Game of Thrones: Every Valyrian Steel Weapon

As a medieval-style fantasy, Game of Thrones' creator George R.R. Martin borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien's tradition of having specialized weapons complete with names and special, even magical, properties. Much of Game of Thrones' appeal lies in the complex characters and intricate political drama of Westeros, but it is still a show that prominently features dragons, ice zombies, and faceless assassins. To battle such threats, ordinary mortals need weapons, and some of those weapons are truly unique.Among the rarest and most prized weapons in Game of Thrones are blades made of Valyrian steel, which is stronger than regular steel with edges that need never be sharpened. The secret of how to forge Valyrian steel was lost in the Doom of Old Valyria, a catastrophic event on the continent of Essos that occurred four centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. As such, only a scant few people in the known world have knowledge of the process of how to forge Valyrian steel weapons. The show has highlighted a small number of these weapons, most of which were centuries-old heirlooms passed down in high-born families across generations.Along with Dragonglass (obsidian), Valyrian steel is one of the few substances that can kill White Walkers. However, this isn't widely known, as most people on Westeros still believe the Army of the Dead is just a myth. And even so, there are so few Valyrian steel weapons in existence. The following are the known weapons made of Valyrian steel we've seen on the show.

THE DAGGER

No single weapon has had a greater impact on Game of Thrones. The dagger, which has a Valyrian steel blade decorated in dragonglass and a hilt made of dragonbone, first appeared in season 1. It was given to a cutthroat assassin as the weapon intended to murder Brandon Stark, an assassination attempt foiled by Catelyn Stark and Summer the Direwolf. Catelyn brought the dagger to King's Landing, where Lord Petyr Baelish AKA Littlefinger identified it as his dagger, which he claimed he lost in a bet to Tyrion Lannister (in order to frame Tyrion as the mastermind of Bran's attempted murder). The dagger was later sighted in Ned Stark's chambers in the Hand of the King's office, and Littlefinger must have taken back possession of it after he betrayed Ned to the Lannisters.

The dagger wasn't seen again until season 7. First, a drawing of it appears in a book Samwell Tarly is reading when he researches Dragonglass in the Citadel at Oldtown. In the fourth episode, 'The Spoils of War,' Littlefinger gives the dagger to Bran Stark as an ironic gift. Bran then gave the dagger to his sister Arya, who had recently returned to Winterfell to reunite with her surviving siblings. The weapon once meant to kill a Stark is now ironically a Stark family heirloom. In the capable and dangerous hands of Arya, an assassin trained by the Faceless Men of Braavos, what further purpose the dagger will serve remains to be seen.

ICE

Ice was the huge ancestral greatsword of the Stark dynasty. Fittingly, its scabbard was made from the pelt of a wolf. In the two decades of peace since Robert Baratheon became King, Ice was used as more of a ceremonial weapon, swung by Ned Stark to behead traitors to the North. Ned brought Ice with him to King's Landing when he became the Hand of the King. When Robert was killed by a boar and the power struggle over the Iron Throne between Ned and the Lannisters took place, the Lannisters took possession of Ice when Ned was betrayed and imprisoned as a traitor. It was Ice used to behead Ned; it was swung by Ser Illyn Payne, the royal executioner. Finally, Tywin Lannister had Ice melted down and reforged into two different swords.

OATHKEEPER

The first sword forged from the melted down Valyrian steel of Ice was given by Tywin to his son Jaime Lannister. The new sword had a golden lion's head hilt and was intended by Tywin to be Jaime's weapon as the new Lord of Casterly Rock. When Jaime refused to step down as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Tywin dejectedly told him to keep the sword anyway.

Later, Jaime gave the sword to Brienne of Tarth when he charged her with the mission to locate Sansa Stark and keep her safe away from his twin sister Cersei. Because she had previously sworn an oath to the late Catelyn Stark to keep her daughters Sansa and Arya safe, Brienne decided to name the sword Oathkeeper. Brienne would wield Oathkeeper when she defeated Sandor Clegane AKA The Hound in battle, and she used Oathkeeper to execute Stannis Baratheon after his failure to take Wintefell from Ramsay Bolton.

In season 6, Jaime and Brienne would reunite during the Lannisters and Freys' siege to take Rivverun from the Blackfish. Brienne attempted to return Oathkeeper to Jaime, but he told her to keep it: "It's yours. It will always be yours."

WIDOW'S WAIL

The second Valyrian steel sword forged from Ice was a gift from Tywin to his grandson King Joffrey at the breakfast before his wedding to Margaery Tyrell. The sword's hilt features the stag of House Baratheon, ornamented with the gold of House Lannister. Joffrey's first use of the sword, which he named Widow's Wail, was to slice up the book his hated uncle Tyrion gave him as a wedding present. Joffrey later used Widow's Wail to cut open the giant pigeon pie at his wedding feast moments before he was murdered by poison by Lady Olenna Tyrell. Widow's Wail was placed with Joffrey's corpse at his funeral in the Great Sept of Baelor. The sword was not seen again until the third episode of season 7, 'The Queen's Justice,' and is now carried by Jaime Lannister as his weapon.

HEARTSBANE

Heartsbane is the ancestral sword of House Tarly of Horn Hill. With a hilt shaped like a bow and arrow to reflect Tarly family sigil - the Huntsman - Heartsbane has been in the Tarly family for 500 years. The sword was intended to be passed down from the current patriarch, Lord Randyll Tarly, to his firstborn son. However, since his firstborn son is Samwell Tarly, whom Randyll despises, he planned to ignore this tradition and pass the son to his second son Dickon Tarky, who will inherit Horn Hill. When he visited Horn Hill with Gilly in season 6, Sam stole Heartsbane and took it with him to the Citadel.

LONGCLAW

Longclaw, now in the possession of Jon Snow, was for five centuries the ancestral sword of House Mormont of Bear Island. Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, gifted the sword to Jon Snow after Jon saved his life from a wight in season 1. Mormont had the pommel remade from a bear to the shape of a direwolf. Jon has wielded Longclaw ever since, occasionally losing and regaining it in the course of his many adventures.

In season 5, Jon used Longclaw to execute Janos Slynt, and in the battle of Hardhome, Jon is shocked when Longclaw is able to shatter and kill a White Walker, proving something besides dragonglass can kill the dead. Before he ended his watch as Lord Commander in season 6, the magically resurrected Jon used Longclaw to cut the rope that hanged the Night's Watchmen who murdered him.

Now that Jon Snow is King in the North, Longclaw is poised to replace Ice as the ancestral sword of the Starks of Winterfell - though how the long-awaited reveal of Jon Snow's true Targaryen heritage will affect this remains to be seen.

Just how many of these Valyrian steel weapons will be put to use in battle against the White Walkers is a question Game of Thrones fans can't wait to have answered.