'The Long Night', the third episode of the final season of Game of Thrones, was a pretty wild ride. The long-awaited Battle of Winterfell brought so many of the show's biggest characters together to take on the Night King and his army of the dead. The episode was another bloody affair filled with surprises. But as shocking as some of the moments are, many of the best moments in the episode echo things we've already seen.
It seems to be a running theme that this final season that the show continually references what came before, bringing several storylines full-circle. "The Long Night" was full of fun nods to fans as well as payoffs to moments that were set up long ago. Here are the best callbacks in the Battle of Winterfell.
10. The Episode Title
Game of Thrones is being especially tight-lipped with their episode titles this season. Unlike past seasons, the show is now only revealing these titles once the episode has aired. This is likely due to one of the remaining episodes containing some sort of spoiler. In the case of "The Long Night", it is a callback to one of Bran’s favorite stories as a child.
Back in Season 1, Old Nan tells Bran the story of the Long Night, which is the first time the White Walkers invaded Westeros. In parallel to the events of the show, the story tells how old enemies needed to come together in order to defeat their common enemy.
9. The Pointy End
Arya's evolution as a killer has been a steady and deliberate one. She has trained and taken in every lesson from every teacher she's had over the years. While they all come in handy here, the show specifically references the very first lesson she was given.
When Arya tells Sansa to "stick them with the pointy end", it is the same lesson Jon Snow taught Arya back in Season 1 when he gave her Needle. It might seem obvious, but Arya has found it remains effective, no matter the enemy.
8. The Hound's Fear
Though he is one of the most fearsome fighters on the show, we've also seen that The Hound can be quite crippled in the midst of battle. His fear of fire, stemming from his brother burning his face as a child, came back to haunt him as the Battle of Winterfell raged until his love for Arya snapped him into action.
This moment was set-up in Season 2 during the Battle of Blackwater. When the wildfire engulfs Stannis' fleet, The Hound suffers the same breakdown, eventually abandoning the fight. It’s interesting to see the different result here as he overcomes his fear to fulfill his destiny.
7. Arya And Melisandre Meet Again
The reappearance of Melisandre was a very unexpected moment in the show. While we knew she would likely show up again, coming out of the darkness just before battle was a real shocker. And it becomes quite clear the reason she has returned is Arya.
Some fans may have forgotten these two have met before when Melisandre came to take Gendry. In that moment, Melisandre tells Arya she will be responsible for "closing many eyes". The prophecy seemed to suggest Arya's eventual path as an assassin, but it turns out it was much more significant than that.
6. The Night King Showing Off
Jon Snow first got a glimpse of how dangerous the Night King was during the massacre at Hardhome in Season 5. After killing hundreds of people, the Night King simply raises his arms and brings the dead back under his command. It was a horrifying moment that showed how unstoppable this enemy was.
Jon gets another first-hand look at this ability during the Battle of Winterfell when he comes face-to-face with the Night King in a moment that echoes their Hardhome standoff. The Night King’s slight smirk in both instances suggests he really enjoys showing this power off.
The Army of the Dead seemed to be an impossible enemy to fight against. However, back in Season 1, the show slyly hinted at the fact that Arya was the only person who could stand up against the army and defeat them.
When Arya is taking her "water dancing" lessons from Syrio Forel, he gives her another very important lesson. He explains the only true god is the God of Death, and there is only one thing you say to the God of Death; "not today".
Melisandre invokes this lesson again, inspiring Arya to make that game-ending move, suggesting Arya's whole path led to this moment.
4. Stealth Arya
In Season 1, when Jon gives Arya Needle, he tells her a good swordsman can be fast and she assures him she can be fast. Little did either of them know just how fast she could be. That was the last time they saw each other before their long-awaited reunion this season.
As it turns out, their reunion is in the Godswood in the same spot Arya would eventually deal the fatal blow to the Night King. Setting up that moment, Arya is able to sneak up on Jon without making a sound, just as she does to the Night King.
3. Bran's Gift To Arya
Many people have suggested Bran was a bit useless during the battle, but as it turns out, he was just playing the long game. As the Night King enters the Godswood, Bran watches him approach seemingly accepting his death. But in reality, he knows the end result because he set it up himself.
Last season, Bran and Arya are reunited, again, in the Godswood. Bran gives Arya with Valyrian steel dagger which Littlefinger gave to him. The Night King's death in the Godswood calls back to that moment and how Bran put the whole thing in motion.
2. Arya's Move
Some people have a hard time believing that Arya could kill the Night King, but the show has established that she is the most effective assassin. Though the Night King is an extremely powerful being with few weaknesses, Arya has trained to think one step ahead of her enemy – such as with her final move on the Night King.
We've seen Arya use that move before in her fight against Brienne. Switching the dagger from one hand to the other to throw off her opponent helped beat Brienne in their sparring and, as it turns out, was just as effective on the Night King.
1. Melisandre's Necklace
Melisandre promised that she had to return to Westeros to die and she kept that promise. While some assumed it would be Davos who killed her, it turns out that she died by her own hand.
In Season 6, we saw the shocking moment when it’s revealed Melisandre's ruby necklace is concealing the fact that she is an old, decrepit woman. The show finally brings that moment back as Melisandre removes the necklace following the battle and walks away, slowly dying of her old age.