Last night’s episode of Game of Thrones was arguably the most riveting ever! And while, of course, it could be the emotional high of the episode taking over my better judgment, the stakes of an episode of Game of Thrones were never higher than last night’s Battle at Winterfell. If I could sum up the Battle at Winterfell in one word, it would be purpose.
We have been with these characters for eight years and experienced many emotional highs and lows with them. We have seen seeds planted as early as episode one of the pilot episode as to what was to come for our protagonists and antagonists, but last night we got the answers to all of our questions regarding the purpose of these characters that we’ve come to love, hate, and love again except for one in particular, which just so happens to be the most important of all. What is the question you ask? How about what was the purpose of the Night King?
The Night King was originally thought to be the FINAL BOSS of Game of Thrones. After all, we’ve heard stories of his origins as early as Season 4 when tribe member of the Children of the Forest, Leaf, explained to Bran and his people how the Night King was a First Man that was captured by the Children of the Forest and stabbed in the heart with Dragon-glass which turned his eyes blue, therefore creating the first of the White Walkers. The sole purpose of The Night King and the White Walkers at the time was to protect the Children of the Forest from the original invaders of Westeros, The First Men. However, The Night King and his White Walkers betrayed The Children of the Forest, thus creating The Long Night.
Many of us audience members were hoping to get answers to our questions. Questions such as; What is the Night King’s true name? Why does he feel the need to kill and destroy everything in his path?, Why does he never talk?, Why can’t he be burnt but his colleagues can? Does he have Targaryen blood? , and What does he want with Bran and was he really going to kill him before Arya intervened?
These are all questions we are left wondering the answers too, but unfortunately, we might not get the answers to them as next week’s episode seems to focus on the “Last War” as what’s left of our heroes gear up to take on Cersei and Golden Company in Kings Landing.
Check out the preview for next week’s episode:
