Arya Stark

**Other:**
Jon Snow (paternal cousin raised as bastard half-brother)

"*A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell, and I'm going home*"
―Arya Stark re-asserts her identity to Jaqen H'gharQueen **Arya Stark** was the third child and younger daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife, Lady Catelyn Tully, the younger sister of Robb and Sansa Stark, the older sister of Bran and Rickon Stark, and the "half-sister" of Jon Snow.

After her father was executed by King Joffrey Baratheon on charges of treason, she was taken north under the disguise of a male orphaned Night's Watch recruit, leading her to be assumed dead by most. After briefly being held captive in Harrenhal by Tywin Lannister (who remained oblivious to her true identity), she was captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners and then Sandor Clegane. Both attempted to sell her to family members in exchange for gold, but after Arya left the Hound for dead, she travelled to Braavos to receive training with the Faceless Men, which the plan of gaining the skills necessary to kill everyone responsible for wronging her family. Arya ultimately left the Faceless Men and returned to Winterfell, where she participated in the Great War alongside her family.

Following the Great War, she became Queen Consort of the Seven Kingdoms through her marriage to King Gendry I Baratheon, and had two children with her husband, the future King Robert II Baratheon, and Lyanna Baratheon. Arya was killed during the the War of the Narrow Sea, during a duel with Euron Greyjoy whilst attempting to escape captivity on Tarth.

## Biography

### Background

See Arya Stark/Background on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 1

See Arya Stark/*Game of Thrones*: Season 1 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 2

See Arya Stark/*Game of Thrones*: Season 2 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 3

See Arya Stark/*Game of Thrones*: Season 3 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 4

See Arya Stark/*Game of Thrones*: Season 4 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 5

See Arya Stark/*Game of Thrones*: Season 5 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 6

See Arya Stark/*Game of Thrones*: Season 6 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 7

See Arya Stark/*Game of Thrones*: Season 7 on Wiki of Westeros

### *Game of Thrones*: Season 8

Arya did not greet Daenerys Targaryen and her forces as they rode into Winterfell, instead waiting to reunite with Jon alone. Some time later, she did so with him in Winterfell's godswood. The two exchanged stories from their time apart, and compared each other's swords. As the pair were leaving the godswood, Gendry and his companions rode into Winterfell, having narrowly escaped the Night King at Eastwatch-by-the-sea. After frantically informing Jon of what he saw, he noticed Arya standing beside him. The two embraced, having long thought the other dead.

Later, Arya approached Gendry in the forge, flirting with him and commissioning him to built her a dragonglass tipped weapon suited to her fighting style. The next day, Arya asked Gendry for an update on her weapon, and further questioned him on what it was like to fight the Army of the Dead. Gendry responded that they were like "death", and in response, Arya showcased her skills, and stated bluntly that she knew death all to well. That night, she bore witness to Gendry's legitimisation and naming as heir presumptive to the Iron Throne by Daenerys. Arya was shocked, as she was up until then unaware that Gendry was the son of Robert Baratheon.

The next day, Arya approached Gendry, and questioned him as to why he had failed to tell her about his lineage. After some bluster, Gendry told Arya that he was concerned that she would think of him differently if he knew. Arya reassured Gendry that it wouldn't, or at least, not in a way that he wouldn't like.

That night, Arya was present at a council where Jon laid out his plans for battle. Following the council, Arya came across the Hound and Beric Dondarrion, bemoaning them as "miserable shits" and stating that she did not want to spend her would-be final hours with them. She went to practice archery alone, where Gendry found her, having completed her weapon. Arya questioned him on why Melisandre wanted him all those years ago, and then began questioning him on how many girls he had slept with before in King's Landing. After Gendry gave his answer, Arya closed the gap with him, stating that she wanted to know what sex felt like before she died. After a brief moment of hesitation, the couple stripped each other naked, and had sex. Several hours later, the horns of Winterfell rung out, signaling the arrival of the White Walkers.

In the ensuing battle, Arya fought on the battlements above the main gate. After the wights breached the castle walls, Arya used her new weapon to fight them off, before being injured and forced to retreat within the castle itself. In the library, Arya attempted to sneak past a number of wights, before drawing their attention and running for her life. She was saved by Beric and the Hound, and together they managed to retreat to a side room. After some argument, Arya told them of one of Syrio Forel's lessons, stating that they would not die tonight, even if Winterfell should fall. Arya then informed them of a secret passage in the crypts leading to a tributary of the White Knife, allowing them to save themselves and the people taking refuge beneath the castle.

The trio successfully made their way to the crypts, opening the passageway and permitting the refugees to escape. Unfortunately, the Night King had begun raising the corpses buried in the crypts to his side, including Arya's late younger brother Rickon. In the ensuing fighting, Beric was killed, and Melisandre sacrificed herself by engulfing the crypts in flames to aid their escape. The survivors successfully made their way to the river, and boarded a number of skiffs for Castle Cerwyn.

After the survivors of the battle regrouped at Castle Cerwyn, Arya accompanied the army of the living south to the Inn at the Crossroads, where she met with Hot Pie once again. After a fresh force of Tully and Arryn troops joined them, the army moved out for King's Landing.

Determined to see Cersei Lannister pay for her crimes, Arya began making plans to assassinate Cersei. Both Jon and the Hound warned her against trying anything, but Arya went anyway, sneaking into the Red Keep under the cover of night. Some time later, Arya came upon Cersei, being counselled by her brother Jaime to surrender the city to Daenerys. Arya attacked the couple, with Jaime defending Cersei against her long enough for the Mountain to arrive and begin fighting Arya. Arya was quickly overwhelmed, but just before the Mountain could deal a killing blow, the Hound rushed in (having followed Jaime into the Red Keep), and began battling his brother. The brothers dueled for a time, until the Hound crash-tackled the Mountain out of the Red Keep, killing them both. Arya fled the scene, deeply regretting her decision to try and kill Cersei.

Following the destructive siege of King's Landing, Arya reunited with her siblings and Gendry, and began preparing herself to the final battle against the White Walkers. In the ensuing battle, Arya fought alongside Gendry and his brother Edric, but was continually forced to fall back as the White Walkers advanced through the city. The group were eventually driven into the Red Keep itself, fighting their way through it's halls. Eventually, they were cornered, and prepared to make a last stand, but all of a sudden, the assaulting wights fell in unison; the Night King had been killed by Jon and Bran, and the Great War was over.

Arya rushed in to the Great Hall, where she found Daenerys dead and Jon dying in Bran's arms. Arya tearfully embraced her brother, as he passed away beneath the steps of the Iron Throne. Drogon flew up to investigate, and upon realising that Rhaegal and Daenerys were dead, he incinerated the Iron Throne in a grief-stricken fury.

With Daenerys and Jon Snow dead, Gendry was proclaimed as the new monarch of the Seven Kingdoms. After much soul-searching, Arya felt that the best way to firmly put her traumatic past behind her, was to start anew. She married Gendry, becoming Queen Consort of the Seven Kingdoms. In addition, her brother Bran became Gendry's new Hand of the King. Arya's marriage to Gendry ultimately helped secure the North as a part of the Seven Kingdoms.

### Reign as Queen Consort

Arya was a signatory to the Treaty of Long Lake, which dissolved the Night's Watch and inducted the Free Folk and the lands beyond the Wall into the North. She played a leading role in the occupation of the Iron Islands, which returned the ironborn to the fold and established House Harlaw as the new Lords of the Iron Islands.

In 307 AC, Gendry and Arya's first child was born; a boy which they named Robert (or simply Robb), to honour both Gendry's father and Arya's elder brother. Two years later in 309 AC, their second child was born; a girl which they named Lyanna, to honour Arya's aunt, Lyanna Stark.

### *A Dream of Spring*

When the War of the Narrow Sea broke out, Arya assumed a significant leadership role. She remained in King's Landing after Gendry departed with his armies for Rosby to deal with the invading force under Asaro Trellos. However, a second, much larger invasion force under Aeron Blackfyre was wreaking havoc in the Stormlands. Knowing that Lord Edric Baratheon would struggle to defeat Aeron on his own, she assembled a cavalry force and led them down the Kingsroad to Storm's End.

Arya arrived in Storm's End just in time to turn the tide of the ongoing battle, but without warning, Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet appeared in Shipbreaker Bay and began attacking the castle from the sea. In the midst of the fierce battle, Arya encountered Euron and began dueling him, even managing to land a number of hits on the ironborn warrior. However, Arya was soon knocked out, and taken captive by Euron. Edric was forced to abandon the castle soon after, leaving it the hands of the Eastern Coalition.

Arya was taken to Tarth, which had also been captured by Euron to serve as his base of operations. She was kept under lock and key, and some suggested that Euron planned to take her as a salt wife. Several weeks into her captivity, Edric and Brienne of Tarth infiltrated the castle, killing Aeron Blackfyre and freeing Arya. As a token of her gratitude, Arya offered Edric her Valyrian steel dagger. However, moments later, a portcullis dropped and separated Arya from Edric and Brienne. Euron then emerged from the darkness, intent on killing Arya. Arya fought Euron fiercely, but was malnourished and weak from her captivity. Euron eventually managed to run Arya through with his blade, killing her nearly instantly.

## Appearance and personality

Unlike her other true-born siblings, who appeared more Tully than Stark, Arya exhibited the typical Stark characteristics. She was scrawny in her youth, and attracted bullying from Sansa and her friends because of it. Throughout the War of the Five Kings, she dressed like a boy to disguise her identity, and had her hair cut short by Yoren. However, after she returned to Westeros and especially after she became Queen, she began to resemble her late aunt Lyanna Stark more and more, and was considered by many to be a great beauty because of it.

Arya was a fiercely independent woman, and rejected the social norms assigned to her gender. During her youth, she was an archetypical tomboy, and clashed with her ladylike sister Sansa. She enjoyed a much closer relationship with her brothers, particularly her bastard half-brother, Jon Snow. She was full of life, and made people smile by virtue of her indifference to "the rules".

As she began her journey to King's Landing, she underwent a traumatic series of events that shattered her innocence and her support system, losing her pet, her father, brother, mother and numerous friends, old and new. She gradually grew colder, more ruthless, and increasingly detached towards murder and death. This all culminated when she joined the Faceless Men, and was trained to become a ruthless assassin completely divorced from emotion, and was encouraged to completely abandon her old sense of identity.

Ultimately, Arya rejected the Faceless Men, and returned to Westeros seeking to reconnect with her remaining family. After she was reunited with Sansa, Bran, Jon and Gendry, she began to resemble her old self more and more, although her cold and emotionless nature persisted. Only after she narrowly avoided death at the hands of the Mountain did she truly confront her worst tendencies, and make an effort to put her traumatic past behind her.

Arya struggled with the idea of becoming Queen Consort to Gendry, having previously rejected the idea of marriage and becoming a man's 'lady'. However, Arya ultimately decided that the best way to move away from the self-destructive path she had been taking, was to undertake a radical fresh start, and move forward with her new family. She also felt that she would be able to define the role on her own terms, not those of which society expected. Gendry fully supported this, seeing her as his co-equal in marriage and leadership, and only loved her more for it. It was often joked in the capital that Gendry would sooner wear a gown to court than Arya, although Arya did come to embrace some ladylike courtesies, but only on the most formal of occasions.

As such, by the War of the Narrow Sea, Arya loved, and was fiercely protective of her new family. This loyalty even extended to her good-brother Edric Baratheon, whom she saved from Euron Greyjoy during the Battle of Storm's End, a decision which would ultimately lead to her death.

## See also

* Arya Stark on Wiki of Westeros
* Arya Stark on A Wiki of Ice and Fire