Honestly, by the time we got to Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 3, the "Jon Snow is dead" hysteria had reached a fever pitch that almost overshadowed the actual storytelling. Everyone was so obsessed with the Red Woman and those gasping breaths at the end of the previous week that people kinda glossed over what "Oathbreaker" was actually trying to say about the future of Westeros. It wasn't just about a resurrection. It was about the systemic collapse of every rule the characters—and we as viewers—had lived by for five years.
The episode title itself is a massive clue. It’s not just referring to one person. It’s a collective shrug toward the old ways.
The Tower of Joy and the Birth of a Theory
For book readers, the sequence at the Tower of Joy was the holy grail of television moments. We finally got to see a young Ned Stark, played with a surprising amount of Sean Bean’s DNA by Robert Aramayo, facing off against Arthur Dayne.
It’s a brutal fight.
Forget the chivalrous duels you see in Disney movies. This was a messy, desperate scrap. Seeing the legendary Sword of the Morning, Arthur Dayne, dual-wielding like a whirlwind was cool, sure, but the real gut punch was the subversion of Ned’s "honor." We always heard that Ned beat Dayne in single combat. The reality? Howland Reed stabbed him in the back.
This matters because Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 3 forced Bran (and us) to realize that the history of Westeros is built on a pile of convenient lies. Ned Stark, the most honorable man in the Seven Kingdoms, won his greatest victory through a "dishonorable" act. If the foundation of the Stark legacy is a lie, what does that mean for the rest of the world?
Bran’s confusion in this scene is palpable. He’s seeing his father as a flawed human rather than a statue in a crypt. This flashback wasn't just fanservice for the R+L=J crowd; it was a wrecking ball to the idea that being "good" is enough to survive or win.
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Jon Snow’s Resignation Letter
"My watch is ended."
Those four words changed everything. When Jon Snow hangs his cloak and walks away from the Night’s Watch, he’s exploiting a massive legal loophole. He promised to serve until his death. Well, he died. Technically, he's a free agent now.
But look at his face. Kit Harington played this with a hollowed-out exhaustion that felt real. He didn't come back as a hero; he came back as a man who saw "nothing" on the other side. This is where the show really started to pivot away from the high-fantasy tropes of the "chosen one." Usually, when a hero rises from the grave, they have a divine purpose. Jon just looked like he wanted a nap and a warm coat.
The execution of Alliser Thorne and Olly was the darker side of this transition. Seeing Olly—a child, regardless of how much the internet hated him—swing from a rope was a grim reminder of what justice looks like in the North. Jon didn’t take pleasure in it. He looked sick. That’s the nuance that made Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 3 stand out. It wasn't a "hell yeah" moment. It was a "this is the cost of power" moment.
Chaos in the Capital and the Small Council
While the North was brooding, King’s Landing was busy being a viper’s nest.
Cersei and Jaime trying to muscle their way back into the Small Council was peak Lannister arrogance. Seeing Kevan Lannister—one of the few pragmatists left in the family—simply walk out of the room rather than deal with them was a subtle power move. It highlighted how isolated Cersei had become. She had the Mountain (well, the zombie version of him), but she had no allies.
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The "Little Birds" reveal was also particularly creepy. Qyburn taking over Varys’s network of child spies by offering them sweets was a masterclass in low-key horror. It showed that information isn't just power; it's a commodity that can be bought with sugar and kindness, which is way more effective than threats.
Daenerys and the Widow’s Retirement Home
Over in Vaes Dothrak, Dany’s storyline in "Oathbreaker" felt a bit like a holding pattern, but it gave us crucial world-building. The Dosh Khaleen—the widows of the Khals—weren't just a bunch of sad women in a tent. They were a political force in their own right.
The high priestess reminding Dany that she wasn't special just because she had titles was a necessary ego check. "You were the wife of a Great Khal," she basically says. "Join the club. We have tea and memories."
It set the stage for Dany’s eventual "burn it all down" moment later in the season, but here, she was at her lowest. No dragons, no Daario, no Jorah. Just her and the consequences of her past choices.
Arya and the Training Montage
People tend to have mixed feelings about the House of Black and White, but the blind training sequence in this episode was essential. Arya becoming "No One" was a grueling process. It wasn't just about fighting; it was about stripping away her identity as a Stark.
The Waif was a brutal teacher, but the moment Arya gets her sight back after drinking from the well? That was a leap of faith. She had to truly believe she was nobody to survive that water. Of course, we all knew she’d never truly let go of Needle, but watching her struggle to reconcile her thirst for revenge with the cult's nihilism was some of Maisie Williams' best work.
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Why We Still Talk About This Episode
"Oathbreaker" isn't usually the first episode people mention when they talk about the best of the series. They go for "Battle of the Bastards" or "The Rains of Castamere." But Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 3 did the heavy lifting of dismantling the status quo.
Think about it.
- The Night’s Watch lost its Lord Commander.
- The Lannisters lost their grip on the Small Council.
- The myth of Ned Stark was challenged.
- The Umbers betrayed the Starks (Rickon's return was a dark day for Shaggydog fans).
It was an episode about the breakdown of contracts. Oaths were broken everywhere—political, personal, and spiritual. In the world of George R.R. Martin, an oath is the only thing keeping society from becoming a bloodbath. Once those start to snap, everything is fair game.
Actionable Takeaways for the Rewatch
If you’re heading back through the series, keep an eye on these specific details in "Oathbreaker" that you might have missed the first time:
- Watch Arthur Dayne’s Fighting Style: It’s one of the few times we see someone use two swords in a way that actually looks functional rather than just flashy. It emphasizes how far ahead he was of everyone else.
- Listen to the Wind at the Tower of Joy: There’s a specific sound design choice when Ned hears a voice. It’s the first real confirmation that Bran can influence the past, not just observe it.
- The Umber Betrayal: Smalljon Umber’s refusal to kneel to Ramsay Bolton is a classic bit of Northern defiance, even while he’s doing something terrible. It’s a great example of "Northern Honor" being twisted into something ugly.
- Jon’s Eyes: Look at Jon Snow’s eyes right after he wakes up. There’s a specific lack of light there. It’s a subtle acting choice that Kit Harington kept up for most of the season—the look of someone who has seen the void.
The real lesson of Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 3 is that coming back from the dead isn't a miracle; it's a burden. And in Westeros, the only thing more dangerous than a dead man is one who has nothing left to lose.
If you're revisiting this era of the show, pay close attention to the dialogue between Varys and Vala in Meereen. It’s a masterclass in interrogation that relies on empathy rather than pain—a stark contrast to how things were being handled in King's Landing or Winterfell at the time.
Next Steps for Fans: To get the full context of the Tower of Joy scene, read the "Eddard X" chapter in A Game of Thrones. The book version is a fever dream that adds layers of melancholy the show couldn't quite capture. Also, check out the behind-the-scenes "Inside the Episode" for "Oathbreaker" to see how they choreographed that four-on-two sword fight; it's much more technical than it looks.