Rant In Support of the Skill of Ser Loras Tyrell (Spoilers Extended)

Background

Partially based on Piers Gaveston, and I rarely see it discussed, but Ser Loras Tyrell is one of the best fighters alive. It is as simple as that. I hope this doesn't descend into who is the best because as GRRM has stated:

GRRM: I get fans who ask me, "Who is the best warrior, or who would win in a sword fight between this character or this character?" My answer is always is that it depends on the day. You have to use sports as an analogy. Yes, you can say Johnny Unitas was a great quarterback but it doesn't mean he won every time. He lost some games. The greatest boxers lost occasionally. Even Man o' War was defeated once in a horse race. So we can rank these swordsman and we can rank the knights and we can say who is good or who is bad but still an upset is possible. Of course with knights, if you get upset, you may die or have a limb hacked off. They are playing a sport that is very dangerous. -SSM, SI.com Podcast: 6 Mar 2013

I just want a little more respect to be given to how good Ser Loras is.

GRRM's Thoughts

GRRM has stated that Ser Loras is one of the best current fighters:

He told me that he was sort of fed up when people wrote to him asking "who's the strongest fighter? Who's the best? Etc." He explained to me that there are some very strong fighters, he only mentioned 3: the two Cleganes and Loras.... ;) however, he could not conceive how people could wonder who was the best in a fight, battle or duel.... it just depends in the day, and everything... a fight is part strength and skill, but outside factors weigh much more that those two. -SSM, A Dinner with GRRM: 2 July 2001

and:

SI.com: The athlete atop our athlete power list is LeBron James. Who is the equivalent of LeBron in your universe?

Martin: Well, LeBron James is the greatest active basketball player I suppose so the parallel in Westeros would be who is the greatest active swordsman. You can make a case for Jaime Lannister. You can make a case for The Hound or his brother Ser Gregor [Clegane] or Ser Loras [Tyrell], the Knight of Flowers. These are all first class Knights. Or even Ser Barristan The Bold [Sir Barristan Selmy]. These are all guys who are top at their own particular sport, which is swordsmanship and jousting, and all of the combat skills that attend knighthood. -SSM, SI.com Podcast: 6 Mar 2013

Not Just a "Tourney Knight"

While there are plenty "knights of summer", Ser Loras is blooded:

"There are those who say Ser Loras is better than Leo Longthorn ever was," said Tyrion.

"Renly's little rose? I doubt that."

"Doubt it all you wish," said Tyrion, "but Ser Loras has defeated many good knights, including my brother Jaime."

"By defeated, you mean unhorsed, in tourney. Tell me who he's slain in battle if you mean to frighten me."

"Ser Robar Royce and Ser Emmon Cuy, for two. And men say he performed prodigious feats of valor on the Blackwater, fighting beside Lord Renly's ghost." -ASOS, Tyrion VI

and:

Question: This has to do with the whole Renly's ghost thing, I admit, but if Loras and Garlan both have an arm-long list of deeds from the battle recited as they enter the hall...

GRRM: The Knight of Flowers fought gloriously on the Blackwater, and I have no doubt that the heralds mentioned that, but his other martial accomplishments were also mentioned, no doubt. -SSM, Lady Olenna and the Tyrells at the Blackwater

Comparison to Garlan

One of the digs people use to put down Ser Loras tends to be the comparison to Garlan that is made not only by GRRM:

SI.com: For you the Starks are heroes, and you told us a couple of months ago that they would be the NFL equivalent of the Giants since the Giants are your team. If we extrapolate this, who is Eli Manning in your universe?█ Martin: Eli Manning would probably be someone like Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers, who has a bigger brother, Lord Garlan Tyrell, who is an even better swordsman than he is (laughs). So you have that brotherhood relationship there.█ -SSM, SI.com Podcast: 6 Mar 2013

but also Ser Loras himself:

“Is that your brother?” Sansa asked.

“It is, my lady,” said Ser Loras. “Garlan often trains against three men, or even four. In battle it is seldom one against one, he says, so he likes to be prepared.”

“He must be very brave.”

“He is a great knight,” Ser Loras replied. “A better sword than me, in truth, though I’m the better lance.” -ASOS, Sansa I

the thing that is not often noted is that Ser Loras' primary weapon is not a sword.

Ser Loras' Weapons of Choice

• Weapon #1 = Lance

We see above Loras state that he is the better lance than Garlan:

“He is a great knight,” Ser Loras replied. “A better sword than me, in truth, though I’m the better lance.” -ASOS, Sansa I

but we also see it elsewhere:

Jousting was three-quarters horsemanship, Jaime had always believed. Ser Loras rode superbly, and handled a lance as if he'd been born holding one . . . which no doubt accounted for his mother's pinched expression. He puts the point just where he means to put it, and seems to have the balance of a cat. Perhaps it was not such a fluke that he unhorsed me. -AFFC, Jaime II

and:

Who do you think our champion will be today? Have you seen Mace Tyrell's boy? The Knight of Flowers, they call him. Now there's a son any man would be proud to own to. Last tourney, he dumped the Kingslayer on his golden rump, you ought to have seen the look on Cersei's face. I laughed till my sides hurt. Renly says he has this sister, a maid of fourteen, lovely as a dawn …" -AGOT, Eddard VII

If interested: Gregor Clegane v. Loras Tyrell

• Weapon #2 = Longaxe

In the melee at Bitterbridge, Ser Loras uses a long axe:

Ser Loras rode a tall white stallion in silver mail, and fought with a long-handled axe. A crest of golden roses ran down the center of his helm.

...

The white horse and the black one wheeled like lovers at a harvest dance, the riders throwing steel in place of kisses. Longaxe flashed and morningstar whirled. Both weapons were blunted, yet still they raised an awful clangor. Shieldless, the blue knight was getting much the worse of it. Ser Loras rained down blows on his head and shoulders, to shouts of "Highgarden!" from the throng. The other gave answer with his morningstar, but whenever the ball came crashing in, Ser Loras interposed his battered green shield, emblazoned with three golden roses. When the longaxe caught the blue knight's hand on the backswing and sent the morningstar flying from his grasp, the crowd screamed like a rutting beast. The Knight of Flowers raised his axe for the final blow. -ACOK, Catelyn II

• Weapon #3 = Morningstar

During the assault on Dragonstone, Ser Loras uses a morningstar:

Loras was the first one through the breach when the ram broke the castle gates. He rode straight into the dragon's mouth, they say, all in white and swinging his morningstar about his head, slaying left and right." -AFFC, Cersei VIII

and:

The king considered that, licking honey off his fingers. "When Ser Loras comes back I'm going to learn to fight with lance and sword and morningstar, the same way he does." -AFFC, Cersei IX

If interested: Ser Loras & the Assault on Dragonstone & GRRM doesn't Kill Major Characters Off-Page

TLDR: I am not claiming he is the best fighter (see GRRM's comments above), but Ser Loras needs to be discussed more in the top tier than he is. Just because his primary weapon of choice isn't a sword doesn't exclude him from being a great fighter. He is an elite horseman, lance and prefers the longaxe/morningstar to the sword.