Trial by combat

Trial by combat is a legal custom of the Seven Kingdoms by which an accused person may demand that their guilt or innocence be determined not by the judgment of men but by force of arms. The reasoning rests on the religion of the Faith of the Seven: that the gods will grant victory to the side whose cause is just. An accuser and accused, or champions fighting on their behalf, contest the matter, and the outcome of the fight is taken as divine verdict.

Because a defendant may name a champion to fight in their stead, trial by combat can favor the wealthy and powerful, who can secure a skilled warrior, over those who must rely on their own arm. The custom thus sits uneasily between sacred ritual and naked test of strength.

Description

When a trial by combat is invoked, the contest may be fought to the death or to yield, depending on the gravity of the charge and the will of those involved. Both the accuser and the accused have the right to demand it or to name a champion. A defeated champion's loss is held to prove the guilt of the one he represented.

History and notable instances

The custom is ancient and well established in Westeros under the Faith of the Seven. Several of the most dramatic such trials occur in A Song of Ice and Fire.

In A Game of Thrones, Tyrion Lannister demands a trial by combat when imprisoned at the Eyrie by Lysa Arryn. The sellsword Bronn fights as his champion and wins, securing Tyrion's release.

In A Storm of Swords, Tyrion is again accused, this time of the murder of King Joffrey, and again demands trial by combat. His champion, Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne, faces Gregor Clegane, the Mountain. Oberyn gains the upper hand but is killed in the fight's brutal final moments, and Tyrion is condemned.

Significance

Trial by combat dramatizes the tension in Westeros between faith and force, and between justice and might. Its outcomes repeatedly turn the fates of major characters, and its dependence on champions exposes how readily a sacred custom can be bent by those with money and power. The reliance on divine judgment also stands in pointed contrast to the worldly cynicism of many who invoke it.