A World Without the Long Night — What If the Children of the Forest Never Created the Night King?
What they hoped would be a weapon nearly destroyed the world.
Among the many mysteries in Game of Thrones, the Children of the Forest have always fascinated me the most. Small, ancient, and bound to the old gods, they gave Westeros its otherworldly magic.
And yet one question refuses to go away: why did these seemingly peaceful beings create the Night King, the greatest threat the realm ever faced?
The Children of the Forest
Long before men, the Children lived in harmony with the woods, carving faces into weirwood trees and worshipping the Old Gods. Their world collapsed with the arrival of the First Men, who cut down forests and brought war.
In desperation, the Children turned to dark magic, crafting what they thought would be their ultimate protection. To me, this choice feels less like strategy and more like the tragic mistake of a people pushed too far.
Birth of the White Walkers
One man was captured, bound to a tree, and stabbed through the heart with dragonglass. From that ritual rose the first White Walker — blue-eyed, inhuman, and terrifying.
It’s chilling to think that what began as a weapon against humans immediately spiraled beyond anyone’s control. The Night King wasn’t just created — he broke free, turned on his makers, and plunged the world into the Long Night.
An Enemy Too Powerful
That gamble forced the Children into an alliance with the very humans they’d been fighting. Together they pushed the Walkers back, built the Wall, and founded the Night’s Watch.
But the irony is brutal: in trying to save themselves, the Children created a monster so powerful it nearly destroyed everyone. And maybe that’s why their story still lingers — it’s less about magic and more about the price of desperation.
