The Others/Wights

[Clariana]

... Do the Starks really need the intervention of the CotF... I thought that there was a legend about one who became undead but still remained in his seat for many years as his mind was intact.

I think the big nose was a giveaway...

[House Balstroko]

I think there's definitely more to the WW than meets the eye. Maybe they face their own kind of crisis and are fighting for survival. Or perhaps there was a time when they were the dominant race on Westeros and they want to reclaim their power?

Just some thoughts.

[Morvran]

Cold Hands is a wight, not a White Walker. White Walkers are an actual race of creatures. Wights are just reanimated corpses that White Walkers use for battle. I believe Benjen was killed and turned into a wight before the children of the forest returned him to his own mind (tough he's still a wight).

I was going to say, "Is Cold Hands a wight? Because he doesn't display the characteristics of one (i.e. he has his mental whits about him)" but then I read the rest of your post. So you're suggesting that CH is Benjen, who was made a wight, and then the children of the forest essentially 'upgraded' him?

[Clariana]

Frankly I think it more consistent that CH is the WW formally known as BB Benjen Stark. As I said I think it was Bran who recalls granny telling him about an evil Stark who lived undead for over an century...

[protar]

My mum thought that they were wildlings /facepalm.

[Black Crow]

Frankly I think it more consistent that CH is the WW formally known as BB Benjen Stark. As I said I think it was Bran who recalls granny telling him about an evil Stark who lived undead for over an century...

I assume you're talking about the Nights King:

The gathering gloom put Bran in mind of another of Old Nan’s stories, the tale of Night’s King. He had been the thirteenth man to lead the Night’s Watch, she said; a warrior who knew no fear. “And that was the fault in him,” she would add, “for all men must know fear.” A woman was his downfall; a woman glimpsed from atop the Wall, with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars. Fearing nothing, he chased her and caught her and loved her, though her skin was cold as ice, and when he gave his seed to her he gave his soul as well.

He brought her back to the Nightfort and proclaimed her a queen and himself her king, and with strange sorceries he bound his Sworn Brothers to his will. For thirteen years they had ruled, Night’s King and his corpse queen, till finally the Stark of Winterfell and Joramun of the wildlings had joined to free the Watch from bondage. After his fall, when it was found he had been sacrificing to the Others, all records of Night’s King had been destroyed, his very name forbidden.

“Some say he was a Bolton,” Old Nan would always end. “Some say a Magnar out of Skagos, some say Umber, Flint, or Norrey. Some would have you think he was a Woodfoot, from them who ruled Bear island before the ironmen came. He never was. He was a Stark, the brother of the man who brought him down.” She always pinched Bran on the nose then, he would never forget it. “He was a Stark of Winterfell, and who can say? Mayhaps his name was Brandon. Mayhaps he slept in this very bed in this very room.”

[Tytus]

Frankly I think it more consistent that CH is the WW formally known as BB Benjen Stark. As I said I think it was Bran who recalls granny telling him about an evil Stark who lived undead for over an century...

Even if Coldhands is Benjen, he still wouldn't be a White Walker...

[smallfolktypeperson]

So are the Others supposed to be made of ice/snow? The one on horseback looked very interesting and I knew I was looking at a WW because of the bright blue eyes, but I'm confused as to whether they are covered with snow or some sort of white hair...I don't remember any real detail from the books except their height, and the eyes.

[Lord commander_Snow]

BTW in the book it is totally different; wights attack the fist and the survivors[ people who ran with mormont. they were in the forest when Sam,

Grenn and small Paul fell behind when emerges from the darkness in pale armor and with a magic ice sword riding a dead horse. sam pissed himself and pull out his dragon glass dagger then closes his eyes and charges and accidentally stabs the other in the throat. the white walker then melts/dissolves.

[Coldhands' Elk]

What I found weird was how the portrayal of the Others/White Walkers has changed in the TV series. Remember in the season one prologue where we get a few glimpses of them? They had dark, ghoulish faces.

http://awoiaf.wester...WhiteWalker.jpg

This seemed to continue far into season 2 until the last episode:

http://images2.wikia...Walker_2x02.png

And now we have the gaunt, pale-white and wrinkly old White Walker we see in S02E10.

http://images4.wikia...Whitewalker.jpg

Anybody else find this interesting? Or is it just the lighting and me being stupid.

[Morrigan]

Probably lightning or bad VFX.

Personally I'm not sure what to think of the design of the Others in the show. I don't care much for the treebark-looking skin, and I really wanted to see the cool reflective armour. :(

[StarkWard]

For some reason, they reminded me of Avatars (Cameron's version) and Treebeard (LOTR). *shrug*

[Sword in the Morning]

What I found weird was how the portrayal of the Others/White Walkers has changed in the TV series. Remember in the season one prologue where we get a few glimpses of them? They had dark, ghoulish faces.

Some have suggested that their skin "camouflages" to their surroundings. This would reference (although not replicate) the effects of their armor from the books, which were like active camouflage. So, seeing them in the dark under the trees, their skin would go dark to make them less visible--then with the white, snowy backdrop, they're pale. (what's up with that, by the way? The Others aren't supposed to come out during the day)

[Hamitt]

I thought maybe the tree bark-like skin was intentional and they were trying to hint at some connection between the Others and the weirwoods?

[Justin Danford]

Maybe they are GRRM version of "elves"

[Sword in the Morning]

Maybe they are GRRM version of "elves"

To borrow heavily from the words of a greater man than I--The Others aren't in the same ballpark as elves; it ain't even the same god-damn sport.

[Justin Danford]

I agree, but the seems to be a whole "dark elf" thing going on with them.

[Hamitt]

The Children of the Forest are kind of like elves, dont remember if there has been any mention of them in the tv series yet. But they are an ancient race just like the Others and I think they may be connected somehow

[Catherine Storm]

I assume you're talking about the Nights King:

The gathering gloom put Bran in mind of another of Old Nan’s stories, the tale of Night’s King. He had been the thirteenth man to lead the Night’s Watch, she said; a warrior who knew no fear. “And that was the fault in him,” she would add, “for all men must know fear.” A woman was his downfall; a woman glimpsed from atop the Wall, with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars. Fearing nothing, he chased her and caught her and loved her, though her skin was cold as ice, and when he gave his seed to her he gave his soul as well.

He brought her back to the Nightfort and proclaimed her a queen and himself her king, and with strange sorceries he bound his Sworn Brothers to his will. For thirteen years they had ruled, Night’s King and his corpse queen, till finally the Stark of Winterfell and Joramun of the wildlings had joined to free the Watch from bondage. After his fall, when it was found he had been sacrificing to the Others, all records of Night’s King had been destroyed, his very name forbidden.

“Some say he was a Bolton,” Old Nan would always end. “Some say a Magnar out of Skagos, some say Umber, Flint, or Norrey. Some would have you think he was a Woodfoot, from them who ruled Bear island before the ironmen came. He never was. He was a Stark, the brother of the man who brought him down.” She always pinched Bran on the nose then, he would never forget it. “He was a Stark of Winterfell, and who can say? Mayhaps his name was Brandon. Mayhaps he slept in this very bed in this very room.”

Creepy story! Old Nan's stories are scary even by way of a forum post ;)

My cousin (a non reader), after watching the episode, was quite positive that the WW was Benjen Stark.

Then he asked, if Craster's sons were offered to the WW's - do they make wight babies, or just get eaten up for strength?

I knocked off the books about a week each late last year so I guess it's time to start rereading!

[Spearmother]

I thought the Other on the dead horse looked great, and my thought at that moment was "This is surely the first of many times Sam pisses himself" but quigley above is right. It seems the makers of the show hadn't quite made up their mind up until that moment what the Others would look like. Still, I found it a good ending to the season, and seeing an actual Other as a sentient being made me think a lot about their real motivation.