Game of Thrones brought much of the action of George R.R. Martin's fantasy A Song of Ice and Fire to life. More often than not, that meant duels of blade against blade. The hit HBO series brought a visualization to the design of each sword was invaluable, and yet, in adapting the lore of the books, there were more than a few details that were left on the proverbial cutting-room floor. That meant some of the best weapons in the fantasy series never saw their full mythology translated to the screen, leaving the strongest sword in Westeros little more than a shadow of its full glory.

While the HBO epic deliberately subverts many classic fantasy tropes, there are some it embraces. The magical weapons of many fantasy series grant their wielders awesome might, but Game of Thrones has a more limited magical system. As a result, the emphasis more often went to the material behind a blade's crafting than any kind of spells at work in their design. To that end, Valyrian steel is depicted as the strongest metal in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. It's both deceptively light and incredibly rare, given the finite supply that dates back to the ancient days of the Valyrian Freehold.

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The Fate of Ice and the Forging of Two New Valyrian Steel Swords

Ned Stark uses his sword Ice for an execution in Game of Thrones

With vast resources at their fingertips, many of the great houses of Westeros had their own signature blades of Valyrian steel, which made their way onto the television series. The first seen was Ice, the greatsword used by Eddard Stark to mete out justice as Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.

As a greatsword, the blade was too unwieldy to use wield in proper combat. Instead, Eddard employed it for executions instead. Following his death, Ice was melted down and re-forged as two swords: the gaudy Widow's Wail gifted to Joffrey Baratheon, and the elegant Oathkeeper, which passed from Jaime Lannister to Brienne of Tarth. While the two longswords are as strong as any blade of Valyrian steel, they are still not the best swords in Westeros.

Brienne of Tarth holding the sword Oathkeeper in Game of Thrones.

Far more prominently featured in the series was Longclaw, Jon Snow's bastard, whose length was between that of a longsword and a greatsword like Ice.

Longclaw is actually the ancestral sword of House Mormont, but Jeor Mormont gave it to Jon following Jorah Mormont's disgraceful exile. In battle, Longclaw stood up ably anytime Jon used it, but there was little ultimately to distinguish it from other famed ancestral swords forged of Valyrian steel. These blades might be able to stand up to any run-of-the-mill weapon throughout Westeros, but there is only one sword with a truly unique status in power: Dawn.

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Dawn Is the Greatest Sword in Game of Thrones

Arthur Dayne, with the sword Dawn, on Game of Thrones

Said to be forged from a fallen star, Dawn is the ancestral sword of the House of Dayne, and most often wielded by its greatest swordsman, proclaimed the Sword of the Morning. Although it is not forged from Valyrian steel, it is nevertheless said to be every bit as powerful. However, it would be difficult for viewers to glean that based on its appearance in the HBO series.

A flashback to the Tower of Joy showed Eddard fighting Arthur Dayne, who wields Dawn, alongside a second sword. The dual-wielding swordsman quickly distinguished himself as a singular talent and took on many other knights simultaneously. The problem is that in the books there is nothing said about Arthur Dayne using two swords at once. Portraying him doing so on the HBO adaptation undercuts just how special Dawn is.

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Dawn's meteorite blade is said to be as pale as milk glass. The sword is so potent that author George R.R. Martin has even said it would make the difference in a duel between Arthur Dayne and Barristan Selmy in their primes. In the timeline of the books, Dawn now rests, unclaimed, in Starfall, the Daynes' castle in Dorne. There's currently now Sword of the Morning worthy of wielding it. However, there are theories that it will soon be carried into battle again.

There are many theories surrounding Azor Ahai, a messianic figure in the lore of A Song of Ice and Fire said to wield a glowing sword called Lightbringer. The sorceress Melisandre even enchants a sword for Stannis Baratheon that they name Lightbringer, in order to live up to the prophecy. However, there are some theories the real Lightbringer actually could be Dawn. It fits the description of a glowing, powerful blade, leading some readers to expect the sword to appear in the novels as an important plot device. Regardless of its mythic status, all signs point to Dawn being the most powerful sword on Game of Thrones.