Arya Stark’s list: Which names are on the assassin's hit list and why does she want to kill them?
2 May 2019, 15:21
As the hit HBO series Game of Thrones returns for the very last time, we take a look at who's left on Arya Stark's list - and who she's assassinated so far after training with the Faceless Men. WARNING: Contains spoilers
The youngest Stark daughter, Arya, has been a badass from the very start. From the moment she kicked Bran's butt with her archery skills in season 1, to when she served Walder Frey a warm slice of humble pie in his own home.
While her journey hasn't exactly been easy (she escaped from King's Landing after witnessing her father Ned's death, was blind at one point and was whacked with a stick more times than we can remember), Arya has always come out on top and has won herself a huge fan following.
Most recently, Arya wowed us all were her impressive moves, as she killed the Night King and his Army of the Dead.
READ MORE: This is how the Children of the Forest created the first White Walkers
A huge part of Arya's story is how she travelled to the House of Black and White in Braavos to train with the Faceless Men. Wanting to become a trained assassin, Arya learnt their skills in order to avenge the deaths of her friends and family.
Though we haven't heard her recite them lately, every night, Arya Stark repeats the names on her hit list as she drifts off to sleep. The people named include those who have not only wronged her.
So, as it's been a while, we feel it's important to have a quick little refresher on Arya Stark's list - and who she's managed to kill already. Here's everything you need to know about who is still alive and who might die at the sword of Arya Stark in the final season.
Who is left on Arya Stark's list?
1) Cersei Lannister - DEAD
Formerly presiding over King's Landing and sitting on the Iron Throne, Cersei Lannister was one of the first names to make it on Arya's list.
Not only did she give birth to psychopath, King Joffrey, she also gave many orders that resulted in Arya's family members' deaths. Cersei first accused Ned Stark of treason, which led to Joffrey beheading him in front of Arya and Sansa.
It was also the Lannisters who ordered the Freys to kill Catelyn and Robb Stark at the 'Red Wedding', as well as Robb's pregnant wife Talisa.
While we wanted to see a showdown between Arya and Cersei, and Melisandre's prophecy about Arya had everyone looking up Cersei's eye colour, we saw in episode 5 that Arya wasn't the one to kill the Lannister matriarch. Instead, Cersei died in her brother Jaime's arms, as the walls of King's Landing caved in on them.
READ MORE: GoT fans think this is how Cersei Lannister dies
2) Joffrey Baratheon - DEAD
In season 4 of the show, in the episode entitled 'The Lion and the Rose' - more commonly referred to as the 'Purple Wedding' - Joffrey married Margaery Tyrell.
At the wedding reception, Joffrey died in his mother's arms after ingesting poison. His murder was pinned on Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark, but it was actually Margery's grandmother and Tyrell matriarch, Olenna, that poisoned his chalice. So, yaaay, he's dead, but it wasn't Arya that did the deed.
3) Ser Meryn Trant - DEAD
You may have forgotten all about Ser Meryn, but Arya hadn't. Not only was he ordered to apprehend Arya Stark in season 1, Meryn killed her swordfighting teacher, Syrio Forel.
In season 5, Arya Stark kills Ser Meryn while disguised as a prostitute in a brothel. Meryn beats three women he's been given for his own amusement, but when one of them (Arya) doesn't cry out, he sends away the other two and punches her. Falling on her knees, Arya then pulls away her face, revealing her true identity.
Arya stabs him in the eyes and chest. Then, with a very deadpan expression, tells Meryn she's going to kill him to avenge her friend and slits his throat.
4) Tywin Lannister - DEAD
The former head of the Lannister household was best known for his military prowess. While he trained his children Cersei and Jamie to follow in his footsteps, he resented his youngest son, Tyrion, for 'killing' his wife during childbirth.
Tyrion eventually was the one to end his father's life - not Arya - when he used a crossbow to hit his father in the heart... while he was on the toilet. What a way to go!
5) Walder Frey - DEAD
Okay, so this one was carried out by Arya... and it was EPIC.
In season 7, after four long seasons, we finally saw that creepy old dude get what's coming to him after the 'Red Wedding'. As you may recall (I mean, how could you forget??), Walder and his family turned on King Robb and his mother Catelyn while they feasted in his huge banquet hall. They first stabbed Robb's pregnant wife in the stomach, then shot Robb with arrows, before stabbing him in the heart. Watching in agony, Catelyn Stark cries out, then has her throat slit.
Disguised as a servant girl, Arya serves Walder a pie containing his sons minced body parts (yum). She then coolly tells him about his sons' fate, announces herself and slits his throat. Yasss, Arya!
6) Polliver - DEAD
"Who the fuck is Polliver??", we hear you say. And we'd be lying if we didn't have to do a quick Google ourselves.
Cast your minds back to the beginning, when Westeros was a simpler place but had a lot more people to keep track of. Polliver was a soldier for the Lannisters who not only attacked Yoren and the Night's Watch, but also steels Arya's sword Needle from her while holding her captive.
He uses her sword to stab Lommy in the neck after the boy got injured, Arya then tricks them into believing Lommy was Robert Baratheon's bastard son, Gendry, who is also among the captives.
Arya kills him in season 4, after taking back her sword. It is while she's travelling with The Hound to the Vale (he's trying to sell Arya to her aunt Lysa Arryn) that they come across Polliver in an inn. She seizes the opportunity to smash a pot over his head, then cuts the back of his knees. Saying the same thing Polliver did before he killed Lommy, Arya then ends his life by shoving the thin blade into his neck.
7) The Hound - DEAD
Sandor was on Arya's list for killing her butcher boy friend waaaay back in season 1, when Joffrey, Robert and the Lannisters visited Winterfell.
Despite having a fair few opportunities to kill Sandor Clegane while they were travelling together in season 4, Arya didn't manage to murder him.
Brienne of Tarth, instead, fought him and left him for dead, as she was trying to keep her promise to Arya's mother Catelyn to keep her daughters safe.
After the conflict, Arya decided not to follow Brienne back to Winterfell.
As we've seen, The Hound and Arya have a complicated, love/hate relationship and while Arya initially wanted to kill him, but as they fought together in the Battle of Winterfell and rode to King's Landing together, it was clear that all had been forgiven - after all, all is fair in love and war.
The Hound then went on to fight his brother, Ser Gregor, before they both died in an epic scene.
8) The Mountain - DEAD
Ser Gregor was on Arya's list because of his torture at Harrenhal. He's also a bit of a mean bastard, so, ya know, there's that too.
The Mountain was acting as Cerisei's weird zombie lapdog, but ultimately he died at the hands of his younger brother, The Hound.
The gory scene saw a dramatic sword fight on the stairwell of the Red Keep, before Ser Gregor began the gauge The Hound's eyes out. Before it was too late, The Hound managed to take a swing at his older sibling and drove a dagger through his skull. The Hound then ran into The Mountain and they both fell into the flames below. What. A. Way. To. Go.
9) Melisandre - DEAD
The red priestess has done some serious shit in her time (let's not forget what she did to poor Shireen), but it's fair to say she redeemed herself in the Battle of Winterfell.
Arya originally wanted Melisandre dead because she seduced her pal Gendry and then put leeches on his body during sex. She also took him away from the Brotherhood Without Banners.
In season 7, Melisandre was hanging out at Dragonstone, trying to convince Dany to meet with Jon Snow after he banished her from the north, upon Davos' request.
While speaking to Varys, Melisandre spoke about their imminent deaths that would take place at Winterfell.
In season 8, episode 3, Melisandre returned to Stark stronghold one final time, not only stepping in for the lighting department, but also reminding Arya of the words she spoke to her when they first met.
After this pep talk, Arya went on to kill the Night King.
As dawn broke over the north, Melisandre left the castle walls and removed her ruby choker, before dying in the snow as Ser Davos watched on.
10) Ser Ilyn Payne - DEAD
The tongueless soldier hasn't been on screen for looooong time, but we're guessing he's still alive? Sure, he didn't have much choice, but it was Ser Payne that beheaded Ned Stark.
11) Beric Dondarrion - DEAD
We're not gonna lie, we can't say we're too sentimental about this one. The dude's died and come back to life multiple times anyway, so what's another death?
In season 7, we saw Beric go with The Hound and Jon Snow to battle it out against the White Walkers with his sword of flames, Lightbringer.
We have to admit Beric's death was pretty heroic though; by the time the Battle of Winterfell, came about, Arya had pretty much forgiven Beric. As the two of them and The Hound were running away from a bunch of Wights, Beric sacrificed himself to enable his pals to get away unscathed - not before launching Lightbringer some distance, striking a Wight, though.
12) Thoros of Myr - DEAD
In season 7, while trying to aide Jon Snow in bringing back a Wight to Cersei to prove the bigger, common threat, Thoros of Myr froze to death beyond The Wall.
When is Game of Thrones season 8 on?
The new series dropped in the US on Sunday 14th April, 2019.
For those in the UK, it airs at 9pm on Mondays on Sky Atlantic, or you can stream the show on NOW TV.
