game of thrones - Who or what are White Walkers?

White Walkers (or Others as they are also called in the books) are magical beings that live in the freezing lands north of the Wall. The last time they were seen by humanity was 8000 years before the Conquest. What little is known of them is mixed up with legends and half forgotten stories. Most people still believe that they are a myth and are just scary stories used to frighten little children.

They are (for unknown reasons) antagonistic to humanity, and brought a long period of darkness when they first attacked that legend calls The Long Night. Legend has it that they were finally defeated by the Night's Watch, and the Wall was then raised to stop any further attacks (not to stop Wildlings as most people think). Prophecies of their return and their defeat exist both in Westeros and the East. The followers of R'hllor the Lord of Light (like Melisandre) believe that the White Walkers are a manifestation of The Great Other, who is the chief antagonist of their god.

So far (in the TV series) this is what is known of them:

1. They are inhumanely strong and can freeze things by their very touch.




2. They accept gifts of newborn boys. What they do with these babies is unknown. In return, it is assumed that the gifter is safe from their attacks. In the TV show however:

White Walkers are seen to apparently transform one of Craster's baby boys into a new White Walker.

They are vulnerable to

• blades made of obsidian (also called Dragon glass)


• Valyrian steel (dragon steel)

Reference : S05E08

They have the ability to raise the dead to become Wights (not new White Walkers) who are undead zombie like creatures that follow the commands of the White Walkers and can only be killed with fire.

A bit further in the books (minor spoiler ahead):

Sam researches ancient books about the White Walkers and discovers that they are also vulnerable to something called dragonsteel. It's nature is unknown, but it is theorized to be Valyrian steel.

New Edit

In what may (or may not) be a deviation from the books, the sixth season episode "The Door" on the TV show revealed:

That the White Walkers were originally created by the Children of the Forest as a weapon to be used against the invading First Men, but the Children somehow lost control of them.