GOT: What Happened To The Night’s Watch (After The Battle Of Winterfell)

Eliminating the White Walkers during the Battle of Winterfell fulfilled the purpose of the Night’s Watch, but the military order remained active after Game of Thrones ended. Located along the Wall, the group guarded the structure against threats attempting to cross the boundary into the Seven Kingdoms. Based on Jon Snow’s involvement and servitude as a Lord Commander, the Night’s Watch always remained a key focus of the show. Though the primary job of the order was fulfilled, its existence transformed when Game of Thrones concluded.

The Night’s Watch was said to be founded 8,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Men who joined the order swore an oath that prohibited marriage, family, and land ownership. Besides, the Brothers were forced to cut ties with their former allegiances, but that rule changed as time went on. Using Castle Black as a headquarters, the Night’s Watch guarded the vast wall that bordered the Northern region of the Seven Kingdoms. Aside from wildlings, the Watch protected against White Walkers and creatures such as giants from breaching through the Wall. For the Night’s Watch to operate efficiently, the group was split into three departments: Rangers, Builders, and Stewards. When massive threats arose, however, they all became fighters.

After a series of tumultuous events at Castle Black and in the areas surrounding the Wall, the Night King successfully broke through the structure to march toward Winterfell. With the use of Viserion’s ice-blue fire, portions of the Wall collapsed, allowing the army of White Walkers and wights to breach. Following the Breaching of the Wall, surviving members of the Night’s Watch abandoned their post to aid Jon and Daenerys Targaryen’s forces during the Battle of Winterfell. Though many Brothers perished in the event, including the current Lord Commander, Eddison Tollett, the Night King, and his followers were defeated. With the wildings serving as allies and the White Walkers seemingly wiped from existence, the Night’s Watch no longer seemed to have a job to do. That changed when the fate of Jon was announced following his assassination of Daenerys.

Jon Snow’s Banishment To The Night’s Watch Revealed It’s New Purpose

While his actions were justified, Jon was banished to the Night’s Watch, where he would live out his remaining years. The former Lord Commander accepted his sentence, reuniting with close wildling friend Tormund before joining the Free Folk as they traveled back to their homes Beyond the Wall. As Tyrion Lannister stated in the Game of Thrones series finale, the Night’s Watch would serve as “a place for bastards and broken men.” Rather than exist to protect from wildlings and White Walkers, the Night’s Watch would serve as a refuge for the poor, banished, or downtrodden.

The current members of the Night’s Watch didn’t seem to be preparing for any imminent threats, but it was likely that the leaders of the Seven Kingdoms also kept the organization in existence in case something arose in the future. The fictional world was plagued by threats, human and otherwise, so it would have been smart to keep some kind of military order intact. Whether Jon remained with the Free Folk or returned to the Night’s Watch headquarters after the conclusion of Game of Thrones, his presence on the front lines was reassuring from a defense standpoint.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1745 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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