A major character made a shocking but crucial return to Winterfell

If ever there was a time for all of the heavy hitters to return to Game of Thrones and Winterfell, this would be it, as everyone prepares for the Battle of Winterfell. So who made their grand return?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Game of Thrones episode “The Long Night.”

Over the course of Game of Thrones, there is one character who has repeatedly foreshadowed their return. And who else would know what the future may hold but the Red Woman herself,  Melisandra.

That’s right, just in time for the Battle of Winterfell, Game of Thrones saw the return of Melisandre. And when else would she make her grand return than just before the two armies clashed? If ever there was a time for her to make an appearance this was it. She was essentially a sign of hope before charging into battle.

Game of Thrones – “The Long Night”. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

In fact, we have to give her credit for helping to stave off the wights before they could decimate the entire army. From lighting the swords of the Dothraki on fire before the battle began, to helping ignite the trench before the wights could break through, Melisandre was there to offer her assistance in some small way. (And yet, even with her lighting the swords on fire, the Dothraki fell quickly.)

Honestly, her magic was both effective in small ways and highly useless in others. She was unable to truly stop the undead army and perhaps that is how it was meant to be. And her vision of Arya killing many people with eyes of different colors, including blue, was both obvious and prophetic. But maybe what she was there to do was to inspire Arya, while also helping to prevent more death and destruction.

Game of Thrones – “The Long Night”. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

Ultimately, she did both of these things with her magic and therefore she did what she set out to do. And maybe this is why at the very end of the episode, when the battle had been won (all hail Arya), that we see the end of Melisandre’s story.

After all is said and done we saw not only the return of Melisandre, but also her death, as she took off the necklace that kept her young and alive.

Her final moments were literally her aging in a matter of moments and then dropping her red cloak as she went to her knees. The sight of her doing so, as dawn broke over Winterfell, which is now free of any threat from the undead, was a sad but fitting end for the Red Woman.

Game of Thrones continues next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

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