Can the Faceless Men Use Wights' Faces for Assassination?

The concept of using wights' faces in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, and its adaptation, A Game of Thrones, is both intriguing and complex. This article explores whether the Faceless Men, renowned for their masters of the art of assassination, could realistically employ wights' faces in a bid to eliminate the Others from Westeros.

The Challenges of Using Wights' Faces

The first and foremost issue with using a wight's face is its appearance. Wights are no longer living creatures; their bodies have died, and their faces exhibit a series of morbid and unchanging features. These features include glowing blue eyes, a distinct smell of death, and the absence of warmth. These physical characteristics alone make it highly unlikely that a wight would appear convincing enough to pass as a living person to the Others.

The Perception of the Others

The Others, a mysterious and sinister race in Westeros, have several unexplained abilities. The most significant one is their control over wights, suggesting a deep or magical connection. There are two theories: either the Others can manipulate the wights through a type of warging, or they possess some form of innate connection that allows them to command them. Either way, the presence of such a connection raises concerns about the effectiveness of using a wight's face in an assassination attempt.

Theories and Evidence

One theory is that warging—or the ability to control or enter the mind of animals or other creatures—could also extend to the Others and their wights. If this is the case, an assassination attempt using a wight’s face might be detected, as the Others might be able to sense the different magical presence of a wight versus a real human. Furthermore, the Faceless Men’s assassins rely on the belief that magic users can detect magic, and wargs can sense other wargs. In the books and recent episodes, this concept is illustrated through the Eyes of the Wyvren, among others, suggesting that a wight's face might not pass unnoticed.

Old Nan's Claim and the Others' Senses

According to Old Nan, the Others possess an advanced sense, known as smelling men’s warm blood. This ability could further complicate the use of wights' faces by the Faceless Men. The warm-blooded nature of living humans is a crucial detail. Even though a wight might be capable of mimicking certain aspects of a living person, the presence of warm blood would likely set it apart as a being that is still alive.

Examples from the Show and Books

In the show, it is shown that Bran Stark, a powerful warg, can be detected from afar, even when warging through ravens and crows. Furthermore, the Night King easily broke Bran's connection. In the books, Melisandre burned Varamyr Sixskins out of Orell's eagle in a spectacular manner, suggesting that the Others can detect and disrupt other forms of magic, including warging. These examples support the notion that the Faceless Men’s use of wights' faces might be futile, as the Others are likely capable of detecting any magical or warging presence.

Additionally, the adeptness of the Faceless Men in their assassinations lies in their complete transformation into their targets, making them unrecognizable. However, using a wight’s face could be a subtler and less effective method, as the Others might be able to recognize the slight differences in the wight’s preserved form compared to a truly living human.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the idea of using wights' faces in an assassination attempt by the Faceless Men is fascinating, it seems ill-advised given the unexplained and advanced sensory capabilities of the Others. The combination of their ability to control and communicate with wights and potential detection of magical or warging presences makes such an attempt highly unlikely to succeed. The Faceless Men might consider more traditional and undisputed methods of assassination, relying on their unparalleled skills to ensure their tactics remain undetected by the Others.