isle is maybe probably definitely the Hound, and since he’s found the faith, and since the Frankenmountain Ser Robert Strong is defending Cersei from that same faith, it IS possible the Cleganebowl could actually happen. What a time to be alive! On the flip side of the coin, wouldn’t it also be nice if Sandor Clegane’s story could just be done? That he could live the rest of his days in peace having finally overcome his troubled past and all the hatred and anger that came with it? I mean one character in this series deserves a nice ending.
Regardless of what George RR Martin and/or HBO decide, if the Cleganebowl were to eventually happen, it seems as though Ser Robert Strong would come out on top and it’s not just because we can’t have nice things. The Hound’s injured leg leaves him lame and if Sandor even realizes Robert Strong was once his brother, he’ll see soon after that his brother is long gone despite the physical presence before him. The fiery passion he has for revenge would dampen to a whimper, if he even still had it to begin with. We know the Gravedigger was once a fierce warrior but he is now at peace. It’s just as likely Sandor has moved on and is no longer haunted by his brother which would take a big bite out of what he had going for him in this matchup.
It’s a different story in our contest, however. The prime form of these fighters comes before their drastic transformations. We get a tease of this fight early in the series when Sandor steps in to stop his engraged brother after Gregor loses a joust. We see that the Hound is more than capable of hanging with the Mountain. He may not be as strong as the Mountain but he’s much faster and more skilled, he also won’t fear Gregor like every sane person should. It’d be a close contest but the Hound’s thirst for vengeance is the tiebreaker.
Winner: Sandor Clegane
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The North and West finals are set, Qhorin Halfhand will take on the Greatjon Umber and Jaime Lannister will face off against the Hound Sandor Clegane. Let us know in the comments below what you think of today’s matchups and how you see the regional finals playing out. Check back tomorrow for more round two action where we return to the Islands and the East.
