Arthur

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Arthur Dayne 2
Alias(es)	Ser Arthur; the Sword of the Morning 2 3
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	House Dayne of Starfall; the Kingsguard; House Targaryen; Viserys’s New Valyria settlement 3 11 43 48
Occupation/Role	Kingsguard knight, swordsmanship instructor, royal protector, expedition commander, and settlement commander 11 25 43
Status	Alive; accompanies Viserys at the Unsullied handover in Astapor 50
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 2; appears directly in Chapter 3 2 3

Background / History

Service at the Red Keep

Arthur belongs to House Dayne of Starfall, a Dornish house sworn to House Martell. His younger sister is Ashara Dayne. He and Rhaegar Targaryen have known each other since their youth, developing a friendship that also includes martial rivalry. Rhaegar defeated the young Arthur at the Storm’s End tourney when the prince was seventeen 3 10 13 15.

As a Kingsguard knight, Arthur serves alongside Lewyn Martell in protecting Rhaegar and his family. Viserys identifies him as his first recruitment target, valuing his reputation as the greatest swordsman alive. Viserys’s foreknowledge also motivates him to divert Arthur from the anticipated fatal confrontation at the Tower of Joy 2 3.

Arthur initially responds to Viserys’s approaches with courteous reserve. The prince’s expressed concern for Elia Martell makes him more receptive. Later, while substituting for Barristan Selmy, Arthur begins teaching Viserys to anticipate opponents rather than depend on rigid techniques, then agrees to instruct him in two-handed swordsmanship 3 11.

At Harrenhal, Arthur competes in the joust but loses to Rhaegar. The narration distinguishes his exceptional swordsmanship from his performance in the lists 13.

Dragonstone and Viserys’s Coronation

Aerys II assigns Arthur to escort Viserys to Dragonstone before the rebellion fully begins. Arthur watches over the departing party and continues the prince’s daily sword training after their arrival 14 15.

When Rhaegar dies at the Trident, Arthur asks to return to Westeros to avenge him. Viserys instead orders Arthur and Jon Darry to remain and protect Rhaella and Rhaenys. Both knights accept his authority as the newly established heir 15.

Arthur initially believes Dragonstone can be defended. Nevertheless, he accompanies Viserys to Dragonmont, where the prince stages the discovery of Blackfyre and retrieves two dragon eggs from molten rock without injury. Arthur kneels after witnessing the feat, then gives the household a plain account of what happened. He subsequently accepts Viserys as king and leads the coronation acclamation 16 17.

At the first Small Council meeting, Arthur invokes the Kingsguard oath in support of fighting to the end. Viserys persuades him that such a stand would extinguish House Targaryen. Arthur publicly commits to following the king into exile 18.

Exile in Braavos

In Braavos, Arthur’s visible loyalty helps establish Viserys’s credibility with the Sealord and Oberyn Martell. He also receives responsibility for finding mercenary work—such as escorting shipments and hunting pirates—to give the exiled soldiers income and combat experience 21 22.

Arthur continues training Viserys every morning throughout seven years of exile. Eventually, after a sparring match, he acknowledges that his pupil has surpassed him 23.

The Valyria Expedition

Viserys appoints Arthur commander of the force accompanying him toward Valyria and makes him responsible for the king’s safety. Arthur selects 180 warriors, drawn from experienced Dragonstone troops and carefully vetted free knights from formerly Targaryen-loyal houses 25.

During Salladhor Saan’s pirate attack, Arthur directs the defense on one side of the ship while Viserys fights on the other. He subsequently accompanies the king ashore in Lys to gather information and serves as his protector during the meeting with Naharis Maro in Volantis 26 27 30.

Arthur remains central to the expedition’s survival in Valyria. He wounds the sea monster attacking the Shadow Hunter, organizes the defense against Ash Crabs, fights the Stone Men with Dawn, and coordinates with Viserys against the shadow creatures at the Satheryen castle 33 34 35 36.

When Viserys stays behind to assist King Ghidorah’s rebirth, Arthur follows orders to return with the soldiers to the castle. After the king returns with Ghidorah, Arthur is the first to kneel before him 40 41.

Command in New Valyria

Arthur advises that the king’s dragons need time to grow. When Viserys announces plans for a New Valyrian Empire, Arthur supports the project and receives command of the Satheryn Castle settlement while the king returns secretly to Braavos 42 43.

Over the following three years, Arthur’s patrols and Blackflame defeat foreign expeditions entering the recovering peninsula. His duties expand from protecting the king personally to defending the growing community 48.

Arthur later accompanies Viserys, Alliser Thorne, and a small disguised escort to Astapor’s Unsullied handover. The provided account ends with Grazdan ordering an attack after Viserys reveals the stolen Harpy Scepter 50.

Appearance

Arthur has a handsome, resolute face and eyes with a faint violet sheen 11.

• Armor: White armor engraved with House Dayne’s falling white sword and shooting star 11.
• Cloak: A white Kingsguard cloak 11.
• Signature weapon: Dawn, worn at his waist 11.
• Bearing: Quiet and reserved, with a powerful presence rooted in martial skill and confidence in victory 3 11.

Personality

Arthur is restrained, courteous, and demanding without being discouraging. His lessons combine precise criticism with recognition of progress: he identifies Viserys’s rigid technique, demonstrates how to improve it, and approves when the prince begins anticipating attacks. He stresses perseverance rather than treating talent as sufficient 3 11.

His loyalty can pull him between personal attachment and sworn duty. Rhaegar’s death provokes an immediate desire for vengeance, while the Kingsguard oath initially leads him to favor a last stand on Dragonstone. He nevertheless accepts arguments that protecting the surviving royal family matters more than dying for its stronghold 15 18.

Arthur is cautious about political invitations and skeptical of religious persuasion. He warns that Naharis Maro’s invitation could be a trap and dismisses Red God prophecies as half-truths designed to recruit heroes and expand the faith’s influence 29 30.

Abilities & Skills

Swordsmanship

Arthur is widely regarded as the greatest swordsman alive when Viserys first considers recruiting him. Barristan describes his two-handed swordsmanship as unmatched in their time 2 3.

• Anticipates attacks and parries with minimal movement 11.
• Reads an opponent’s blade, shoulders, hips, and footwork to identify intent 11.
• Defeats boarding pirates so efficiently that almost none lasts two exchanges against him 26.
• Can wield two swords; receiving a Valyrian steel longsword gives him a second weapon effective against Valyria’s creatures 36.
• Is eventually surpassed by Viserys, whose combined styles, physical gifts, and combat instincts exceed his own 23.

Instruction

Arthur teaches adaptable combat rather than memorized sequences 11.

• Uses sparring to assess a pupil’s ability and expose weaknesses.
• Emphasizes anticipation and taking the initiative over reacting after an attack begins.
• Teaches Viserys two-handed swordsmanship alongside Barristan’s foundational training.

Military Command and Protection

Arthur commands troops during naval battles, supernatural attacks, and settlement defense 25 26 34 48.

• Screens and selects the Valyria expedition’s elite force 25.
• Organizes shields, spears, and torches into a defensive formation against Ash Crabs 34.
• Protects Viserys during uncertain diplomatic meetings 22 30.
• Commands Satheryn Castle and leads patrols against intruders in New Valyria 43 48.

Combat Against Supernatural Creatures

Arthur can harm creatures that resist ordinary weapons, but his swordsmanship alone does not always overcome their regenerative properties 33 35.

• Sea monster: Dawn inflicts meaningful damage, though fire is needed to drive the creature away 33.
• Stone Men: Can sever their limbs, but dismemberment does not truly kill them 34.
• Shadow creatures: Dawn cuts their forms, which initially reform. Arthur and Viserys defeat them by combining precise sword strikes with mental attacks that briefly immobilize their cores 35 36.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Dawn — His ancestral sword and principal weapon throughout the expedition; effective against Stone Men and magical shadows 11 34 35.
• Valyrian steel longsword — Awarded by Viserys from the Satheryen armory, enabling Arthur to use two effective weapons against supernatural enemies 36.
• White armor and cloak — Kingsguard attire, with House Dayne imagery engraved on the armor 11.

Relationships

• Viserys Targaryen — Pupil, sovereign, and expedition companion. Arthur’s initial reserve develops into allegiance, and Viserys ultimately entrusts him with command of the New Valyria settlement 3 11 17 43.
• Rhaegar Targaryen — Close friend and martial rival since youth. Arthur seeks to avenge him after his death at the Trident 13 15.
• Ashara Dayne — Younger sister; she cites his teaching that knights must understand what they fight for, not merely possess skill at arms 10.
• Barristan Selmy — Fellow Kingsguard knight and fellow instructor of Viserys. Barristan praises Arthur’s swordsmanship and entrusts a lesson to him 3 11.
• Lewyn Martell — Friend and fellow Kingsguard assigned to protect Rhaegar’s family 3.
• Jon Darry — Fellow royal protector who joins Arthur in accepting Viserys’s order to remain on Dragonstone 15.
• Alliser Thorne — Fellow commander during the Valyria expedition and preparations for the new settlement 34 43.
• Oberyn Martell — Acquaintance who expresses pleasure at seeing Arthur again and proposes catching up later 23.

Notable Quotes

“Anticipation matters more than reaction. See through your opponent’s intentions before he strikes. Take the initiative rather than merely responding.” 11

“Fighting isn’t about memorizing formulas. It’s about learning to read your opponent.” 11

“Your Grace, your strength now exceeds my own.” 23

“Time, Your Majesty. Dragons need time to grow.” 42