"strange, beautiful, the Sidhe made of ice, a different sort of life, inhuman, elegant, dangerous."

The Others, also known as white walkers, cold gods, and white shadows, are a species of humanoid beings that exist in the north beyond the Wall. As they have not been seen for eight thousand years, they are considered to be extinct.

The Others are tall and gaunt, with flesh pale as milk. They have cold blue eyes that have been described as burning like ice, or being as bright as blue stars. Others have pale blue blood and shiny bones like milkglass.

The Others wear delicate, reflective, camouflaging armor that shifts in color with every step. The reflective, camouflaging armor is able to pick up the images of the things around it like a clear, still pond.

The Others are swordsmen, wielding thin crystal swords which are extremely sharp, capable of moving through ringmail as if it is silk. The swords are alive with moonlight and have a faint blue glow to them. When the sword touches a steel blade, only a high, thin sound, similar to an animal screaming in pain, can be heard instead of the sound of metal on metal. When the blades brush the flames of a torch, a screech as sharp as a needle can be heard. The blades the Others use seem to be rather cold; They are able to cover a metal blade in frost, and shatter a steel blade.

The Others are capable of resurrecting dead men or creatures as wights. Only burning the bodies of the deceased can prevent the Others from resurrecting them. There are tales of Others riding the corpses of dead animals such as bears, direwolves, mammoths, and horses. Some tales also speak of Others riding "giant ice spiders".

Extreme cold accompanies them, but it is unknown whether the Others only come when it is so cold, or whether they bring the cold with them. White mist also rises when they are near. They might appear during snowstorms or mist, and melt away when the skies clear. They hide from the light of the sun and emerge at night; although once again some stories claim that their coming brings the night. They are said also hate iron and fire. The language the Others speak is unknown, but has been described as sounding like "the cracking of ice on a winter lake", and their laughter as being as sharp as icicles.

The Others have a few known weaknesses that are recorded in ancient texts. One is obsidian, otherwise called dragonglass or "frozen fire". Ancient texts also record a weakness to "dragonsteel", which some think may be Valyrian steel. Fire is known to dismay the Others. Mance Rayder and his wife Dalla believe that the Wall prevents the Others from crossing into the Seven Kingdoms.