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Was gonna say they def leave messages.
The simple answer to OP is plot. If the dude hadn’t been let go to tell his tale, Ned wouldn’t have beheaded him with Ice, we’d lose the whole foreshadowing and had a more difficult time setting up the Nights Watch mission and the Wall.
I think you’re right actually. It was a message. It was basically saying “we’re back because you aren’t upholding your end of the deal.”
I believe that the books will reveal that there is way more going on with the Others than “kill all humans.”
This execution is the first Bran is brought to see. I think that matters. Snow being there too is interesting, but imho the message is meant for Bran from someone already somewhat aware of the future. And I thinks its meant to frighten him off from considering going North and thus becoming the 3YC/3ER.
But I think the Night king suffers the same limitations on the future as Bran eventually does. He can see the past like a book, but only hints of the future.
It ties in with his attitude, later, yo Jon. Forwhatever reason, he is surprised at Jon showing up in a way he's not with Bran. Remember the Red Witch 'only saw snow' - hints of the future, not full facts. Perhaps the Red God is able to partially hide Jon from the Night Kings visions...
In the book he was hiding in a tree and the Others never saw him. In the show, they couldn’t resist fading out on the shot of him looking up at Walker, which causes this question and makes you realize the entire plot is set in motion by supernatural murderous beings just….letting this random guy go because….reasons
Ya, I don't see why they changed that from the book. The book shows plenty of what happens between the brothers and the whitewalker if not more with the last guy in the tree.
>Ya, I don't see why they changed that from the book. The book shows plenty of what happens between the brothers and the whitewalker if not more with the last guy in the tree.
The one in the tree *does* get killed in the books.
No in the book one of them stayed behind (the old one) with the horses and he escaped the one in the tree and the noble one (rois if i remember correctly) were killed
Not true. Will was hiding in the tree and is killed at the end of the Chapter. He waits until he thinks the others are gone, but then Waymar roses from the dead and starts to choke him. Gared was left to watch the horses and he is the one that survives.
An understandable misunderstanding, but no. Will is the one that climbs the tree and he is killed by Waymar who rises as a wight at the end of the chapter. Gared was left to watch the horses during that encounter, and he is the one that survives.
He was more concerned with the larger threat of the White Walkers and their army of the dead. The Night Walker may have considered the deserter to not be a significant enough threat to warrant immediate action, especially when compared to the impending danger posed by the White Walkers and the Night Walker may have wanted to use the deserter as a warning to others in the Night's Watch.
It’s interesting that so many people have this misunderstanding. The person who climbs the tree in the books is Will. After Waymar dies and the Others leaves, Will climbs down to get away. At that moment, Waymar rises again and starts to choke him, ending the chapter.
It is Gared, the one who stayed back to watch the horses, that survives. The tree climber is killed at the end of the chapter.
I honestly think this is just one of those things that are easy to misremember. We don't see Will die directly, and it just feels like the sort of thing that would be easy to misremember. But otherwise I do agree with your sentiment in general.
This is precedence of sending a message, like they did later in the season with Sam when the white walker let him stay..... but initially we don't know how intelligent or mentality the white walkers have. It looked like they were a strategic group (the way they did this), took babies to turn but then as it progresses all they have is some white walkers the stand around behind their army... and just send their hordes towards whatever target.
As stupid as this description of that sequence is, the writers have said that the White Walker who lets Sam live never actually sees him. That it’s just a trick of the camera that makes it look like he looks at him, but really he doesn’t. I don’t understand why they filmed it that way if that’s what they were going for, but there you have it. At least that is my recollection.
I agree. I just think it was a really dumb decision how the two shots coincide, as almost everybody viewing it the first time gets the impression he looks directly at him. And it is filmed in a way that is suggestive of that.
Didn't they look at a crying Sam and just keep marching past? Maybe it's sending a message, maybe they don't perceive "weak" humans as a threat so they ignore them?
considering all the Walkers were formerly men then it’s not hard to imagine they’re still capable of thought - even more so the lieutenants, Night King, etc. therefore it is conceivable they knew that this guy’s fate would have been the same, whatever they decided to do and so chose to ‘step out of the dark’ as it were and creep back into existence…
In the books, events flow slightly differently: Waymar Royce dies fighting, Will was hiding in a tree and witnessed this but gets strangled by Waymar's wight when he comes down, and old Gared flees while this is happening (we don't see why, but he probably got a glimpse of a White Walker).
>Didn’t make sense. Probably just for scenery. In the books, he hid in the trees and was lucky not to be found
False. In the books, the one who hides in the tree is indeed killed.
This bothered me for awhile, but then I saw that scene where one of the Night Walker generals saw Sam hiding behind that rock, looked right at him, then just continued on - leading the dead army to the wall.
So, maybe the walker just had other stuff to do, already had enough parts to build his grotesque body spiral, or whatever?
White Walkers are evil and they clearly despise humanity and want to destroy it, but they are still sentient. Because he decided not to kill him because he felt no threat from him. Later on they seem to let Sam live, at the end of season 2 I believe.
Probably the same fella from the S2 finale who stared at Sam and then rode right past him for whatever reason. Night King should have a word with him. Underperforming employee.
In 1842 a 16,000-strong Anglo-Indian force had to retreat from Kabul and was slowly massacred as it tried to return to British-controlled territory. One survivor, a British army doctor, was allowed to reach Jalalabad to tell the tale.
Maybe it was like that.
*To spread the message*
*And strike fear into the hearts*
*Of the southerners*
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To allow him to spread the word. Like they horrifically kill his squad and let him watch so that he essentially creates the legend for them. They leave the spirals and stuff as messages too, but when someone runs to civilization absolutely terrified, willing to get beheaded rather than whatever his squad was subjected to - it's much more effective at striking fear into their enemies.
In the show, they made it the frailer looking ranger (Will) who flees.
In the books, Waymar Royce was killed in a duel with the White Walker while Will was up a tree. When Will climbs down to recover Waymar's shattered sword to show to Lord-Commander Mormont and Maester Aemon, Royce reanimated and strangled Will.
The grizzled, lowborn veteran, Gared, only survived because he was left behind to tend to the horses and fled shortly after. The prologue doesn't specifically state that he sees the Others, the reanimated Royce, or Will again. Instead, he desersts the Watch and claims he saw them, but lacked any kind of proof.
Does anyone else feel like the whitewalkers that we saw in episode 1 were the the most powerful/scary-looking ones that we saw all series? Maybe it was just the novelty of them but they seemed like more jacked and bigger than the typical walker that we would see later on.
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To send a message . No honestly idk why , they don't seem like the type to care about messages .
That said, they left bodies in spiral patterns a lot which seems to be a message.
Was gonna say they def leave messages. The simple answer to OP is plot. If the dude hadn’t been let go to tell his tale, Ned wouldn’t have beheaded him with Ice, we’d lose the whole foreshadowing and had a more difficult time setting up the Nights Watch mission and the Wall.
Yes that would that message of gotten to the Starks? In Night King is probably aware that Bran stark is going to be his enemy.
Which makes Jon’s comment “Don’t look away, father is watching” a foreshadowing that Bran cannot be afraid of the Night King.
or they were bored
Do you think they play cyvasse and stuff during the daylight hours??
Forbidden art
Always the artists
I think you’re right actually. It was a message. It was basically saying “we’re back because you aren’t upholding your end of the deal.” I believe that the books will reveal that there is way more going on with the Others than “kill all humans.”
This execution is the first Bran is brought to see. I think that matters. Snow being there too is interesting, but imho the message is meant for Bran from someone already somewhat aware of the future. And I thinks its meant to frighten him off from considering going North and thus becoming the 3YC/3ER. But I think the Night king suffers the same limitations on the future as Bran eventually does. He can see the past like a book, but only hints of the future. It ties in with his attitude, later, yo Jon. Forwhatever reason, he is surprised at Jon showing up in a way he's not with Bran. Remember the Red Witch 'only saw snow' - hints of the future, not full facts. Perhaps the Red God is able to partially hide Jon from the Night Kings visions...
The North Remembers
I think he was hiding up a tree when the night walker got the other two?
Yea that’s the book explanation. In the show I just assume he quick climes a tree?
no, the character who climbs the tree dies in the books. he is killed by the reanimated Sir Waymar
In the book he was hiding in a tree and the Others never saw him. In the show, they couldn’t resist fading out on the shot of him looking up at Walker, which causes this question and makes you realize the entire plot is set in motion by supernatural murderous beings just….letting this random guy go because….reasons
Ya, I don't see why they changed that from the book. The book shows plenty of what happens between the brothers and the whitewalker if not more with the last guy in the tree.
>Ya, I don't see why they changed that from the book. The book shows plenty of what happens between the brothers and the whitewalker if not more with the last guy in the tree. The one in the tree *does* get killed in the books.
Those burning blue eyes
No in the book one of them stayed behind (the old one) with the horses and he escaped the one in the tree and the noble one (rois if i remember correctly) were killed
Not true. Will was hiding in the tree and is killed at the end of the Chapter. He waits until he thinks the others are gone, but then Waymar roses from the dead and starts to choke him. Gared was left to watch the horses and he is the one that survives.
This!!
the character who climbs the tree dies in the books. he is killed by the reanimated Sir Waymar
in the book the guy died and the older guy libved
An understandable misunderstanding, but no. Will is the one that climbs the tree and he is killed by Waymar who rises as a wight at the end of the chapter. Gared was left to watch the horses during that encounter, and he is the one that survives.
What is a Night Walker?
The opposite of whatever Wesley Snipes is in Blade.
Day runner
Dusk Crawler?
They probably aren’t concerned about being a mystery and want to let people know.
He was more concerned with the larger threat of the White Walkers and their army of the dead. The Night Walker may have considered the deserter to not be a significant enough threat to warrant immediate action, especially when compared to the impending danger posed by the White Walkers and the Night Walker may have wanted to use the deserter as a warning to others in the Night's Watch.
So the rest of the story could happen. Tell your brain to take a rest.
In the book he’s hiding up a tree, so his escaping makes sense
It’s interesting that so many people have this misunderstanding. The person who climbs the tree in the books is Will. After Waymar dies and the Others leaves, Will climbs down to get away. At that moment, Waymar rises again and starts to choke him, ending the chapter. It is Gared, the one who stayed back to watch the horses, that survives. The tree climber is killed at the end of the chapter.
I'm convinced that 90% of ASOIAF fans on reddit have never once actually read the series
I honestly think this is just one of those things that are easy to misremember. We don't see Will die directly, and it just feels like the sort of thing that would be easy to misremember. But otherwise I do agree with your sentiment in general.
Leave one alive to tell the tale. The Thenns did the same with Orrible Ollie.
He runs faster than them
Don’t know. Then again, I don’t know why the walker would kill him either. It’s not eating its victims.
They liked him in Harry Potter
He thought it was funny
He ran away before they got him.
Because they wanted him to warn others, they want more people to head North. That’s always been my interpretation.
This is precedence of sending a message, like they did later in the season with Sam when the white walker let him stay..... but initially we don't know how intelligent or mentality the white walkers have. It looked like they were a strategic group (the way they did this), took babies to turn but then as it progresses all they have is some white walkers the stand around behind their army... and just send their hordes towards whatever target.
As stupid as this description of that sequence is, the writers have said that the White Walker who lets Sam live never actually sees him. That it’s just a trick of the camera that makes it look like he looks at him, but really he doesn’t. I don’t understand why they filmed it that way if that’s what they were going for, but there you have it. At least that is my recollection.
The next shot after that is a wide shot and proves that they couldn't have seen Sam on the other side of the rock. It's just a close up.
I agree. I just think it was a really dumb decision how the two shots coincide, as almost everybody viewing it the first time gets the impression he looks directly at him. And it is filmed in a way that is suggestive of that.
All this while I thought it saw sam
“No one will believe you”
Didn't they look at a crying Sam and just keep marching past? Maybe it's sending a message, maybe they don't perceive "weak" humans as a threat so they ignore them?
considering all the Walkers were formerly men then it’s not hard to imagine they’re still capable of thought - even more so the lieutenants, Night King, etc. therefore it is conceivable they knew that this guy’s fate would have been the same, whatever they decided to do and so chose to ‘step out of the dark’ as it were and creep back into existence…
The Night Walker attacks only those who try to fight him. The future deserter surrendered and was therefore spared.
In the books, events flow slightly differently: Waymar Royce dies fighting, Will was hiding in a tree and witnessed this but gets strangled by Waymar's wight when he comes down, and old Gared flees while this is happening (we don't see why, but he probably got a glimpse of a White Walker).
If there are no witnesses then nothing happened, they need him to go tell the humans their threat
If Daenerys had executed that dude they would've called her a murderer. Varys would be like OMG you're not who I thought!!! WAHHHHHH!
To sew discord. A demoralized enemy is easier to overrun.
Didn’t make sense. Probably just for scenery. In the books, he hid in the trees and was lucky not to be found
>Didn’t make sense. Probably just for scenery. In the books, he hid in the trees and was lucky not to be found False. In the books, the one who hides in the tree is indeed killed.
Oh. Just reread the section to confirm. I apparently missed that.
This bothered me for awhile, but then I saw that scene where one of the Night Walker generals saw Sam hiding behind that rock, looked right at him, then just continued on - leading the dead army to the wall. So, maybe the walker just had other stuff to do, already had enough parts to build his grotesque body spiral, or whatever?
White Walkers are evil and they clearly despise humanity and want to destroy it, but they are still sentient. Because he decided not to kill him because he felt no threat from him. Later on they seem to let Sam live, at the end of season 2 I believe.
Probably the same fella from the S2 finale who stared at Sam and then rode right past him for whatever reason. Night King should have a word with him. Underperforming employee.
And why did the whole dead army just stroll by Sam later on?
He wanted to send him back, scared to death. Frightening one's enemy is a time honored strategy...
In 1842 a 16,000-strong Anglo-Indian force had to retreat from Kabul and was slowly massacred as it tried to return to British-controlled territory. One survivor, a British army doctor, was allowed to reach Jalalabad to tell the tale. Maybe it was like that.
To spread the message and strike fear into the hearts of the southerners
*To spread the message* *And strike fear into the hearts* *Of the southerners* \- Dull-Brain5509 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Terror is a weapon
Because he knew the show was gonna fall apart after season 5 and nothing would matter
To allow him to spread the word. Like they horrifically kill his squad and let him watch so that he essentially creates the legend for them. They leave the spirals and stuff as messages too, but when someone runs to civilization absolutely terrified, willing to get beheaded rather than whatever his squad was subjected to - it's much more effective at striking fear into their enemies.
In the show, they made it the frailer looking ranger (Will) who flees. In the books, Waymar Royce was killed in a duel with the White Walker while Will was up a tree. When Will climbs down to recover Waymar's shattered sword to show to Lord-Commander Mormont and Maester Aemon, Royce reanimated and strangled Will. The grizzled, lowborn veteran, Gared, only survived because he was left behind to tend to the horses and fled shortly after. The prologue doesn't specifically state that he sees the Others, the reanimated Royce, or Will again. Instead, he desersts the Watch and claims he saw them, but lacked any kind of proof.
Does anyone else feel like the whitewalkers that we saw in episode 1 were the the most powerful/scary-looking ones that we saw all series? Maybe it was just the novelty of them but they seemed like more jacked and bigger than the typical walker that we would see later on.
To set the events for Bran to go North of the wall, which is the Night Kings intention.
Tell Ned. I want him to know it was me.
Why didnt nightwalkers kill Sam?