Top 10 Valyrian steel swords from the Game of Thrones books

2. Ice

Ice is the first Valyrian steel sword we see in the series; Ned Stark uses it to behead a Night’s Watch deserter named Gared. It is described as being wider than a man’s face across, and six feet long with a dark, smoky look to the steel. Ned frequently cleans the blade with a swatch of oiled leather while leaning against a weirwood tree in Winterfell’s godswood. He uses the greatsword to execute Sansa’s direwolf Lady when Cersei Lannister demands justice for Arya’s wolf Nymeria attacking Joffrey. Instead of letting one of Cersei’s goons do the act, Ned insists that since the wolf is of the North, he will do the deed with Ice and have the wolf’s bones sent back to Winterfell for burial.

When Ned is arrested in King’s Landing on false charges of treason, the King’s justice and Lannister loyalist Ilyn Payne wears Ice on his back. When Ned is confessing his “crimes” at the Great Sept of Baelor, Joffrey calls for Ned’s execution instead of banishing him to the Wall as planned. Ilyn Payne then beheads Ned Stark with his own sword in front of his daughters.

Ilyn still wields Ice in the second book, A Clash of Kings, and uses it to execute three servants who attempt to flee the Red Keep during Stannis Baratheon’s siege. Cersei says that Ilyn has orders to execute Sansa if Stannis is victorious.

In the next book, A Storm of Swords, Tywin takes Ice from Ilyn and orders the blacksmith Tobho Mott to melt down the greatsword and make two shorter swords with it. Those swords are Widow’s Wail and Oathkeeper.