Non-Heirs Acquiring Valyrian Steel

Quite often in the series a valyrian steel sword is handed down from father to a son (or mother to a son in the case of Dark Sister) in a specific house. In this post, I thought it would be fun to explore each time a valyrian steel sword (or the like) was acquired in a "non traditional" manner.

Blackfyre

• Aegon IV the Unworthy grants it to Daemon over Daeron:

He gave the sword to Daemon. Blackfyre, the sword of Aegon the Conquerer, the blade that every Targaryen king had wielded since the Conquest . . . he put that sword in Daemon's hand the day he knighted him, a boy of twelve." -The Sworn Sword

If interested: Daemon Blackfyre: The King Who Bore the Sword

• Aegor Rivers aquires it after Daemon and his eldest sons' deaths at the Redgrass Fields

This was followed by Bittersteel's mad charge, with Blackfyre in his hand, as he attempted to rally Daemon's forces. Meeting with Bloodraven in the midst of the charge, a mighty duel ensued, which left Bloodraven blinded in one eye and sent Bittersteel fleeing.

If interested: The Duels Between Bittersteel & Bloodraven

Dark Sister

After Visenya bestowed it upon her "heir" Maegor, it was later stolen when Alyssa and her children fled Dragonstone.

Note: As the second Targaryen ancestral sword, the whole "heir" thing gets tricky.

• Alyssa Velaryon to Jaehaerys I (you could argue she was giving it to her "heir")
• Jaehaerys I (assuming) to Baelon the Brave

Baelon the Brave played his part in the slaughter, with Dark Sister in his hand. When he returned to King’s Landing with his brother’s corpse, the smallfolk lined the streets screaming his name and hailing him as a hero. But it is said that when he saw his mother again, he fell into her arms and wept. “I slew a thousand of them,” he said, “but it will not bring him back.” And the queen stroked his hair and said, “I know, I know.” -Fire & Blood I

• Jaehaerys I to Daemon Targaryen

Daemon was mercurial and quick to take offense, but he was dashing, daring, and dangerous. He was knighted at six-and-ten, like Maegor I, and Jaehaerys I himself gave Daemon the Valyrian steel blade Dark Sister for his prowess. -TWOIAF, The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I

• The Dragonknight
• Bloodraven

If interested: How did Bloodraven get Dark Sister?

Lady Forlorn

• Robar II Royce

The King of the Fingers was first to fall. Legend tells us that King Robar slew Qyle Corbray himself, after striking Corbray's famous blade, Lady Forlorn, from his hand. -TWOIAF, The Vale

If interested: "We Remember": Forgotten Truths and the Royces

• Jaime Corbray

Thirty lords had come to fight for Robar Royce that day. Not a one survived. And though the singers say the High King slew foes by the score, in the end he, too, was slain. Some say Ser Artys killed him, whilst others name Lord Ruthermont, or Luceon Templeton, the Knight of Ninestars. The Corbrays of Heart's Home have always insisted that it was Ser Jaime Corbray who dealt the mortal blow, and for proof they point to Lady Forlorn, reclaimed for House Corbray after the battle. -TWOIAF, The Vale

• Lynn Corbray

"Lord Lyonel Corbray is well disposed toward my rule," said Petyr, "but his brother goes his own way. On the Trident, when their father fell wounded, it was Lyn who snatched up Lady Forlorn and slew the man who'd cut him down. Whilst Lyonel was carrying the old man back to the maesters in the rear, Lyn led his charge against the Dornishmen threatening Robert's left, broke their lines to pieces, and slew Lewyn Martell. So when old Lord Corbray died, he bestowed the Lady upon his younger son. Lyonel got his lands, his title, his castle, and all his coin, yet still feels he was cheated of his birthright, whilst Ser Lyn . . . well, he loves Lyonel as much as he loves me. He wanted Lysa's hand for himself." -AFFC, Alayne I

Longclaw

• John Snow

It was my father's sword, and his father's before him. The Mormonts have carried it for five centuries. I wielded it in my day and passed it on to my son when I took the black."

He is giving me his son's sword. Jon could scarcely believe it. The blade was exquisitely balanced. The edges glimmered faintly as they kissed the light. "Your son—" -AGOT, Jon VIII

Nightfall

• Dalton Greyjoy

By the age of ten-and-four, Dalton Greyjoy had sailed as far as Old Ghis, fought in a dozen actions, and claimed four salt wives. His men loved him (more than can be said of his wives, for he tired of women quickly). His own love was his blade, a Valyrian steel longsword he had taken off a dead corsair and named Nightfall. In his fifteenth year, whilst fighting in the Stepstones as a sellsail, he saw his uncle slain and avenged his death, but he took a dozen wounds and emerged from the fight drenched head to heel in blood. From that day forth, men called him the Red Kraken. - TWOIAF, The Iron Islands: The Red Kraken

• House Harlaw

It is unknown how the sword has since passed to House Harlaw:

They pushed past Victarion's three to stand below her: Qarl the Maid, Tristifer Botley, and the knight Ser Harras Harlaw, whose sword Nightfall was as storied as Dunstan Drumm's Red Rain. "My nuncle said you know him. You know me too—" -AFFC, The Drowned Man

Red Rain

• House Drumm

Due to the name, the knight is assumed to be from House Reyne

He drew Red Rain and told them how Hilmar Drumm the Cunning had taken the blade from an armored knight with wits and a wooden cudgel. -AFFC, The Drowned Man

Lamentation

• Ser Warrick Wheaton (rumored)

Many a conflicting tale is told of the death of the queen’s dragon. Munkun credits Hobb the Hewer and his axe, though this is almost certainly mistaken. Could the same man truly have slain two dragons on the same night and in the same manner? Some speak of an unnamed spearman, “a blood-soaked giant” who leapt from the Dragonpit’s broken dome onto the dragon’s back. Others relate how a knight named Ser Warrick Wheaton slashed a wing from Syrax with a Valyrian steel sword (Lamentation, most like). A crossbowman named Bean would claim the kill afterward, boasting of it in many a wine sink and tavern, until one of the queen’s loyalists grew tired of his wagging tongue and cut it out**.** -Fire & Blood

If interested: The Blood of Old Valyria Part IV: How to Kill Your Dragon

Ice

• House Lannister

At long last, Father? Valyrian steel blades were scarce and costly, yet thousands remained in the world, perhaps two hundred in the Seven Kingdoms alone. It had always irked his father that none belonged to House Lannister. The old Kings of the Rock had owned such a weapon, but the greatsword Brightroar had been lost when the second King Tommen carried it back to Valyria on his fool's quest. He had never returned; nor had Uncle Gery, the youngest and most reckless of his father's brothers, who had gone seeking after the lost sword some eight years past.

Thrice at least Lord Tywin had offered to buy Valyrian longswords from impoverished lesser houses, but his advances had always been firmly rebuffed. The little lordlings would gladly part with their daughters should a Lannister come asking, but they cherished their old family swords. -ASOS, Tyrion IV

If interested: Tywin Lannister's Attempts to Purchase Valyrian Steel

Oathkeeper aka False Friend

• Brienne of Tarth

Brienne approached as if the bundle was like to bite her, reached out a huge freckled hand, and flipped back a fold of cloth. Rubies glimmered in the light. She picked the treasure up gingerly, curled her fingers around the leather grip, and slowly slid the sword free of its scabbard. Blood and black the ripples shone. A finger of reflected light ran red along the edge. "Is this Valyrian steel? I have never seen such colors."

"Nor I. There was a time that I would have given my right hand to wield a sword like that. Now it appears I have, so the blade is wasted on me. Take it." Before she could think to refuse, he went on. "A sword so fine must bear a name. It would please me if you would call this one Oathkeeper. One more thing. The blade comes with a price." -ASOS, Jaime X

If interested: Hear Me Roar: Jaime Lannister's Left Hand

Widow's Wail

• Joffrey Baratheon

Orphan Maker

• Unwin Peake

Lord Unwin Peake came to the Handship determined to demonstrate his strength and rectitude. “This Hand is not blind, nor veiled, nor crippled,” he announced before king and court. “This Hand can still wield a sword.” And so saying, he drew his longsword from its scabbard and raised it high so all might see it. Whispers flew about the hall. It was no common blade that his lordship held, but one forged of Valyrian steel: Orphan-Maker, last seen in the hands of Bold Jon Roxton as he laid about at Hard Hugh Hammer’s men in a yard at Tumbleton. -Fire & Blood I:

Valyrian Steel Dagger

• Petyr Baelish (acquired through unknown means)
• Robert Baratheon (won betting on the Tourney on Prince Joffrey's Nameday)

Valyrian Steel Arakh

Note (unconfirmed that Sandoq's is an arakh and isn't some other type of curved sword), but due to scarcity it could be the same weapon

• Sandoq the Shadow (acquired through unknown means)

a great curved sword with a dragonbone hilt, whose dark blade shown in the torchlight with the distinctive ripples of Valyrian steel.

If interested: Sandoq the Shadow

• Caggo (acquired through unknown means)

Denzo D'han was there as well, with Caggo huge beside him. Caggo Corpsekiller the men were calling him now, though not to his face; he was quick to anger, and that curved black sword of his was as nasty as its owner. There were hundreds of Valyrian longswords in the world, but only a handful of Valyrian arakhs. Neither Caggo nor D'han was Westerosi, but both were captains and stood high in the Tattered Prince's regard. His right arm and his left. Something major is afoot. -ADWD, The Windblown

Valyrian Suit of Armor

• Euron Greyjoy

Euron could have gotten this in Valyria:

Euron Crow’s Eye stood upon the deck of Silence, clad in a suit of black scale armor like nothing Aeron had ever seen before. Dark as smoke it was, but Euron wore it as easily as if it was the thinnest silk. The scales were edged in red gold, and gleamed and shimmered when they moved. Patterns could be seen within the metal, whorls and glyphs and arcane symbols folded into the steel.

Valyrian steel, the Damphair knew. His armor is Valyrian steel. In all the Seven Kingdoms, no man owned a suit of Valyrian steel. Such things had been known 400 years ago, in the days before the Doom, but even then, they would’ve cost a kingdom.

Euron did not lie. He has been to Valyria. No wonder he was mad. -The Forsaken

If interested: Characters who have seen the "Doom" of Valyria

but its also possible that he took it off the warlocks (Pree! Pree!):

Shade-of-the-evening, the wine of the warlocks. I came upon a cask of it when I captured a certain galleas out of Qarth, along with some cloves and nutmeg, forty bolts of green silk, and four warlocks who told a curious tale. -AFFC, The Rezver

Dawn

While Dawn is not Valyrian Steel (it was forged from the heart of a fallen star) and seems more similar to the blades of the Others or even their bones, it should be noted that Dawn is not passed down the same.

Though many houses have their heirloom swords, they mostly pass the blades down from lord to lord. Some, such as the Corbrays have done, may lend the blade to a son or brother for his lifetime, only to have it return to the lord. But that is not the way of House Dayne. The wielder of Dawn is always given the title of Sword of the Morning, and only a knight of House Dayne who is deemed worthy can carry it.

TLDR: Most commonly a valyrian steel sword/weapon (or the like) is acquired by a father giving it to his son (or established heir). I thought it would be fun to list every time the sword was given to a non heir, or acquired by killing/taking it from someone.