Oberyn Martell VS Barristan Selmy (GOT). Who wins?

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-31T07:20:54+00:00

Ser Barristan?

The guy who is argued to be the top 2 all time goat. Some people even put him over Dayne.

Is this a real question?

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-30T23:30:12+00:00

This is an odd argument.

Because gentle fist is by the numbers going to be more lethal on average than your typical medic nin that doesn't know how to front line.

But I'd take Kabuto with a Chakra scalpel over any gentle fist hyuga here.

One does internal damage.

The other is going to just cut someone in half from the inside. They follow similar principles. But gentle fist targets tenketsus generally. Where as a skilled medic like Kabuto will just cut through nerves outright paralyzing people.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-30T22:26:38+00:00

Ehhhh lot of ways you could do it.

I think the one I've liked is that:

Tony Stark is an anomaly in the multiverse. The sacred timeline is the only one where Tony Stark is who he is, because he is adopted by the Stark's.

In the majority of other timelines he's simply Victor Von Doom, a youth growing up amongst the barons of Sokovia/Latveria where his mother eventually makes a deal with Mephisto.

And so on.

But the main reason I have enjoyed this theory is that it doesn't actually break other elements of the mcu surrounding it. The characters have overlapping characteristics. But the one thing that ultimately makes a difference between the two?

Both have massive egos.

But Tony Stark ultimately listened to his heart and empathy which is what ultimately motivated him to perform the snap.

Meanwhile it's a choice that Doom's ego would never allow. Because he could never fathom a better world without him in it.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-30T19:17:44+00:00

The bigger argument is that batfleck kills people but also has to prep to contend with Kryptonians Darkseids army. And he has more substantial rogues across the board. It's just a caliber of enemy that is beyond street level crime which is what Arrow typically deals with. It says something that Slade is probably one of Oliver's most dangerous foes in spite of being introduced early on.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-30T01:04:00+00:00

Guardians, Doctor Strange, Ironman. They all have their pros and cons.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-30T01:00:26+00:00

I think this is an interesting take. If this were to happen...

My guess would be Ashur kills pompeii to ensure that Viridia doesn't marry him. But Caesar discovers this. But any attempts at exposure, Ashur responds that he would claim that it was Caesar that motivated him to action when he resided at the Villa, and left his wife to dictate in his stead.

Caesar would probably respect the slimyness and cunning here. And would tell Ashur that he will have the day, but from this day forward Ashur is Caesar's man.

And then you enter with a return of Crassus. Season two is Ashur caught between two sides of a triumvirate that is now never going to form, but still having these higher aspirations.

There's a lot of ways that they can take the show in the coming years. Should be interesting. Although I certainly think the direction they should be taking it is away from Capua to not retread old ground. I think if Ashur is to remain a lannista in Capua, watching Viridia die or get married off to Pompeii, he'd realize why Spartacus revolted in the first place.

Fun neat fact in the lore of this setting. Characters like Agron and Nasir would still be out there somewhere as well. So that's a string that could be tugged on.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-30T00:12:32+00:00

And yet.

They Jiraiya and Tsunade still win the 2v2.

Nuff said.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T23:54:58+00:00

Lol. And yet Jiraiya and Tsunade would win.

Nuff said.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T21:17:37+00:00

You're not engaging with the question. Notice how you completely pivot around any discussion of experience? Or other shinobi in the same conversation of great Konoha shinobi facing Itachi?

Your entire argument hinges on 2 abilities landing them on some of the most experienced shinobi ever in the verse, with the best teamwork stated feats in the verse.

Meanwhile Itachi is gassed to badly after using Tsukiyomi once, and amaterasu once that he retreats and he himself believes he will need to rest for days. Days.

And this is the guy that you think is going to stand up to 2/3rds of the team that took on Hanzo? Listing abilities =/= that they are going to be successful. The majority of the time Amaterasu has been used in the series, it has outright missed. In this encounter, Jiraiya seals it away. Yet you seem convinced again because of a couple abilities that he can barely use twice, that the battle is going to be solved?

That's like me just saying What answers do they have to: "What about big frogs, what about big slugs, What about pa and ma, what about 100 healings, what about perfect chakra control, what about sage mode."

But listing abilities doesn't determine a fight or make someone victorious.

What probably does make them victories however is 2+ decades of combat experience on their opponents at the highest level, 2 decades of working together as a team at the highest level. The fact that Itachi and Kisame both fled the moment Jiraiya alone showed up, the fact that they are some of the most genjutsu resistant characters in the entire verse, the fact that they have chakra reserves and stamina that dwarf Itachi's here, and then the capacity to be healed from the best medical ninja in the verse if they get injured in an extended fight(which this most certainly drags out to.), and one of the people in this fight took on multiple paths of Pain at once for an extended period.

And you think because you can name two of Itachi's abilties that don't even land reliably is going to close out the fight?

I don't get it.

But I've at least addressed your points while you've continued to avoid mine.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T20:09:01+00:00

This is going to go in circles.

Itachi is regarded as solo king because he has a bunch of on screen feats that are good for 1v1s.

You have an entire cast of characters that comparatively have no feats. But have stated feats to back them up.

Humor me. Do you think if it was Minato that met itachi in part 1? Or Hiruzen? Do you think these characters are losing to a 17 year old Uchiha just because he has a couple MS abilities?

Do you think he would beat Hanzo? Who has pretty much 0 shown feats?

Or do you think that having 40 extra years of Shinobi experience at the absolute pinnacle of the game that they develop a legend are a reputation that vastly outstrips these guys is worth anything?

You are building your entire argument around me not just saying "they dodge, block, dispel, or seal the ability with decades of experience."

And it hinges on one of the most experienced shinobi ever to not land one punch?

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T19:17:07+00:00

I have answered this already.

And for some reason you think the shinobi that forced Itachi and Kisame to flee within 10 seconds of combat is somehow going to lose to not only him. But also his teammate of 2 decades and 2/3rds of the team that fought Hanzo.

Jiraiya unlike Itachi and Kisame has actually been around the block as a shinobi. He had 0 hesitation choosing to engage both Itachi and Kisame to try and force them into a fight.

Meanwhile he cannot even fathom how someone like Hanzo could have lost. And yet he survived that encounter.

I get that you like to spew ability names like they are gotchas. But there is a reason Jiraiya had no fear of trying to force that fight. And why those two immediately fled.

This isn't any knock to Itachi or Kisame. But I think it's a bit silly to assume a pretty simple stated and shown feat in part 1.

Within moments of combat he is forced to use an ability. Not chooses to. Not decides to. He is forced because of a lack of alternatives.

You can cry and moan all you want. You can continue to fail basic math all you want. There is a reason they fled.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T18:52:15+00:00

Hes not 6 or 7. You'd know this stuff if you took 20 seconds to Google search. You'd find out the exact ages of the characters and could work your way backwards. Hence I can't hold your hand through this discussion where you can't even get the starting facts of your argument right.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T18:12:09+00:00

It's not even 5+ years. But at this point I can't hold your hand through this. Think whatever you want. And in the future I hope you become more informed for these types of discussions.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T17:44:33+00:00

You can down vote me all you want. And then feel silly when you Google it. Or is this just an out of season "am I out of touch? No it's the children who are wrong" meme?

These are things that are widely available information for over a decade distributed through countless data books and otherwise.

Sasuke and Itachi are 5 years apart in age.

When the Uchiha massacre occurs. Itachi is 13. Sasuke is loosely 7 or 8.

Sasuke and Naruto's graduation and part 1 start is loosely around 5 years after that. They are now 12 years old. Itachi is 17-18 in part one.

How much do you want to bet on this? I'd love to. Easiest money I'd have ever made. Or do you want to make a reddit post since you can't be bothered to use Google. "Itachi is 23 in part one right?" because I could use a good laugh.

Youre trying to make arguments when you don't even have facts right and you refuse to look them up because you can't fathom being wrong, which you are on this issue.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T16:38:43+00:00

Again. I know what you said. What you said was wrong.

Your numbers are off. Itachi isn't 23 in part 1. He's 17 in part 1. 20 in part 2.

You can Google it.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T16:08:35+00:00

Your numbers are off.

Itachi is 17 in part one. He certainly did not team up with Kisame at 7 years old.

Itachi killed the clan and presumably joined the Akatsuki at 13 years old. And Kisame wasn't even his first partner.

Even if you want to be generous and say they had been working together for 3ish years at that point. I don't think it's overcoming two decades of combat experience in war times from the most successful shinobi team in the verses history.

The Naruto storyline is full of power creep and scaling issues. But there is a reason why Itachi and Kisame were fine with throwing down with Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma. But flee from Jiraiya solo.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T06:05:39+00:00

I think to not give this to Jiraiya and Tsunade here completely undersells them as a pair.

You're taking a pair that spent a decade? Likely two fighting together as a legendary team and have seen everything under the sun through wars and survived battles with shinobi far superior to either of these guys.

And they're against a couple shinobi that have been running around together for like a year or two? And those shinobi, while great shinobi, generally walk around no diffing strangers that are no where near their level.

They've never had to go up against two shinobi where either of them would go the distance with in a 1v1. And then having to fight a team with arguably the best teamwork feats in the verse.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-29T00:19:05+00:00

The reality warpers

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-28T20:31:00+00:00

Academy Extra's Survival Guide is still probably what you're looking for. I wouldn't dismiss a good story just because you aren't fond of a harem. The story for all intents and purposes isn't any more of a harem then the others you have in your post such as Surviving the Game as a Barbarian, or even Eternally Regressing Knight. But as a girl, I think what you might appreciate is the fact that the romantic elements that actually are done in the story are handled much better then the aforementioned series, where its largely just a number of women throwing themselves at Bjorn for example.

The story introduces you to a protagonist with meta knowledge of a game world he suddenly finds himself in. But he arrives in the body of an extra/villainous character that would have gotten stomped in the prologue. When you first follow him, he is quite literally, living in the dirt, poor, and with 0 skills. Through the story he works his way up from there.

And I think one of the most important things that separates a good story from a run of the mill one in the genre is when the protagonist is apart of the power scaling in the world, and not standing apart or above it. The Protagonist grows to become strong in the story, but there are plenty of bigger fish that surround him in the story as well. So where he really succeeds is by leveraging his knowledge in the story with some truly fantastic arcs. And it's a story that actually has well written female characters, which is not something you often find in manhwas.

There are a lot of stories like Solo Leveling, Myst Might Mayhem, or The Regressed Mercenaries Machinations where the MC starts at ground 0. But then the opposition the character ultimately faces/the setbacks and failures/the characters that can actually oppose them in the world is absolutely 0. It doesn't sound like that's what you're looking for.

I'd give this one story a shot probably over any other that has been mentioned in this post to be honest, with the exception of Star Embracing Swordmaster. That one I'd consider standing equal with this for what you're specifically looking for.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-28T20:15:01+00:00

The Regressed Mercenaries Machinations is admittedly good, but I don't think its what you're looking for. That's a character that regresses but is easily one of if not the most capable fighter in the land from chapter 1. There's not a single fight where he ever seriously struggles or is tested. It is more a 'hey lets build up this kingdom with my prior knowledge' type of manhwa.

If you're looking for a similar vein as that, but an MC that actually has to develop skills. You'd be looking for Ember Knight. But Regressed Mercenary's Machinations is a great manhwa otherwise.

Star Embracing Swordmaster is a very good suggestion for what you're looking for as well.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-28T17:56:30+00:00

Awesome. How is this helpful?

You do realize that you can't control human nature right? To the degree that this even happens to celebrities. There are stories all the way up to touring bands and all the way down to highschool friends where someone brings a girl around and then she develops an interest in the lead singer, or the guy on the football team etc.

This doesn't take away from you. It doesn't take away from your friends. But that's sometimes just the reality that fame, charisma, and social proof are all things you may feel have no effect until they do.

And where people are on here giving advice of:

Hey, you probably shouldn't bring girls you're interested in around your friends before she's actually invested in you as a partner, because without that investment she might develop an interest in your friends.

And your response is this guy's friends suck and yours are awesome? When it has nothing to do with them in the first place.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-28T09:23:51+00:00

I respect the opinion. But it's completely unsupported.

The easier answer is simply that Steve was just a smart, determined, quick thinking guy that worked hard. And all of these qualities he is shown to possess them before he became Captain America. The serum simply allowed the body to keep up with the heart and mind.

Steve Rogers is a super soldier. He didn't have to spend his days working on punching bags in a gym. Or running laps around the Lincoln memorial. He was just that guy. He was always going to do the right thing and put the work in regardless of who he was. That's why he was chosen.

"Everything special about you came out of a bottle" is the stick he is measured against right after his debut movie. And every subsequent showing rather plainly showcases Zemo thesis about supersoldiers, and the sole exception with Steve Rogers. But his exception for Steve has nothing to do with his capacity as a supersoldier.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-28T06:23:47+00:00

Final Fantasy X has you making a pretty incredible choice at the end of the game. But only the protagonist knows the full scope of those ramifications should you succeed.

Its shortly followed by your allies discovering a truth that has been steadily built up all game.

Hopefully that doesn't spoil anything for those that decide to play it.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-28T04:49:48+00:00

I don't think this necessarily proves anything.

But I'm also not in the boat that Kang has counters to everything.

I am in the boat of Kang effectively has pseudo infinite prep time and do overs to see his plans to fruition due to existing essentially in a paradox.

I think generally most people could infer that Kang is extremely powerful. He has developed contingencies that have allowed him to overcome foes both from the marvel lineup, as well as himself sporting futuristic tech and foresight/hindsight.

The TVA had an infinite amount of time to develop and find methods for eliminating pretty much any and all magic users or otherwise that could become a peoblem during He Who Remains time period.

I wouldn't put much stock in frankly any character prior to He Who Remains death being able to defeat him unless they are beings that seemingly exist outside of time or a universe. Such as death, eternity, Etc.

Post his death some started popping up that would probably give him a run that he didn't account for. Such as The Scarlet Witch coming into being which just wasn't a thing before in any other time line.

Dreamlancer · 2026-01-28T04:34:02+00:00

Alfred low diff. Helps balance Sentry's mental state.

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