While Lord Varys would have us believe that power resides simply where people think it does, in the world of Westeros and Essos, there is an undeniable amount of magic at play. So if you’re looking to survive the Game of Thrones, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try and get your hands on as many of these mythical artifacts as possible.
George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy series is steeped in thousands of years of history, and an impressive number of ancient relics have survived those times. Many have even remained within their respective houses.
Although the Song of Ice and Fire series isn’t as fond of incorporating magical objects as The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, there are still a number of powerful and mysterious items that have and will continue to shape the fate of the world.
For this list, we’ll be taking a look at artifacts that have appeared in both the novels and the HBO series and ranking them based on of their apparent and potential powers. While some of these objects have demonstrated supernatural abilities all of their own, others only exude more symbolic powers or provide their owner with a far greater advantage.
While we wait an entire year for the final season to hit screens, let’s count down the 15 Most Powerful Artifacts In Game Of Thrones, Ranked.
Black Stone Artifacts
If you’ve only watched the TV series, then there’s a good chance that you’ve never heard of the arcane black stone artifacts that are scattered throughout the lands. However, it’s been strongly suggested that these items have been left behind by an unknown third race that inhabited Westeros long before the arrival of the First Men.
The Seastone Chair is probably the most notable black stone artifact, which was discovered on the shores of Old Wyk before being adopted as the throne of the Iron Island. Hightower in Oldtown was also constructed upon a fortress of black stone.
Some maesters have speculated that these artifacts were created by a race of half-human/ half-aquatic creatures that came from the other side of the Sunset Sea. Although these items haven't exhibited any powers yet, they may be the last connection to one of the world's earliest races.
Yohn Royce’s Magic Armor
While Yohn Royce is a bit of a dolt in the TV series, in the novels, he is painted as a seasoned warrior, standing as tall as Sandor Clegane and capable of besting Thoros of Myr during a melee.
Yohn Royce is the Lord of Runestone and he wears a set of bronze armor that is thousands of years old. Sacred runes inscribed upon the armor are said to protect the wearer from any harm, which is why Yohn is rarely seen without it.
House Royce traces its lineage all the way to the First Men, making it fathomable that the armor really was imbued with ancient magic — possibly by the Children of the Forest — which could certainly come in handy during the impending war against the White Walkers.
The Personal Key of Walgrave
While Sam’s time in Oldtown has already come and gone in Game of Thrones, in the novels, the happenings in Oldtown seem like they’re just beginning to get interesting.
Here, Sam is far from the only person of notoriety wandering throughout the Citadel, and there is an entire subplot about a mysterious Alchemist (most likely Jaqen H’ghar) who has recently obtained the personal Key of Archmeaster Walgrave.
This key opens up every locked door in the Citadel, meaning that one of the deadliest assassins in the world may have just gained access to everything that’s worth knowing.
What exactly he intends to do with the key remains to be seen, but as Tyrion has already informed us, the last remaining copy of The Death of Dragons is purportedly locked deep beneath the Citadel, meaning that Dany’s dragons could be in grave danger if this information ever gets out.
Iron Coin of the Faceless Men
At first glance, Arya doesn’t think much of the coin Jaquen H’ghar gives her. It’s made of simple iron and -- as the Faceless Man tells her -- it can’t even be used to buy a horse.
However, when Arya decides that there is little left for her in Westeros, she shows the coin to a captain who is setting sail for Braavos and is quickly granted free age.
The captain personally escorts Arya all the way to the House of Black and White, which serves as the temple to the Many-Faced God and the base of operations for the Faceless Man.
Though this iron coin may not exhibit any power of its own, being gifted with one is an invitation to train amongst the guild of religious assassins, which has transformed Arya into a covert killing machine.
The Kraken Horn
Along with the happenings in Dorne, the story of the Iron Islands and their connection to the sea is another plot thread that has been given short shrift in the TV series.
In the novels, krakens aren't just used as the sigil of House Greyjoy, they're actual sea creatures who have been said to capsize entire ships.
The existence of a kraken horn has been briefly mentioned in the books, where it is able to summon these monsters up from the deep. However, the horn is said to be in possession of Lord Celtigar on Claw Isle — probably much to the chagrin of the Greyjoys.
If the mythical horn really does exist, there’s little chance that it will make an appearance in the show, though it could certainly still be used to capsize an entire fleet in the novels.
Melisandre’s Ruby
Although Melisandre of Asshai may not always be accurate in her interpretations, the power granted to her by the Lord of Light is undeniable; and her red ruby has certainly played an important role in the magic that surrounds her.
In both the novel and the series, Melisandre wears the large gem upon a tight choker necklace, which is said to glow or pulse, especially when Melisandre is displaying her powers.
In A Clash of Kings, the ruby shimmers when Melisandre drinks wine laced with the Strangler, rendering it ineffective. More notably, the ruby acts as a glamor, concealing Melisandre’s true appearance as a decrepit 400-year-old woman.
While Melisandre has made use of other glamors in the novels, the one she wears around her neck is the only gem that has appeared in the series — making its powers seem that much more significant.
Glass Candles
In the novels, glass candles are extremely rare items that are made out of obsidian, otherwise known as dragonglass. For the past one hundred years they have not burned, but right around the time that Dany’s dragons are born, they are once again able to take light.
Glass candles are tall twisted objects with sharp edges that give off an unnaturally bright light. They originally came out of Valyria, and at the Citadel they have three black candles and one green in their possession.
The powers of the black candles are not fully known, but they are widely believed to allow the to see across great distances and possibly even communicate with others.
In other words, they are very similar to the seeing stones, or palantir in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which might have been reason enough to leave them out of the show.
Dawn
Dawn is the ancestral sword of House Dayne which was forged from the heart of a fallen star some ten thousand years ago. This makes Dawn one of the oldest — if not the oldest — swords that still exists in Westeros.
In both the show and the novels, Dawn was last wielded by Ser Arthur Dayne, who was killed defending a pregnant Lyanna Stark at the Tower of Joy.
As the prophecy goes, Azor Ahai is reborn underneath a red star. For many fans, the fact that Dawn is present during Jon Snow’s birth confirmed that he is indeed the Prince that was Promised.
Although the sword hasn't displayed any supernatural powers yet, we doubt the novels will conclude without reintroducing this sword in a very significant role.
The Iron Throne
As Lord Varys tells Tyrion, “Power resides where men believe it resides. It’s a trick. A shadow on the wall. And a very small man can cast a very large shadow.”
This is the case with the Iron Throne — the chair constructed by Aegon the Conqueror which has served as the seat of the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ever since.
The throne was made out of the swords of Aegon’s surrendered enemies and was reinforced using the breath of his dragon, Balerion the Black Dread.
While there have been plenty of power-hungry and ineffectual rulers to sit atop the Iron Throne following Aegon — including the current Queen Cersei — this hasn’t stopped the citizens of the Seven Kingdoms from accepting them as their monarch, proving just how powerful the symbolism of this artifact truly is.
The Horn of Winter
In both the novels and the TV series, Mance Rayder desperately searches for the Horn of Winter beyond the Wall, employing his Free Folk to pillage the graves of long deceased heroes and kings.
The horn was said to once belong to Joramun, the King-beyond-the-Wall some thousand years ago, who used the horn to wake the giants from the earth.
However, Mance and his followers also believed that the horn might be capable of bringing down the Wall as a last resort, although they were well aware that doing so would also unleash the White Walkers.
While the Night King has breached the wall using his new ice dragon in the show, it’s still possible that the Horn of Winter could play a vital role in the novels by bringing down the entire Wall.