Top 10 Valyrian steel swords from the Game of Thrones books

6. Heartsbane

Heartsbane has been passed down for centuries to the heir of House Tarly of Horn Hill. Prior to the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, the only mention of Heartsbane was of Savage Sam Tarly using it during the time of Aenys I Targaryen. At that time, the Targaryen kings were trying to take over Dorne, and Savage Sam used Heartsbane to slay several Dornishmen in a campaign called the Vulture Hunt.

At the time of the main series, Randyll Tarly wields Heartsbane. Randyll is the ruthless father of Samwell Tarly, Jon Snow’s best friend in the Night’s Watch. Prior to joining the watch, Samwell was Randyll’s heir and would have inherited Heartsbane, but his father did not approve of Sam’s bookishness or the fact that he didn’t like fighting. After disowning his son and sending him to the Wall, Sam’s younger brother Dickon is in line to inherit the sword.

We see Randyll a couple times throughout the books, first at Renly Baratheon’s camp, and next when he meets Brienne of Tarth at Maidenpool. Each time he is wearing Heartsbane on his hip. Samwell has a dream where he uses Heartsbane to carve a roast at Horn Hill, and Victarion Greyjoy yearns to claim Heartsbane from Randyll if he ever fights him. The sword also turns up on Game of Thrones, where Sam steals it from Horn Hill, brings it north and gives it to Jorah Mormont to use in the battle against the dead.