Arya Stark

**Arya Stark** is the second daughter and third child of Eddard Stark and his wife Catelyn Tully. She is eight years old at the start of *A Game of Thrones*.

## Appearance and Character

Arya Stark is a tomboyish girl who likes fighting and exploring, unlike her older sister Sansa Stark. Her fierce temperament is often discouraged by Septa Mordane. She is left-handed, skinny and fast. With her dark hair, grey eyes and long stern face, Arya resembles more of a Stark than a Tully, despite all her siblings. Jon Snow, her half-brother, is the other one of the Stark children who have more of a Stark appearance. The bastard son of her father is also the sibling she likes the most. She is very good at mathematics and horse riding.

Her behavior and appearance makes people often mistake her for a boy. Arya is wild, adventurous, unpredictable and extremely wilful. She absolutely hates the feminine expectations pressed upon her, in which her older sister Sansa absolutely thrives, and neither aspires in needlework or womanly graces as she does. Arya is incredibly spirited and very brave when need be, and completely capable of fighting for herself when she is backed into a corner. She is often quick to anger in some situations, but is also a fast learner in her own right and can quickly adapt to her own situation.

What largely motivates Arya throughout the War of the Five Kings is vengeance: for her father, for her friend, for the injustices that have befallen her family. Arya has fallen into the obsessive habit of reciting the names of the people she intends to kill before she goes to sleep, and when she encounters certain people she has intended to kill she can often become reckless and frightfully violent, as evidenced by her brutal killing of the Tickler during the brawl at the crossroads inn.

Arya longs to be reunited with her surviving family, and is devastated by all those she loses. She has slowly become withdrawn and very introverted throughout her experiences.

## Books

### A Game of Thrones

When each of the Stark children got a direwolf pup to keep, she named hers Nymeria. They travel to King's Landing with her father. Before leaving she is given the sword Needle by Jon, who encourages her to persue her own pursuits. Nymeria attacks Prince Joffrey Baratheon after Joffrey catches Arya dueling with Mycah. Arya throws rocks at her to scare her away so Cersei Lannister will not have the chance to kill her. Sansa's wolf, Lady, was killed in the place of the missing Direwolf

While in King's Landing, her father discovers Needle, but instead of taking it from her Eddard realizes that she must be trained. Arya begins training under Syrio Forel, a water dancer from Braavos. Along with teaching Arya fighting in the Braavosi style, Syrio gives her strange exercises--like standing on one foot, and chasing cats. During one of those exercises, Arya discovers secret passages in the Red keep. She overhears two men, who by description seem to be Varys and Illyrio, speaking about her father and Cersei. She tries to tell Eddard about Cersei's plans to get rid of him, though he doesn't listen.

When Cersei's men come to get Arya During the purge of Stark from the Red Keep, Syrio defends her, resulting in his apparent death at the hands of Ser Meryn Trant. Meanwhile Arya got out of the castle using the passage she found earlier, but she couldn't get out of the city since the gates are heavily guarded. She lives on the streets of Flea Bottom, catching pigeons and rats to trade for food. She is found in the crowd of people watching her father's death by Yoren of the Night's Watch, who recognizes her and then saves her from the sight of Eddard's execution and drags her out of King's Landing.

### A Clash of Kings

Lannister freeriders led by Ser Amory Lorch kill Yoren on the shores of the Gods Eye and burn the barn where he and his recruits were hiding. Arya manages to escapes along with Gendry, Hot Pie, whilst her other friend, Lommy Greenhands, escapes but is wounded. In the process she saves the lives of Jaqen H'ghar, Rorge, and Biter - three criminals found in the Black Cells that Yoren was bringing to the wall. Shortly after, Arya is captured by men under the command of Gregor Clegane and Lommy is killed by Raff the Sweetling. They take her to Harrenhal and put her to work as a servant in the undermanned castle.

Whilst Arya serves as a servant at Harrenhal - going by the name 'Weasel' - H'ghar, Rorge, and Biter reappear as members of the Brave Companions. For saving his life during the attack, H'ghar promises to repay Arya by killing three men of her choice. For her three choices, Arya selects Chiswyck, a soldier in Gregor Clegane's forces, Weese, her servant overseer, and Jaqen H'ghar himself. The first two murders he carries out without question. However, in lieu of the third choice, Arya leverages H'ghar to help her free the Northmen in the dungeon and stage an uprising. No long after H'ghar fulfill her third wish, he gives Arya an old iron coin and tells her to give the coin to any man from Braavos if she should ever desire to find him and learn his secrets. He then adopts a new identity and leaves.

The next day, Lord Roose Bolton arrives to take charge of the Harrenhal. Arya, now calling herself Nymeria, or Nan for short, is made one of Roose's cupbearers for her significant role in the freeing of the Northmen. She inadvertently meets the squire she would have to marry under Robb's agreement with the Freys, though they remain unknown to each other.

After Lord Roose Bolton tells Arya about his plan of leaving Harrenhal to Vargo Hoat, Arya kills a guard and escapes Harrenhal, accompanied by Gendry and Hot Pie.

### A Storm of Swords

Arya Stark and her friends encounter a group of men known as the Brotherhood Without Banners, led by Lord Beric Dondarrion and the red priest, Thoros of Myr. Arya eventually tires of following the Brotherhood around and tries to break free, but is captured by Sandor Clegane instead. Clegane decides to take her back to her family in exchange for service, and they head north.

Arya and Sandor are in the outskirts of the Twins when the 'Red Wedding' takes place, and flee downriver. Arya has a strange dream that she is actually her long-missing direwolf, Nymeria, who now leads a huge pack of wolves in the Riverlands. She dreams of Nymeria finding a corpse floating in the Green Fork south of the Twins and pulling it ashore, only to flee as a group of men approach.

Arya and Sandor Clegane run afoul of some freeriders in the service of Sandor's hated brother, Gregor, in an inn. There is a fight and the freeriders are killed, but Sandor is wounded. Arya leaves him dying under a tree and goes to the nearby port town of Saltpans, on the Trident. She finds a ship from the Free City of Braavos there, but they refuse to take her north. She pulls out the coin Jaqen H'ghar gave her and the ship crew suddenly become more cooperative. They won't take her north, but do agree to take over back to Braavos beyond the Narrow Sea with them. She agrees.

### A Feast for Crows

Arya has befriended Denyo Terys, the son of Ternesio Terys, the captain of the *Titan's Daughter*, and he stands by her side as they arrive in Braavos. Yorko Terys, the captain's other son, is tasked with rowing her to shore. She arrives at the House of Black and White and meets the Kindly Man and the Waif, who accept her in.