Best Fighter

[Boromir88]

Faramir or Boromir are the same in my mind, and I would not put Gimli above them. Gimli may have slain 42 in an all night battle, but Boromir slew at least 20 in about two minutes when he was ALONE defending Merry and Pippin.

Excellent point phantom, but I'm having trouble seeing how you think Boromir and Faramir are equal. Faramir is a good fighter, but he's more like his dad, he can fight, but more of a thinker. Where Boromir is the pure fighter. Even in Faramir's mind ("Appendices: The Stewards") none in Gondor could match his brother.

I agree that eventhough Gimli killed 42, Boromir's final stand is impressive. Gimli possibly had more kills, but just the description Pippin gives us really gets us to see Boromir's last stand well...

Then Boromir had come leaping through the trees. He had made them fight. He slew many of them and the rest fled. But they had not gone far on the way back when they were attacked again, by a hundred Orcs at least, some of them very large, and they shot a rain of arrows: always at Boromir. Boromir had blown his great horn till the woods rang, and at first the Orcs had been dismayed and had drawn back; but when no answer but the echoes came, they had attacked more fiercely than ever.

Through this account, Boromir halted the orcs twice, and on the third time they took him. I thought the way PJ did this scene, was good, and suitable to my liking, however he doesn't show well the account Pippin gives. It wasn't just one orc standing back and shooting arrows at Boromir, it was a bunch of orcs and "a rain of arrows: always at Boromir." Ok, my rant is over, on to some of the rankings...

Faramir, I'm having trouble seeing how you can give Legolas and Glorfindel the same ranking? Glorfindel the elf who drove off the Nazgul, the elf who slew a balrog, and he has the same fighting skill as Legolas? Also, I disagree with Gimli being a lesser fighter then Legolas, Gimli did kill more in Helm's deep, and Aragorn commented on his wonderful axemanship (as well as Eomer and Gamling).

TpotSS, I agree I would give Elladan and Elrohir a 9 (if not close to 9). They were just plain out crazy orc hunters, and I believe were called the best orc fighters in the third age (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I'd also agree that 9.4 is suitable for Glorfindel.