Summary
Filming for Season 3 ofHouse of the Dragonis officially underway (starting March 31) with set photos and character leaks giving fans a keyhole glimpse of what’s afoot in London’s Leavesden Studios.
In the latest episode ofThe Stuff Dreams Are Made Of podcast, Ryan Condal,House of the Dragonshowrunner, teased the introduction of three new Valyrian steel blades in the upcoming season. However, Condal hasn’t disclosed their identity, with the closest clue being that one of the swords will be exciting for book readers. For the uninitiated, Valryian steel is treasured not only for its light weight and remarkable sharpness, but for its mystic craftmanship. It can only be forged using magic techniques that were lost during the doom of ancient Valyria.
What Valyrian Swords Will Debut InHouse of the DragonSeason 3?
As the franchise’s lore is steeped in Western European medieval culture — specifically that of England — the swords inHouse of the Dragonand the wider Westeros are history and prestige packed into 40-odd-inches of dense steel. Taking into account the Valyrian steel swords (and daggers) present inWesteros during the Dance of the Dragonsand the ones already seen inGame of Thrones, the list of possible debuts is shortened to four impressive blades:Orphan-Maker, Lamentation, Vigilance,andHeartsbane.
Orphan-Maker
An ominously named weapon wielded by House Roxton, Orphan-Maker’s history prior to the Dance of the Dragons is unknown. Its greatest feat came courtesy of Ser Jon Roxton, who famously cut down many men single-handedly in the Battle of Honeywine and the Second Battle of Tumbleton. The bookFire & Blooddescribes Orphan-Maker as a black-hued Valyrian steel blade, inscribed along the hilt with passages from the Book of the Warrior — a nod tothe Faith of the Seven. Orphan-Maker’s fate after the Dance of the Dragons is an all-too-familiar one for many noble Valyrian-made swords: lost to history.
Lamentation
Another sword that wears its name as a warning, Lamentation’s earliest known history lies in the mountains of the Vale — specifically with the noble House Royce. Carried by Ser William Royce, the sword features a silver hilt and a crimson ruby in its pommel.
There’s no one answer as to what happened to Lamentation after the Dance of the Dragons. The prevailing belief is that it was lost during the Storming of the Dragonpit, but this forks into two possibilities. It may have cleared away hiding amidst the rubble and corpses, or it may have been melted by dragonfire. But then, the lore is strict on how Valyrian steel can be destroyed or reforged: via Qohorik forging techniques. Therefore, the claim that Lamentation met death by dragonfire has plausibility issues.
Rumors also have it that it was ripped away from William’s grasp. If the latter is true, then Lamentation is probably lamenting under a tuck in a thief’s shed or fetching a handsome sum in Essos.
Vigilance
Perhaps the most nobly-named Valyrian steel sword,Vigilance is commanded by Ormund Hightower, the Lord of the Hightower during the Dance of the Dragons, who is loyal to King Aegon II Targaryen’s cause. However, after the First Battle of Tumbleton, which saw Hightower forces take heavy casualties, the sword was lost. There isn’t any description of Vigilance in the books, but one imagines that the hilt and pommel would be sporting a lot of tower designs with green shading.
Heartsbane
Technically,House Tarly’s Heartsbane isn’t a “new” swordsince it showed face inGame of Thrones. Its role, however, was little more than a cameo — first seen displayed with pride on Lord Randyll Tarly’s wall at Horn Hill, and later when Samwell Tarly quietly steals it in Season 6 of the show. That said, Alan Tarly sides with Rhaenyra and is instrumental in the initial defeat of the Hightower host at the Battle of the Honeywine. Thus, it stands to reason that Heartsbane will make a second live-action appearance — this time in a more useful fashion.
See that sword? It’s called Heartsbane. It’s been in our family for 500 years. It’s Valyrian steel. Only a handful of them left in the world. It’s supposed to go to my firstborn son after I die. To him. He will never wield that sword.
Heartsbane is famously massive, described as two-handed, with a simple design reflecting the striding huntsman sigil of its guardians: an ornately crafted hilt in the shape of a bow and arrow and a pommel fashioned as an arrow fletching.
How Many Valyrian Steel Swords Were There In Westeros?
…And Which Is the Most Popular on the Continent?
The lore ofGame of Thronesacknowledges sixteen known Valyrian steel weapons—swords and daggers alike—scattered across Westeros and beyond.
Current or Last Known Wielders
Harlaw
Harras Harlaw
Fans have already gotten to see some of these eye-catching weapons inGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon.Ice was the first Valyrian steel swordto make a live-action debut, appearing early in Episode 1 of Season 1 ofGame of Throneswhen Ned Stark beheads a deserter. The same one is used by Joffrey’s executioner to behead Ned, starting the War of the Five Kings. It is the largest of its kind in all of Westeros, which allowed for its melting into two smaller swords, Oath Keeper and Widow’s Wail, on the order of Tywin Lannister.
Blackfyre was originally wielded by Aegon the Conqueror himself and is passed down to all Targaryen Kings. Contrary to the natural conclusion, it is not the most treasured blade House Targaryen keeps.
That title goes to the Catspaw Dagger. By far the most famous of all the Valyrian blades (to both the audience and the Targaryens themselves), the Catspaw Dagger essentially precipitated the entire events ofGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon. Inscribed in its steel is the dream of Aegon Targaryen of the coming of the White Walkers.
