Widow's Wail

"Every time I use it, it'll be like cutting off Ned Stark's head all over again."

- Joffrey Baratheon

Widow's Wail is the second Valyrian steel blade made from Ice, the blade of House Stark. It is given by Tywin Lannister as a wedding gift to his grandson King Joffrey Baratheon at the breakfast prior to the wedding ceremony. Its sister blade is Oathkeeper.

Season 4
A member of the Kingsguard presents the sword in its scabbard for the king's approval. Joffrey quickly draws the blade and begins to toy with it, leading Pycelle to warn him of Valyrian Steel's famous edge. Joffrey responds with a swift hack at his copy of Maester Kaeth's Lives of Four Kings (which Tyrion had just presented him with a few moments earlier), but it takes him several more swipes to completely destroy it. He then asks the other guests present at the breakfast to think of a name for the blade. After a few suggestions, he quickly settles on the name Widow's Wail.

When the ceremonial pigeon pie is brought out at the wedding feast, Joffrey uses Widow's Wail to slice the crust open so the birds can fly out. His cut is so savage that some of the pigeons inside are decapitated.

During the funeral service held in the Great Sept of Baelor, the sword is placed along Joffrey's corpse.

In the books
Widow's Wail is described as having a cherry red hue in the steel under strong light. This phenomenon was apparently a complete accident; a result of the reforging process. The hilt also featured a red leather grip for the handle, with golden lion paws for the crossguard, whereas the show counterpart is more modelled around silver stags with a ruby set in the middle, symbolizing the Lannister-Baratheon alliance.

When Joffrey cuts the book Tyrion gave him, he says "I am no stranger to Valyrian steel". This comment makes Tyrion realize who sent the Catspaw assassin to kill Bran Stark.

Joffrey never used Widow's Wail to cut open the pigeon pie at his wedding feast, because Margaery insisted that it would be inappropriate to use it for such a task. Joffrey orders Ser Ilyn Payne to give him his greatsword to cut it instead. Sansa, remembering that the headsman used her father Eddard's own blade Ice to decapitate him, notes that he must have discarded it. Tyrion puts one and two together, and regrets never returning the blade to Robb when it was demanded, a point which wasn't brought up in the show.

According to George R.R. Martin, Widow's Wail was passed down to his younger brother Tommen when he ascended to the throne.