With eight seasons and global success as the most-watched series in the world, Game of Thrones did a great job adapting George R. R. Martin’s books (even if the last season didn’t quite hit the mark). Now, with a movie on the way and more spin-offs lined up after House of the Dragon, the show’s narratives and characters – generally well-developed – still stand out as memorable. This includes the villains, though we’re not talking about the ruthless Cersei Lannister, the cruel Joffrey Baratheon, or the brutal Ramsey Bolton. The real big bads of the story, the one everything was building to from the start, were the legendary White Walkers.
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The show tried to dive deeper into their story through Bran Stark’s visions, while in the books, their origin wasn’t explained much. But for a lot of people, the White Walkers still need more clarification about how big of a threat they really were. So, who are they exactly? What’s their purpose? Who exactly is the Night King? And do they tie into the events of House of the Dragon?
Who Are the White Walkers in Game of Thrones?
According to Game of Thrones Season 6, the White Walkers were created by the Children of the Forest, one of the oldest races in Westeros. They were initially intended as a means of protection against the First Men – the first humans to arrive in Westeros around 12,000 years before the events of the series. Their actions disrupted the natural balance and way of life of the Children of the Forest, making this drastic measure necessary. The process involved transforming one of the First Men by driving a shard of dragonglass into his heart, but this creation rebelled and became the Night King. From him, an army was formed that eventually took on a life of its own, breaking free from any control and evolving into the White Walkers.
Long thought to be nothing more than a legend, the White Walkers have the eerie appearance of frozen zombies with their unmistakable glowing blue eyes. Originating from the far North, beyond the Wall, they destroy anything and anyone in their path. However, they only became a real topic of concern when the Free Folk encountered them. Throughout the series, Jon Snow takes it upon himself to sound the alarm, urging everyone to prioritize the looming war against the White Walkers over the ongoing power struggles for the Iron Throne.
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With the power to manipulate the weather, freeze anything they touch, and the Night King’s unique abilities – like raising the dead (and even dragons) – the White Walkers are formidable enemies. Killing them isn’t easy; it requires weapons made from dragonglass or Valyrian steel. This is ultimately how Arya Stark manages to eliminate the Night King, bringing down his entire army in the process. However, when it comes to the White Walkers overall, there are still more assumptions and mysteries surrounding them than definitive answers.
Even after Game of Thrones ended, the White Walkers weren’t fully explained. Melisandre and Bran mentioned that they worship a god called the Great Other (an enemy of the Lord of Light), and that they wanted to destroy the new king of the Six Kingdoms because he became the Three-Eyed Raven, essentially stopping human history. This suggests some kind of revenge against life and humanity, but the exact reason why is still unclear. Since the Children of the Forest seemingly had no idea how powerful the magic they used to create the White Walkers would be, there’s obviously more to the story. But could it still be revealed in the universe’s upcoming productions?
The Possibility of a Return of the White Walkers in the Game of Thrones Universe
Why does the Night King hate humanity so much? What’s the story behind the man chosen to become him? And why were the White Walkers “forgotten” over time, only to return after millennia to kill? These are some of the lingering questions that still puzzle Game of Thrones fans. Even though the Night King and his army were destroyed, there are too many loose ends to truly put the story to rest. House of the Dragon even hinted at this when Daemon Targaryen had visions in the Season 2 finale after touching a Weirwood tree in Harrenhal.
With this scene, the connection between the White Walkers and the Targaryens became clearer. While it’s very unlikely they will appear in the spinoff – since the plot focuses on the civil war “Dance of the Dragons” – there’s still potential for more information about them to come to light. In Season 1, Aegon the Conqueror’s prophecy was revealed, stating that the Targaryens would play a crucial role in the final battle against the undead. Could House of the Dragon explore this connection further in the future?
It’s worth noting that some spin-off projects from the Game of Thrones universe have been canceled, like the one that was supposed to dive deeper into Jon Snow’s story. However, it doesn’t seem to have been completely ruled out, and if it does eventually happen, it could provide a better explanation of the White Walkers. It might be a stretch to theorize that the Night King isn’t really dead or that there are others of his kind still alive, but considering they were born from magic and he still had the ability to raise the dead, anything could be possible if there’s a future intent to explore them further.
Bloodmoon, a spinoff focused entirely on the White Walkers, was considered, but ultimately became another canceled HBO project. It looks like fans will have to make do with what they got for now – unless George R. R. Martin decides to finish “The Winds of Winter.”
Game of Thrones is available to stream on Max.
