Highlights
- The Dothraki are nomadic warriors from Essos, known for their equestrian skills and the Arakh, a deadly scythe-like weapon.
- The Arakh is advantageous for horseback warriors, offering wrist maneuverability and ease of handling, although it can't penetrate armor.
- The Dothraki's unconventional warfare methods, including their use of the Arakh, make them a formidable force that even disciplined armies struggle to defeat.
The Dothraki appear halfway through Game of Thrones season 1, episode 1 "Winter Is Coming." In Pentos, Viserys Targaryen, and the wealthy Magister - Illyrio Mopatis wait for the arrival of the Dothraki chieftain, Khal Drogo in order for him to take a look at his potential bride, Daenerys Targaryen. Illyrio brokers a marriage between Daenerys and Drogo with the aim of using the latter's army to help Viserys win the Iron Throne. This, of course, happens without Daenerys' consent, and Illyrio does so as he stands to gain immensely from the arrangement. As for the stupid and vicious Beggar King - Viserys, he couldn't be happier that Khal Drogo is at Illyrio's doorstep:
He [Khal Drogo] is a savage, of course, but he is one of the finest killers alive. And you will be his Queen.
The Dothraki have conspicuous braids that symbolize their victories, and they carry a peculiar weapon, quite different from those of the Westerosi knights, seen thus far in Game of Thrones. The Dothraki are nomadic warriors from Essos who inhabit the central region of the continent known as the Dothraki Sea/ Great Grass Sea. This landscape is covered with a mixture of steppes and plains, and the Dothraki traverse across it in hordes known as Khalasars, The nomadic warriors spend the majority of their time on horseback, raiding other tribes for slaves. With their amazing equestrian skills and maneuverable blades known as the Arakhs, the Dothraki have a reputation that's second to none in warfare.
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The Dothraki Arakh
As seen in Game of Thrones, the sickle-like weapon - the Arakh has a semicircular blade. It is advantageous to the equestrian warriors as they frequently conduct raids, culling as many heads as they see a necessity. The Dothraki also wield curved bows and whips, but the Arakhs are their weapon of choice, or simply put their standard weapon. The Arakh blade is roughly about two and a half feet long, and it has a thick handle, which is about the same length as the blade.
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The crescent moon shape, the curvature, and the length of the blade indicate that it is lethal, especially when wielded during a charge. The Arakh is categorized as half-sword and half-scythe. That said, Daenerys Targaryen's aide from the beginning, and the disgraced Westerosi knight - Ser Jorah Mormont, who briefly wielded his ancestral sword, the Longclaw notes in the Game of Thrones lore that the Arakh is more of a scythe:
Their blades are more scythe than sword... the better to cull the infantry ranks without breaking stride.
The Advantages Of The Arakh
Although unable to penetrate armor, the Arakh offers the wielder wrist maneuverability. In Game of Thrones season 1, episode 3 "Lord Snow," Ser Jorah tells Rakharo that the Arakh is well suited to the Dothraki warfare. The horse-mounted warriors will find it easier to kill with a curved blade than with a straight sword:
For a man on horseback, the curved blade is a good thing, easier to handle. It's a good weapon for a Dothrakan. But a man in full plate... the Arakh won't get through the steel. That's where the broadsword has the advantage. Designed for piercing plate.
And to this, Rakharo replies that the Dothraki do not wear armor, and that speed defeats size.
The Dothraki Cross The Narrow Sea For Daenerys
In Game of Thrones, the Dothraki end up crossing the Narrow Sea for Daenerys, and their methods of warfare are quite different from the Westerosi. Even the strongest, most-disciplined, well-armored armies and their commanders stand no chance against the Dothraki horselords who charge screaming into battlefields with their Arakhs and bows. As seen in the Battle of the Goldroad, Daenerys and her Dothraki horde ambush the combined Lannister-Tarly armies as the latter return from the Sack of Highgarden. Angry that her richest and most formidable Westerosi ally - the Tyrells are gone, and disappointed at her Lord Hand Tyrion Lannister's "clever plans," Daenerys takes charge and leads the Dothraki screamers into a field battle. This battle brings back the late King Robert Baratheon's words from Game of Thrones season 1, episode 5 "The Wolf and the Lion" into focus:
If the Targaryen girl convinces her horselord husband to invade and the Dothraki horde crosses the Narrow Sea... We won't be able to stop them.
Robert is intensely worried that if the vagabond Targaryen siblings land on Westerosi soil with an army of equestrian savages, they will inevitably lose the plot.
Let's say Viserys Targaryen lands with 40,000 Dothraki screamers at his back. We hole up in our castles. A wise move. Only a fool would meet the Dothraki in an open field.
Only instead of the Beggar King, Viserys, his sister lands on Westeros, long after Robert Baratheon is gone. In Game of Thrones season 7, episode 1 "Dragonstone," Daenerys returns to the titular location with a giant army and three fully-grown dragons. The Dothraki horselords constitute her army, and their first battle on Westeros' soil is the Goldroad ambush. They sweep through Jaime and Lord Randyll Tarly's infantry, it is obvious that they kill for fun.
Aside from this, the Dothraki fought for the Northerners in the Battle of Winterfell, and for Daenerys in the Battle of King's Landing. While they remain honorable in the former, they commit mass atrocities as they follow Daenerys' instructions in the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones, based on the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Martin, tells the sprawling story of warring families in Westeros. This includes the Starks, the Lannisters, the Baratheons, and the Targaryens. Along with human conflicts, Westeros is also threatened by the re-emergence of dragons, and an undead enemy from beyond the Wall.
- First Episode Air Date
- April 17, 2011
- Where to watch
- HBO Max
- Spin-offs
- House of the Dragon
