The Battle of Winterfell, also known as the Great War was unlike any of the previous wars fought in HBO’sGame of Thrones.While battles, rebellions, and wars onGame of Throneswere fought to hold onto the status quo or dismantle it, the Great War saw the formation of an alliance that cut across political differences, and age-old rivalries to fight for the preservation of life in Westeros. Jaime Lannister rightfully remarked that the war wasn’t about Noble Houses but about the living and the Dead. The Battle of Winterfell took place during Daenerys Targaryen’s War for Westeros, and she had to halt hostilities and band with the Northerners to defeat the enemy to the North.
InGame of Thronesseason 7, episode 3 “The Queen’s Justice,” Jon Snow and Ser Davos arrive at Dragonstone to turn Daenerys' attention toward the larger concern - the Night King and to ask her permission to mine dragonglass. She eventually agrees to fight beside Jon, and he bends the knee. The next logical step is to convinceQueen Cersei Lannisterto declare a truce and to that end, Jon shows her the Wight he and his company captured North of the Wall. As explained by Jon inGame of Thronesseason 7, episode 7 “The Dragon and the Wolf,” the only way to deal with the Wights is to destroy them by burning them, or with dragonglass. “There is only one war that matters, the Great War. And it is here,” remarks Jon at the Dragonpit Summit. In the end, Cersei pledges her army to the Great War but reneges, and Jaime leaves everything behind to fight for the living.
RELATED:Game Of Thrones: Ned Stark’s ‘Winter Is Coming’ Quote, Explained
Daenerys Arrives In Winterfell
InGame of Thronesseason 8, episode 1, “Winterfell,“Daenerys arrives in Winterfellwith the greatest army at her back. She’s committed her Unsullied, Dothraki, and two large living dragons to defend the North. While Sansa cares about the North’s independence more than the existential threat at hand and Jon and Daenerys are committed to defeating the Dead. The Night King and his armies have breached the Wall, the Dead march South, and Sansa has called the banners to retreat to Winterfell. Ned Stark’s former ward, Theon Greyjoy wants to travel to Winterfell to fight for the Starks, and Yara Greyjoy happily lets him.
At Winterfell, people from all walks of life work tirelessly to ensure their survival. Ser Davos proposes the Seven Kingdoms be ruled by the honorable Jon (Kit Harington inGame of Thrones) and the just Daenerys. Varys and Tyrion are critical and Daenerys knows Sansa doesn’t like her at all. The Northerners remain ungrateful, unwilling to recognize that Daenerys didn’t go for the Iron Throne but traveled North to save them. Jon rides Rhaegal (the dragon named after his father, Rhaegar Targaryen), and Gendry keeps making weapons out of dragonglass to arm people until the last moment. Lord Glover stays behind Deepwood Motte with his men as he’s incensed that Jon came back as Lord of Winterfell.
The Council Of War
Jon discusses the battle plan during the war council meeting. He admits they cannot beat the enemy in a straight fight, therefore they need to target the Night King because if he falls, his army will likely fall. Jaime says the Night King will never expose himself, and Bran interjects him, saying, “He’ll come for me. He’s tried before, many times, with many Three-Eyed Ravens.” Furthermore, Bran tells the council that the Night King wants an endless night. “He wants to erase this world, and I am its memory,” he says. The Dead finally arrive outside Winterfell inGame of Thronesseason 8, episode 3, “The Long Night.” True to its name, the episode sees darkness befall Winterfell amid a harsh winter.
Thousands of Wights, including undead Giants, lead the Army of the Dead. Behind them are White Walkers, and the Night King flies above his army on the undead Viserion. The Dothraki and Ser Jorah’s command are at the front of the lines, while trebuchets are deployed behind them. Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson onGame of Thrones) and his Unsullied are next, while on the left is the Stark infantry, the Free Folk, and the Knights of the Vale led by Brienne and Tormund. On the right are the Northern bannermen and members of the Brotherhood Without Banners.
The Actual Battle
Bran tells the council that the Night King always knows where he is as his mark is on him. He says they need to lure him into the open before Winterfell falls. Bran says he will wait for the Night King in the Godswood and Theon pledges to guard him with his detachment of the Ironborn. Bran doesn’t know if dragonfire will stop the Night King simply because no one’s tried it before. Melisandre reappears seconds before the battle and spectacularly lights the Dothraki arakhs with an enchantment. The flames lift the fighters' spirits and the Dothraki charge at the Dead. However, when only a handful return, a worriedDaenerys leaves on Drogon. In the next scenes, hundreds and thousands of Wights overpower the Unsullied, the Knights of the Vale, and the Stark infantry. Daenerys and Jon continue to burn the Army of the Dead with dragon fire.
The living are instructed to pull back, and in the next phase, the gates of Winterfell are opened to whatever remains of them. Though Melisandre manages to light the trench, the Dead quickly breach it. Davos and Lyanna Mormont yell at soldiers to man the walls as the Dead continue to scale them. Jon spots the Night King atop Viserion. The archers rush to the top and shoot flaming arrows, while Jaime, Gendry, Brienne, Jorah, and Sam fight as many as they can. The Dead are everywhere and Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey inGame of Thrones) is crushed to death by a Wight giant. She dies a hero’s death and manages to stab it in the good eye with a dagger.
Inside, Arya, Melisandre, and the Hound watch Beric die. Melisandre renews Arya’s vigor with the words, “What do we say to the god of death?” and she replies, “Not today.” The Wights swarm the Godswood where Theon and the rest take them down with flaming arrows. In the last minutes of the battle, the Night King and White Walkers advance toward Bran, who calmly sits on his chair. Elsewhere, Jorah is mortally wounded and Theon dies protecting Bran in the Godswood. Just as the Night King reaches for his sword, Arya sneaks up on him with a Valyrian steel dagger in her left hand. He spins around and grabs her by the neck. She drops her dagger and lets her right hand catch it. Shestabs the Night King, and he shatters into ice shards. The ice dragon, the White Walkers, and the Wights all drop dead. Daenerys mourns Jorah and the living come out in the open. Having fulfilled her purpose, Melisandre leaves the castle and withers into nothingness.Game of Thrones'“The Long Night,” ends on a somber note, but many make it to the other side.
