Massacre at Hardhome

The Massacre at Hardhome is an event in the Conflict Beyond the Wall between the Night's Watch and the Free Folk versus the White Walkers and the Wights. It is depicted in the episode "Hardhome."

Prelude
Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane, along with other members of the Night's and the Free Folk, arrive at the Wildling town of Hardhome to convince the rest of the Wildlings to join them in the upcoming war against the White Walkers and their armies of wights. Refusing to ally with the Night's Watch, the Lord of Bones insults Tormund for being at the side of Jon Snow, causing Tormund to beat his former ally to death with his own axe.

They gather in the Townshall to discuss an alliance between the Free Folk and the Night's Watch, but many of the Wildlings do not trust Jon. Having not seen Mance Rayder since he was taken prisoner at the Wall, the Wildlings question his whereabouts. Jon informs them that he shot an arrow through Mance's heart. This angers the group and they move in to kill him. Tormund speaks for him, stating that Rayder was about to be burned at the stake as a vicious message from Stannis Baratheon. Jon defied that order by shooting Mance before he burned. Some leaders are convinced, such as Karsi, but others like the Thenn warrior Loboda remain defiant and refuse to ally.

Battle
As the Wildlings are boarding rowboats to board ships bound for Castle Black, the sounds of a storm are heard. Recognizing this as the sign of approaching White Walkers, Loboda orders the gates of Hardhome to be shut, abandoning many of the Free Folk to their fate. They plead for the gates to be opened, but are suddenly silenced. A moment later, a large host of wights starts breaking through the gates and climbing over the walls. Jon, Tormund, Loboda and Karsi fight alongside the others to buy the others time to escape. On top of a hill overlooking Hardhome, multiple White Walkers mounted on undead horses are looking at the battle, including The Night's King. Realizing the need for dragonglass, Jon and Loboda go to the townhall, which is on fire. A White Walker warrior confronts the two. While Loboda confronts the threat, Jon Snow goes for the dragonglass. Loboda is quickly killed as his axe shatters immediately upon contacting the White Walker's weapon before he is impaled.

Jon reaches for a dragonglass dagger, but is tossed aside by the White Walker and disarmed. He grabs an ordinary weapon, only to have it shatter upon contact with the White Walker's blade. When Jon retrieves Longclaw, both he and the White Walker are surprised to see that the sword doesn't shatter. Seizing the opportunity, Jon slays the White Walker which immediately shatters to pieces after being touched by Longclaw. Karsi fights off multiple wights before she is confronted by a pack of undead children. Frozen by the horror, she is overwhelmed by them. The Night's King screams as another wave of wights leaps from the cliffs where he stands and slaughters the remaining defenders. Shielded by the giant Wun Wun who wields a burning log as a club before walking into the sea with them, they manage to get to the last remaining boat to make it to their ship.

Aftermath


Those killed in the defense of Hardhome are revived as wights by the Night's King.

In the books
In the "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels, the battle of Hardhome takes place off-screen. Very little information is given about it. Its outcome is unknown.

Jon tells Bowen Marsh, Othell Yarwyck and Septon Cellador what several of the Wildings told him: a woodswitch called Mother Mole had a vision of a fleet of ships arriving to carry the free folk to safety across the narrow sea. Thousands of those who fled the battle of Castle Black were desperate enough to believe her. She has led them all to Hardhome, there to pray and await salvation from across the sea. Jon intends to bring as many of them as possible to Castle Black, reasoning that any of those Wildlings to die at Hardhome - is one more wight to fight with. Marsh, Yarwyck and Cellador disagree, but Jon is firm with his decision. He gives orders to Cotter Pyke to sail to Hardhome with the eleven ships they have, three of them from Salladhor Saan's fleet and another three that Jon borrowed from Tycho Nestoris. Unlike in the show, Jon, Eddison Tollett and Tormund do not travel there.

Unbeknown to Jon, two Lyseni galleys called "Goodheart" and "Elephant", arrived some time before at Hardhome to make repairs. They offered the wildlings to take the women and children to safety. The wildlings had nothing to eat, so the men sent out their wives and daughters, but as soon as the ships were out to sea, the Lyseni drove them below and roped them up, intending to sell them all in Lys. Only then they ran into another storm and the ships were parted. The Goodheart was so damaged her captain had no choice but to put in Braavos, and was seized by the Sealord’s guard, since slavery is forbidden in Braavos. The Elephant, however, might have made it back to Lys.

The first report from Cotter Pyke arrives: "Calm seas today. Eleven ships set sail for Hardhome on the morning tide. Three Braavosi, four Lyseni, four of ours. Two of the Lyseni barely seaworthy. We may drown more wildlings than we save. Your command. Twenty ravens aboard, and Maester Harmune. Will send reports. I command from Talon, Tattersalt second on Blackbird, Ser Glendon holds Eastwatch".

The next report is much worse: "At Hardhome, with six ships. Wild seas. Blackbird lost with all hands, two Lyseni ships driven aground on Skane, Talon taking water. Very bad here. Wildlings eating their own dead. Dead things in the woods. Braavosi captains will only take women, children on their ships. Witch women call us slavers. Attempt to take Storm Crow defeated, six crew dead, many wildlings. Eight ravens left. Dead things in the water. Send help by land, seas wracked by storms. From Talon, by hand of Maester Harmune". Apparently, the Wildlings mistook Cotter Pyke for another slaver who came to kidnap and sell them to slavery, and responded aggressively.

Jon consults with his subordinates what they should do. Bowen Marsh advises Jon to let the Wildlings die, the same thing Selyse says. Melisandre tells Jon what she saw in a vision "Let them die. You cannot save them. Your ships are lost. All of them. Not a man shall return." Yarwyck suggests to send Tormund to Hardhome.

Jon accepts Yarwyck's suggestion and starts arranging a ranging force that will be led by Tormund to Hardhome. However, he is interrupted by more bad news, which are no less urgent that the situation at Hardhome. This is the last reference to Hardhome in the novels so far.

It is unknown what is the status of Cotter Pyke and his men, if any of them is still alive.