Arya was most people’s favorite character in Game of Thrones when the series started out. She was this brash, charismatic and outgoing troublemaker that everyone just absolutely loved due to her unchanging rebellious attitude and her opposing ideals and personality to her older sister Sansa. In a way, she was a character that many people saw their younger selves in.
However, like most characters, D&D absolutely destroyed her character in the last 2 seasons, though she started to change even earlier than that. What was once this little rascal who was so full of life and mischief was completely destroyed into an emotionless and unfeeling robot that lost all semblance of the character she was before to turn into a terminator who could kill everyone.
Anyway, with that aside, let's revisit all the moments that made us love Arya in the first place!
1. Better than Bran (Season 1, Episode 1)
From the moment we see her for the very first time, Arya is the very opposite of her sister Sansa. Sansa is being commended for being really ladylike and good at stitching and other traditionally feminine activities, whereas Arya can’t do any of those things because they just don’t fascinate her. She has always been more carefree and would rather spend time with her brothers.
This is never more evident than in the following scene with Bran being taught archery by Jon and Robb. He struggles with this greatly. Then suddenly, we see an arrow hit the bullseye but one which wasn’t fired by Bran. Instead it was fired by Arya, showing us that she is really gifted in the things that she takes interest in and really sets herself apart in a world with very defined roles.
2. Schooling Joffrey (Season 1, Episode 2)
What a badass! This scene takes place very early on in the show when Arya is playing around with her friend Micah, when Sansa and Joffrey suddenly show up out of nowhere. Here, Joffrey really tries to act super intimidating and starts to cut Micah with his sword, causing Arya to knock the sword out of his hand with her stick.
Then Joffrey tries to strike her back, eventually causing Arya to get the better of him, take his sword and threaten him with it while he lies on the ground whimpering. This really shows us that despite being very little, Arya is a certified badass that will do anything to call out people whenever she sees them doing something wrong. She really takes after her brothers.
3. First training with Syrio (Season 1, Episode 3)
The very first meeting that Arya had with Syrio was one of the most important moments in her entire journey. Through Syrio, she found an outlet for her frustrations and really learnt how to be a proper fighter with her sword Needle under the legendary First Sword of Braavos.
The whole fighting philosophy of ‘water dancing’ is one that Syrio had taught her and the main fighting technique that Arya uses throughout her entire journey in the show. Because of perfecting this fighting style, Arya was able to become a very dangerous fighter and a force to be reckoned with.
4. I like killing fat boys (Season 1, Episode 10)
Despite just having witnessed her father being mercilessly killed, Arya still didn’t lose that rebellious fire in her. In a situation where most people would have been depressed, confused and angry, Arya still stuck by her personality and while she may have gotten a more cynical outlook of the world, she was still the same character that wouldn’t take anything from anyone lying down.
This is very evident in this moment when she is being bullied by Hot Pie. Hot Pie takes advantage of the fact that he is far bigger than her and is a boy, leading to him constantly picking on Arya and bullying her for things. It isn’t until Arya pulls out her sword on him and threatens to kill him that he finds out that she isn’t someone that he can pick on without consequences.
5. First meeting with Tywin (Season 2, Episode 4)
This is the very first meeting between Tywin Lannister and Arya and is one moment that is great for the character development of both of them. It starts with a soldier threatening to beat Arya for coming too close to Tywin, to which Tywin interjects and tells the soldier that he will do no such thing and even calls him an idiot.
Upon probing Arya a little more on why she dresses like a boy and finding out she does that in order for safer traveling, Tywin even calls her smart. The scene ends with Arya being appointed Tywin’s new cupbearer.
6. Anyone can be killed (Season 2, Episode 5)
This scene takes place some time after the previous one, where Arya has been appointed asTywin’s cupbearer for some time now. This specific scene is perfect in showing how smart and quick on her feet Arya truly is and that her intellect at such a young age is something that Tywin, one of the smartest characters in the show, greatly respects and appreciates.
The scene shows some of Tywin’s war council, including his brother and cousins. Upon being questioned by Tywin, members of his council are seen to be inept and uninformed about their enemies. Tywin asks Arya the same question, upon which he finds out that she is a Northerner, though her true identity remains a secret. She answers the questions he asks her correctly, showing her to be more knowledgeable than some on his council.
7. Conversation with Tywin (Season 2, Episode 7)
This is one of the best moments in the entire run of the show. It is also one of the very few changes from the books that was actually a better decision. In this scene, as he sees Arya picking up the dishes from the table, Tywin tells her to sit and eat with him at the table, which is then followed by a great conversation between the two of them.
In this conversation, Arya fascinates Tywin with her knowledge of history and of great warriors of the past and even makes him laugh at one point. Tywin also says that Arya reminds him of his daughter, and continues to praise her. When he says that her father was a well read for a stonemason, Arya quickly jabs back and asks whether he has even known many stonemasons, a jab that Tywin catches and tells her to be careful. A great scene with great character building.
8. Harrenhal escape (Season 2, Episode 8)
This is a great Arya Stark scene which sees her in a great leadership and savior position where she successfully manages to lead herself and her friends out of Harrenhal and out of the mercy of the Lannister army, which would’ve surely killed them sooner or later.
She does this by befriending Jaqen H’ghar, a deadly assassin. She orchestrates everything to happen at night while everyone is asleep and is able to get Gendry and Hot Pie with her, then getting Jaqen to silently kill the guards by the gate. In doing so, there is a very easy and clear path to freedom. This shows Arya’s smart thinking and leadership qualities.
9. Meeting Melissandre (Season 3, Episode 6)
This moment takes place after Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie have been taken captive by the Brotherhood Without Banners and are being taken to their special hiding spot where they are able to hide and attack out without ever being caught due to how secretive this place is.
On the way there, Arya meets Melissandre for the very first time, who looks deep within her eyes and tells her prophecy. She says that in her life, Arya will close many eyes permanently; brown eyes, blue eyes and green eyes. Ultimately, this scene was wasted as it was seeming to hint towards Arya getting ultimate revenge on Cersei but instead the incompetent writers ruined both her and Jon’s storyline.
10. Aftermath of the Red Wedding (Season 3, Episode 10)
Right after the Red Wedding, Arya is left traumatized and livid. This causes her to lash out at a group of Frey soldiers that she and the Hound come across on their way back from the Wedding. These soldiers are bragging about what they did to the Starks, causing Arya to jump off her horse and trick one of the soldiers into picking up the coin so she could kill him. The Hound then takes care of the rest. This scene shows Arya becoming more of a killer.
11. Reclaiming Needle (Season 4, Episode 1)
This scene has Arya accept the fact that she needs to kill the people in her list and that she must fulfill her destiny. At this point, she is still journeying with the Hound and they’re now on their way to the Eyrie in order to drop Arya off with her aunt upon the death of her immediate family. On the way, the 2 stop at a tavern to get some supplies and to eat, which is where they meet many of the guards that Arya escaped from Harrenhal, one of which is Polliver.
Polliver is the man who stole Needle from her all that time ago. This then leads to a battle within the tavern of Arya and the Hound against the guards, who they all end up killing. Arya is the one to get the final blow on Polliver and finally reclaim her beloved sword Needle that Jon gave her back in season 1, her one true memory of her family and the love she got from them.
12. Arya’s laugh (Season 4, Episode 8)
What would be anyone’s reaction to finding out that the thing they were traveling for won’t happen and that things just happen to get worse? Normally people would be dejected but Arya, upon learning that her aunt Lysa is dead, just blurts out laughing in front of all the knights of the Vale and the Hound.
The Hound makes this scene way funnier because he just looks tired and just so disappointed, which only makes Arya laugh even harder. This scene is great comic relief and one that people just love to rewatch over and over again, years after it premiered.
13. Valar Morghulis (Season 4, Episode 10)
The finale for season 4 of GOT is one of the best television episodes ever made and a huge reason for this is the way that Arya’s story ends. After all the trouble, pain and confusion she has gone through, she finally has a purpose as well as a confirmed destination that she knows to take.
She goes to the captain of a ship headed to Braavos and tells him what Jaqen told her to say all that time ago. Due to this, he brings her on his very welcoming ship and gives her a free ride to Braavos. This scene gives a great sense of optimism and makes the viewer genuinely excited to see where Arya’s story will now lead her.
14. No one is Arya Stark (Season 5, Episode 3)
In the House of Black and White, the main theme is that Arya has to become ‘no one’, which essentially means that she can only have the abilities and prowess of the Faceless Men if she decides to give up everything that she has ever known and to throw out all her past belongings to essentially be born anew.
However, she realized that her beloved Needle is that last vestige of who she was, of her home, her family and of the time where she knew nothing but love. So, instead of throwing that away, she chooses to hide it instead, in a place where she will always know where it is and where no one can take it away from her.
15. A girl is Arya Stark (Season 6, Episode 8)
This scene is very good. After defeating the Waif, who Jaqen sent to kill her, Arya fully recognizes that she does not want this life which requires her forgetting who she is and devoting her whole life only to being an assassin. She finally confronts Jaqen towards the end of the episode and tells him everything after she retrieves Needle where she left it.
She tells him that she is and has always been Arya Stark and that Winterfell is her home and that she plans on going back there. She spares his life at the end and he in turn spares hers as well, making this scene a brilliant way to bring this arc full circle.
16. The North Remembers (Season 7, Episode 1)
While season 7 left most fans very disappointed, Arya taking revenge on House Frey as revenge for the Red Wedding was definitely one of the most cathartic moments in the entire series. This was revenge that was years in the making and the wait for it made every fan wonder if the Frey’s would ever see justice for their actions.
The whole thing actually starts in season 6, where Arya actually ends up killing Walder Frey. In the first episode of season 7, Arya (disguised as Walder Frey) ends up poisoning the entire House Frey and extinguishing their bloodline. While this is highly improbable and honestly executed in a very stupid manner, the act itself of getting revenge for the Red Wedding was nice to see.
17. What’s West of Westeros (Season 8, Episode 6)
Season 8 was an absolute travesty that broke multiple character storylines and gave an end to characters that very few really even liked. Most of the character arcs either made no sense or were just abandoned for absolutely no reasons, and Arya was one of the absolute worst written characters in the entire season. This is really saying something considering they were all really bad.
Arya, however, got a fair and reasonably understandable ending for her character. Instead of staying in Westeros and eventually getting married and living a normal life, she instead chooses to sail West of Westeros, to adventure in an uncharted and dangerous world. This also poses some problems because this only fits in with who Arya’s character used to be, not with the emotionless terminator she turned into in the last 2 seasons. But still, it was a good scene.
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