By now you’ve seen the Entertainment Weekly photoshoot featuring a Stark reunion. Sansa, Arya, Bran and Jon Snow are pictured on the same cover. One big happy family in Game of Thrones Season 7, right? Not so fast, guys.
Here’s why we have our reservations about Arya’s reunion with her Stark siblings. While it’s likely the Stark kids will reunite by the end of Game of Thrones Season 7, Arya is too far gone to let go of her bloodlust. Arya has a kill list and likely won’t return to Winterfell until she completes it. But another possibility is she gets to Winterfell and starts killing people Jon and Sansa need in order to protect their home and Westeros.
Arya’s list
- Cersei Lannister- alive
- Joffrey Lannister- dead
- Tywin Lannister- dead
- Ilyn Payne- alive
- Gregor "the Mountain" Clegane- alive-ish
- Sandor "the Hound" Clegane- alive, but kind of off the list
- Melisandre- alive
- Polliver- dead, Arya kill
- Walder Frey- dead, Arya kill
- Beric Dondarrion- alive
- Thoros of Myr- alive
- Rorge- dead, Arya kill
- Meryn Trant- dead, Arya kill
Remember when Arya encountered Melisandre for the first time in Game of Thrones Season 3? The Red Woman looked into Arya’s eyes and saw darkness. “Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you’ll shut forever,” Melisandre told Arya. Well, there are people in Winterfell who deserve to get their eyes shut forever. If Arya learns what happened to Sansa, there’s one name that’ll she’ll add to the list without hesitation: Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish.
Baelish is in Winterfell plotting against Jon Snow. Sansa doesn’t trust Baelish, but she’s learned she needs people in her corner to survive. You think Arya is going to let Baelish live? I don’t think so. While Baelish deserves a knife to the throat, Jon and Sansa kind of need his connections. Not everyone will see Jon as a legitimate heir to Winterfell, even if they learn of his true paternity. Sansa is also technically a Bolton, and that family was terrible to Winterfell. Sansa is no Lyanna Mormont. She doesn’t have a commanding presence or any true power. Hence why they need Baelish, at least for now, because the guy has his ways of getting information.
But Arya won’t care about the consequences of killing someone like Baelish. Arya will continue on her path for revenge. She’s not going to stop hunting down people who’ve killed the Starks to help Jon and Sansa take back Winterfell. We think the list and her bloodlust gives her purpose. It gives her a reason to survive. You put Arya back in Winterfell under Jon Snow’s watchful eye and she’ll be miserable. Not that Jon can really protect Arya; she’ll just change her face and escape.
And let’s be real: Arya and Sansa didn’t really get along. Yes, they loved each other, but Arya never liked the way she treated Jon. Sansa was always reminding Jon was her half-brother and not really a Stark. Arya cares more about Jon than she does Sansa, but we know she’ll kill anyone that hurts them.
Still, Arya’s reunion with her family will probably cause conflict. We’re not so sure her being being in Winterfell will be a good thing. She might be more trouble than she’s worth. Where do you think Arya will end up in Game of Thrones Season 7 ? Let us know in the comments below.
