
Syrio Forel, a bravo.
- "This is the Bravo's Dance, the Water Dance. It is swift... and sudden!"
- ―Syrio Forel
Bravos are the swaggering swordsmen of the Free City of Braavos. Unlike Westerosi knights, bravos practice a swifter style of swordsmanship known as the Water Dance.
In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Bravos are highly skilled swordsmen that prowl the city of Braavos during the night. They dress in brightly colored finery (unlike most Braavosi, whose dress is generally more subdued), and actively seek out fights to prove their skills. Wielding slender, sharply pointed swords, most will fight with little cause - such as a man's opinion on who is the city's most beautiful courtesan - and some with no cause at all. Anyone carrying a sword after dark in Braavos can be challenged to a duel. Simply placing a finger on your sword while facing a bravo is akin to challenging them.
See also
Institutions: |
The Sealord · The First Sword · Iron Bank of Braavos · Faceless Men |
Places: |
The Arsenal · Titan of Braavos · House of Black and White · Isle of the Gods · Long Canal · Moon Pool · Palace of Justice · Sealord's Palace · Temple of the Lord of Light (Braavos) · Temple of the Moonsingers |
Culture: |
Bravos · Water Dance · Moonsingers · Many-Faced God |