Longclaw. Oathkeeper. Dark Sister. The Valyrian steel blades on Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon aren’t quite as famous as the characters, but they have good reputations in their own right, and are beloved of fans. There’s just something cool about knowing that Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) isn’t just killing a guy with a sword; he’s killing a guy with an ancient sword that has been passed down through the Targaryen family for generations.
Daemon uses Dark Sister, a Valyrian steel blade once wielded by his ancestor Visenya Targaryen, who helped conquer Westeros alongside her brother Aegon in generations past. Master armourer Tim Lewis was in charge of managing the creation of the prop blade on House of the Dragon from conception to completion, while swordsmith Peter Johnsson forged the sword itself.
Lewis, Johnsson and Matt Smith all sound off about Dark Sister and the other weapons used on House of the Dragon in a great new behind-the-scenes feature HBO just release on its YouTube channel. Take a look:
Matt Smith: The armourers on House of the Dragon are “operating on a really high level”
Johnsson was mindful of Dark Sister’s history, and wanted to make it look like it came from a more “intricate and advanced” time. He cast the blade in Damascus steel, which is notoriously difficult to work with and known for its intricate patterns.
As for Lewis, he revealed that he and his team made three replica Dark Sisters in aluminum as well as 15 “rubbers,” by which I assume he means 15 floppy replicas made of rubber. If Matt Smith is going to clandestinely lift one of the swords from set, he’ll probably have the easiest time with the rubber replica.
You can see all of these swords in action by streaming the first season of House of the Dragon on Max. The second season is currently in the works and due out next year.
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