Dragonglass, the all-consuming Game of Thrones weapon, can get a bit confusing.
It can instantly turn the White Walkers into ash yet it's what created the Night King and stopped Benjen Stark from turning undead? Yeah, it’s definitely a lot.?
Dragonglass has been around for centuries. In the context of the show, it was mentioned for a quick second in Season 1 but didn't make its big debut until Season 2. By the time Season 8 rolls around, it’s value has increased tremendously.?
The obsidian-like glass will be crucial against the Army of the Dead, even more than dragon fire. Viserion’s quick demise followed by the Night King reanimating him as an ice dragon proves that as beloved as they are, Dany's children might not make it to the end.?
Valyrian steel is another weapon, but our heroes are running terribly low on its supply with only five known weapons so far — owned by Arya, Brienne, Jaime, Samwell, and Jon.?
Inevitably, dragonglass will be what saves the day now that so much of it has been mined from Dragonstone. We see Arya admiring a dagger made with it and the Unsullied donning it as part of their armor in the Season 8 promo.
So before our heroes go into battle in the final season, here's a refresher for every dragonglass clue the show has offered that proves it will indeed save the day.?
Season 1
In “Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things,” Daenerys’s handmaid Doreah references it for a quick second to Viserys, letting him know she once saw a man from Asshai with a real dragonglass dagger. Asshai is on the southernmost edge of Essos. Besides being an indication that it can be found even in the farthest end of the continent, this proves dragonglass is a high-valued object.
Season 2
Towards the end of the season in “The Prince of Winterfell,” Samwell Tarly finds a cache of dragonglass buried under the snow at the Fist of the First Men. It's only the beginning of his own journey with this weapon but he doesn't know it yet. His fellow Night's Watch member Eddison Tollett deduces that whoever left it did it on purpose.
It was meant to be discovered. Maybe it was Benjen Stark who hid it — but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Season 3
Sam shows Gilly the obsidian in “The Climb” after they escape Craster’s Keep. They agree that it's gorgeous. Sam is still unaware of its mighty purpose and believes it probably doesn't have one.
It’s not until the eighth episode “Second Sons” that we witness it in action. Sam uses a makeshift knife to slay the White Walker who comes after Gilly and her baby boy. The Walker, the same one who spared him in the Season 2 finale, lets out a guttural scream and quickly fades to dust. This is the biggest "dragonglass is a savior" clue yet.
In “Mhysa,” Sam then uses his newfound knowledge and aids Bran by giving him dragonglass arrowheads after helping him go North of the Wall with Meera, Hodor, and Jojen.
Season 4
Not a lot of dragonglass stuff going on this season but that's okay. Everyone deserves a break, I guess??
Season 5
Sam lets Stannis in on his dragonglass fun fact in “Kill the Boy.” Stannis encourages him to learn more about ways of getting rid of the walkers and casually drops info that Dragonstone has a whole lotta dragonglass underneath the castle.?
This is a huge deal but no one pays attention to it at the time. Then again, if they had, Jon wouldn't have gone down to get it himself two seasons later; he wouldn't have met his lover/aunt, etc etc.?
In "Hardhome," Jon and Tormund go to recruit the Free Folk and offer them weapons carved from dragonglass. Unfortunately, those weapons are lost when the wights attack. But this is also when Jon kills a walker with his Valyrian steel sword Longclaw and a whole new weapon against the dead emerges.?
Season 6
Okay pay attention because this is where it gets really good.?
In "The Door," Bran sees a vision of the past in which Leaf and the other Children of the Forest are at a heart tree that stands between a spiral of stones. This design has come into play often. They stab dragonglass into the heart of a man bound to the said tree. He doesn't die but he does turn into a White Walker; the very first one.?
Finally, an official and visual confirmation of how the Night King was created.
When Bran and Meera escape the attack on the cave that leads to the deaths of The Three Eyed Raven, Leaf, Summer, and Hodor, it's Benjen that saves them. He's looking hella pale as he tells Bran what happened to him when he disappeared in early Season 1. He was attacked by a White Walker and left to die so he can turn into one of them. The Children found him and saved him in time by driving a dragonglass through his heart. He's somewhere between human and ice zombie right now.
The same process that created the walkers is also what stops men from turning into one. It's complex but in a way, it makes sense. The Children used additional magic with the dragonglass to turn the man into a walker. They probably learnt from their mistake and shifted the spell? With the right magic they could've helped save any human who gets "scratched" by the Night King.
What we don't know is if dragonglass can take him out since he was made with it. It obliterates the other walkers and wights but that's because they were turned by the Night King and not made specifically like him. Maybe he's immune to it? We'll find out.?
Season 7
Jon sends ravens to Maesters across Westeros asking them to gather every intel on the substance and where to find it. He then travels to Dragonstone in "The Queen's Justice" to ally with Daenerys and mine the dragonglass vein under the castle, which Sam told him about in a letter. Never mind that Stannis is rolling headless in his grave right now for sharing this fact two seasons ago.?
Before going south, Jon reiterates dragonglass's importance to the lords and ladies present at Winterfell, saying it's more important than gold now. Correct!
How all this impacts Season 8
As a Jon loyalist, I can attest that it's been harrowing to see the poor dude try to save the entire world and be met with protests all around. His words are only now being taken seriously, and he's gathered everyone by his side, armed them with dragonglass, and is ready to fight.?
It's safe to assume his entire arc last season wasn't just about meeting and ultimately having sex with Daenerys on a boat. He trekked to Dragonstone for an important reason: Dragonglass.
We'll get our answers about it and more soon. Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres on April 14 on HBO.
