Here’s Everything You Missed From The Last War In Game Of Thrones

The penultimate episode of the final season of Game of Thrones finally happened and, well, let's just say things took a pretty dark turn. Daenerys finally reached King's Landing to take the Iron Throne but did it in a much more violent way than anyone expected.

While it was definitely entertaining to watch Daenerys and Drogon burn a city down for 30 minutes straight, it was also pretty distracting. There were a lot of important things that happened in the episode that you might have missed. Some visions from the past came true and some actions foreshadowed what might happen in the final episode. Here's everything you missed from "The Bells," also known as The Last War.

Varys Met His End The Same Way Ned Stark Did

varys death game of thrones like ned stark
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB

The episode titled "The Bells" opened with a scene showing Varys writing a letter exposing Jon Snow's true parentage. The scene is an exact mirror of season one, where Ned Stark wrote a letter to Stannis Baratheon exposing the fact that Joffrey was a Lannister and not the rightful heir to the throne.

Both Varys and Ned were urged by their advisors Tyrion and Littlefinger not to expose the secret. When they failed to listen, those same advisors turned on them. Just like Ned, Varys paid the price with his life.

ADVERTISEMENT

Cersei Watched The City Burn From The Same Spot

ADVERTISEMENT
cersei watching city burn game of thrones
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Over the course of the episode, Cersei watched over the battle between King's Landing and Daenerys from the highest point in the Red Keep. This was the exact same spot that Cersei watched the city burn two seasons previously, when she herself burned down the Sept of Baelor with wildfire.

ADVERTISEMENT

The first time she watched the city burn, it helped her rise to take the Iron Throne. This time as she watched the city burn, Cersei watched herself lose the Iron Throne.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bran Told Us We'd See Drogon At King's Landing

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
bran vision season four game of thrones
@khayleysi/Twitter
@khayleysi/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

In season 4, episode 2, Bran has one of his earliest visions after touching the Weirwood tree. The vision included the shadow of a dragon flying over King's Landing. Everything else in the vision appeared to be a flashback, with scenes of Ned Stark's execution and when Bran fell out of the tower window.

ADVERTISEMENT

That led fans to assume the dragon flying overhead King's Landing was from the past, but the same shot in "The Bells" proved it was a vision for the future.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Hound Finally Overcame His Greatest Fear

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
cleganebowl game of thrones hound vs mountain
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Cleganebowl finally happened and it was as epic as everyone expected. The bad blood between the brothers began when they were children and The Mountain held The Hound's face into an open fire. That left The Hound with a disfigured face and a serious fear of fire.

ADVERTISEMENT

The one thing stronger than The Hound's fear of fire is his hatred for his brother. That was emphasized when The Hound finally kills his brother by tackling him through the wall and they both fall into the fiery city below.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Rains Of Castamere Played Twice

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
cersei jaime rains of castermere played twice
@Nayomie_harry/Twitter
@Nayomie_harry/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

"The Rains of Castamere" is a song that has appeared multiple times throughout Game of Thrones. The song almost always symbolizes death (we'll never forget The Red Wedding) and is about the destruction of House Reyne by Tywin Lannister.

ADVERTISEMENT

The song played twice in the episode. The first time was when Cersei finally gave up and began to flee the Red Keep. The second time it played was when Cersei and Jaime embraced before they faced death. It was especially symbolic that the two Lannisters died while the song of their father's success played.

ADVERTISEMENT

Did You Catch Aaron Rodgers' Cameo?

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
aaron rodgers cameo game of thrones
@aaronrodgers12/Instagram
@aaronrodgers12/Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers made a brief cameo as a King's Landing peasant in "The Bells." He teased his cameo right before the episode aired by saying it was "just for a few seconds." In the behind-the-scenes footage, Rodgers said he played a King's Landing peasant who was helping an injured woman then ran off.

ADVERTISEMENT

The few seconds that made the cut ended up showing Rodger's running down an alleyway before being engulfed by fire.

ADVERTISEMENT

Daenerys' Vision From Season 2 Has Come True

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
daenerys vision season 2 game of thrones
@IG16661/Twitter
@IG16661/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

In season 2, episode 10, Daenerys has a vision that she enters the throne room at King's Landing. The room is in shambles and appears to be covered in snow. At first, fans believed this showed the Night King's success the winter arrived in King's Landing.

ADVERTISEMENT

After "The Bells" it's likely that it was Daenerys herself that destroyed the throne room and that the white stuff falling from the sky isn't snow, but ashes from the fire. It might also symbolize Jon Snow taking the throne after Daenerys wreaks havoc.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arya's White Horse Might Mean Something Next Episode

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
arya white horse game of thrones
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

The final shot of the episode saw Arya ride out of King's Landing on a white horse that has also managed to survive the destruction. The white horse can stand as a symbol for many things like triumph, death, and surrender. Others have guessed the horse is Bran warging. What we do know it that the little girl Arya was trying to save in King's Landing was holding on to a white, wooden horse figurine.

ADVERTISEMENT

It's not clear whether Arya will leave King's Landing for a more simple life or if, after witnessing all that death and destruction, she will ride on the white horse to enact justice.

ADVERTISEMENT

We Should Have Seen Varys' Death Coming

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game of thrones varys and daenerys threat
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

While Varys appeared to be a loyal follower of Daenerys, she didn't seem to always trust him. Back in season 7, episode 2, Daenerys told Varys that if he ever betrayed her, she would burn him alive.

ADVERTISEMENT

Daenerys made good on that promise in "The Bells" by choosing to have Drogon burn Varys rather than execute him with a sword the old fashioned way. Considering he had this warning, Varys likely knew what painful death he would suffer by sending out those letters.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Hound Told Both Stark Girls To Look At Him

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
the hound sansa stark and arya stark
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Just before The Hound and Arya parted ways, he told Arya "Look at me!" to convince her to leave King's Landing. He used the same line in season 2, episode 9 with Sansa Stark. During the Battle of Blackwater Bay, Sansa was refusing to flee King's Landing and The Hound convinced her to go north with him instead.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Hound's words convinced both Stark girls to leave King's Landing in order to save their lives, completing his character arc right before his showdown with his brother.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jaime Got His Hand Back For A Moment

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D6dGNhgXoAIiKJF-13251
@comicbooknow/Twitter
@comicbooknow/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Following season 8, episode 4's infamous Starbucks Cup blunder, you might think Game of Thrones would be a bit more meticulous in the editing room. Still, a major blunder made its way into "The Bells" when Jaime magically grew back his right hand.

ADVERTISEMENT

When Jaime and Cersei reunited in the Red Keep, they embraced, and for a split-second, Jaime had his right hand back. Apparently, HBO has already edited out the mistake but we still have this promotional still to prove it.

ADVERTISEMENT

Did You Notice The Wildfire Explosions?

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game of thrones wildfire explosions kings landing
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

In "The Bells," as Daenerys and Drogon lit up King's Landing, they were notably setting off Wildfire explosions. There's no telling why the green Wildfire was hidden all over King's Landing. It could have been a tactic by Cersei or it could be leftover by the Mad King Aerys.

ADVERTISEMENT

Even if we don't know why the Wildfire was there, we do know it added extra destruction that left Jon even more shocked and disgusted. Will Jon, not Jaime, be forced to confront the madness of a Targaryen?

ADVERTISEMENT

We've Seen Varys' Spy Before

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
varys spy martha in the crypts
@DaijahTweets/Twitter
@DaijahTweets/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

At the beginning of the episode we saw Varys writing notes about Jon's true lineage when he's interrupted by a young girl, Martha. She appears to be working as one of Varys' spies and was there to report on the status of Daenerys. If the little girl looks familiar, that is because we've seen her in past episodes.

ADVERTISEMENT

She was sitting alongside Varys in the crypts of Winterfell while the battle waged overhead. This proves he trusts her enough to bring her along for the war.

ADVERTISEMENT

Varys Was Using Martha To Poison Daenerys

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
martha varys spy on daenerys with poison
@JillianSed/Twitter
@JillianSed/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

It went over everyone's head but when Varys' spy Martha came to report, she emphasized that Daenerys still wasn't eating. Varys replied that it was okay and that they would "try again at supper." Martha also said she worried the guards were watching her but Varys reminded her that "the bigger the risk, the bigger reward."

ADVERTISEMENT

The only reason the guards of Dragonstone would be watching a young kitchen maid is if they were worried that a traitor like Varys would try to poison Daenerys. That's why Varys is concerned about her eating habits and wants to try again at supper.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Building Crumbling On The Map Was Symbolic

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
arya and the hound map
@Daenerys13/Twitter
@Daenerys13/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

While Arya and The Hound were walking through the Red Keep to get redemption, they walked over the courtyard that featured a large map of the Seven Kingdoms. The map has been featured many times in the series but this time we saw it being covered in crumbling buildings.

ADVERTISEMENT

Seeing the map from above being destroyed was a symbol of how Daenerys is now completely ruining her own kingdom by way of fire and blood.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jon And Daenerys Are Two Sides Of A Coin

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
jon and daenerys targaryens two sides of coins
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the lines that Varys had repeated throughout the series and did one more time to Jon Snow was that "every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land." The quote ends with the two sides of the coin being madness and greatness.

ADVERTISEMENT

Varys relayed this quote to Jon to tell him that Daenerys was the 'madness' side of the coin, and that Jon was 'greatness.'

ADVERTISEMENT

Jaime's Dying Wish Came True

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
jaime dying wish  to die in womans arms
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

In season five, Bronn asked Jaime how he wants to die. Jaime replies by saying he wishes to die int he arms of the woman he loves. After season 8, episode 4, everyone thought that meant he'd die int he arms of Brienne. After Jaime left Brienne to return to Cersei, he ended up proving to us all that his sister Cersei is his true love.

ADVERTISEMENT

He got his wish has he embraced Cersei while the Red Keep crushed them to death.

ADVERTISEMENT

Cersei's Prophecy Actually Came True...Kind Of

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
cersei jaime prophecy came true
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Cersei's death has been foreshadowed since season five when the witch Maggy the Frog told her how it would end. Cersei's Valonqar prophecy said that she would die when the Valonqar, which means "little brother" in High Valyrian, would "wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you."

ADVERTISEMENT

Cersei did indeed die with her little brother Jaime's hands around her throat but it was in a loving way.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Title Credits Changed Again

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scorpion title credit game of thrones new addition
@Vickery/Twitter
@Vickery/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Another episode and another new reveal happened in the title credits for Game of Thrones. Each week, the creators have been adding in small details that foreshadow the episode. For "The Bells" you can see a new addition to King's Landing with the set of scorpions on the outer wall.

ADVERTISEMENT

Of course, we're talking about the larger-than-life crossbow that Qyburn invented, not the creepy crawler. Adding the scorpions to the credits was useless though since Drogon ended up burning them all down.

ADVERTISEMENT

Daenerys' Disheveled Look Is A Mirror Of Her Father

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
daenerys all alone game of thrones
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Our very first image of Daenerys in the episode should have been a dead giveaway that she was becoming more and more like her father, The Mad King Aerys II. Her hair is usually well-kept, smooth, and intricately braided. In the first scene, it was disheveled and only had two strands of braids.

ADVERTISEMENT

While this could just be because Daenerys no longer has Missandei around to do her hair, it also made her look much more like her father, whose hair was notoriously unkept.

ADVERTISEMENT

Daenerys Only Went Mad When She Was Finally Alone

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
daenerys only went mad when alone
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

The beginning of the episode showed that Daenerys exiled herself from everyone after Missandei's death. On top of all that, by the beginning of "The Bells," she had been betrayed by Jon Snow, Varys, and Tyrion. She admitted that at this point she was entirely alone.

ADVERTISEMENT

That line was a reference to Master Aemon's famous words, "a Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing." It foreshadowed that now that Daenerys felt completely alone in the world, she would finally go mad.

ADVERTISEMENT

Bran's Flashback Was Just A Flashforward

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
brans flashback season six game of thrones
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

In season 6, episode 6, Bran had a vision that included a flashback of the Mad King Aerys yelling "burn them all!" from the Iron Throne. The flashback was connected with scenes of Daenerys giving birth to her three dragons.

ADVERTISEMENT

It was Jaime "The Kingslayer" Lannister who stopped Aerys from actually burning down King's Landing with fire. Little did Jaime know, but years later the Mad King's daughter would return to King's Landing and fulfill his wishes.

ADVERTISEMENT

As Early As Season One, Daenerys Was Threatening People With Fire

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
daenerys-draggon-hbo
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Daenerys didn't just start burning people alive recently. As early as season one, she had begun to threaten her enemies with fire. At the end of the first season, after Daenerys burns Mirri Maz Duur alive, she vows painful vengeance on those around her.

ADVERTISEMENT

In one of her early speeches as the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys says, "I am the dragon's daughter, and I swear to you that those who would harm you will die screaming."

ADVERTISEMENT

In Season Two She Finally Invokes Her Family's Motto

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
daenerys trying to get to quarth game of thrones
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

The Targaryen family words are "Fire and Blood," which are pretty intimidating. At first, Daenerys doesn't come off like the type of leader to use fire and blood to get what she wants. Yet, as early as season two she was invoking the family motto after she was unable to get into Qarth.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the same episode, Daenerys made a speech outside Qarth where she claimed that she would "lay waste to armies and burn cities to the ground."

ADVERTISEMENT

In Season Four She Answers Injustice With Justice

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
daenerys season four burn alive game of thrones
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

After liberating the slaves from Meereen, Daenerys decided to crucify the slave owners as a punishment for when they crucified slave children. She did this despite Ser Barristan counseling her to be more merciful. Dany refuses the advice by saying she "will answer injustice with justice."

ADVERTISEMENT

After the crucifixion, Ser Barristan warned Daenerys not to be like her father. Yet, when Barristan was murdered by the Sons of Harpy, Danerys executed a master without trial by burning them alive.

ADVERTISEMENT

In Season Six She Burns The Dothraki Khals Alive

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
daenerys dothraki khals season six
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Daenerys uses her fire trick in season 6 when she frees herself from the Dothraki Khals by burning them alive. It's during this scene that we see Daenerys seemingly enjoying using fire as power rather than shying away from it.

ADVERTISEMENT

After burning the men alive, she always delivers a disturbing speech that echoes the one Khal Drogo gave in season 1. In the speech, she asks the Dothraki to kill her enemies and tear down their stone houses.

ADVERTISEMENT

In Season 7 We Watched Daenerys Burn The Tarlys Without Mercy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game of thrones tarlys burned alive
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the biggest foreshadowing moments for viewers was when Daenerys first brought her dragons to fight in Westeros. After Daenerys and her dragon lit up the army, she gave the Tarlys a chance to bend the knee. When both Tarly men refused, she burned the pair alive without mercy.

ADVERTISEMENT

The act caused both Tyrion and Varys to freak out and it was the first time the pair questioned if she was like her father.

ADVERTISEMENT

Missandei's Death Was The Final Nail In The Coffin

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game of thrones dracarys missandei death
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Daenerys had been a little unhinged ever since she found out Jon Snow had a better claim to the Iron Throne. Then she had to deal with Arya and Sansa not pledging their allegiance to her. But Daenerys held it together until Missandei was kidnapped by the Iron Fleet and executed in front of her.

ADVERTISEMENT

Missandei's last words were "Dracarys" which meant she was basically asking Daenerys to burn the city down. Well, she got her wish.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arya's Advice To Sansa Might Have Sounded Familiar

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_T02oI5-50090
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

When Arya and Sansa part ways at the beginning of the battle, Arya hands her a dragonglass dagger. Sansa admits that she doesn't know what to do with it and Arya simply replies, "Stick 'em with the pointy end."

ADVERTISEMENT

Thrones fans might recognize the line from the second episode of the first season. Jon gives Arya her first sword, Needle, and gives her the exact same advice on how to use it. The line is so iconic that the show actually named a season one episode after it.

ADVERTISEMENT

Edd's Last Words To Samwell Echoed Season Three

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5S2B2lUcAAlBxB-84419
@TheKraang/Twitter
@TheKraang/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Edd Tollett survived the Fist of the First Men, the Battle of Castle Black, Hardhome, and the Night King's attack of the Wall, but sadly he died during the Battle of Winterfell. He was eventually killed by a wight after telling Sam that he needed to get up from the ground and keep going.

ADVERTISEMENT

It might have seemed like a frivolous line but it harkens back to season three when Edd and Grenn stopped fleeing from a White Walker attack and encouraged Sam to get up and continue on.

ADVERTISEMENT

We've Seen Wights Fling Themselves Off Of Walls Before

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
5cc6d0940ff30d122a7d4c54-960-720-74520
@targarcyn/Twitter
@targarcyn/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

The Battle of Winterfell became extra intense when the Army of the Dead breached the walls and started flinging themselves into the courtyard of the castle. The move is a nod to Jon Snow's face-off against the Night King at Hardhome.

ADVERTISEMENT

At Hardhome, the Night King made thousands of wights fling themselves off a cliff, crack their heads up, and continue running. The move was when Jon decided to retreat from fighting. The wights tried to do it again at Winterfell but for those inside the castle, there was nowhere to retreat.

ADVERTISEMENT

Theon's Death Was Foreshadowed In Season Two

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
theon-foreshadowing-53444
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

In the final episode of season two, Theon took Winterfell from Bran but the Bolton's arrive to seize it back. Theon tries to rally his troops for what he called "the Battle of Winterfell" with a rousing speech. He tells his men "We die bleeding from a hundred wounds, with arrows in our necks and spears in our guts."

ADVERTISEMENT

In the episode, Theon ends up being betrayed by the men and no battle takes place. Little did he know, in the actual Battle of Winterfell, he would die a heroes death with a spear in his gut.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arya Got Her Best Fighting Moves From The Faceless Men

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_MmWMD9-15301
HBO/MovieStillDB
HBO/MovieStillDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Arya made a big deal to Gendry about getting the weapon she wanted and in her first fight scene with the wights, we could see why. The double-ended staff was eerily similar to the weapon she would constantly train and fight the Waif with throughout season six.

ADVERTISEMENT

The choreography for Arya's fight against the wights also featured a triumphant moment when she stops a wight by holding her staff above her head. The first time she stopped the Waif's staff was in the exact same position.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Dothraki Wight Was Qhono

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
5cc6c0330ff30d0eb60b4393-960-720-80410
@DixonBrother_/Twitter
@DixonBrother_/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

When the Night King resurrected all the fallen corpses, some major characters were shown opening their eyes, including a Dothraki soldier. That soldier was Qhono, who was actually the one Dothraki who took Daenerys prisoner at the very end of season six.

ADVERTISEMENT

Qhono later went on to serve as part of Daenerys' guard but he was never entirely friendly. You definitely wouldn't want to end up in a fight with the wight version of Qhono.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ned Stark Was Secretly There During The Battle

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_tHz8fC-68885
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

No, we're not talking about Ned Stark's dead corpse running around in the crypts — we're talking about his sword. Ned's extra large sword was named Ice and was forged with Valyrian steel. After his death, the sword was reforged into two smaller swords. While the swords have changed hands over the series, they are now wielded by Brienne and Jamie.

ADVERTISEMENT

The two were fighting side-by-side throughout the battle protecting Winterfell. Ned would surely be proud.

ADVERTISEMENT

There's A Lot Happening With The Dagger Arya Used To Kill The Night King

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_ESlRHz-16702
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

In the biggest shock that Game of Thrones has served us in a long time, Arya ends up killing the Night King with a Valyrian steel dagger. For devoted viewers, the dagger might look familiar. The dagger first appeared in season one when an assassin tried to use it to kill Bran.

ADVERTISEMENT

The dagger fell into the hands of Catelyn Stark and it was then taken by Littlefinger. Littlefinger returns the dagger to Bran in season six, who says he doesn't want it and gifts it to Arya in the exact same spot she'd use it to kill the Night King. Bran clearly knew what he was doing.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arya Unknowingly Practiced That Move

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_0zYOCn-84993
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Arya looked to be dead and gone when the Night King had her by the throat. In the most epic way possible, she drops her dagger from her left hand and catches it in her right hand to deliver the final blow. The ambidextrous move first appeared in season seven when Arya was training with Brienne. The two came to a draw when Arya flipped the same dagger from one hand to the other.

ADVERTISEMENT

The move is also a nod to actress Maisie WIlliams, who is right-handed but committed to playing the character left-handed as it is in the books.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Night King's Death Mirrors His Creation

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
9_bwl-76465
HBO
HBO
ADVERTISEMENT

The show's creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, knew that the Night King's death had to be full of symbolism. They also knew for three years that it was Arya who would kill him. In the post-episode breakdown, the creators said the only way to kill the Night King was with Valyrian steel in the "exact spot where the Children of the Forest put the dragonglass blade to create the Night King."

ADVERTISEMENT

If you remember the flashback scene that showed the Night King's recreation, it takes place beside the Weirwood tree.

ADVERTISEMENT

Melisandre Reminded Arya Of Their First Meeting

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_UO4aT7-86596
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

After Arya and the Hound escaped the wights inside the castle, Arya comes face to face with Melisandre for the first time since season three. In their first meeting, Melisandre tells Arya that she sees "a darkness" in her. Melisandre also says, "Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you'll shut forever."

ADVERTISEMENT

The Red Woman repeats the line to Arya, in particular, the "blue eyes" part. Arya picked up on the hint and runs off to defeat the one with blue eyes, the Night King.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Episode Title Was Referenced In Season One

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_77da8314-65267
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

The episode title "The Long Night" first appeared in Game of Thrones lingo in season one. After Bran's fall from the tower, a scene is shown where Old Nan is recounting Bran's favorite "scary story." In the totally fictional, definitely not real story, Old Nan mentions a time called the Long Night and how it was the first instance where the White Walkers had tried to terrorize Westeros.

ADVERTISEMENT

Little did Bran know at the time, but he'd be reliving the Long Night for himself in just a few years.

ADVERTISEMENT

Theon's Final Moments Connect To The Books

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_HMbLWa-67841
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Theon Greyjoy's character ends his ark during the Battle of Winterfell. Knowing death is certain, Bran calls Theon by his name and tells him that he's a "good man" which causes him to shed a tear.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the last published chapter written from Theon's perspective in George R.R. Martin's books, he returns to the Weirwood tree and asks it to let him "die as Theon, not as Reek." It appears that Theon got his wish.

ADVERTISEMENT

Davos Was Following Jon Snow's Orders To Kill Melisandre

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
5cc6c22b66ae8f4647295bc5-960-720-20224
@oshawildling/Twitter
@oshawildling/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

When Melisandre arrives in Winterfell, Ser Davos goes to meet her and we see him pull out a dagger. Many of us thought that it was simply Davos' chance to get revenge, but he was actually preparing to follow Jon's orders.

ADVERTISEMENT

The last time Melisandre was in Winterfell, she had admitted to burning Princess Shireen alive and Jon subsequently banished her from the North and said if she returned, she would be "hanged as a murderer." It was Davos who promised Jon that he would carry out the sentence.

ADVERTISEMENT

Melisandre And Beric Use The Same Spell

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_0Qo8kd-43198
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Melisandre showed up just in time to light up the blades of the Dothraki in the most epic fashion. Part of her spell included the Valyrian phrase "āeksiō ōños" which translates to "Lord's light."

ADVERTISEMENT

We know that the phrase is the same spell that Beric uses to light up his sword because the actor, Richard Dormer, has confirmed it. The only difference is that Beric doesn't need to say the spell out loud, probably because he'd been brought back to life so many times that the Lord of Light knows what he's trying to do.

ADVERTISEMENT

Why Does Arya Say That To The God Of Death?

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
arya-god-of-death-71544
gaelgarcia/Twitter
gaelgarcia/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the most iconic lines to come out of the episode was when Melisandre asked Arya "What do we say to the God of death?" and Arya replies "Not today." We all collectively went wild after that but Arya had spoken the exact line before.

ADVERTISEMENT

During her training with Syrio Forel, he asks her the same question and she gives the same response. Arya was just a little baby learning how to fight at the time, but the lesson proved worthwhile years later.

ADVERTISEMENT

House Karstark Is Gone Forever

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5U_2-0WkAEm6cr-21213
@Sixty1Kitty/Twitter
@Sixty1Kitty/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

You might not have realized it but Alys Karstark was part of the group sent to protect Bran. She was standing alongside Theon as they headed out to the Weirwood tree. Theon and his guard put up a pretty impressive fight against the wights (using exclusively flaming arrows) but we saw them all butchered one by one.

ADVERTISEMENT

We can assume since Theon was the last one standing, that Alys Karstark died defending Bran and the Karstark House is officially gone.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arya Might Be The Prince Who Was Promised

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_cN8DYO-11342
HBO/MovieStillsDB
HBO/MovieStillsDB
ADVERTISEMENT

Melisandre's role in the series is being a follower of the Lord of Light and producing a prophecy about "The Prince That Was Promised." The prince (or princess) is supposed to be a savior who saves everyone from the Long Night and the Night King. Going into the Battle of Winterfell, many thought it was Jon Snow or Daenerys who was the Promised Prince, but now people are questioning that it's Arya.

ADVERTISEMENT

As we know, it is Arya who ends the Long Night by defeating the Night King. She was also saved by Beric, who also served the Lord of Light.

ADVERTISEMENT

Where Is Ghost?

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5UNKj5XsAAmI6A-31362
@Mahria_Shah_/Twitter
@Mahria_Shah_/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

The most important character who returned to Winterfell in season eight was Jon's direwolf Ghost. Ghost has come in to save the day more than a few times and he was shown on the frontlines of the battle awaiting the Wights. He was at the front of the charge with the Dothraki and since we never saw him again, he was assumed to be dead.

ADVERTISEMENT

Well, good news! He's alive and kicking. In the trailer for season eight, episode four, he's seen once again at the front of the crowd. We're not sure how he survived but we're not complaining.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rhaegal Also Managed To Somehow Survive

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5TRQyAU4AAvlFJ-15191
@thronesfacts/Twitter
@thronesfacts/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

The final scene of the episode shows Drogon comforting Daenerys over Jorah's death, but we didn't see dragon #2 AKA Rhaegal since it decided to fight its undead brother mid-air. Most viewers assumed since Rhaegal wasn't in any final shot that he died, but by the looks of the episode four trailer, he's alive and well.

ADVERTISEMENT

We're not sure how Rhaegal managed to survive, so we'll see if, going forward, Rhaegal remains aligned with Daenerys or if he's basically turned into Jon's dragon now.

ADVERTISEMENT

"No One" Can Kill The Night King

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
4_bwl-53744
HBO
HBO
ADVERTISEMENT

Bran Stark once famously said, "no one can kill the Night King." Well, in a weird way, Bran was actually right. Arya did manage to kill the Night King, but if you think back to her whole Faceless Men story arc, you'll remember that Arya is actually "no one."

ADVERTISEMENT

It took some intense training (and a few near death experiences) for Arya to become a Faceless Man, but it looks like all of that pain and suffering paid off in a big way.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Opening Credits Have Changed

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D4vn1ixUcAANm1N-26955
@imcharlottegirl/Twitter
@imcharlottegirl/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

In each episode this season, the opening credits of the show have changed a little bit to reflect the action happening on screen. In Season 8 Episode 3, the 'blue tiles' on the map signify the movement of the Night King. We saw the blue tiles flipping last week, but now they extend all the way across Last Hearth.

ADVERTISEMENT

There are also dragon glass trenches depicted on the map of Winterfell because in the episode, there are trenches around the castle to protect Winterfell from the incoming Whites.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sansa's Line Is A Callback To Ramsay Bolton

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5Sg8HaWwAEO2AG-19738
@JamieCinematics/Twitter
@JamieCinematics/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

This season, fans finally got to see Sansa and Tyrion reunite. Once upon a time, Sansa and Tyrion were actually married. It was definitely a political marriage and not a romantic one, but Tyrion treated Sansa pretty well. He never asked Sansa to consummate the marriage, which Sansa appreciated.

ADVERTISEMENT

In this episode, Tyrion makes a witty remark about how perhaps he and Sansa should have stayed married. Sansa replies, "you were the best of them," which is very true. This is a callback to Sansa's horrific experience as Ramsay Bolton's bride.

ADVERTISEMENT

That Moment Between Melisandre And Grey Worm

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5Wi4wiVUAAFtGj-32523
@eugenplaton/Twitter
@eugenplaton/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

At the beginning of the episode, we get an interesting exchange between Grey Worm and Missandei, The Red Woman. Missandei says, "Valar Morghulis" and Grey Worm answers, "Valar Dohaeris."

ADVERTISEMENT

These are phrases that we learned about a few seasons ago from Arya and Jaqen. They mean "All men must die" and "All men must serve." Luckily, Grey Worm survived this episode, but we still have three episodes left this season. This time he served, but he might not be so lucky in the next battle.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arya's First Battle Was An Eventful One

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
game-of-thrones_cN8DYO-11342
HBO/Helen Sloan
HBO/Helen Sloan
ADVERTISEMENT

A lot of the characters in this episode are warriors. They've fought in many battles and lived to tell the tale. While Arya turned out the be the MVP of the Battle of Winterfell, she's actually never fought in a real battle before.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arya is experienced in hand to hand combat, but not in battles like the one we witnessed in Season 8 Episode 3. I guess the lack of experience didn't hold her back that much...

ADVERTISEMENT

Edd's Worst Nightmare Came True

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5S_3RJWwAAP3n2-65729
@iam_stache/Twitter
@iam_stache/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

A few episodes ago, Dolorous Edd uttered the famous words, "Last man left, burn the rest of us--because when I die, I don't want to come back." Well, Edd didn't exactly get his wish.

ADVERTISEMENT

Unfortunately, he died in the Battle of Winterfell, and when the Night King resurrected all of the fallen human soldiers, Edd was resurrected too. Thankfully, Edd didn't have to endure life as a Wight for too long.

ADVERTISEMENT

Arya Is Super Sneaky

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
arya-26505
@camsde4/Twitter
@camsde4/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Arya somehow managed to sneak up on one of the most powerful beings in Game of Thrones history, but if we were paying attention in the previous episodes, we already know just how sneaky Arya can be. When Arya first sees Jon this season, Jon says "how did you sneak up on me?" Probably not coincidentally, this line was spoken in the exact spot where Arya killed the Night King.

ADVERTISEMENT

The show went to great lengths to show just how sneaky Arya can be, even in this episode when she's sneaking around the library. All of that action was created to set her up for the ultimate showdown with the Night King.

ADVERTISEMENT

How Melisandre Met Her End

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5K4SUuXsAAXlFP-50906
@fatherbananas/Twitter
@fatherbananas/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

At the end of the episode, we see Melisandre take off her necklace, walk out into the snow, fall down, and die. If you think back to a few seasons ago, you'll remember that Melisandre is actually hundreds of years old. The necklace she wears keeps her looking young, but without it, she can't survive.

ADVERTISEMENT

After the Battle of Winterfell, Melisandre has served her purpose, so she kills herself. She knew that her time in the Game of Thrones realm had come to an end.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Characters We Lost This Episode

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5TyFRpUEAIhqUa-91710
@GOTseasonfinale/Twitter
@GOTseasonfinale/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Aside from Easter eggs and callbacks, you might have missed a lot of the actual action in this week's episode, just because of how poorly lighted the fight scenes were throughout the episode.

ADVERTISEMENT

In case you missed it, here are all of the characters we lost this week: Lyanna Mormont, Ser Jorah Mormont, Ser Beric Dondarrion, Theon Greyjoy, Dolorous Edd, Qhono and literally all the Dothraki, a lot of the Unsullied and the North, The Night King, all the White Walkers, the army of the Dead, and Melisandre.

ADVERTISEMENT

Could Arya Be Pregnant With Gendry's Baby?

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
D5So7GfW0AEPJP_-27234
@JamieCinematics/Twitter
@JamieCinematics/Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Last episode, we saw Arya and Gendry finally consummate their relationship. She wanted to experience physical passion at least once, just in case she died at the Battle of Winterfell. Now we know that Arya survived the battle, but do you think there could be a chance that she's now pregnant with Gendry's baby?

ADVERTISEMENT

At the beginning of the series, Robert Baratheon wanted to create a union between his son and Ned Stark's daughter, and in the end, that could be exactly what happens, in a very roundabout way.