Killing an Other

[Ser Petyr Parker]

Perhaps because I started with the show before moving on to the books, I found myself thinking of killing Others as some great challenge that requires special weapons. But does it? When we see the Others kill people, we see no signs that they're immune to normal weapons. They win their fights through skill, not through special invulnerabilities, and they parry just like everyone else. They also wear armour, as if they need protection from something. Sam says the armour itself is what protects them from "most ordinary blades". So can you in fact kill them with a normal blade, as long as you find the gaps in their armour? What about a giant comedy war hammer like Robert's? Is an Other without armour just as vulnerable to blades as a human?

If you can kill the Others with normal weapons, what is special about dragonglass and Valyrian steel? Does it cut through their armour, as the Others' blades cut through steel armour? Or does it "break the spell" and destroy Others in some magical, more fundamental way than a "normal" mortal wound would? If a dragon is fire made flesh, an Other seems to be ice made flesh, in a sort of magical way. Does dragonglass remove that magic and reduce an Other to literally no more than actual ice, which then immediately melts because of the "fire" of the dragonglass?

Bonus question: If dragonglass is fire and therefore a weakness to the Others, do fiery creatures have a corresponding weakness to some form ice? Is, say, an ice spear as deadly to a dragon as dragonglass is to an Other?

[Davjos]

Firstly something small. It is not certain at all that dragonsteel is Valyrian steel. Although Jon jumps to that conclusion. 

Secondly, no Other has ever been killed with VS in the book so we're Still uncertain it works. 

In regards to the Others immunity and power. Mel atleasts suggests steel and fire won't work. 

ASOS, Samwel V

Quote

Melisandre smiled. "Necromancy animates these wights, yet they are still only dead flesh. Steel and fire will serve for them. The ones you call the Others are something more."

 

This combined with your quote seems to be all we have in regards to their power. So it might, just might be possible that the accounts Sam quotes are right and Mel is wrong (whats new) and only their armour and sword are 'steel-proof'

 

However dragonglass does indeed seem to break their magic spell and destroy the armour. ASOS, Sam I

Quote

When he opened his eyes the Other's armor was running down its legs in rivulets as pale blue blood hissed and steamed around the black dragonglass dagger in its throat. It reached down with two bone-white hands to pull out the knife, but where its fingers touched the obsidian they smoked.

 

[Adam Yozza]

In short the only way we know of to kill Others is dragonglass. Valyrian Steel (if it is indeed Dragonsteel as seems likely) might be able to do the same but we've got no evidence for this.