After a hiatus that felt just about as endless as the Long Night, Game of Thrones is finally returning. Only six episodes are left before Westeros' story is concluded (at least, until the prequel premieres), and the Season 7 cliffhanger saw the Night King and a zombified Viserion destroy a section of the wall at Eastwatch, finally allowing the army of the dead to march on Westeros.
The Great War between the living and the dead has never been nearer, and the characters are going to need as many dragonglass and Valyrian Steel weapons as they can get their hands on. The latter is extremely rare, so here are where all of the Valyrian steel blades still in the mix are currently located on Game of Thrones.
Longclaw
Longclaw is perhaps Game of Thrones' most iconic Valyrian Steel weapon. It has been wielded throughout most of the series by none other than Jon Snow (or should we call him Aegon now?). The sword is a family heirloom of House Mormont, and was gifted to Jon in the Night's Watch by Lord Commander Mormont before his death. Jon attempted to return it to Jorah in "Beyond the Wall" last season, but Dany's chief advisor maintained that it belonged to Jon.
While we're glad to see our favorite former bastard with his trusty weapon, I have to wonder what little Lyanna Mormont would think about Jorah's decision. She's currently the head of House Mormont, and she may want her family's blade back eventually. Jon has already used Longclaw to kill two White Walkers, and smart money says he's got more to chop down in the future.
Widow's Wail
After Tywin Lannister got his hands Ned Stark's former greatsword Ice, he melted down the Valyrian Steel blade into two swords for House Lannister. This scene was the cold open of Season 4, which hints at how important the swords will likely be in the coming battle against the dead. One sword was made for King Joffrey and gifted to him before the Purple Wedding. Obviously he didn't get to use it much (except on a large book given to him by Tyrion), and the sword has since been claimed by Jaime Lannister.
With Jaime finally departing King's Landing to join the battle against the dead at the end of Season 7, it seems like Jaime may end up slaying some White Walkers of wrights in the future. Although it will probably take some convincing for him to be welcomed into the Targaryen/Stark alliance.
Oathkeeper
The second sword forged from Ice's Valyrian Steel is Oathkeeper. This sword was originally made by Tywin for Jaime, although he had just lost his hand when that happened. Because Jaime wasn't yet trained to battle with his left hand, he gifted the sword to Brienne of Tarth. Brienne and Jaime formed a strong relationship during their journey back to King's Landing, and saved each other's life more than once.
There are also hints of some romantic feelings between the two (with no love for Tormund), so Jaime's gift to Brienne is a significant one. She named it Oathkeeper after her vow to Catelyn Stark, and she's used it in a bevy of important battles throughout the seasons, including her fight with The Hound and her slaying of Stannis Baratheon. Now that Brienne has seen a wight in person, I'm sure she'll be killing plenty of dead soldiers before Season 8 ends.
Heartsbane
Until recently, Heartsbane was one of the lesser known Valyrian steel swords in Game of Thrones, but it may end up being quite important now that the dead are marching on Winterfell. Heartsbane is the Valyrian steel sword of House Tarly (a.k.a. Sam's family). When Sam briefly returned to Horn Hill in Season 6 (and before he pissed off fans), he was promptly embarrassed and shamed by his father Randyll. Right before he left on his way to The Citadel he stole Heartsbane, to his family's chagrin. Sam himself is unable to wield Heartsbane, but -- spoilers ahead for Episode 2 of Season 8 -- he handed it over to Ser Jorah Mormont, who definitely knows his way around a sword.
Now that both Randyll and Dickon have been killed by Dany, no one is going to come asking for the sword. While Sam likely won't take it up in battle, perhaps he'll find a way to harness the power of Valyrian steel, or at least figure out what makes it able to kill White Walkers. If he (and maybe Bran) are able to do this in Season 7 and maybe even create more Valyrian steel, then the living may have a chance after all. They do have a new blacksmith handy!
The Dagger
This little dagger has been a major plot point in Game of Thrones. Back in Season 1, a sellsword infiltrated Winterfell and attempted to assassinate Bran Stark with the blade. Catelyn and Summer were able to fight him off, but the dagger itself was used by the not-so-dearly departed Littlefinger to begin the conflict between House Stark and House Lannister. In Season 7, it made a major reappearance as Littlefinger handed it to Bran, who then gave it to Arya.
With Arya now armed with a Valyrian steel weapon of her own, I can't wait to see her kill some undead enemies when the final season of Game of Thrones premiers. While she's still got Cersei on her name of people to kill, I wouldn't be surprised if Arya ends up using her dagger to protect Winterfell, especially her sister.
Bonus Sword: Dawn
If Longclaw is Game of Thrones' most iconic Valyrian steel weapon, then Dawn has to be the least-known. The ancestral sword of House Dayne has barely even been mentioned, and only eagle-eyed fans spotted it in the Tower of Joy flashback sequences. After Ser Arthur Dayne was slain, Ned picked up Dawn and took it with him into the tower in Dorne, where he found Lyanna dying and was entrusted with Jon/Aegon.
Game of Thrones never definitively revealed what happened to Dawn, although if the events of the show follow the books, then Ned returned Dawn to House Dayne after the fighting was over. Still, the camera lingered on Dawn just long enough for fans to identify it. Was that a sign that Dawn has a part to play in the Great War? Or was it just a nod to book fans? It's not one of the many things we already know about Season 8, so we'll have to wait and see.
Season 8 of Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
