Estimating the Night King’s Army: Scale and Strategy

Before the events of Game of Thrones, the rise of the white walkers occurred during the Long Night. Since then, the white walkers have been in hibernation for a very long time, spanning multiple generations. During this dormant period, the white walkers have been proliferating, not only within the Seven Kingdoms but also beyond the Wall.

The Waking of the Night King

When the Night King awoke, he began converting Craster’s children, a process that greatly increased the numbers of white walkers. As the Night King gathered enough white walkers, they started launching an invasion against the wildlings. The wildlings, however, had also grown in number and were divided by internal disputes, making them easier targets for hunting.

Estimating the Army Size

Jon Snow estimated the Night King’s army to be in the hundreds of millions, a staggering figure considering the long period of time involved. If we consider the Night King being in hibernation for 8,000 years, and assuming he could accumulate an army of at least 100,000 white walkers, even if he killed a dozen or so wildlings annually to keep a low profile, this would still result in an army of nearly half a million strong by the time the wildlings fled after being defeated by Stannis Baratheon.

Strength and Strategy of the White Walkers

Numbers matter when it comes to the Others, and they can replenish their forces easily from the dead. Even if their army numbers only a few or a few million, the Others remain a supernatural foe requiring a similarly supernatural solution to defeat. Dragons, while powerful, are not unbeatable. Historical examples like the Valyrian Freehold and Dorne show that large armies can also challenge dragon forces, suggesting that humanity might find ways to counter the Others.

The Future of the Conflict

Despite the vast army the Night King commands, the true challenge lies in the supernatural nature of the white walkers. Realistically, current human technology and strategies may not be sufficient to overcome the Others, but we must remain hopeful and prepared. Only time will tell what twists George R.R. Martin has in store for the conflict.