The epic conclusion of last night's Game of Thrones episode "Hardhome" put a theory to the test: Will Valyrian steel defeat the Others? This is a question posed by both the books and TV series, but one that wasn't answered until this episode aired (no, not even in the books). Sure, any Tarly can wield a chunk of Dragonglass and if they're lucky enough they might even fell a White Walker. But now that Valyrian steel has been shown to be more than equal to the Others' weapons, the royal houses of the Known World had best be polishing up their ancestral blades.

What is Valyrian steel? Why is it so important? And why is the ice-crowned, blue-eyed fellow known as the Night's King so concerned with it? Let's explore.

What Is Valyrian Steel?

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Before he lost his head, Eddard Stark had planned on handing down more than just his noble disposition and his fur-lined wardrobe to his sons. His greatsword, Ice, was not just the ancestral weapon of House Stark, but one of the relatively few Valyrian steel blades in the Known World. According to the excellent Game of Thrones Wiki, Valyrian steel was forged in the ancient stronghold of Valyria (no surprise there) and is superlative in terms of sharpness, strength, lightness, and durability. Legend has it that the metal was also forged through magic and dragonfire. It's no wonder that since the Doom of Valyria and the disappearance of the dragons, no new Valyrian steel has been forged, making existing blades highly prized items. And yet, these weapons have an even greater purpose...

Dragonglass vs Valyrian Steel

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Dragonglass, or Obsidian, has been known to vanquish White Walkers at least since the time of Samwell Tarly's unexpected victory over one of the monstrosities. These crude weapons could easily be shaped and handed out to common fighters; they exist in abundance on Dragonstone. But in the hands of true warriors and leaders of men, a named piece of Valyrian steel has much greater symbolic power. Now that Lord Commander Jon Snow's inherited blade, Longclaw of House Mormont, has been shown to shatter the White Walkers in the face of utter destruction, arming heroes with the rest of these blades may be the only hope they have when Winter comes. So where are the other weapons, anyway?

Oathkeeper, and the Locations of the Other Valyrian Blades

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Remember good old Ned Stark and his greatsword, Ice? Well, what once was one is now two since Tywin Lannister had a master blacksmith (from Qohor or Volantis, depending on your medium of choice) melt down Ice to forge two smaller swords: Oathkeeper for Jaime Lannister, and Widow's Wail for the late Joffrey Baratheon (Brienne of Tarth is now in possession of the former, while Tommen Baratheon has inherited the latter).

But the Starks weren't the only ancient family lucky enough to have a Valyrian steel blade. Other weapons in existence include the aforementioned Longclaw, Heartsbane of House Tarly and Lady Forlorn of House Corbray both appear to be accounted for, as does the assassin's dagger used in the attempt on Bran Stark's life (though whether that blade belongs to Petyr Baelish or Tyrion Lannister remains to be seen). Many named swords have been lost to time, but it's possible that hundreds of smaller Valyrian steel weapons could still be around. Treasure hunters had best hurry up because Winter is coming, and it's led by the Night's King.

Who Is the Night's King?

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Despite his imposing armor and unstoppable blade when facing Loboda the Thenn, the White Walker was no match for Lord Commander Jon Snow's Valyrian steel sword. One gentleman of icy countenance took notice of that particular exchange, the ice-crowned Other known as The Night's King. You may recognize him from the Season 4 episode in which he turned Craster's last son, who was placed upon an icy altar, into a White Walker. Expect more of him in the future, even if not much is known about his past.

The story (thanks to this wiki) goes that the White Walker's master hails from about 8,000 years before this era, a time during the Age of Heroes when the Wall had just been completed. This thirteenth Lord Commander of the Night's Watch fell in love with a pale-skinned, blue-eyed woman who was to be his ruin, and through their union, the ruin of all the living. Together they ruled over the Nightfort until an alliance between his brother the King in the North and Joramun the King-Beyond-the-Wall defeated the Night's King. Rumor has it that this dread king was of the House of Stark, and possibly named Bran, though those accounts have been stricken from the records. While his history might be shrouded in mystery, his plans going forward are all too clear.

What's the Night's King Plan?

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In short? He's up to no good.

The longer version is that his unholy minions from the Lands of Always Winter are hellbent on descending south below the Wall, utterly decimating any living soul they come across, and then resurrecting their dead bodies to become part of his undead army of wights. Pretty intimidating plan, especially considering the last final moments of "Hardhome" in which the Night's King stared down Jon Snow with a cold glare as he raises the fallen Free Folk. We can't really know just how far he'll go or what his ultimate plan is at this juncture, but if the brutal unrelenting savagery at Hardhome is any indication, it's certainly not to play politics. So what can men do in the face of such evil?

Winter is Coming, but Can It Be Stopped?

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Image via HBO

In order for any of our heroes to have a snowball's chance in Hell of defeating the Night's King, they'll have to stay alive long enough to do so. George R.R. Martin has a habit of executing fan-favorite characters at their most vulnerable moments. Lord Commander Jon Snow, returning with a band of bloody and beaten Wildlings (and a giant) on the wrong side of a Wall controlled by his adversary Alliser Thorne, is certainly vulnerable. Should he survive the trip, perhaps Snow will manage to rally the other houses and kingdoms to his cause, uniting with the usurper Daenerys Targaryen in the hopes of using her dragons both as weapons of war and as tools to forge new Valyrian steel, and present a unified front against the Others.

But should he fall, perhaps the Night's King has plans of resurrection in store for the young Lord Commander with blood of House Stark running through his veins. Then again, perhaps the other Bran Stark, by no means forgotten, has his own sort of destiny in mind for his half-brother. No matter how it shakes out, "Hardhome" has finally set the armies of the living against the forces of the undead, which can only end in the much-anticipated cataclysm of ice and fire.

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