Boyd Rankin, the senior supervising armorer on Game of Thrones for its first four seasons, and the man responsible for the designs of iconic weapons like Ice, Needle and Longclaw, has died.

Saddened to learn today of the passing of Boyd Rankin, #GameOfThrones armorer (S1-S4) who played the role of Mikken, the smith of Winterfell who forged Needle. Had the honor to know him, and visit him at his home not so long ago. Rest in peace, Boyd. pic.twitter.com/qSoExK4k8d — Elio & Linda (@westerosorg) October 19, 2019

Rankin also served as an armorer on movies like Your Highness, but his work was most visible on Game of Thrones. In addition to his work behind the scenes, he also played Mikken — the blacksmith at Winterfell — in early episodes of the series. Jon Snow goes to Mikken to get him to make Needle for Arya, and indeed he does.

Our deepest sympathies go out to Rankin’s family. As for Rankin himself, thank you for helping make Game of Thrones a show we’ll always remember.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels