RAMON ALVARADO

It’s here. All of our favorite characters are gathered together in the north with The Night King’s army of White Walkers and Wights coming in cold. The living armies are standing at the gates of Winterfell, ready to defend The Seven Kingdoms from a forever night.

Game of Thrones’ “Battle of Winterfell” episode is slated to have the longest fight/battle sequence in TV and movie history, with a reported hour and 20 minutes of action in total.

After episode 3, it looks like all the footage from the only full-length trailer we got for season 8 will have been revealed. The shots in the trailer we have yet to see, and the setting episode two leaves us with makes it seem that way, at least.

If so, “Battle of Winterfell” will mark a seismic shift in our beloved Game of Thrones series, with some twists and deaths to set up the concluding four episodes.

As we keep that in mind, here’s five things to look for in Game of Thrones’ “Battle of Winterfell,” the long-awaited (69 episode!) full-on clash between the living and the dead (and dragons!).

There’s five Valyrian steel blades in the hands of the living, with each having a major significance to the holder. Valyrian steel is the only thing that can stop White Walkers, and when they fall, so do the Wights that follow him. No fire could could wipe them out, so that makes the Valyrian sword-dwellers extremely crucial to the Battle of Winterfell if the living hope to come out breathing.

Longclaw – Jon Snow

A sword that belonged to Jorah Mormont’s father, Jeor. We saw Jeor give Jon the Valyrian sword, Longclaw way back in season one while on The Wall (RIP). Taking out White Walkers is nothing new to Jon, he has more a more interesting weapon to play with now, though.

Heartsbane – Jorah Mormont

Long time sword of House Tarly, gifted to him by Sam in the previous episode. Jorah has the chance to tremendously help the living’s cause and impress Danaerys.

Valyrian dagger – Arya

Last season, Bran gave Arya the dagger that was used in the attempt to kill him. One of the most exciting things to look out for is Arya showing off her full aresenal of fight skills. She got a new dragonglass staff/dagger (to go with something else we won’t get in to…) from Gendry in the last episode that I’m dying to see her use for the first time.

Widow’s Wail – Jaime / Oathkeeper – Brienne

The most interesting Valyrian steel blades are Widow’s Wail and Oathkeeper, swords belonging to Jaime and Brienne, respectively. The two blades were forged by Tywin Lannister from Ned Stark’s massive sword Ice back in season two.

Tywin took the Ned’s blade and turned it into two, but now the steel that made up Ice is back where it belongs. The two Valyrian swords are in Winterfell, in the hands of knights set to defend the Stark home and all of Westeros.

Fans of the show all remember what Jaime did at the end of season one, episode one. He’s from the clean-shaven, golden-locked man that pushed Bran out the window way back when.

In last week’s episode, we saw Jaime apologize to Bran. Bran tells him if he hadn’t fell out the window, he wouldn’t have become the Three-Eyed Raven. But there was something that Bran tells Jaime during the conversation that stood out to me more.

Bran tells Jaime that if he let Dany, Jon and Sansa kill him, Jaime wouldn’t be able to help them in the upcoming battle. Bran is the Three-Eyed Raven, he already knows what happens in the battle. 

You wouldn’t be able to help us in this fight if I let them murder you first.

We’ve seen the crypts in the series since the very beginning. It’s the burial spot of the Starks, under the grounds of Winterfell, where they belong.

There’s been way too much of an emphasis on the crypts in the last episode for there not to be something dangerous brewing down there. It’s constantly been brought up as a safe place during the battle. In Game of Thrones, though, when you think something’s safe, it’s probably too good to be true.

With the army of the dead far outnumbering the living present at Winterfell, their probably won’t be enough people to defend those down in the crypts if a White Walker makes it down there (sorry, little one…). Let’s hope everyone down in the crypts aren’t just sitting targets and future additions to The Night King’s army.

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” showed many of our favorite characters getting the chance to hang around one another.

We saw Jaime, Tyrion, Brienne, Tormund, Podrick, and Davos keeping warm before Brienne is knighted. Sansa and Theon having a warm meal. Two seasoned warriors, The Hound and Beric Dondarrion chatting. Arya and Gendry spending quality time together.

One thing we weren’t shown very much of, that may come back to light, is Tyrion’s conversation with Bran. Did Bran tell Tyrion anything that our favorite imp could do to be a game changer?

It’s possible the two just had a regular conversation. But with a man as witty as Tyrion joining the all-knowing Three-Eyed Raven, there had to be something important mentioned.

Where are they!? What will they do!? How will they fight!?

There’s a lot of questions surrounding The Night King, Danaerys, Jon, and the three dragons. We saw White Walkers pulling up to Winterfell on dead horses at the end of the last episode, but there was no sign of The Night King or Viserion.

Dany and Jon just nodded at one another and walked off the last time we saw them. They’re presumably heading to Drogon and Rhaegal. Will the last Targaryens both yell “dracarys” to get their dragons to spit fire at their old brother, Viserion?

Are Viserion and The Night King even on their way to Winterfell!? The preview for “Battle of Winterfell” only shows one shot of a dragon’s head soaring through the air, so fans have no clue where they actually are…

Waiting for the White Walkers to walk down Winterfell? Traveling way above the clouds? On their way to King’s Landing!?

Who knows!? I can’t wait to find out all the questions fans of the Game of Thrones have risen about the “Battle of Winterfell!”

Get ready! It’s going to change everything!