“Has the potential to destroy our world”: GRRM Created White Walkers to Represent a Threat Many in America Now Deny

Climate change is very real, and George R.R. Martin has been addressing it in his A Song of Ice and Fire book, even before the world started discussing it. There were many political messages in Game of Thrones, and one of them is about our current environmental issues.

While speaking with The New York Times, the author said:   

The people in Westeros are fighting their individual battles over power and status and wealth. And those are so distracting them that they’re ignoring the threat of “winter is coming,” which has the potential to destroy all of them and to destroy their world. And there is a great parallel there to, I think, what I see this planet doing here, where we’re fighting our own battles.

Indeed, we’re fighting over several equally relevant issues, such as foreign and domestic policies, civil rights, social responsibility, and social justice, but according to Martin, these won’t matter in the long run if people are all dead and the cities are already under the ocean.

While we’re tearing ourselves apart over this and expending so much energy, there exists this threat of climate change, which, to my mind, is conclusively proved by most of the data and 99.9 percent of the scientific community. And it really has the potential to destroy our world.

The White Walkers were considered a dangerous threat to the people of Westeros, and many of the characters ignored them despite early warnings, believing they were only a myth until it was already too late.

The same thing is already occurring in real life, as the Center for Climate Change Communication revealed “15% of Americans think global warming is not happening” and “16% say they don’t know if global warming is happening,” as of May 2025.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Take On White Walkers as Metaphor for Climate Change

Like Martin, Game of Thrones alum Nikolaj Coster-Waldau also thinks there are parallels to White Walkers representing climate change. As a United Nations Development Programme Global Ambassador, the Danish actor engages in talks concerning the environmental crisis and preservation.

In his conversation with Billboard, he shared that it’s easy to notice the comparison, especially with the gathering of several powerful houses to unite and fight against a common enemy. “But the truth is that reality is always much more extreme than fiction. We couldn’t make up what’s happening now,” the actor noted.

Coster-Waldau said at the time that he’s taking advantage of his Game of Thrones fame to speak up and draw attention to causes that are very relevant and important, especially on a global scale, such as global warming.

Game of Thrones Also Explored Timely Issues Such as Racism, Slavery & S*xual Violence

The show not only tackled environmental problems but also highlighted social issues that are still rampant today. Racism and racial tropes were criticisms hurled at the series due to white savior accusations.

While the author already addressed this—specifically that scene where Daenerys Targaryen was hailed as Mhysa in Yunkai, and Martin claimed it was only a matter of practicality since they filmed in Morocco and locals showed up during calls for extras—this event has happened in real life and has been recorded in history across various parts of the world.

The show is infamously known as well for its number of s*xually explicit and violent scenes. Abuse was an issue that plagued women in the past and continues to harm women today. Although criticized for it, Game of Thrones demonstrated that marital r*pe exists and it’s not something to be swept under a rug.

Apart from climate change and social issues, what other relevant problems do you think the show addressed? Let us know in the comments!

Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on HBO Max.