Gandivdhari Arjun-The Warrior Prince

SOME OF THE GREATEST WARRIORS OF THE MAHABHARAT WAR

1. Barbarika
Bheem's grandson
He was considered to be one of the fiercest warriors on the field. Barbarika was the son of Ghatotkach and Ahilawati. He was trained to be a warrior by his mother and was gifted the three infallible arrows by Ashtadev, which had the capacity to destroy and save everything on its path. But the invincible Barbarika was bound by a principle - that he could only fight for the weaker side. But Krishna realized it was a faulty principle since the side Barbarika would not chose would become the weaker side by default. That would mean he would be oscillating between the two sides, leading to everyone's death, except his own. So, Krishna asked for Barbarika's head as charity and avoided his participation in the war.

2. Vikarna
Duryodhan's brother
One of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari's 98 sons, Vikarna was often regarded as the only Kaurava who believed in justice. He also believed that the Kauravas were in the wrong but he had no way of escaping the turn of events. Vikarna was also the only one who stood up against Duryodhan when he was disrobing Draupadi. His protests fell on deaf ears and even the elders like Bhishma and Dronacharya kept quiet.

3. King Shalya
Nakul and Sahdev's maternal uncle; Madri's brother
Ruler of the kingdom of Madra, King Shalya was Nakul and Sahadev's mother, Madri's brother. He was also a skillful archer and a formidable mace fighter. Duryodhan realized his warfare skills and duped him into fighting the war from Kauravas' side. Shalya was Karna's charioteer, as Krishna was Arjun's. While acting as the charioteer, Shalya continued to demoralize Duryodhan, asserting that he was wrong and he would eventually lose. Shalya also had a unique gift - he grew stronger when met with aggression. It was, hence, almost impossible to defeat him. Krishna suggested that Yudhisthir should face him as he was a calm and calculative fighter himself. Yudhisthir killed Shalya.

4. Yuyutsu
Kauravas' step-brother
This son of Dhritarashtra is crucial to the plot because he was the only Kaurava who survived the war. He was born at the same time as Duryodhan to Gandhari's lady-in-waiting. Yuyutsu realized that the Kauravas were wrong and decided to abandon their side. After the war was over, he took charge as the King of Indraprastha.

5. Ahilawati
Ghatotkach's wife
Referred to as Maurvi prior to her marriage to Ghatotkach, Ahilawati was from the world of nagas or snakes. Ghatotkach won her hand in marriage after passing a difficult test. She was Barbarika's mother who taught him to help the weak in the battlefield.

6. Satyaki
Arjun's disciple; Krishna's devotee
A disciple of Arjun and a devotee of Krishna, Satyaki has been recognized as one of the most underrated characters of the epic. He fought against Drona and almost got the better of him, saved Arjun and also defended Yudhisthir. He survived the war but later died in a fratricidal massacre, as per Gandhari's curse.

7. Shikhandi
Drupadi's offspring
Originally born as a girl called Shikhandini to Drupada, Shikhandi fought in the war along with the Pandavas. When fighting against Bhishma, Arjun used Shikhandi as a shield. Bhishma would lower his arrows refusing to attack an eunuch. Arjun then shot Bhishma. He was put in a bed of arrows and passed away days after the war was over.

8. Radha
Karna's foster mother
This minor character is crucial to Mahabharata because she was the foster mother of Karna. He imbibed all her principles, which would be very crucial to the war as Karna was a formidable warrior and much of the events were attributed to him. She was the wife of Athiratha, Dhritarashtra's charioteer.