The arakh; the traditional Dothraki weapon.
- "Their blades are more scythe than sword... the better to cull the infantry ranks without breaking stride."
- ―Ser Jorah Mormont
The arakh is the standard weapon used by Dothraki warriors. It has a crescent moon-shaped, curved blade about two and a half feet long and a thick handle almost the same length, making it half-sword and half-scythe. Although unable to penetrate armor, the arakh gives the wielder tremendous maneuverability of wrists.
Jorah Mormont notes that while the sweeping blade is effective and indeed necessary for a warrior on horseback, the arakh pales in comparison to the Westerosi double-edged sword for battling without a mount or at penetrating armor.[1]
Although a Dothraki weapon, it is occasionally used by non-Dothraki, such as the mercenary captain Daario Naharis.[2]
In the books
The arakh is similarly described in the books. The weapon overall is an original invention of GRRM, but does bear some similarity to ancient "sickle-swords" such as the khopesh and the falx.
According to the TV series official pronunciation guide developed for the cast and crew, "Arakh" is pronounced "Ah-rock", as opposed to "Ah-RACK".
A collection of Arakhs behind the scenes.