All Hail Arya Stark! The Night King Meets His Match As We Say Goodbye to Some Of Our Favs

The third episode of the final season, which aired on DStv last night entitled The Long Night, featured arguably the most epic battle in GOT history and brought to an end a major arc for the series.

Taking place entirely at Winterfell, The Long Night depicted the battle between the Army of the Dead and the combined armies of the living – the Dothraki, the Unsullied, the Knights of the Vale, and the host of the North. Notably, Cersei’s army was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, Brandon Stark waited in the Godswood to lure the Night King, defended by Theon Greyjoy’s Ironborn, while Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen rode the dragons Rhaegal and Drogon to the outskirts of the battlefield.

The fighting was ignited by Melisandre, who lit the swords of the Dothraki, but the horde was decimated in the darkness by the undead forces, paving the way for a seemingly one-sided battle in which several of our beloved heroes were slain: Eddison Tollett, the remaining commander of the Night’s Watch, Beric Dondarrion, Lyanna Mormont (who died heroically killing the whitewalker giant with her dying breath) and Jorah Mormont, who sacrificed himself to save Daenerys from a pack of the undead.

All hope seemed lost for the living as the Night King arrived in the Godswood to try and kill Bran, but Arya Stark, who was injured in an earlier skirmish, fulfils a prophecy revealed to her by Melisandre. The Stark woman ambushed the Night King and killed him with a stab to the heart from a Valyrian steel dagger.

The Night King shattered and died, while his host of wights and White Walkers are obliterated, leaving the forces of the living as victors after a harrowing battle in the dark. As the sun began to rise on the horizon, Davos Seaworth watched as Melisandre, having fulfilled her purpose, left the castle and wandered off into the snow. Removing her necklace, she died after rapidly returning to her natural age.

With the living having conquered the Night King and his army, now they face perhaps an even more evil foe, with Cersei Lannister surely looking to strike down her enemies when they are vulnerable.