We founded Watchers on the Wall nine years ago with a clear goal: to enjoy our favorite TV show together with our fellow fans, writing about Game of Thrones for the sheer love of it. We wanted to create the recaps and analysis and post the kind of news that we would want to read, on our own terms, without interference from corporate ownership. We wanted the freedom to enjoy fandom as wanted, and we found it on the Wall.
At the time it was a difficult decision to leave behind our previous internet home, but it’s one we’ve never regretted. To be able to write about Game of Thrones solely as fans meant there was no pressure to churn out content to make money- no quotas or finger-wagging. It also meant that once GoT was over in 2019, it was entirely up to us what we were going to do. We chose to keep Watchers on the Wall open but the future was uncertain.
Now, a few years onward, we have reached the conclusion that it’s time for Watchers on the Wall to close.
We knew there would be a Long Night after the end of GoT, but I don’t think anyone knew just how dark it would be. It took even longer than expected for a prequel show to turn up, due to the first pilot being scrapped and House of the Dragon being ordered instead. The Winds of Winter never appeared, making the fandom even drier of content. And then of course, 2020 was hit by something by something much less predictable than GRRM’s writing pace: a pandemic.
It’s been an extremely challenging few years for everyone here at the Wall, between working in healthcare, having babies, experiencing personal losses, adapting to new phases of life, traveling, and just…everything that comes with having a full life. People are tired, and real life comes first. That’s always been the main rule here: we do this for the love of it, and if we’re not loving it, it’s time to stop.
I’ve enjoyed House of the Dragon but it hasn’t inspired the fanatical level of devotion Game of Thrones did. I’ll watch season 2 every week, live-tweet a bit, and sleep peacefully. There will be no more 2am show nights for me; it’s time to retire and let other recappers have the fun.
We wanted to be a collective focused on the fandom, and I think we have succeeded in that. Nine years is a good run for a fan site and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, as a community. It was a wild journey filled with color and light and unpredictable characters (much like Game of Thrones). Our readers and commenters have been such a blessing and I’m grateful for the time each of you spent with us along the way. You all made me think and smile so much. You made Watchers home.
I want to personally thank Oz, Luka, Vanessa, Samantha, David, Petra, Axechucker, and Marko for being absolute rock stars, and a special thank you to our features writers for their amazing creative contributions: Akash of the Andals, Hogan McLaughlin, JoeMagician, Morgoth, and Patrick Sponaugle. Also I’d love to thank past staff writers like Bex, Geoffery, Cian, Nate, Shylah, Dylan, Paige, and Marc N. Kleinhenz for their important contributions to Watchers on the Wall. Thank you to Dame Pasty for her technical help, and thanks to Jess for help with our Tumblr!
We’ve had some incredible guest contributors at the Wall over the past nine years, including Aishwarya, BryndenBFish, GreatjonofSlumber, Hannah, JamesRivers, Jared Kozal, Jefferson Carberry, Joe Buckley, Manu, Morgan, Randy Holt, Red Aly, Ryan Neuner and Tyler Dean. Thank you all so much for sharing your ideas and your talents with the fandom!
Watchers on the Wall will remain open until at least October 18th.
Thank you for every day, every night, every tweet, every comment, every cheer, every groan, every laugh, and every word. We loved watching along with you all.
We’ve seen Eddie Eyre as Ser Gerold Hightower; who will he be in House of the Dragon?
Tomorrow will be the last day of House of the Dragon season two filming in Spain, but do not fret: there are still news coming from Cáceres! Spoilery details have surfaced from the funeral procession scene, and several new cast members have been sighted in the city, including one we know from Game of Thrones!
Let’s start with the not-so-new cast member, Eddie Eyre, who was spotted in Cáceres hanging out with the cast of House of the Dragon, and whose involvement in the show’s second season is more or less confirmed by his CV on Spotlight. In season six of Game of Thrones, Eyrie played Ser Gerold Hightower, one of the two knights of the Kingsguard young Ned and his friends have to kill to get to his sister Lyanna at the Tower of Joy, just before she dies giving birth to Jon Snow.
It’s natural to assume that he’ll play another Hightower, but that’s not necessarily the case: Jefferson Hall, who originally played Ser Hugh of the Vale in the first season of Game of Thrones, later found in House of the Dragon a larger recurring role—or rather, roles—as the Lannister twins Tyland and Jason. Although Eyre playing another Hightower would be a nice nod to his brief yet memorable original role, realistically he could well be playing a character from any other family.
We know Eyre was in Cáceres thanks to Michelle Bonnard, who we saw in “The Green Council” as the brothel madame Aemond knew and interrogated. That scene was filmed in Cáceres and it looks like she’s back, as she shared the selfie above on her Instagram… with not only Eyre but also Jordon Stevens, who plays Elinda Massey, Rhaenyra’s main lady-in-waiting. Although she’s only a background character in the first season, if one pays attention she’s always by Rhaenyra’s side by the time she’s an adult. Of course, this raises the question of what Rhaenyra’s lady-in-waiting will be doing in King’s Landing while it is ruled by the Greens.
In other words, what does this mean for Rhaenyra? We had our theories about why Emma D’Arcy was in Spain. Are they merely visiting and incidentally messing with us? Will we perhaps see Rhaenyra in King’s Landing in a vision? Or are they accelerating the plot to such an extent that Rhaenyra will be back in King’s Landing by the end of season two? The latter remains unlikely to me, but the presence of Elinda Massey, who we’ve only seen close to her queen so far, is another point in its favor. There are other possibilities, of course: maybe Elinda will be sent to King’s Landing in a mission, or Cáceres could be used for scenes not only set in King’s Landing… though I can’t imagine what other location, other than Dragonstone, would fit Rhaenyra and her lady-in-waiting at this time. Perhaps the towns of Hull or Spicetown in Driftmark? For now, it’s all a bit of a mystery.
The actors playing these four noblemen have now been identified!
But those aren’t the only new cast sightings. Redanian Intelligence have identified several new cast members in Cáceres from the photos above provided by El Periódico Extremadura. From left to right: Ralph Davis (SAS: Rogue Heroes), Tok Stephen (The Larkins), Barney Fishwick (Doctors) and Scroobius Pip (Taboo), who as well as an actor is a podcaster and hip hop artist. The first three haven’t only been seen in costumes but also hanging out with the some of the cast:
From left to right (amongst those seated) we can see Tok Stephen, Ralph Davis, Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen), Barney Fishwick, and Freddie Fox (Gwayne Hightower). Considering the CV of these new cast members, they are unlikely to have huge parts, but it’s still nice to see the cast list for season two starting to bulk up!
Rome actress Anna Francolini may have joined House of the Dragon
Redanian Intelligence has unveiled another presumed new cast member, though she hasn’t been sighted and we haven’t been able to independently confirm it. According to their sources, Anna Francolini (Rome) has recently filmed scenes for season two at Leavesden Studios. We don’t know who she’ll be playing, but considering her appearance, age, and pedigree as an actor, my first thought (and everyone else’s, from what I’ve seen) was Lady Jeyne Arryn, who Jace was sent to win over for Rhaenyra’s cause at the end of last season. Since Jace is expected to visit the Eyrie before moving on to Winterfell, we have been waiting for the Lady of the Eyrie to be cast. Francolini could be playing someone else, but if the shoe fits…
Before wraping up, we should revisit the presumably now-finished filming of the funeral procession in Cáceres. Spoilers ahead! Spanish fansite Los Siete Reinos claims that, according to their local sources, the crowd will throw food at Alicent and Helaena’s carriage and then mob them. The Kingsguard will kill some of the smallfolk in defense of the queens, who will be forced to flee back to safety as the people chant Rhaenyra’s name. Although this particular scenario isn’t described in Fire and Blood, the book does make it clear that Aegon’s rule wasn’t welcomed by the city’s populace. Personally, I think seeing more of how the smallfolk are feeling throughout is a great adaptive choice, considering where the story leads.
Just how bad do you think the riots in King’s Landing will get in season two? And, what do you think about the new cast members? Do you believe Eddie Eyre is playing another Hightower, or someone else entirely? Have we found our Lady Jeyne Arryn? What’s Rhaenyra’s lady-in-waiting doing in King’s Landing?
After curious Cáceres locals provided us with two straight days of spoiler-filled leaks, yesterday’s production became an impenetrable bunker. Thankfully, today’s shoot has resulted in a few new photos at the Grand Sept filming location, as well as the arrival of Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen) and showrunner Ryan Condal.
Plaza de San Jorge sits just below San Francisco Javier church, which was digitally replaced by the Grand Sept in season one, as seen in the frame below, captured from the ninth episode, “The Green Council”. As you may recall, this is where Prince Aemond and Ser Criston battled Arryk Cargyll for control of Prince Aegon.
The square below the Grand Sept will return in Season 2
Filming took plaza at the plaza again today. Although we don’t know what they filmed, it’s fair to say the square will represent the same location again, as thanks to photos published by Hoy we can glimpse a group of extras dressed as septas:
Filming started this morning at the nearby Casa del Sol, which—as we showed you— has been transformed into the “Cock inn”, before quickly moving on to the square. Considering the presence of the Silent Sisters, who are involved in funeral rites, it seems likely another part of the funeral procession they’ve been filming for a few days was shot here. This time, that would be the arrival to the Grand Sept.
Hoy also reports that the nearby Barruecos natural monument outside the city will see brief filming—but only for a single day, with drones and no cast members or extras present, so don’t get too excited if you recognize the name… Of course, this was the site of one of the largest battles in Game of Thrones: season seven’s Battle of the Goldroad, in which Daenerys and the Dothraki ambushed the Lannister army, which was returning to King’s Landing with its spoils from Highgarden.
It’s fair to say nothing comparable will be filmed this time—likely just establishing shots. The only question is, of course: establishing shots of what? The semi-arid site could depict anywhere in the South—most likely the Crownlands or the Reach, given where the story will likely take us. I’ve already seen folks speculating this natural park will be used for the surroundings of Rook’s Rest, a minor stronghold that’ll have a major role in the story, but as far as I’m concerned we know too little to even speculate, especially considering there will be no actors in costume or newly built sets to give us an idea of what the location may represent.
Speaking of actors and what their presence may or may not mean, Emma D’Arcy’s arrival in Cáceres yesterday rises some obvious questions… and the answers are potential spoilers, so do not continue reading if you don’t know the story well.
If you’re familiar with the source material, you know Queen Rhaenyra isn’t supposed to set foot in King’s Landing for a long while after the point in which we left her off—a ton of things need to happen before she does return, including several major battles and events that are unlikely to all be crammed into a single season—especially one with only eight episodes. If the rumors are true and the Battle of Rook’s Rest happens around the mid-season, that’d leave only four episodes for the Sowing of the Seeds, Aemond taking charge, the Battle of the Gullet, the Battle of the Honeywine, and the taking of King’s Landing… which is concurrent with the Battle at the Red Fork, the sack of Lannisport and the retaking of Harrenhal. I believe it’s fair to say that, unless the story is paced even faster than in season one (despite Ryan Condal claiming just the opposite), it’s difficult to imagine they could include all of these events in just four episodes. Those are, of course, just the main events, with no time for the politicking and character developments and relationships the show is really about. This franchise has never had one epic battle per episode and I doubt they’re starting now.
In my view, this leaves four options for D’Arcy’s presence in Cáceres. Option one: that they’re essentially just visiting and serving as a fakeout for curious onlookers like ourselves, which wouldn’t be unprecedented in this franchise. Option two: Rhaenyra will technically show up in King’s Landing but it’ll only be for a flashback (even though no flashbacks were planned, as of the last time Condal spoke of this) or perhaps a vision of some sort. Considering the funeral they’ve been filming, I wouldn’t find it too surprising if Alicent hallucinates the person she blames for that death. Option three: Rhaenyra will in fact take King’s Landing by the end of season two, which would mean either moving around several major events for season three or excising them completely. Option four: Cáceres will not only be used for King’s Landing—it’ll also stand for somewhere Rhaenyra would be within the portion of the story most of us expect season two to cover. This is possible… except that Rhaenyra doesn’t really leave Dragonstone and Cáceres isn’t really apt for that, and neither is it apt for any other place Rhaenyra would believably visit.
Dragonstone isn’t exactly known for its Southern European architecture…
Personally, I’m partial to either of the first two theories: D’Arcy is in Spain just to visit (and mess with our expectations… but mostly to visit—they did complain they never got to visit Spain for season one!) or Alicent will hallucinate Rhaenyra as the body of her grandson is taken from the Red Keep to the Grand Sept. However, I can’t claim to be certain of this: it’s mostly baseless speculation!
D’Arcy isn’t the only surprising appearance in Cáceres, however. Showrunner and writer Ryan Condal has also been spotted, days after fellow executive producer and writer Sara Hess was also seen to be in the city:
Considering the writer’s strike going on right now in the United States, Condal is supposed to only serve as producer and not writer… whatever that means, since rewriting a single word of the script, even acting in the role of “producer”, would be considered writing by the WGA and hence strike-breaking. I don’t envy Condal’s position—he’s treading on thin ice here. Personally, I wish HBO had been forced to shut down and delay production, which would only incentivize them to give in to the workers’ demands. That doesn’t seem to be in the cards, unfortunately. Hopefully the show won’t suffer because of this… but rewrites during production are incredibly common and often necessary, and they won’t be allowed this time.
But enough of my editorializing: what do you think of today’s news? What do you believe they’re filming at the Grand Sept location? What about Malpartida? Most importantly: do you believe we’ll reach the taking of King’s Landing by the end of season two or is Emma D’Arcy in Spain for some other purpose?
With filming for House of the Dragon season two over in Trujillo, production moved to Cáceres today for the first day of six, starting with the tragic scene we reported on a few days ago, involving Olivia Cooke and Phia Saban as Queen Mother Alicent Hightower and her daughter, Queen Helaena Targaryen. Spoilers below!
Local fan Javi Borrega, who we can always depend on, was there to take photos from the scene being shot, which is the funeral procession of Prince Jaehaerys, son of Aegon and Helaena, and grandson of Alicent. The king was nowhere to be seen, but Cooke’s Alicent and Saban’s Helaena were seated together on a carriage behind the child-sized coffin and a retinue of Kinsguard, including Fabien Frankel‘s Ser Criston Cole, and several knights and noblemen.
This also gave us the best view yet of Aegon’s new Targaryen banners, featuring a golden dragon (after his own dragon, Sunfyre) on a green field:
Meanwhile, the ‘Martes Plaza Mayor’ Instagram page‘s stories offered a much better look from above, showing us the endpoint of the scene:
Finally, local newspaper El Periódico de Extremadura released photos from Plaza Santa María, where the scene starts from as it leads through a narrow street to the aforementioned arch and towards the main square. We can see Cooke and Saban even more clearly, so much so that we can appreciate their funeral gowns and headdresses, as well as the elaborate details on the carriages, the coffin, the horses, and the armored knights—you can even make out poor Jae’s pale face:
This entire day of filming took place around the ‘Arco de la Estrella’, a distinctive arch in the main square of Cáceres which we already saw in season seven of Game of Thrones as Euron paraded his Dornish captives through the city:
Filming will continue tomorrow, this time at two nearby linked squares, Plaza de las Veletas and Plaza de San Mateo. Las Veletas represented Sam and Gilly’s Oldtown living quarters in season seven of Game of Thrones, but this time it’ll probably be King’s Landing. We don’t know whether they’ll film another portion of the same funeral procession or a new scene, but we’ll be here to report on it either way. Meanwhile, tell us below what you think of this funeral procession scene!
As production for House of the Dragon season two gets underway in Spain, cast members have started to arrive: Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole) and newcomer Freddie Fox (Ser Gwayne Hightower) have been seen repeatedly in Cáceres. According to Spanish fansite Los Siete Reinos, Phia Saban (Queen Helaena Targaryen) was seen as well, although there’s no photographic evidence yet, just as there isn’t for Olivia Cooke (Queen Mother Alicent Hightower) or Emma D’Arcy (Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen). They were the first actors rumored to be involved in the Spanish shoot, and there have been some dubious faraway photos that could be them, but there’s been nothing conclusive yet. That’s not the real news today, however. That comes from yesterday’s filming in Trujillo, which confirmed our SPOILERIFICsuspicions about what they were exactly planning to film on the streets of this town and in Cáceres. Read below at your own risk!
Thanks to local press Hoy, the bloody cart we’d glimpsed was seen as the center of a Green victory procession through the strets of King’s Landing… with a dragon-shaped blue prop ready to be turned into the severed head of a large dragon in post-production. The head is either skewered by lances or those are meant to be Meleys’ characteristic crown of horns. Either way, in case it wasn’t clear what we were seeing here, behind the dragon you can also see the banners of House Staunton, defeated at Rook’s Rest, which is where Meleys will fall.
According to Los Siete Reinos, the reaction of the smallfolk will be quite different from what’s reported in Fire and Blood: the death of a dragon shocked the city into silence and made many of its inhabitants flee the capital in terror, as they dreaded what could come next. Reportedly, however, the extras were cheering. Considering the addition last season of Rhaenys and Meleys interrupting Aegon’s coronation by killing at least dozens and maybe even hundreds of the smallfolk present at the Dragonpit (who’d been forced to be there against their will, mind you), I don’t find this change particularly surprising. We’ll have to wait and see whether we’ll actually see only cheers or the terror described in the book will also be depicted.
Filming will continue tomorrow, this time in Cáceres. It’s all going to be King’s Landing, so it’s possible we’ll see more of this aftermath to the battle at Rook’s Rest there. Even if we don’t, there’s the funeral procession of poor Prince Jaehaerys, which will definitely be filmed in Cáceres.
It’s not all dead children and dragons, however. Just like Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon can be cheery sometimes, and funny—in intelligent ways… and also in more infantile ways, as exemplified by the appearance in Cáceres of an inn name-tagged the “Cock Inn”, as reported by Javi Borrega:
Look, I know what a ‘cock’ is. They put up one right there next to the doors! But you can’t tell me they didn’t do this for the joke. And I’m fine with that!
Every mystery embedded in A Song of Ice and Fire offers rich ground for theories to germinate as we wait for the conclusion of the series. The best theories are community-building pursuits as they inspire animated discussion among fans and maintain interest between books and between seasons. There is only one rule here: Keep it fun!Be warned:Thisseries may contain major book spoilers and is intended for people who have read all of theA Song of Ice and Firebooks released so far, as well asFire and Blood.Based on F&B,this article contains probable spoilers for future episodes/seasons ofHouse of the Dragon.
In A Song of Ice and Fire, the fabled Valyrian steel swords are impossible to overlook. George R.R. Martin devotes pages to building up their backstory and all the key characters’ arcs are influenced in some way by them to the extent that they could be considered characters themselves. Yet they are mysterious. Their value is inseparable from the fact that no one knows how to make them anymore and so new ones cannot be made. They are priceless family heirlooms, their stories embedded in the stories of the preeminent families of Westeros. Furthermore, it seems that not only is Valyrian steel very rare and valuable, but it is necessary in the coming fight against the threat from the North; while ordinary steel shatters when it is used against White Walkers, Valyrian steel does not. This is therefore a crucial tension in the series.
Valyrian steel weapons are needed for fighting together on the same side in the same place, but they are instead spread across the continent and belong to people who are busy fighting each other. Maybe there is no need for further theories about them because already we can see how GRRM has woven the swords into the essential core of the series. This is after all a story that follows the Seven Kingdoms’ ruling families as they war amongst themselves and fail (so far) to come together to face more important existential threats. The family swords are perfect symbols of this.
the forging of Lightbringer, by Tim Durning for FFG
But I, for one, like to speculate that there might be more to it. The myth of Azor Ahai and the forging of Lightbringer demands a closer look. Lightbringer is a step further than even priceless Valyrian steel, something truly wondrous. It is a detail that simply would not have been included in the series at all if not to provoke speculation. We, the readers, are expected to tie ourselves into knots just as the Priests of R’hllor and various Targaryens have done trying to figure out who the Prince that was Promised or Azor Ahai reborn might be, and what or where Lightbringer might be. The possibilities fans have proposed are endless, but all stem from one of these basic premises:
Lightbringer is not a sword at all i.e.:
A leader or hero
Dragons
A unifying idea
Lightbringer is an existing ancient weapon that just needs heat and light added to make it truly special i.e. :
Dawn
Blackfyre
Catspaw dagger
Lightbringer is a sword that is forged in the series i.e.:
Needle
Something completely new
Ice and its derivatives
From these premises a great number of theories are possible. I will devote the remainder of this article to just the last on the list for two reasons: First, because to me it ties together the best story threads in the most compelling way. And second, because it suggests a yet-to-be revealed reference to J.R.R. Tolkien’s shards of Narsil (from The Lord of the Rings) that does not seem accidental. The idea is that Lightbringer is a sword that does not yet exist but is being forged via the events of the story, eventually becoming a symbol of unity just as Andúril was. While it does not yet exist, it is being made from all or part of one that did: Ice.
Ice is, after all, the sword featured in the very first chapter. It caught our imaginations early and never let go. It was wielded by Ned Stark (played by the same actor who played Boromir in The Lord of the Rings!) and the red comet appeared in the sky just after it was used to kill him. It has been split into two swords (shattered!!) by this point in the story, however these swords seem to reject their new form; they will not hold the red dye and in spite of their ownership, neither one is or has ever been truly wielded by a Lannister or nominal Baratheon. But most importantly, Ice is the only candidate for Lightbringer that has a connection to nearly all of the characters contending for the role of Azor Ahai reborn. The only notable exception is of course Daenerys.
Whenever Lightbringer finally emerges from myth to influence the events of the main series there is no doubt that it is or will be something magical. GRRM never spells out exactly how magic works because he wants it to remain mysterious and unpredictable, but he does hint that there are elements that must come together for it to work. Regarding the swords, we know that the ancient Valyrians used blood magic and so it seems likely that the process of making Valyrian steel also involved blood magic. Furthermore, if Valyrian steel weapons have embedded blood magic then maybe it is not just because they are priceless that they are passed down in families, but because they are bound by blood. In other words, I suspect that it matters that Ned was killed using his own sword. I suspect it is relevant that Ilyn Payne, who killed him, may soon be involved in a fight against Brienne and Oathkeeper, which is, after all, one of the “shards” of Ice.
The original Lightbringer was the sword of legendary hero Azor Ahai. According to the story he labored for 30 days and 30 nights on his first attempt but when he tempered the sword with water it shattered. Ice itself may not have shattered when Ned executed the Night’s Watch deserter and then cleaned the sword in the pools of Winterfell, but his family certainly began to break apart from that moment and these ancestral swords are symbols of their families. Arya and Sansa’s relationship with each other and with Ned grew bitter after Ned was forced to kill Sansa’s direwolf Lady using Ice. Even assuming the theory is true then, it is impossible to be confident of where exactly we are in the forging and tempering process. Still, there is no doubt that the splitting of Ice resembles a shattering both physically and symbolically.
Ice has been split only once, which means it may see a second “shattering”. After all, in the myth, Lightbringer was created on the third attempt after both the first and second attempts shattered. As the split of Ice was symbolic of the destruction of the Stark family, let us consider that a second shattering could be symbolic of the devastation of the Baratheon-Lannister royal family who now claim these swords. The story implications are certainly interesting. Indeed, the trajectory the Lannisters are on at the end of A Dance with Dragons suggests fragmentation and impending doom for several of them. Tyrion killed Tywin and is on the other side of the world. Jaime was ignoring Cersei’s letters before being captured in the Riverlands. Myrcella is on a dangerous trip back to King’s Landing from Dorne, past lands occupied by Aegon and accompanied by some who do not wish her well. Cersei is a prisoner of the Faith, while Tommen is loyal to her enemies. All it would take is for any one of them to be killed with a “shard” of Ice and the pattern would be established.
Maybe then we should consider that Joffrey’s use of Widow’s Wail to demolish “the Lives of Four Kings” might actually be foreshadowing of the eventual use of this sword for regicide.
There is a final complicating factor to consider of course, and that is the question of how the Targaryens figure into this. After all, this discussion of the “shards” of Ice does not yet touch the Targaryens or fully account for why Ice would be more special in the end than the historic swords that for hundreds of years symbolized the royal dynasty of Westeros. Dark Sister and Blackfyre have yet to make confirmed appearances in the main series, yet their importance in Westerosi history is clear. I have suggested that we may see a second splitting of Ice, but maybe the division of Ice into Widow’s Wail and Oathkeeper was already the second shattering, and the first was the splitting of Blackfyre and Dark Sister, along with all of the internal strife during the Targaryen age that was associated with those two swords. Many fans believe that Blackfyre in on its way to Aegon. Some speculate that Dark Sister may be hiding in plain sight as Longclaw, or that it is entombed with Lyanna Stark in Winterfell’s crypts – either way destined for the hands of Jon Snow. None of this can be confirmed yet. We can, however, note that the histories contain many interesting details such as Bloodraven as the last known wielder of Dark Sister, his rival Bittersteel as the last known wielder of Blackfyre, and the fact that Daemon Targaryen used Dark Sister to kill Aemond Targaryen in the Dance. The association of these two swords with a long, drawn out “shattering” of the Targaryen family is well established.
I would venture to suggest, therefore, that while GRRM’s version of Andúril may turn out to be Ice put back together again just as the shards of Narsil were, it seems more likely that this is all headed in a different direction. This is a song of Ice and Fire, after all, not just Ice. The process of bringing these contrasting elements together has been long and difficult, full of tragedy, and that makes it all the more rewarding when it finally happens. The unifying symbolic weight of a reforged sword is more earned if it truly does represent the coming together of the Kingdoms: A sword for a new era, forged from one shard of Ice, and a spark of fire.
Whatever your take on it, the myth of Lightbringer is compelling stuff. To me the idea that a new forging story is woven into the series and that what will be Lightbringer is deeply connected as an artifact to many, or all of the principal characters, is exciting and rich ground on which to base predictions of where the series is headed. I also like the idea that even if it is a new sword, it is one that was made from old ones, complementing the way the series weaves history and present and conceiving of time as a repeating but mutable pattern.
❤️
The sweetest people ever!! 
(@magi2296) 
Ryan Condal is here! 
