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{{Canonicity|Canon}}
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[[Image:Shadow.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Melisandre gives 'birth' to a shadow creature.]]
  
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{{Species
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A '''shadow''' is a form of magical creature. Servants of the [[Lord of Light]] employ them to undertake dangerous missions on their behalf.
  
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| Title = {{PAGENAME}}
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| Theme = Light
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| Image = Shadow.jpg
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| Type = Demonic magical creature
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| Status =
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| Diet =
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| Habitat =
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| Range =
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| Origin = [[Lord of Light]]
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}}
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{{Quote|Shadows cannot live in the dark, Ser Davos. They are servants of Light.|[[Melisandre]]|Garden of Bones (episode)}}
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A '''shadow'''{{Ref|GOT204}} is a type of magical creature or demon of darkness believed to be created by the [[Lord of Light]]. Worshipers and servants of the Lord of Light employ them to undertake dangerous missions on their behalf. Thus far, the only shadow seen was conceived as a child between [[Stannis Baratheon]] and the [[red priest]]ess [[Melisandre]] to assassinate [[Renly Baratheon]] in a bid to reclaim the [[Iron Throne]].
   
 
==History==
  
==History==
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===[[Season 2]]===
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===[[Game of Thrones: Season 2|''Game of Thrones'': Season 2]]===
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[[File:RenlysDeathS2Ep5.png|thumb|right|200px|The shadow creature assassinates Renly.]]
  
[[File:RenlysDeathS2Ep5.png|thumb|right|200px|The shadow creature assassinates Renly.]]
  ⚫
[[Melisandre]] and [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] have sex, with Melisandre promising to give Stannis a son.<ref>"[[The Night Lands]]"</ref> After the failed parley between Stannis and [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]], Melisandre is revealed to be pregnant. She gives birth to a shadow in a cave close to Renly's encampment while [[Davos Seaworth|Davos]] watches in horror.<ref>"[[Garden of Bones (episode)|Garden of Bones]]"</ref>
   
  ⚫
The creature infiltrates Renly's camp and [[Assassination of Renly Baratheon|kills him]] in front of [[Catelyn Stark|Catelyn]] and [[Brienne of Tarth|Brienne]].<ref name=":0">"[[The Ghost of Harrenhal]]"</ref>
⚫
[[Melisandre]] and [[Stannis Baratheon]] have sex, with Melisandre promising to give Stannis 'a son'.<ref>"[[The Night Lands]]"</ref> After the failed parley between Stannis and [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]], Melisandre is revealed to be pregnant. She gives 'birth' to a shadow in a cave close to Renly's encampment whilst Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] watches in horror.<ref>"[[Garden of Bones]]"</ref>
  
⚫
The creature infiltrates Renly's camp and kills him in front of [[Catelyn Stark]] and [[Brienne]]. Renly's bodyguards blame Brienne for the deed.<ref>"[[The Ghost of Harrenhal]]"</ref>
  
   
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Davos is so disturbed by the appearance of the shadow creature that he convinces Stannis not to bring Melisandre along when their fleet and army attack [[King's Landing]], in case the victory is credited to her powers rather than Stannis.<ref>"[[The Ghost of Harrenhal]]"</ref>
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Davos is so disturbed by the appearance of the shadow, that he convinces Stannis not to bring Melisandre along when their fleet and army [[Battle of the Blackwater|attack King's Landing]], in case the victory is credited to her powers rather than Stannis.<ref name=":0" />
   
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===[[Game of Thrones: Season 3|''Game of Thrones'': Season 3]]===
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==Behind the scenes==
  
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Stannis asks Melisandre to make him another "son" to slay [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]] as well as [[Robb Stark|Robb]]. However, she refuses, explaining that creating a shadow drains some of a man's life energy, and she fears that if Stannis attempts to create another with her it will kill him.<ref>"[[Walk of Punishment (episode)|Walk of Punishment]]"</ref> Instead, she has [[Gendry Baratheon|Gendry]] brought to [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]], since he also has king's blood, being the son of [[Robert Baratheon]], using him for the [[leech ritual]] which is less effective than the shadows, and questionably leads to the deaths of Joffrey, Robb and [[Balon Greyjoy]].
   
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===[[Game of Thrones: Season 4|''Game of Thrones'': Season 4]]===
⚫
Fans colloquially call the creatures "shadow babies" due to the nature of their creation.
  
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Brienne tells [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]] that Renly was killed by a shadow "with the face of Stannis Baratheon."<ref>"[[Two Swords]]"</ref>
   
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===[[Game of Thrones: Season 5|''Game of Thrones'': Season 5]]===
⚫
==In the books==
  
  +
Brienne finds a wounded Stannis laying against a tree. She prepares to kill him to avenge Renly's death. Before being killed, Stannis confesses that it was his "child" who killed Renly.<ref>"[[Mother's Mercy]]" </ref>
⚫
In ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', Melisandre actually conjures forth two shadows on separate occasions to kill Stannis' foes - Renly and Cortnay Penrose. She needs to use Stannis' own life-essence to fuel the entities, but this hugely drains him, and she did not produce any more shadows. Davos noticed that Stannis looked ten years older than before the [[Battle of the Blackwater]]. Use of the creatures is thus limited in case their creation taxes the creator to the point of death. Melisandre offered Davos to use his life-essence to produce a shadow, but he refused to take any part in her witchcraft.
  
   
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===[[Game of Thrones: Season 6|''Game of Thrones'': Season 6]]===
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Shadows make an appearance in the 2012 [[Game of Thrones (2012 role-playing game)|Game of Thrones role-playing game]]. While they are visually identical to the "shadow babies", these shadows are created by Valarr Hill using blood magic and his own blood, as opposed to Melisandre birthing them. Valarr's shadows can be harmed by Valyrian steel weapons, due to the magical nature of the metal.
  
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While trying to convince Melisandre to resurrect [[Jon Snow]], Davos tells her that she has done many abnormal things, including giving birth to a shadow.<ref> "[[Home]]" </ref>
   
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==Powers and abilities==
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*'''Shadowy Presence''': As their name implies, shadows are literally dark, demonic beings. Physical darkness constantly radiates off of them.
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*'''Accelerated Maturity''': They age rapidly, going from infancy to adulthood in a matter of seconds.
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*'''Intangibility''': Once fully grown, they have the ability to phase through prison bars (according to Melisandre).
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*'''Smoke Mimicry''': They can transform into clouds of smoke to infiltrate camps undetected.
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*'''Weapon Summoning''': They can summon/form weapons from the shadowy mass of their bodies.
   
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==See also==
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==Weaknesses==
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Shadows live very short lives, created only for the tasks they were given. It is implied by Brienne that shadows inherit the physical features of the men who fathered them, as the shadow that killed Renly Baratheon bore a striking resemblance to its "father," Stannis.
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* [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Shadow_assassin Shadows at A Wiki of Ice and Fire] (MAJOR spoilers from the books).
  
  +
  ⚫
==Behind the scenes==
  ⚫
*Many major reviewers as well as some of the cast and crew themselves refer to the creatures as "shadow babies" due to the nature of their creation.
  +
**On March 19, 2016 when it was announced that [[Carice van Houten]] and her boyfriend {{WPS|Guy Pearce}} were expecting a child together, she tweeted: "Ok. I'm ready for your shadowbaby jokes."<ref>[https://twitter.com/caricevhouten/status/711226037431083008 Carice van Houten on Twitter, 19 March 2016]</ref>
  +
  ⚫
==In the books==
  ⚫
In the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' novels, Melisandre actually conjures forth two shadows on separate occasions to kill Stannis's foes - Renly and Ser Cortnay Penrose, the castellan of Storm's End. She needs to use Stannis's own life-essence to fuel the entities, but (as she explains to Davos) this hugely drains him, thus she doesn't produce any more shadows. Davos notices that Stannis looks ten years older than before the [[Battle of the Blackwater]].
  +
  +
Use of the creatures is thus limited in case their creation taxes the creator to the point of death, but it does not require that the creator will be of royal origin or even highborn: Melisandre offers Davos to use his life-essence to produce a shadow, but he refuses, since he loathes Melisandre and her dark witchcraft.
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  +
It is unknown whether Melisandre made similar offers to any other men.
   
 
==References==
  
==References==
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{{Reflist|2}}
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{{Reflist}}
   
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==External links==
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{{Creatures}}
  
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*{{AWOIAF|Shadow assassin}}
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[[Category:Magic]]
  
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[[Category:Legendary and magical creatures]]
 
[[Category:Lord of Light]]
  
[[Category:Lord of Light]]
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[[Category:Religion]]
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[[Category:Magic]]
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[[Category:Creatures]]
  
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[[de:Schatten]]
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[[pt-br:Sombra]]
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[[ru:Тени]]
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[[uk:Тіні]]

Latest revision as of 04:26, 19 April 2024

"Shadows cannot live in the dark, Ser Davos. They are servants of Light."
―Melisandre[src]

A shadow[1] is a type of magical creature or demon of darkness believed to be created by the Lord of Light. Worshipers and servants of the Lord of Light employ them to undertake dangerous missions on their behalf. Thus far, the only shadow seen was conceived as a child between Stannis Baratheon and the red priestess Melisandre to assassinate Renly Baratheon in a bid to reclaim the Iron Throne.

History

Game of Thrones: Season 2

RenlysDeathS2Ep5

The shadow creature assassinates Renly.

Melisandre and Stannis have sex, with Melisandre promising to give Stannis a son.[2] After the failed parley between Stannis and Renly, Melisandre is revealed to be pregnant. She gives birth to a shadow in a cave close to Renly's encampment while Davos watches in horror.[3]

The creature infiltrates Renly's camp and kills him in front of Catelyn and Brienne.[4]

Davos is so disturbed by the appearance of the shadow, that he convinces Stannis not to bring Melisandre along when their fleet and army attack King's Landing, in case the victory is credited to her powers rather than Stannis.[4]

Game of Thrones: Season 3

Stannis asks Melisandre to make him another "son" to slay Joffrey as well as Robb. However, she refuses, explaining that creating a shadow drains some of a man's life energy, and she fears that if Stannis attempts to create another with her it will kill him.[5] Instead, she has Gendry brought to Dragonstone, since he also has king's blood, being the son of Robert Baratheon, using him for the leech ritual which is less effective than the shadows, and questionably leads to the deaths of Joffrey, Robb and Balon Greyjoy.

Game of Thrones: Season 4

Brienne tells Margaery that Renly was killed by a shadow "with the face of Stannis Baratheon."[6]

Game of Thrones: Season 5

Brienne finds a wounded Stannis laying against a tree. She prepares to kill him to avenge Renly's death. Before being killed, Stannis confesses that it was his "child" who killed Renly.[7]

Game of Thrones: Season 6

While trying to convince Melisandre to resurrect Jon Snow, Davos tells her that she has done many abnormal things, including giving birth to a shadow.[8]

Powers and abilities

  • Shadowy Presence: As their name implies, shadows are literally dark, demonic beings. Physical darkness constantly radiates off of them.
  • Accelerated Maturity: They age rapidly, going from infancy to adulthood in a matter of seconds.
  • Intangibility: Once fully grown, they have the ability to phase through prison bars (according to Melisandre).
  • Smoke Mimicry: They can transform into clouds of smoke to infiltrate camps undetected.
  • Weapon Summoning: They can summon/form weapons from the shadowy mass of their bodies.

Weaknesses

Shadows live very short lives, created only for the tasks they were given. It is implied by Brienne that shadows inherit the physical features of the men who fathered them, as the shadow that killed Renly Baratheon bore a striking resemblance to its "father," Stannis.

Behind the scenes

  • Many major reviewers as well as some of the cast and crew themselves refer to the creatures as "shadow babies" due to the nature of their creation.
    • On March 19, 2016 when it was announced that Carice van Houten and her boyfriend Guy Pearce were expecting a child together, she tweeted: "Ok. I'm ready for your shadowbaby jokes."[9]

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Melisandre actually conjures forth two shadows on separate occasions to kill Stannis's foes - Renly and Ser Cortnay Penrose, the castellan of Storm's End. She needs to use Stannis's own life-essence to fuel the entities, but (as she explains to Davos) this hugely drains him, thus she doesn't produce any more shadows. Davos notices that Stannis looks ten years older than before the Battle of the Blackwater.

Use of the creatures is thus limited in case their creation taxes the creator to the point of death, but it does not require that the creator will be of royal origin or even highborn: Melisandre offers Davos to use his life-essence to produce a shadow, but he refuses, since he loathes Melisandre and her dark witchcraft.

It is unknown whether Melisandre made similar offers to any other men.

References

  1. ↑ Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 4: "Garden of Bones" (2012).
  2. ↑ "The Night Lands"
  3. ↑ "Garden of Bones"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Ghost of Harrenhal"
  5. ↑ "Walk of Punishment"
  6. ↑ "Two Swords"
  7. ↑ "Mother's Mercy"
  8. ↑ "Home"
  9. ↑ Carice van Houten on Twitter, 19 March 2016

External links

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