WARNING: The following contains spoilers from season 8 ofGame of Thrones.
Game of Thronesfinally delivered its most anticipated showdown ever with theBattle of Winterfell, and with it came death, heroism and quite a few nods to past episodes come and gone.
The epic battle between the living and the dead on Sunday night’s episode saw several callbacks to previous moments in the HBO series — most of which you probably didn’t realize would be so pivotal at the time.
Read on for eight important callback moments the creators weaved in throughout the 82 minutes of chaos.
Melisandre’s Prophecy for Arya
Lady Melisandre (Carice van Houten) made her unexpected return just in time for the Battle of Winterfell, and a cryptic line she delivered to Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) way back in the season 3 episode “The Climb” proved to foreshadow the Night King’s ultimate defeat: “I see a darkness in you. And in that darkness, eyes starring back at me. Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes sealed shut forever. We will meet again.”
Arya Stark.HBO
As fans are well aware, Arya has killed plenty of brown-eyed characters throughout the years (Walder Frey, for instance). Upon her reunion with Melisandre, that same phrase was repeated to her, and she realized it was her destiny to kill the blue-eyed Night King. Saving her brother Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and essentially all of humanity, Arya achieved two-thirds of the prophecy. So what’s left? A green-eyed victim — and that seems bound to lead her to the person at the very top of her kill-list: Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey).
Beric Dondarrion Finally Dies
Over the years, Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) had proved hard to kill — after all, the man was resurrected six times. While his continuous resurrections at the hands of Thoros of Myr (Paul Kaye) seemed mysterious to both viewers and Dondarrion himself, his final death proved he was something he may have never considered himself as: a hero.
“Not Today”
One of the oldest lines inGame of Thrones‘ eight seasons resurfaced in the Battle of Winterfell, and it dates all the way back to season 1. During her training with Braavosi dancer Syrio Forel (Miltos Yerolemou), he would often ask her, “What do we say to the God of Death?” Her answer — “not today” — became a recurring line she used throughout her journey.
Melisandre Achieves Her Own Prophecy
While it’s Arya who delivers the final blow to the Night King, the Red Woman plays a huge role in defeating the Army of the Dead — and her prophecy about her own death played out exactly as she predicted.
HBO
In season 7, she told Varys she would return to Winterfell one more time — and that she would die. Upon her return to Winterfell before the battle, her death was clearly imminent, but she managed to help achieve the prophecy of “The Prince That Was Promised,” which states that the chosen one (which seems to be Arya) will defeat the darkness. Having fulfilled her destiny, the Red Woman finally removed the red choker that kept her youth alive, and quietly and peacefully died in the snow.
The “Pointy End”
“Stick them with the pointy end.” The line was first uttered way back in season 1’s second episode, when Jon Snow (Kit Harington) gave Arya her “Needle” sword and shared some advice on how to use it. Seven seasons later, Arya is a trained fighter, and she gave that same advice to her older sister Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) as she headed down to seek shelter in the crypts.
The Valyrian Steel Dagger
However, the question still on everyone’s minds: Did Bran know, at that point, that Arya would kill the Night King? While nothing can be sure inGame of Thrones, the Three-Eyed-Raven giving Arya the dagger seems to indicate that he foresaw the future in that moment, and knew his sister would save both his life — and all of the living.
Sansa and Tyrion in the Crypts
Sansa and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) have had a whirlwind relationship throughout the series, dating back to their season 3 wedding, and their bond was highlighted once again while they sought shelter together in the crypts. In what they thought was their final moments, the pair shared several kind words with each other, with Tyrion even saying to her, “Maybe we should have stayed married.” In response, Sansa replied, “You were the best of them,” but added that it wouldn’t work out because of his loyalty to Daenerys (Emilia Clarke).
Helen Sloan/HBO
Sansa even contemplating a relationship with Tyrion seems to indicate that five seasons after their failed arranged marriage, these two may just have a future together. While hiding together during the dead’s attack on the crypts, they shared an emotional look as they prepared for battle.
“No One” Can Kill the Night King
The odds of the living seemed unfavorable against the Night King, especially given of Bran’s insistence that “no one can kill the Night King.” While Arya was the one to take down the King of the Dead, Bran’s predictions remain accurate — after all, we haven’t forgotten Arya’s time as a “Faceless Man.”
During her time with Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha), Arya trained as a faceless man, taking on the identity of others and becoming “no one.” That term relates directly to Bran’s prediction, as a “no one” was exactly who killed the Night King.
Game of Thronesairs Sundays (9 p.m. ET) on HBO.
source: people.com
