Say hello to what/who I woke up thinking about this morning and the reason for this ASOIAF thread. https://twitter.com/letternumber7/status/988053318231642112

All biases, this time; Arya is my favorite Stark and one of my favorite ASOIAF and Game of Thrones characters. Like many of my threads, <b> this thread </b> is an ASOIAF thread only. I may mention GoT here and there to mention differences and/or similarities in storyline.

This won’t be as long (hopefully) because this isn’t a deep dive like my other threads. I just want to talk about why I think she should be everyone’s favorite.

Now, on to my girl.

Arya of House Stark is the second daughter and third child of Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Stark (neé Tully); born 289 AC at Winterfell Castle.

Arya is described as “more Stark than Tully” because of her long face, grey eyes, and brown hair; she is also skinny and athletically built. Described as plain in comparison to her older sister while also considered pretty and beautiful, like her late aunt Lyanna (winter rose).

Her first of many nicknames/aliases is “Arya Horseface”. Given to her by her sister and her sister’s best friend. This nickname has caused a lot to assume that my girl wasn’t cute. She just had a long face, okay? Leave her alone.

Another nickname given to her was Arya Underfoot, a name we both like better than Arya Horseface because...it’s just rude. This nickname was given to her by Tomard better known as Fat Tom, a House Guard (RIP). Because she was always “underfoot”.

Arya, as we know, never wanted to be a Lady (by noble definition); she wanted to learn to used a sword and ride horses at Tourneys. Settling in one spot has never been a dream of her either, she wanted to see the world. She knew there was more to it than what was taught to her.

Her decision to name her direwolf after Nymeria (Legendary Princess of the Rhoyne, not to be confused with Nymeria Sand, the Sand Snake) was PERFECT because like Arya, Nymeria was about that action and was not a Princess or Lady (by noble definition).

A girl after my heart, truly. Because I don’t consider myself to be a girlie girl at all. I used to be the type to climb up trees and jump over fences in a skirt.

Arya also has an adorable and personally relatable relationship with her older [half]brother, Jon. Jon, being the dope brother that he is, gifts Arya her first sword that she named Needle. “Stick ‘em with the pointy end!”

The sword is perfectly made for her and as we find out later, becomes apart of her. Let’s fast forward to King’s Landing and her training with the Sword of Braavos, Syrio Forel.

Now, idk where Ned found this man and Syrio’s “true identity” has been up for question a time or two in the past (we’re not doing that here) but MAN another perfect fit for Arya. She was dead ass about her training; bruises and scratches.

Chasing that mean ass cat Balerion around the Red Keep because her task was to catch him. Remembering different sayings like, “Fear cuts deeper than swords” and “Calm as still water.” She became a trained Braavosi water dancer (style of fighting) at 9!

Syrio’s training helped her get out of the Red Keep shit was going down. Because the city gates were closed, she was in Flea Bottom catching pigeons and rats to trade for food or money (resourceful and utilizing her training!)

She remained in Flea Bottom until the day of Ned’s Beheading at the Sept of Baelor. This is the day she officially became someone else, Arry the Orphan. Created by Yoren of The Night’s Watch. It was easy to cut off all of her hair.

She was often assumed to be a boy because of her appearance so having her play a boy was quite easy to do. And smart, because the City Watch was looking for a girl that had clear Stark features.

Arry the Orphan was set to travel to The Wall to become a member of the Night’s Watch. For the most part, pretending to be Arry was seamless. She forgot the part she was playing a time or two because her main goal was to get back to family.

Arry is where we are introduced to Arya’s List. Unable to sleep because she had her first kill(s) on her mind. She talks to Yoren one night about his first kill and how he found a way to sleep. He tells his story and mentions a prayer he said before going to sleep.

Arya’s “prayer” is her list. Say hello to my girl’s main motive to survive; she needs to avenge her loved ones. These names were either added or taken off from Arya’s list, depending on different situations.

Someone on the list was killed by someone else (Joffrey), she grew to like them later on (The Hound). Throughout her storyline someone was added because they killed a friend or was shitty in general (Tickler and Pulliver) or because the my abused her (Weese).

Weese was a person she was assigned to at Harrenhal. This man was terrible and very abusive. Very. He was one of the men Arya asked Jaqen to kill (last minute decision) after she had enough of his abuse.

She manages (used lightly because I don’t know Jaqen’s intentions) to convince Jaqen to help her and her friends Hot Pie and Gendry to escape Harrenhal; having him kill more men than the 3 names promised. Upon escape he has her a Braavosi coin and advises for her to find him.

This is where she ends up first with The Brotherhood and after some bullshit she runs away from them but ends up with The Hound and held for ransom. On their journey, though, The Hound becomes another person to learn from and her protector.

I have to mention my favorite moment in both the books and the show, “Every chicken in here”. This is the moment The Hound and Arya both fuck shit up in an Inn. The difference between book and show is that The Hound kills Pulliver, not Arya. Arya stabs

I’m just going to place this here.

But yeah, The Hound kills Pulliver and Arya takes that moment to kill Tickler. She stabs him to death and is only stopped by The Hound. He’s dead Arya, he is dead.

This is after the events of The Red Wedding, so Arya and The Hound are basically riding around trying to find the next stop when they meet Brienne of Tarth (True and Blue Knight ) who recognizes Arya and offers to protect her.

The Hound being protective of Arya and not knowing Brienne, on top of Arya journeying all of this time and learning not to be quick to trust, she turns down Brienne’s offer. Brienne not backing down causes The Hound to question her more, they fight about it.

Arya sneaks away at this moment and only returns after The Hound looks to have lost the fight. Leaving him there, she plans to head north alone. Because she has to get back to family. It’s been the main thing on her mind.

Remember different things said and done by her favorite, Jon and even missing her sister and wondering how she is. Worrying about her other brothers. My girl has found the ship dock and offers to work to get North but the ship isn’t heading north...it’s going to Braavos.

Remembering the coin that Jaqen gave her and her wanting to learn how to kill the way he does (because, people still have to die for their actions. justice!) she shows the man the coin, and to Braavos she travels.

I don’t remember if she seen a nameday by this point or not but just in case, my girl has survived and grown a lot...and is only 10.

In Braavos, my girl showed up to the House of Black and White like, “Hello! I am here..teach me to kill!!” She got looked up and down and then the door was closed on her. I believe this is where her training to be a Faceless man began.

She wasn’t supposed to be so hype about it because to truly be able to do this job you have to be free of personal emotion. So you can assume the emotion and personality of someone else.

After some time though, she was allowed in but had to get rid of everything that belonged to Arya Stark. She got rid of everything but Needle. Can’t give that up because it meant too much. (I get it).

While here, my girl learns Braavosi, which is needed for the different roles she needs to play. In the show, you’ll remember Arya having a slightly different accent when she spoke in Braavos. Have to make it believable! Here’s on first official role, Cat of the Canals.

She has to play Cat with her own face, however, because she isn’t far enough in her training to wear another face. She does well though, reporting secrets and such back to “the kindly man”.

The Waif starts another form of training, teaching her the art of lying but while still training Arya does something she definitely shouldn’t have, she killed a deserter of The Night’s Watch. Someone who is no one shouldn’t do something a ruling member of House Stark would do.

This is the reason she is made to drink something that caused her blindness. In the show, that wild killing of Ser Meryn was the reason. (That shit was wild as hell. Lol)

To maintain said blindness she is made to drink a milk like drink every night. Hello, another form of training.

I’d love to mention that while all of this is going on, Arya has been having wolf dreams. Yes, like Bran. But guess what, Arya’s warging powers have to be elite because she is on another continent seeing through the eyes of Nymeria. ().

And through/because of Nymeria, we get another character that won’t be named here and is not named in the show.

Anywho, Arya is now Blind Beth. A beggar on the streets of Braavos. Seeing nothing but can hear damn near everything. She can also lie better and is better at detecting lies. Why? She can hear the changes in voice and breathing patterns better (Science!)

With all of these new skills, when “the kindly man” approaches her again she is able to identify him. Thus getting her sight back. That part of training, done.

Arya is awarded her first face and first official task as a Faceless man. She is to kill an old man and initially tries to justify this killing within herself. Remember that all of her previous killings had reason to her. But this man did nothing to her personally.

So she was conflicted about this but she carried out this tasks. First mission is done. She is giving a robe and is assigned her first apprenticeship with the King of the Mummers, Izembaro.

And ASOIAF wise...this is where her story leaves off...technically. But a Winds of Winter chapter for her was released that is . I won’t mention any of that here though.

To end, Arya is and will always be my favorite because she is truly a girl after my own heart. She loves her family, even the ones she doesn’t like as people at times. She’s willing to learn, always, and dives head first into it.

While never forgetting who she is and where she comes from.

My girl. My favorite.

My favorite talking about the history of my fave.

continued