**Spoilers for Game of Thrones season eight, episode three ‘The Long Night’ ahead**

The Battle of Winterfell has come to an end. While many fan-favourite characters remain standing, a few also perished at the hand of the Night King.

Thankfully for the people of Westeros, the villain was also finally defeated, with Arya Stark stabbing the Night King with a Valyrian steel dagger (one we have seen multiple times before), turning his army to dust.

This seemingly positions Arya as the Prince That Was Promised, also known as Azor Ahai, who The Lord of Light follower Melisandre foretold would defeat the undead.

The Red Woman had previously hinted at Arya’s destiny, telling the Stark child during season three: “I see a darkness in you. And in that darkness, eyes staring back at me: brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you’ll shut forever. We will meet again.” Those “blue eyes” were not Melisandre’s own, as some fans believed, but The Night King’s.

Melisandre had previously believed multiple other people were Azor Ahai, having named Stannis, Jon Snow and Daenerys as the prophesied hero who would “lead the people against a darkness”. So, does Arya fit the prophecy better?

Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell Show all 7 1 /7 Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell Eddison Tollet/Dolorous Edd One of the most loyal and comical characters on the show, Lord Commander Dolorous Edd was stabbed by a wight after saving his fellow Night's Watchman, Samwell Tarly. And now his watch has ended. HBO Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell Lyanna Mormont What a legend. Fans were sad to see Lady Mormonth go, but she definitely got one of the most epic deaths in the episode. After refusing to run from a charging wight giant, the dying girl uses a final ounce of strength – even as the giant is crushing her body in his hand – and stabs him right through the eye. Her death was later confirmed when the Night King raised her as a wight. Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell Beric Dondarrion It was a pretty safe bet that Lord Beric, who had died and been resurrected by his loyal friend Thoros of Myr a whopping six times, would meet his final death in this episode, given that Thoros wasn’t around to save him anymore. He was stabbed multiple times by wights as he held them off to save Arya and The Hound. HBO Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell Theon Greyjoy Theon has enjoyed one of the best character arcs in the history of Game of Thrones. After first appearing on the show as a sycophantic brat at Winterfell, he was kidnapped and tortured into becoming “Reek” for the amusement of Ramsay Bolton. Once he was rescued, he managed to redeem himself after a long journey back to Winterfell (saving his sister along the way), where he pledged to fight alongside the Starks and protect Bran. He kept his word, fighting off dozens if not hundreds of wights before the Night King and his posse turned up. Bran called him “a good man” and thanked him, upon which Theon charged at the Night King knowing his death was inevitable. HBO Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell The Night King Technically he was already dead, but the Night King still counts given the entire build-up to episode three had been about destroying him. Right as he reached for his sword to kill Bran, Arya comes out of nowhere and attempts to plunge Littlefinger’s Valyrian steel dagger into his back. He catches her by the throat, but Arya is too smart for him. She drops the dagger into her free hand and stabs him in the stomach instead, triggering the deaths of all the wights and Wight Walkers the Night King created (literally all of them). HBO Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell Melisandre At least fans were prepared for this one. Given her knack for predicting future events, Melisandre saying she would die “tonight” at the Battle of Winterfell gave fans a pretty good idea of what to expect. Her final prophecy did indeed come true: after she used the power of the Lord of Light to help the Army of the Living, Melisandre walked into the battlefield, removed her magic necklace, and embraced her death. HBO / Helen Sloan Game of Thrones characters who died in the battle at Winterfell Ser Jorah Mormont Jorah Mormont had fully redeemed his betrayal of Dany by the end of episode three (some would argue he did when he saved her life back in series six). After she fell from Drogon as he was overwhelmed by wights, Jorah saved her from imminent death and ultimately died of his injuries right as the White Walker army was defeated. It was one of the most moving scenes of the episode, with Dany mourning while Drogon watches over them.

The prophecy reads: “There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.”

First off, the peculiar weapon Arya uses to kill the Night King was not a sword, but a dagger. The blade was also not on fire. Prophecies, of course, never play out exactly as planned, and this could be only a minor detail.

There’s also the fact Beric, a fellow follower of the Lord of Light, sacrificed himself to save Arya. Beric had been resurrected by the Lord of Light multiple times, all seemingly in order to bring him Winterfell where he could save Arya and help bring down the Night King.

Perhaps, though, the prophecy has not been completed. We know that another threat awaits the North: Cersei and the Golden Army. Could the evil Lannister be the ultimate darkness that Azor Ahai needs to defeat?

There’s no knowing for sure (the Lord of Light, as we have been told many times, works in mysterious ways), but with Melisandre now dead – having completed her life’s mission to bring down the White Walkers – the prophecy will likely not be making too many more appearances on the show. Read more about Melisandre’s final moments here.

‘The Long Night’ was a “gritty, epic and profoundly silly” episode according to our critic, who awarded the episode five stars. Meanwhile, the intense trailer for next week’s episode sees everyone turn their attentions to the Iron Throne and the fate of Cersei Lannister.