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This question already has an answer here:

From the starting of the season.In season 1 episode 1 to the season 7 episode 6 we can clearly view that white walkers or army of dead can run fast and also can catch a running man with maximum speed (maximum speed here means a man running for his life). We can see them running or walking fast in the second last episode of season 7. So why they were so slow. This is a plot hole or there is some theory behind it?

Edit: This is not a duplicate question, that question which you are referring is not answering my question. My question is simple that why they are being shown at slow pace. Secondly in the duplicate question how people can speculate that this is a war strategy. There is no such thing in white walkers like war strategy ever mentioned in the season.

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marked as duplicate by Paulie_D, mattiav27, A J♦, Ghoti and Chips, DForck42 Aug 30 '17 at 15:06

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    Show plot-hole really. In Books, Wights are slow and clumsy. It's their masters the White Walkers who are fast, elegant and beautiful. In the show, it appears they usually walk slow but their masters can hit the Nitro/Turbo mode on, which makes them go faster whenever they wish. – Aegon Aug 30 '17 at 6:53
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    Could be that in Show-Verse, Wights drain energy from their masters or their whatever source of magical energy which keeps them running. So The Others tend to conserve the energy mostly and use it sparingly unless the occasion calls for it. Goes without saying, My own speculation, in hope of building some legs for the show. – Aegon Aug 30 '17 at 6:55
  • but in the show wights were also very fast. If not equal to their masters but atleast at a speed to catch a man. – tech_geek Aug 30 '17 at 6:56
  • Hence the whining comments instead of a proper answer :P They run on speed of plot – Aegon Aug 30 '17 at 6:57
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    @adeel You are asking a question about White Walkers, still the most mysterious creatures in the show (which is ahead of the books) - you won't get anything except speculation... – Ghoti and Chips Aug 30 '17 at 13:10
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The simple answer is that the White Walkers are not in a hurry. They must wait for winter, they must wait for opportunities to grow their army, and they potentially have been waiting to lure a dragon over the wall. For all we know, they never actually had a way past the wall until the final 2 episodes.

Remember that they have been waiting beyond the wall for 8,000+ years. They have plenty of patience. In fact, when Bran sees the Night King and his army, they are all simply standing there, completely still:

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There is also evidence that they are toying with the living - recall the Night King raising the dead as Jon watches, or the White Walker that looks right at Samwell and keeps going. I think they needed people to know they are there and to panic. Jon's sense of urgency is what ultimately leads to a critical error that gives the Night King exactly what he needed to pass the wall.

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