- This page is about the sword. For other uses, see: Oathkeeper (disambiguation)
- "It was reforged from Ned Stark's sword. You'll use it to defend Ned Stark's daughter."
- ―Jaime Lannister to Brienne of Tarth
Oathkeeper[1] is one of two Valyrian steel longswords made from Ice, the greatsword of House Stark. Its sister blade is Widow's Wail.
History[]
Game of Thrones: Season 4[]
Oathkeeper's hilt.
Tywin gives the sword to Jaime, intending for him to be released from his vows as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and rule over Casterly Rock in his stead. Although Jaime refuses, Tywin lets him keep the sword anyway and tells him that a one-handed man without family (implying Jaime has been disowned) "needs all the help he can get."[2]
Following Joffrey's death, Jaime tasks Brienne with finding Sansa and get her somewhere safe before Cersei locates her. As a parting gift, he gives her the sword (and a new set of armor), as he knows it was reforged from Ice, so she can protect Eddard Stark's daughter with his own blade. Brienne chooses the name "Oathkeeper" for the sword.[3]
Brienne and Podrick encounter Arya and the Hound. Oathkeeper's obvious Lannister qualities (the hilt is a golden lion with ruby eyes) make Arya and the Hound suspicious of Brienne's motives. When the situation turns hostile, Brienne uses Oathkeeper in combat for the first time against the Hound. However, she wins the duel by knocking the Hound off a cliff after brutal hand-to-hand combat.[4]
Game of Thrones: Season 5[]
Still in the Vale, Oathkeeper remains in Brienne's possession.[5] During a hostile encounter with Littlefinger's guards, Brienne uses the sword to slice through the sword of one of the guards.[6]
Brienne later uses Oathkeeper to execute Stannis, following the battle in the ice.[7]
Game of Thrones: Season 6[]
At the Wolfswood, Brienne and Podrick rescue Theon and Sansa from the Bolton soldiers sent by Ramsay, after they escaped from Winterfell. Brienne uses Oathkeeper to slay several soldiers, while Podrick and Theon dispatch the rest. After the battle, Brienne lays Oathkeeper at Sansa's feet and pledges fealty to her.[8]
Sansa, Brienne, and Podrick arrive at Castle Black to finally meet up with Jon Snow. When Brienne notices the way Tormund is looking at her, she nervously grabs the hilt of Oathkeeper.[9]
Brienne later accompanies Sansa to the ruins of Mole's Town, where Sansa confronts Baelish with his treatment of her by giving her in marriage to Ramsay Bolton, and when he fails to answer when she asks him "Do you know what he did to me?", Brienne takes hold of Oathkeeper's hilt and calmly says, "Lady Sansa asked you a question," prompting Littlefinger to reply.[10]
At Sansa's request, Brienne and Podrick travel to Riverrun, which the Blackfish has recently retaken, to persuade him to join Sansa and Jon in their quest to retake Winterfell for the Starks. They find Jaime and his army encamped around the castle. Upon their arrival, the guards refuse Brienne and Podrick entry to the camp until she tells them to inform Jaime that she has his sword. After a brief conversation about how she should parley with the Blackfish, Brienne offers Oathkeeper back to Jaime, saying it was given to her for a purpose (to get Sansa to safety), and now that the purpose has been achieved, it should be returned. Jaime replies: "It's yours. It will always be yours."
The Blackfish accuses Brienne of being in league with Jaime, noting her "sword with the gold lion on the pommel". Brienne counters that Jaime gave her the sword so she might fulfill the vow he made to Catelyn to get her daughters to safety.[11]
Game of Thrones: Season 7[]
At Winterfell, Brienne continues to train Podrick in swordplay with a training sword, keeping Oathkeeper safely stored for real battle.[12]
Sansa sends Brienne and Podrick to King's Landing in her place to participate the Dragonpit Summit. Brienne carefully keeps Oathkeeper hidden under her cape to avoid Cersei's notice.[13]
Game of Thrones: Season 8[]
Brienne uses Oathkeeper during the Battle of Winterfell.[14] After the battle of King's Landing, Brienne serves as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard to King Bran the Broken, with Oathkeeper still in her possession.[15]
In the books[]
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the sword is forged by Tobho Mott along with Widow's Wail. The sword has black and red ripples through the steel. Its scabbard glitters gold and is decorated with a row of lion's heads and smoldering red rubies. The pommel has a golden lion's head with ruby eyes that shine like two red stars.[16]
Jaime is angry when the sword is given to him, thinking that it is a cruel joke of his father and uncle given that such a blade would be wasted on him, since he has lost his right hand (akin to giving expensive boots to a legless man). Kevan is upset to hear how Jaime feels about the sword, saying the gift was heartfelt, but Jaime is not mollified.
After returning to King's Landing, a short time after the Purple Wedding, Jaime and Brienne are stopped by Loras Tyrell, who believes that Brienne was responsible for Renly's death.[17] Jaime orders Brienne to be locked up for her own protection, thus Jaime gives her sword in a tower cell, not in the White Sword Tower. He also suggests the name "Oathkeeper" to her, claiming it is appropriate that she will be defending Ned Stark's daughter with Ned Stark's own steel.[18]
While Brienne and Pod are in the Riverlands, searching for Sansa, Oathkeeper proves to be very useful at two bloody encounters between them and the Brave Companions.[19][20]
Brienne, Pod and their companion Ser Hyle Hunt are taken captive by the Brotherhood Without Banners, which has fallen low ever since the monstrous Lady Stoneheart (the reanimated Catelyn) replaced Beric Dondarrion as its leader. They are accused and sentenced to death on the charge of serving the Lannisters; unfortunately, the fact that Brienne carries Oathkeeper strengthens the false accusations.
Lady Stoneheart calls the sword "Oathbreaker" and "False Friend", stating it was made for treachery and murder. She demands that Brienne take up the sword to keep her oath to Catelyn Stark and slay Jaime. Brienne explains that Jaime is not the man he was; he saved her life; he sent her after Sansa to keep her safe; and he could not have had a part in the Red Wedding. Brienne's words, however, fall on deaf ears. Lady Stoneheart orders to hang her and her companions. When Brienne is being hanged and sees her companions dying, she reluctantly screams "sword".[21]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Game of Thrones: Season 4, Episode 4: "Oathkeeper" (2014).
- ↑ "Two Swords"
- ↑ "Oathkeeper"
- ↑ "The Children"
- ↑ "The Wars To Come"
- ↑ "The House of Black and White"
- ↑ "Mother's Mercy"
- ↑ "The Red Woman"
- ↑ "Book of the Stranger"
- ↑ "The Door"
- ↑ "No One"
- ↑ "Dragonstone"
- ↑ "The Dragon and the Wolf"
- ↑ "The Long Night"
- ↑ "The Iron Throne"
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 32, Tyrion IV (2000).
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 62, Jaime VII (2000).
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 72, Jaime IX (2000).
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 20, Brienne IV (2005).
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 37, Brienne VII (2005).
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 42, Brienne VIII (2005).
