After the cancellation of the first Game of Thrones prequel in late 2019, HBO has finally started working on the spin-off series, House of the Dragon. It was initially supposed to be worked on in 2020, but due to some pandemic-related setbacks, the show began production in 2021. This means fans will have something to look forward to, especially after the last season of Game of Thrones, where some fans believe was a letdown.
This show is based on George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel, Fire & Blood, which is set hundreds of years before Game of Thrones and focuses on the Targaryen lineage. The show will follow Princess Rhaenrya Targaryen and her half-brother, Aegon II, that challenges her claim to the throne.
While none of the original cast will be coming to the spin-off, it is important to look back on some details, especially the weaponry. Here are some of the more famous swords on the show, with a few that could potentially pop back up.
Updated August 9, 2022 by Nikole Brinkman: With House of the Dragon just around the corner for fans, it's exciting to see what will pop up from the show, and what else will surprise viewers. Even though House of the Dragon is set before Game of Thrones, there are a still a lot of things that fans can recognize, such as weaponry. Most of the swords are passed down amongst families, but some can get lost through the years and receive different, unrelated owners.
However, they are found throughout history, it's important to look back at all of the weapons that made a large impact in the show, that potentially could make another appearance soon. Not only looking at the swords themselves, it's time to broaden the horizon by checking out weapons such as daggers or bows, or even animals.
Spoilers Ahead
10 Dark Sister
Owners: Visenya Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen, Aemon the Dragonknight, Brynden Rivers
This Valyrian blade should be seen in the prequel, House of Dragons, due to its ownership starting with the Targaryen’s. This sword belonged to Visenya Targaryen. Visenya used this sword during the War of Conquest, wielding it as she rode a dragon.
About sixty years after the death of Visenya, the sword was passed to Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of King Viserys I Targaryen. While the sword is relatively thin due to it being made for a female warrior, it is still made from Valyrian steel which is still strong and sharp.
9 Ice
Owners: Ned Stark, Ser Illyn Payne, Tywin Lannister, Joffrey Lannister, Brienne of Tarth
There are a few Valyrian Steel blades that circulate throughout the show, and each one is worth mentioning. The first is Ice, seen with Ned Stark when beheading the deserter in Season One. Later in the Season, however, the sword is used to kill Ned Stark by King Joffrey’s order. While Ice has been Stark’s heirloom for generations, by the end of the first Season, it is quickly taken by the Lannisters.
In Season Four, when Tywin Lannister has possession of Ice, it’s ordered that the blade be melted down and used to create a new sword for his son, Jaime Lannister. Due to the size, there was enough material to create two new swords, which will go on to be given to Joffrey and Jaime, being named The Widow’s Wail and Oathkeeper.
8 Oathkeeper
Owners: Jaime Lannister, Brienne of Tarth
Made from Stark’s heirloom, Ice, this Valyrian blade was given to Jaime Lannister by his father, Tywin, in hopes that he’ll resign as Lord Commander of the Kingsgaurd and rule over Casterly Rock. While this does not happen due to Jaime’s decline of the position, he keeps the sword.
The sword is later given to Brienne of Tarth after the death of Joffrey. Jaime tasks Brienne to find Sansa Stark to protect her from Cersei, who believes that Sansa is the cause of Joffrey’s murder. In doing so, Brienne rightfully names the sword “Oathkeeper”.
Brienne uses the sword against Littlefinger’s guards, where Oathkeeper slices through one of the swords completely. She also uses the sword to execute Stannis Baratheon in Season Five following the Battle of Winterfell. The sword is used often throughout the show and even stays in Brienne’s possession at the end where Brienne becomes the Lord Commander of the Kingsgaurd. Not only is Oathkeeper a brilliant weapon that made a large impact on the show, but it was also used to serve Sansa Stark on many occasions, which means that a part of Ice did come back to the Stark family at the end.
7 Widow’s Wail
Owners: Joffrey Baratheon
The second Valyrian blade made from Ice, Widow’s Wail was gifted to Joffrey Baratheon in Season Four. Joffrey named it Widow’s Wail due to him assigning the blade to be the one to execute Ned Stark, relishing in the thought of how much pain Sansa Stark would be in because of this. The sadistic King does not hold possession of the sword for long since he was poisoned at his wedding towards the end of Season Four.
There is a short moment in this season where Widow’s Wail sees combat in the Battle of the Goldroad, wielded by Jaime. This sword is also used to knight Brienne of Tarth in Season Eight, which is only fitting since she held the sister sword, Oathkeeper, reuniting the blades. Widow’s Wail is then used to kill a sleuth of wights during the Battle of Winterfell. When bumping into Daenerys’ soldiers, however, the sword is quickly taken, leaving the whereabouts of the weapon lost at the end of the show.
6 The Animals
Owners: Rickon Stark, Bran Stark, Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Robb Stark, Daenerys Targaryen
Weapons don't need pointy ends and a hand on the other end controlling them, some weapons are better with their own momentum, claws, teeth, and ravenous growls and terrifying looks. The animals in Game of Thrones is unlike anything fans have seen, from the terrifying Direwolves to the large masses of Dragons, they are a beautiful, yet brutal sight to see. And maybe it's cheating to put this in the category as weapons, but they are a huge impact in the story.
While not all of the Direwolves stay around their owners due to many reasons, the ones that still have them, such as Jon Snow, are able to use them to their advantage. With every battle Jon Snow has fought, or surprise attack from foes, Ghost is at his side ready to die in order to defend him. And Nymeria, made a huge impact towards the beginning by defending Arya from Joffrey. This not only showed Sansa who she was about to be married to, but it showed the audience what kind of person Joffrey was, and set a very strong uneasy feeling for how brutal, spoiled, and quite frankly demented this boy was who will soon be King.
As for the dragons, there can be a handful of examples on why these creatures are weapons. Daenerys Targaryen uses her children as tools to get what she wants and needs. At first, they were adorable little things learning to fly, and all too quickly they became the terrifying monsters that could melt people in an instance, or even a thrown made of swords!
5 Lightbringer
Owners: Stannis Baratheon, Azor Ahai
This is one of the stranger weapons. Made from living fire, this sword is supposedly wielded by the Lord’s Chosen, the champion of the Lord of Light. The show portrays this weapon being wielded by Stannis Baratheon, who pulls the blade out of a fire created by burning statues of the Seven. He then leaves the weapon on the beach of Dragonstone, where it is believed to be carried off by Davos Seaworth.
In the books, however, the blade is forged and wielded by Azor Ahai, who is chosen by the Lord of Light to fight the darkness. This sword is said to glow and radiate heat, burning whoever touches it. In the show, Melisandre believes Stannis to be Azor Ahai reborn, thus enchanting the blade in hopes to create Lightbringer, however, it only glows, it does not burn, meaning the sword Stannis wields is fake.
While this sword does not truly appear in the show, it is still a legendary weapon that could show in the prequel. In A Storm of Swords, Maester Aemon Targaryen talks to Stannis about the sword, and even describes it perfectly, even though he is blind. Maester Aemon then tells Stannis that the one he wields is a fake, meaning the Targaryen’s might have some history with the blade. This could be a great opportunity to bring the legend to the prequel.
4 Wildfire
Owners: Cersei
Speaking on weapons that can change the course of history, it's almost impossible to talk about all of Game of Thrones without the mention of this horrendous chemical. Who wouldn't want something that can be leaked into the water and blow up entire fleets of ships that are coming to take over their home? Or to simply burn down a room full of enemies?
Whatever someone would want with this ingredient for, it would be for nothing but destruction. Wildfire is a horrible weapon that is used quite often in Game of Thrones, suiting those that would rather watch from a distance than to be up-close and personal with the enemy, which seems to be what Cersei enjoys the most. While there are no great ways to die, this would have to be one of the worst. From winning wars and killing enemies, Wildfire makes a huge impact on the show by taking out floods of people within a split second of screentime.
3 Needle
Owners: Arya Stark
While fans won’t see Needle resurface again in the prequel, Arya’s blade is still an important weapon that should be remembered in Game of Thrones. Jon Snow had it made for Arya before he left for the Wall during Season One, and while it is a small weapon, it shouldn’t be forgotten. Not only is the name fitting for a rebellious girl such as Arya, but it is also quite the handy tool that has helped her seek revenge and keep herself alive.
This small, castle-forged steel blade was used to kill four people in the show. The first was a stable during Season One, the second was Polliver who took Needle to use against Lommy, the third being Rorge who threatened to rape Arya, and lastly the Waif, who was hunting Arya for the Faceless
2 Longclaw
Owners: Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, Ser Jorah Mormont, Jon Snow
When talking about legendary weapons, Longclaw is one of the main blades fans think about when talking about Valyrian swords. While this blade was in the Mormont house for years, it is given to Jon Snow during Season One as a reward for saving Jeor’s life from a wight. This begins the long journey that Longclaw and Jon Snow have together.
With the pommel remade from a bear to a wolf, Jon carries this weapon throughout the entirety of the show. This weapon saves his life countless times and has seen its fair share of combat, so much so that it would be impossible to count. The first time he uses the blade to kill was in Season Three when fighting against Orell. But from there, Jon must use the blade in the Battle of the Bastards, with the White Walkers, in the Battle of Winterfell, and the Battle of King’s Landing. This is a worthy sword that has done some major damage.
1 The Dagger
Owners: Tyrion Lannister, Littlefinger, Unknown Assassin, Bran Stark, Arya Stark
There are a lot of important and famous weapons on the show, but only one ended it all. This weapon, like Longclaw, worked its way through the seasons just to be the one chosen to kill the Night King. It's hard enough to follow all characters and their storyline, fans shouldn't have to remember the progression of a dagger as well!
Thankfully, the dagger is an iconic one that made several impacts throughout the show, even though it has no name. The very first sighting of it was in Season One. The Valyrian steel dagger was the weapon that the assassin used to try and murder Bran Stark as he was resting in bed after his dreadful fall. Thanks to his mother and his Direwolf, he was able to live another day.
Throughout the seasons, there were many speculations on whom the dagger belonged to, such as Tyrion or Littlefinger. Later on in Season Seven, Littlefinger gives the dagger back to Bran, however, Bran gives it to Arya since he is the Three-Eyed Raven, and no longer needs to fight, and most likely knew what would come in the future. And finally, in Season Eight, Arya uses this blade to kill the Night King, thus ending the Great War. So while the blade ultimately started the War of the Five Kings, it also saved the day at the Great War, and started the cycle for Bran to become the Three-Eyed Raven.
House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max on August 21st, 2022.