Arya Stark’s dagger on Game of Thrones season 8 episode 3 explained

The weapon was first seen in season one

Monday 29 April 2019 09:45 BST

Game of Thrones: Arya kills Night King in season 8

**Spoilers for Game of Thrones season eight, episode three ‘The Long Night’ ahead**

The Battle of Winterfell has come to an end. While many fan-favourite characters remain standing, a few also perished at the hand of the Night King.

During the climactic episode, The Night King slowly approaches Bran Stark (having just killed Theon). However, moments before the villain kills the Three-Eyed Raven, Arya Stark comes out of seemingly nowhere and stabs The Night King with a dagger, turning him – and the entire army of the dead – to dust.

Viewers have seen this dagger multiple times throughout Game of Thrones. Named the “catspaw dagger” by fans, the blade first appeared in season one, when a catspaw assassin attempted to kill Bran Stark using the weapon.

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

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1/7Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

Eddison Tollet/Dolorous Edd

One of the most loyal and comical characters on the show, Lord Commander Dolorous Edd was stabbed by a wight after saving his fellow Night's Watchman, Samwell Tarly. And now his watch has ended.

HBO

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

Lyanna Mormont

What a legend. Fans were sad to see Lady Mormonth go, but she definitely got one of the most epic deaths in the episode. After refusing to run from a charging wight giant, the dying girl uses a final ounce of strength – even as the giant is crushing her body in his hand – and stabs him right through the eye. Her death was later confirmed when the Night King raised her as a wight.

Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

Beric Dondarrion

It was a pretty safe bet that Lord Beric, who had died and been resurrected by his loyal friend Thoros of Myr a whopping six times, would meet his final death in this episode, given that Thoros wasn’t around to save him anymore. He was stabbed multiple times by wights as he held them off to save Arya and The Hound.

HBO

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

Theon Greyjoy

Theon has enjoyed one of the best character arcs in the history of Game of Thrones. After first appearing on the show as a sycophantic brat at Winterfell, he was kidnapped and tortured into becoming “Reek” for the amusement of Ramsay Bolton. Once he was rescued, he managed to redeem himself after a long journey back to Winterfell (saving his sister along the way), where he pledged to fight alongside the Starks and protect Bran. He kept his word, fighting off dozens if not hundreds of wights before the Night King and his posse turned up. Bran called him “a good man” and thanked him, upon which Theon charged at the Night King knowing his death was inevitable.

HBO

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

The Night King

Technically he was already dead, but the Night King still counts given the entire build-up to episode three had been about destroying him. Right as he reached for his sword to kill Bran, Arya comes out of nowhere and attempts to plunge Littlefinger’s Valyrian steel dagger into his back. He catches her by the throat, but Arya is too smart for him. She drops the dagger into her free hand and stabs him in the stomach instead, triggering the deaths of all the wights and Wight Walkers the Night King created (literally all of them).

HBO

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

Melisandre

At least fans were prepared for this one. Given her knack for predicting future events, Melisandre saying she would die “tonight” at the Battle of Winterfell gave fans a pretty good idea of what to expect. Her final prophecy did indeed come true: after she used the power of the Lord of Light to help the Army of the Living, Melisandre walked into the battlefield, removed her magic necklace, and embraced her death.

HBO / Helen Sloan

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell

Ser Jorah Mormont

Jorah Mormont had fully redeemed his betrayal of Dany by the end of episode three (some would argue he did when he saved her life back in series six). After she fell from Drogon as he was overwhelmed by wights, Jorah saved her from imminent death and ultimately died of his injuries right as the White Walker army was defeated. It was one of the most moving scenes of the episode, with Dany mourning while Drogon watches over them.

Catelyn Stark takes the blade to Littlefinger, who claims to have lost the peculiar dagger – which is noted as having a dragonbone hilt and being made of Valyrian steel – to Tyrion in a bet. This ignites the feud between the Starks and the Lannisters. While there’s been no confirmation, it’s widely believed that Littlefinger was behind the assassination attempt, having hoped to cause chaos in Westeros.

The dagger stays with Littlefinger from then until season seven, when the silver-tongued manipulator gives the weapon to Bran. Bran then gives the dagger to Arya (foreshadowing), who in turn kills Littlefinger using it, and later The Night King.

Arya killing the Night King was previously hinted at during season three, when the Red Woman told Arya: “I see a darkness in you. And in that darkness, eyes staring back at me: brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you’ll shut forever. We will meet again.”

With Arya killing The Night King, she seemingly fulfilled the Azor Ahai prophecy, allowing for Melisandre to finally rest. Read more about Melisandre’s final moments here.

‘The Long Night’ was a “gritty, epic and profoundly silly” episode according to our critic, who awarded the episode five stars. Meanwhile, the intense trailer for next week’s episode sees everyone turn their attentions to the Iron Throne and the fate of Cersei Lannister.

The final season of Game of Thrones continues every Sunday. The show will be available on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK.

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