Azor Ahai

Azor Ahai is a legendary hero of the religion of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, prophesied to be reborn to lead the living against an ancient darkness. According to the followers of the red god, Azor Ahai once defeated the Great Other and its cold in a long-ago age, and a prophecy holds that "when the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone." This reborn champion is also called the prince that was promised.

The figure is central to the eschatology of the eastern faith of the Lord of Light and is most prominently championed in the books by the red priestess Melisandre, who believes she has identified the hero among the living.

The legend of Lightbringer

The defining tale of Azor Ahai concerns the forging of his sword, Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes. To make a weapon worthy of fighting the darkness, Azor Ahai labored for thirty days and nights. His first attempt, quenched in water, shattered. His second, driven through the heart of a lion, broke as well. For the third, he drove the blade through the heart of his beloved wife, Nissa Nissa, whose soul and lifeblood went into the steel, and at last the sword was made. The story binds the hero's triumph to a terrible act of sacrifice.

Prophecy and interpretation

The prophecy of Azor Ahai's return is interpreted by Melisandre, who at first proclaims Stannis Baratheon to be the reborn hero, citing signs of smoke, salt, and bleeding stars. Throughout A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Dance with Dragons, her readings of the flames and the prophecy guide much of her action, and her certainty is repeatedly tested.

The prophecy's wording is deliberately ambiguous, and other characters and figures, including Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, are read by various parties as possible fulfillments. The legend overlaps with the related prophecy of the prince that was promised, and whether these refer to the same figure is a matter of debate within the text.

Significance

Azor Ahai embodies the central religious hope of the worshippers of R'hllor that a savior will arise against the darkness, tying the faith directly to the larger threat of the Others and the coming of winter. The motif of sacrifice at the heart of the Lightbringer legend recurs throughout A Song of Ice and Fire, and the uncertainty over who, if anyone, is the promised hero is among the series' most discussed open questions.