This post was originally published in 2017. We have updated it to reflect the events of season eight.
Say, have you seen any Valyrian steel lying around? Why am I asking? Oh, no reason, just there’s a giant army of the dead about to attack Winterfell and they’re commanded by these evil demons who are only vulnerable to Valyrian steel and dragonglass. I guess you could say it’s a pressing issue. Anyway, in the interest of everyone in Westeros not dying, here’s a helpful roundup of all the Valyrian-steel weapons we’ve seen in Game of Thrones and who’s got them right now.
Ice
The ancestral greatsword of House Stark was the first Valyrian-steel blade we saw in the show. Remember how quickly it cut off poor Will’s head? (Pretty ironic in retrospect that the first person killed by a Valyrian-steel sword on GOT was also the first person who tried to warn everyone about the White Walkers.) Unfortunately, Ice isn’t around anymore: After Ned’s death, Tywin Lannister melted it down to make two smaller swords, Oathkeeper and Widow’s Wail. (A side note for budding Westerosi historians: The two new swords are meant as replacements for the Lannisters’ original Valyrian-steel sword, Brightroar, which was lost with King Tommen II after he sailed with it to the ruins of Valyria and never returned.)
Oathkeeper
Oathkeeper was originally a gift from Tywin to Jaime Lannister, but he regifted it to Brienne of Tarth when he sent her on a mission to find the Stark girls. (She’s the one who named it.) Brienne tried to give it back to Jaime at Riverrun in season six, but he let her keep it. Fun fact: The end of Brienne’s duel with Arya in season seven is the first time we’ve seen two Valyrian-steel blades go up against each other on the show.
Widow’s Wail
The second of the Lannisters’ reforged Valyrian-steel swords, this one was a wedding gift to Joffrey, who gave it its garish name. After Joffrey’s death, Jaime decided, It’s not like anyone else is using it, and so now he’s got it with him in Winterfell. What timing!
Longclaw
This one started as the ancestral sword of House Mormont, so Jeor Mormont passed it down to Jorah when he joined the Night’s Watch. But when Jorah fled Westeros, he left Longclaw behind in shame, and so it got sent back to Jeor. (Lyanna Mormont was a little too young to wield it, I guess.) Jeor then gave it away a second time, to his substitute son Jon Snow as a way of thanking Jon for saving him from a wight attack. Jon has carried it ever since. If you’re wondering why the pommel of the sword is the wolf of House Stark instead of the bear of House Mormont, it’s because Jeor got it replaced before he gave it to Jon. What a guy!
Heartsbane
Now that’s a metal name. This is the sword of House Tarly, and yes, they have a Valyrian-steel sword and the Tyrells don’t, which I’m sure caused a lot of tension in the Reach. (Before the Tyrells stumbled into, uh, bigger problems.) Randyll Tarly kept the sword hanging on his mantle at Horn Hill before Sam stole it in season six. With Sam’s father and brother dead by dragonfire, and Sam not yet having the upper-body strength to use it himself, the last man of House Tarly decided to give Heartsbane to Jorah Mormont.
The Dagger
After appearing way back in season one, this mysterious dagger didn’t pop up again until Littlefinger gave it to Bran for some reason in season seven, and then Bran regifted it to Arya. A refresher: While Bran was in a coma, an assassin tried to kill him with the dagger. Catelyn Stark fought him off and took it to King’s Landing, where Littlefinger told her it belonged to Tyrion. (It didn’t; he was lying.) Once the weapon was in Arya’s murdery hands, it didn’t take long for her to use it: Sansa put Littlefinger on trial, all but confirming that the dagger belonged to him, and then Arya slit his throat with it. She’ll be carrying it into battle against the White Walkers alongside that nifty dragonglass spear Gendry made for her.