‘Games of Thrones’: How the Children of the Forest and the First Men Made Peace

Lawrence Yee
TV Game of Thrones
TV Game of Thrones

From foes to allies. That seems to be a recurring theme on Game of Thrones.

Twelve millennia before the show’s current timeline, the Children of the Forest (the original inhabitants of Westeros) encountered the First Men (invaders from the continent of Essos).

Fearing the human invaders would destroy the forests that were their homes, the Children created the Night King.

Exhausted from 2,000 years of fighting, the Children and Men signed The Pact, allowing the Children to retain the forests and the Men the open lands.

Another two millennia of peace was enjoyed, until the Long Night befell the land.  The Night King and his White Walkers proved to be a threat to everything living (Children, men, animals and crops), so the two foes became allies. Together, as revealed in the caves below Dragonstone, they fought and defeated the Night King in the War for the Dawn, but with significant losses.

The Present-Day Threat

Fast forward 8,000 years, and a second Long Night is on the verge of happening.

Once again, foes must join forces to battle the treat of the Night King. We have seen Jon Snow ask for Daenerys Targaryen’s help in battling the army of the dead, and she has agreed — if he will bend the knee.

She’s also agreed to let him mine dragonglass from Dragonstone to forge weapons in the inevitable battle, as only dragonglass and Valyrian steel can kill a White Walker.

However, even with their combined forces, forged weaponry, and even dragons, will it be enough to prevent another Long Night? Or will they need to enlist the help of other foes — namely Cersei Lannister — as well?

And what of the Children of the Forest? We last saw them in Season 6 sacrificing themselves so that Bran Stark could live. Are there still any Children left? And will they join the battle, too?

To learn more about the Children of the Forest, be sure to check out the video above and the Game of Thrones Fan Community.

Lawrence Yee
Lawrence is Editor in Chief of FANDOM. He grew up loving X-Men, Transformers, and Japanese-style role playing games like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. First-person shooters make him incredibly nauseous.