Top 10 Valyrian steel swords from the Game of Thrones books

5. Oathkeeper

The other sword forged from Ned Stark’s Varlyian steel sword Ice was Oathkeeper, which Tywin Lannister originally gave to his son Jaime. Jaime does not want the gift and eventually gives the regal sword to Brienne of Tarth when he sends her to find Sansa Stark. He tells her to name the sword Oathkeeper, as the pair promised Catelyn Stark they would protect her daughters. Jaime also notes the appropriateness of protecting Sansa with her father’s steel.

Brienne takes Valyrian steel blade on her quest to find Sansa and uses it to slay several opponents like Pyg, Timeon and Rorge. However, the sword winds up working against her when Brienne is captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners. Since Oathkeeper was decorated with Lannister gold, complete with a lion’s head pommel with ruby eyes, the Brotherhood suspects her of being loyal to the Lannisters. Their leader Lady Stoneheart, who is the resurrected Catelyn Stark, thinks that the blade ought to be called Oathbreaker instead.

Stoneheart gives Brienne an ultimatum: she can either take Oathkeeper and use it to kill Jaime Lannister, or be hanged as a traitor. Brienne presumably chooses the former option, as the next time we see her is in Jaime’s last chapter in A Dance with Dragons. While Jaime is camped at Pennytree, Brienne rides out of the woods and begs his help to fulfill their quest. She says the only way to save Sansa is if he rides with her to defeat the Hound, claiming they are a day’s ride away.

Things go a bit differently on Game of Throne. Brienne keeps Oathkeeper through to the end of the show, using it to slay the undead at Winterfell and wielding it in her new position as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.