Highlights
- The Azor Ahai prophecy and the magical sword, Lightbringer, are central to Game of Thrones lore.
- Melisandre, a priestess of the Lord of Light, believes Stannis Baratheon is the reborn Azor Ahai and enchants his sword.
- Melisandre later realizes she was wrong about Stannis and believes Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen have roles to play in the battle against the Night King.
Game of Thrones is firmly grounded in prophecies of all kinds, but the Azor Ahai is arguably among the core prophecies of the lore. Tied to the story of Azor Ahai is the magical sword, Lightbringer that the Red Woman, Lady Melisandre talks about in Game of Thrones season 2, episode 1 "The North Remembers."
A priestess of the religion of R'hllor, Melisandre is an ardent worshipper of the Lord of Light deity and preaches the doctrine to the Westerosi who were raised in the Faith of the Seven. As it's laid out in the lore, Azor Ahai and the flaming sword Lightbringer go hand in hand. HBO's Game of Thrones briefly tackles the two, the lore however goes into detail about how Lightbringer was forged.
House of the Dragon: Who is the Prince That Was Promised and What is the Song of Ice and Fire?
The mysterious Prince That Was Promised has become a central part of House of the Dragon.
Melisandre Mentions Lightbringer In Game Of Thrones
In Game of Thrones' "The North Remembers," the late King Robert's brother, Stannis Baratheon, his loyalists, and a few inhabitants have gathered on Dragonstone with Melisandre as head of the congregation. Stannis knows Robert's legal heirs - Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella share no blood with him, and as his brother's heir, he wants to drive them out of the Red Keep. Melisandre backs Stannis' claim because she believes he is reborn as the legendary hero, who has a bigger purpose in the world:
After the long summer, the darkness will fall heavy on the world. The stars will bleed. The cold breath of winter will freeze the seas and the dead shall rise in the North.
Melisandre burns the statues of the Seven as offerings to the Lord of Light and declares Stannis is the Lord's chosen. She mentions the imminent rising of the Dead in the North in the winter, and believes the Iron Throne is Stannis' as he is the Warrior of Light:
In the ancient books, it's written that a warrior will draw a burning sword from the fire. And that sword shall be Lightbringer: Stannis Baratheon, Warrior of Light. Your sword awaits you.
Melisandre enchants Stannis' sword, and he pulls it from the heart of one of the burning idols of the Seven. He raises this burning sword, moves forward, and thrusts it into the ground. Every woman, and man, including Ser Davos Seaworth present at the ceremony, bow down to Stannis, and chant: "Lord, cast your light upon us!"
After Stannis' two consecutive failed wars for the Iron Throne, Melisandre accepts that she was wrong to think that the Lord of Light stood behind Stannis. As for the sword she had once enchanted, it was merely named after the legendary Lightbringer and nothing more.
Followers of R'hllor, Azor Ahai And Lightbringer
The magical sword, Lightbringer is interchangeably called the Red Sword of Heroes in Game of Thrones lore. It was wielded by Azor Ahai during the Long Night to "end the darkness." Legend says the first time, Azor Ahai spent thirty days and thirty nights trying to forge Lightbringer, but it broke during the quenching process. The second time, it took him fifty days and fifty nights, and instead of quenching it in water, he tempered it into the heart of a captured lion. The third and last time, Azor Ahai spent a hundred days and nights laboring, and he knew the quenching process beforehand. He summoned his wife Nissa Nissa and drove the sword through her heart. The steel didn't shatter, as it combined with his wife's soul. Legend says that Azor Ahai's Lightbringer had the same warmth as Nissa Nissa. The blade was blazing hot during battles, and for the followers of R'hllor, the Lightbringer is heavily intertwined with the tale of Azor Ahai.
Melisandre Brings Jon And Daenerys Together
After resurrecting Jon Snow in Game of Thrones season 6, Melisandre asks him what he saw after being stabbed to death. While Jon says nothing, she believes the Lord of Light let him come back to life for a reason. She says Stannis wasn't the Prince That Was Promised, heavily implying that she now believes in Jon. While the prophesied heroes - Azor Ahai and the Prince That Was Promised are sometimes used interchangeably, the fact remains, that Azor Ahai already defeated the darkness, and the Prince That Was Promised is Azor Ahai come again in the books.
In Game of Thrones season 6, episode 4 "Book of the Stranger," Melisandre explicitly confirms to Ser Davos that Jon Snow is the Prince That Was Promised, but in Game of Thrones season 7, episode 2 "Stormborn," she visits Daenerys Targaryen at Dragonstone and says "...prophecies are dangerous things." That said, there's talk of the Prince That Was Promised in High Valyrian, which Daenerys translates to: "The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the dawn."
When Daenerys points out she isn't a prince, her translator, Missandei points out that the noun 'prince' is gender-neutral in High Valyrian and that the accurate translation of Melisandre's words would be: "The prince or princess who was promised will bring the dawn."
While Melisandre doesn't explicitly confirm who the prophecy refers to, she believes Daenerys and Jon have a role to play in the battle against the Night King and his army. At her advice, Daenerys summons Jon Snow to Dragonstone and later, pledges to fight for the living at the end of Game of Thrones season 7. As for the Lightbringer, remains the stuff of legend, forged and wielded by the Lord's Chosen thousands of years ago.
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
