@@Nosedive_253 Yeah Ned and Rob and (partially) Cat (I won't count Jon because I'm sure they'll bring him back) That's 5/8 starks still alive, which in comparison to other houses, it's a pretty good number of survivors
I've always found it telling that a lot of Arya's aliases are related to her old life - even when she's trying to become "no one" Arry, Nan, Nymeria, Cat (like Catelyn), etc.
Arya's Harenhall chapters were so fucked up. I love how she escaped when she killed that guard. It's been a while but I believe she whispers Valar Morghulis as she kills him and she didn't even know it meant All Men Must Die. Fucking epic.
in many years of youtube, i have never seen anyone making videos like you do, from the perfect narrating to the incredible editing, knowledge .. i dont even know what to say, i just appreciate the fact i can watch stuff like this for free .. mindblowing. thank you
I still believe Arya's fate was foreshadowed: "'You’ll be sewing all through winter. When the spring thaw comes, they will find your body with a needle still locked tight between your frozen fingers.' Arya didn’t think it was funny. " If we take Needle to mean her sword Needle, then sewing means killing... and frozen may mean dead, or just cold/broken-hearted.
But grrm has said that he regrets the amount of forshadowing he has done in the initial books, because he's not following that outline anymore. (Or at least that's what I like to tell myself because I can't handle Arya dying)
It's really unfortunate that the show never touched on the Jon and Arya's warg powers. Especially when it seems like their powers are pretty important to the characters.
There is a very odd connection between Arya and Catelyn. Arya is the only child of Catelyn she never has contact to on screen. Arya constantly thinks about her mother during her time in the riverlands (Because a lot of people keep telling her they are going to deliver her to Catelyn). Catelyn barely thinks about Arya (because she subconcouisly accepts that shes dead). Lady Stoneheart only exists to punish those who have destroyed her family, a lot like Arya's only real motivation is her list of names. Arya associates a lot with cats and Catelyns nickname is Cat. Its not a very strong connection but its definatly there. A great way for Arya to grow and overcome some of her very bad coping mechanisms is witnessing what is left of her mother being everything Arya wishes to be, a unstopable and cruel force of vengance itself, and realizing its not worth living like that. That would be a bittersweet way for her character arc to end.
Not only that, but Arya (and Bran) keeps thinking that the Starks are more wolf than man and if she was a wolf, she could do all sorts of things to her enemies, and considering that post-resurrection Jon Snow will be a violent and bloodthirsty Wolf-Man due to his time inside Ghost moved by self-hate, PTSD and guilt(just like Guts after he became the Black Swordsman), Arya will realize on the hard way that becoming obsessed with vengeance and being more wolf than man is way more uglier and darker than she realizes!
If you look closely at the characters, Arya and Catelyn are very much alike deep down. You can clearly see that Arya gets her temper and impulsiveness from her mother.
I DEFINITLY want a moment were StoneHeart meets with her children to show that they're still alive, but they're horrified/disgusted by what she's become. It'd show that the whole time she spent avenging her desd family is time she should have spent with the living ones.
Agree and also add that Stoneheart now knows from the brotherhood that Arya is in fact still alive and actively searches for her (as seen in Brienne's chapter)
@@Polo-wk7zlseriously at the risk of sounding mean, the fandom is way too obsessed with giving all of the Starks 'wolf' names after Jon and Robb got theirs. Sansa being 'the Red Wolf' is the only one I'm kind of on board with, but the wolf name thing is hardly a common thing throughout their history aside from one guy (Howland) using it as a thin veil to conceal who he was talking about. Robb's is basically just a slightly cooler way of saying "HAHA YOU JUST GOT WRECKED BY A LITERAL INFANT, SUCK IT", and Jon seems to get one more because its an echo of Robb than anything else. But so many fanfics turn it into Bran being the Raven Wolf or some bs like that It all just sounds too reminiscent of those cringey self insert fanfics with characters nicknamed 'the Aquamarine Wolf-Dragon-Lion', and their actual name is some misspelled Targaryen bs with even more vowels than GRRM dares like Elaynaereia, and they're the secret twin of Jon but were raised by Cersei and Robert and have now been betrothed to Robb, and yes this is a needlessly specific example but the vibes are the same. In short, 'the Night Wolf' is indeed a dumb name, nothing personal to the original commenter
@@CoRLex-jh5vxI agree with everything you said, but it is worth noting that there are plenty of “Wolf” nicknames throughout Stark history. But yeah, not everyone needs a Wolf name
@@BIastwave. Oh yeah I'm not saying it didn't happen, just that it really wasn't common, certainly not to the point of it being realistic that every current Stark kid would get their own nickname. Per AWOIAF, there were only three historical Starks with wolf-based nicknames, vs SEVENTEEN non-wolf nicknames. Personally I believe Robb was called the Young Wolf way more because of Grey Wind's prominence rather than just him being a Stark. Statistically 'Robb the Young' makes more sense based on the previous nicknames, but is way less cool and when you've got a massive wolf on your side, of course you're gonna give your King a cool name derived from that. Then Jon was named both after Ghost, his status as a Snow, and as an echo of Robb. But its always made out to be a unique circumstance for them. Not just "well every Stark gets a cool wolf name, better call Rickon the 'Even Younger Wolf'"
Considering how Arya has dark hair and grey eyes, she must have looked a bit like Sandor's little sister who was killed by Gregor (if the rumors are true). Maybe that's why he was so protective over her. My heart broke when I realised that... :(
Jack It was so fucking cheesy I hated it. In fact I really just hated how she suddenly was the main character and everyone else was forced to give room to her
@@9393jack to be fair, Leif Ericsson would be a better comparison, he's the one that charted out blind into the west first centuries before. Arya isn't a genocidal rapey monster like Columbus haha, and he thought he found India. But yeah.. I've been reading the series since 2003, waited over a decade now since Dance, got a few good years of the show when it appeased book fans..and then it fell victim to its own popularity, writing the bare minimum to entertain drunks watching it in the bar for reaction videos.. I just want the real ending to be here already. Although realistically i don't think we'll ever see dream of spring, he won't last another decade
Waltz if you read the first chapter of DoD you will realize that warging into an animal for too long kills your mind and soul, so this theory is interesting but most probably wrong, besides GGRM´s wife made sure that Arya is going to survive the song, because its her favorite character tho...
+sPuN SpUn I have read the DoD prologue however your view is slightly flawed. Varamyr's "mind and soul were killed" due to him entering a human host who was trying to repel him. It is easier for wargs to become there animals after death as shown by Orell turning into his eagle. Therefore this theory still could be valid and it's very interesting to think about.
“They say you forget,” Haggon had told him, a few weeks before his own death. “When the man’s flesh dies, his spirit lives on inside the beast, but every day his memory fades, and the beast becomes a little less a warg, a little more a wolf, until nothing of the man is left and only the beast remains.” nope this theory cannot work
i think the opposite will happen. Ol´ShizzleX already showed us very well how she lost her humanity and got more violent and cruel during the story. This is of course what GRRM does most of the time. but i am convinced this can be healed and its going to. at some point she will be with her family again, at some point she will be with nymeria again. This will be the point where she will find her humanity again. To me Arya is kind of a little Anakin in the story. but yea, a symbolic end as you mean would fit in aswell, cheers
What if the view of Nymeria is more symbolic. Arya sees Nymeria leading a pack of wolves. What if that's what happens with Arya? She ends up leading her own pack of "Wolves," meaning she becomes head of House Stark.
Jonathan Luoto I don't disagree. It would be insanely depressing but not out of the realm of possibility. And if there is only one Stark left at the end, my money is on either Arya or Bran.
TheUnknown285 I actually think both Sansa and Rickon have a better chance surviving than Arya or Bran. Arya is surrounded by death. Her main theme is death. And Bran's role seem to be interlinked with Beyond the Wall. Meanwhile Rickon is Manderly's secret card, and Sansa is learning to play the Game from a master.
+TheUnknown285 I don't think she could technically become head of house Stark but I do think her pack may be the remaining Starks even though seeing them all together would be fan fiction at this point :(
If Arya were real, it's unlikely she would have survived so many of the crap she goes through, much less all of it. Heck, she'd likely have died from disease or the Waif's stabbing, at the very least.
@Me Alexander lmao nothing wrong with getting therapy. Doesn't make you weak or anything. If anything it takes real strength to admit you need help. Stop being a bitch boy.
It's not just a fan theory, though. It's a whole tragic tale summed up into 13 minutes. Arya is a sympathetic character that's both grounded in reality and fantasy. Taken individually, her harrowing experiences feel real and tragic although all of those things happening to a 9-year-old girl over the period of a long few years is fantastical. The only way for someone, anyone really, to survive all of it was to become a bit of a Mary Sue character. Which in turn invites criticism and shaming when the audience is still swept up in emotions over her. I feel ya, brotha.
You are a legend, this makes sense I can't believe youtubers slag you off, there more to you than meets the eye, I hope Arya's wish will come true. I really do
Sofia Alarcon Red team Review slagged him off because his video's on the popular theories were "bullshit" also I heard that other youtubers said bad things about him, they should really keep their opinions to themselves.
Jon Connington that red team guy..... no offense to him of course, is a mental midget in comparison to altshiftx.... altshiftx handles things concisely, and almost scientifically.... he is certainly the most logical got youtuber out there.... a guy who presents evidence, and counter-evidence in a logical, intuitive manner....
Jon Connington Ugh, and this is why I can't stand RedTeamReview. It's fine if he doesn't like fan theories- that's his personal thing. But I see him all the time in the comments section of other ASOIAF-related channels, talking shit about anyone who theorizes. He also claims that anyone who makes ASOIAF-related videos is just jumping on the "GoT bandwagon". One time I pointed out that particular hypocrisy to him, and he basically said that it's okay for him to do it because he makes other, non-ASOIAF related content. Right, because everyone who is dedicated to one fandom is required to be dedicated to all fandoms equally *sarcasm*. Needless to say, I unsubscribed to his channel long ago. But why do other youtubers say bad things about AltShiftX? All he does is make videos outlining popular fan theories so that people don't have to read ridiculously long essays on westeros.org, and then provide his analysis on those theories. What is there to get pissed off about?
Sofia Alarcon Exactly you see my point, he makes videos about the theories and the future plot's happening to these Charaters and they are very detailed and make a lot of sense, Also Red Team Review is just a 20 year old guy who acts young and likes to believe in his own stuff, but Alt Shift is really intelligent and people shouldn't judge him too much or they will make a fool of themselves, he puts a lot of time and effort into his work just like Preston Jacobs which is why I respect them both the most on TH-cam.
Most people don't know about Nymeria having this giant pack and that Arya has these dreams. It'll be out of left field for the majority of viewers if they do this in the show
Arya must not be like Bran in the show. All the Starks in the show are unique "wolves", all unique human beings who share various wolf-like traits, but that the fantastic Warg abilities is limited to only one of the Starks (Bran) works well for the show, in my view. They still show that she's (Arya's) connected with wolves in the show. One time she thought she found Nymeria, and put her hand out like Jon did with one of Dany's dragons (Since he's half Targaryen) with such tenderness and familiarity, before realizing it wasn't her. And of course...all the killing of enemies and such.
Dionysus it was Nymeria. Arya was referring to how Nymeria had changed. Just as Arya had changed after all their time apart. Nymeria isn’t about to follow Arya around any more like a puppy. Like Arya isn’t about to become a Lady of Winterfell when she returns home. Which plays into the Arya Sansa Littlefinger storyline.
Here's my hot take: This is not a "bittersweet" ending. What lesson does this proposed arc for Arya tell us? It tells us that people can be so fundamentally broken that they can only die to escape their trauma. This is a dark ending, not bittersweet. Your argument for this theory turns on the idea that Arya *cannot return* to being a functioning person after all the trauma she's experienced; that has a parallel in Frodo leaving for the Undying Lands at the end of LOTR, but it's an awfully pessimistic view for people with PTSD/trauma. GRRM spends a lot of effort in ASOIAF to directly play on our expectations from LOTR and subvert them. How about this different interpretation, that focuses on different elements of her story? [Obviously, SPOILERS.] Arya is not obsessed with "pack" *literally,* but with *family.* Nymeria and her wolf pack are foreshadowing, a symbol, rather than Arya's literal fate. Nymeria - Arya - is gathering strength, gathering friends, improving her skills as a leader. Arya would be a great leader: She has real empathy and connection with the smallfolk, she suffers the same traumas as the Riverlands smallfolk during the War of the Five Kings, and she is decisive, intelligent, brave. Her arc honestly lacks subtlety in how it tells us what a good leader she is - the name of her direwolf is foreshadowing of her future as a leader of her people. Arya goes into a period of hiding and darkness and isolation because *she believes she has no alternatives.* (It's also a symbolic arc used in something called the Heroine's Journey, which Arya's arc traces very closely.) She chooses to stay with the Faceless Men because she believes she has *nowhere else to go.* She believes her entire family is dead: she witnessed the Red Wedding; last she heard, her younger brothers were burnt to death during the sack of Winterfell; she believes Sansa may be dead, according to gossip in taverns. She knows Jon is still alive at the Wall, but feels powerless to reach him, because she has no money and no one is sailing North on stormy autumn seas. Arya may leave the Faceless Men if she hears that Jon has been killed and reborn, if she hears that Sansa is ruling the Vale with Harry Hardyng, if Bran calls her home through a wolf dream, if the Faceless Men plan to kill Jon and she serves during that meeting and hears, or if her latest kill in TWOW as Mercy gets her kicked out of the Faceless Men. Regardless of the impetus, she won't be able to give up her identity fully and will eventually leave. I argue that she reason she leaves will have to do with love of her living family. When she returns to Westeros, the first thing she'll do is reunite with Nymeria. Her wolf dreams are very intense, and she'll feel more herself and more safe with her wolf. Nymeria is in the Riverlands, which is also where the Brotherhood is -- chances are, she'll run into them, recognize LSH, and give her the gift of "mercy." Harwin and Gendry will recognize her and be glad to be rid of the violence of LSH, so the Brotherhood may serve Arya instead (especially if Brienne is there and not dead), in parallel to Nymeria and her wolf pack. The merciful death of LSH will be bittersweet. Arya will provide her mother with an end to suffering, and Arya will get closure on her mother's death. She'll also see a demonstration of what blind hatred and vengeance gets you, and may give up on that and instead seek to reconnect with surviving family members. Remember, Arya's list is not just hate -- it's a scared, lost, grieving little girl trying to feel some measure of control over the chaotic and cruel world that she experiences. When she starts to feel love and support from friends in the Brotherhood and gets catharsis through LSH's end, she may be able to start to heal. Now, here's the last bittersweet part of this theory: Arya reunites with Jon and they both fight in the War for the Dawn. The living win the War, but Jon and Daenerys both die in the fight, and the seven kingdoms fracture into seven again (and *no one gets the iron throne*). Imagine how bittersweet this would be: Winterfell is a husk of what it once was but it's slowly being rebuilt; very few members of the Stark family are alive, but they're together; and Arya got to reunite with Jon (one of the only things she has wanted, for years) only to almost immediately watch him die, and yet she goes on living. She doesn't have to end up a highborn lady. What if she just lives out a modest life as an herbalist/frontierswoman/craftsman with someone she loves (i.e. Gendry)? Suffering a lot of loss but getting to start to heal from deep trauma is bittersweet. Being irredeemable and dying is not bittersweet.
Lots of really good points there. Like the bit with the brotherhood, could actually see that coming. I do think Arya will die in the end, but I also believe the many loose ends such as LSH, her relationship with the different members of her family, etc will be resolved in some way by her. The war for the dawn and the game of thrones is not really part of her arc, so I see her more in this brotherhood/nymeria role with maybe a role to play in the Northern conspiracies. Regardless though, Arya remains one of the most mysterious characters for me as I really don’t know in which direction GRRM will take her. Could be anything really. Just hope she doesn’t become the super-weapon invincible girl of the show...
Arya has always been my favorite character on the show - she's so fearless and strong despite having arguably the most tragic storyline.... i love her! Thanks for the video!
The last line of "maybe we'll see Arya in Nymeria running with her pack across the snow"...really beautiful and I hope it happens. Great break down of Arya and bringing it back to the fact that she's truly just a hurt and broken little girl desperately looking for a family. There's too much of the cheering for "bad-ass" Arya fetishism out there making her character seem pretty flat. But there's so much more to her that you illustrate here. Thanks for another great video.
This video is so well done: thoughtful, well-narrated, and insightful with excellent editing and using of material from both the show and books. Great job. Thanks for putting it together.
I'm surprised there was so little mention of Sansa in this video, especially considering her initial role as Arya's foil as well as the way their stories have paralleled each other. Rather than going to assassinate Jon, I think it's much more likely that Arya's going to hear something about either Sansa (once she's finally revealed by Littlefinger), or Catelyn/Lady Stoneheart. My current theory is that she's going to fail in becoming No One and she'll be forced to leave the faceless men and return to Westeros. There she'll reunite with Nymeria as well as Sansa, at which point I think both of them are going to have to deal with what's left of their mother, all of which will happen post- Sansa being revealed to be Sansa and not Alayne. Rather than becoming a wolf herself, I think it's far more likely that Arya will have to reconcile with her pack, starting with Sansa, the sibling she's had the most conflict with in the past. Both of them have expressed that they miss the other, and wish they hadn't treated each other so badly in their POVs. Becoming a wolf feels almost like a regression in Arya's character development, and I'd much rather see her grow past her grief than succumb to it.
Alt Shift X Do you think you'll ever do a video detailing the more minor GOT theories? Maybe do one with the theory that Sweetrobin is actually Littlefinger's son.
Eloise D no problem. but its also possible - considering we are talking about george martin - that he would stab his own wife and afterwards kill arya.
I have not read the books, just seen the show 5 times now (lol). But judging from this video, Arya in the show seems so under-developed compared to the one in the books. So many important things are left out :o
Eiken That's the essence of the book verses show. The show is one teaspoon of ice cream. the books are the most decadent dessert you could ever imagine. Read slowly with attention to details they're really deep brilliant books. 7 blessings!
Did actually buy all the books about a year ago and have read all of them now, and I absolutely agree. The books are amazing, and they made me love Arya even more than before.
"when the snow falls and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives" just means "everyone needs to stick together cause winter is coming"
no my friend it has a much deeper meaning then winter is coming and I think you know this but are unable to put it to words, it is of a bond that not even death can break, stronger then a mother and child, father and son, death and resurrection
Demotruk I could give a fuck about game of thrones or whatever this is. All I know is people used to post that ugly ass looking little girl all over the boards I used to visit. She looks like if quasimodo had a kid who was run over by a car and then fell 20 stories. The young Rosie O'Donnell
AMERICA IS WHIIITE You post just goes to show that ignorance is a choice. You don't know or care about this character whose personality in the books and show has been so intricately crafted, so why bother commenting on matters you know nothing about?
AMERICA IS WHIIITE Ugly? She is adorable, and an awesome little actress. But clearly in your opinion a female is completely worthless if she doesn't fit your idea of beauty.
AMERICA IS WHIIITE not as little of a fuck as we could give about your negative opinion of a child actor's physical attractiveness you fucking pervert.
There's another aspect to her story which is about the desire for revenge. Every character who pursues revenge in the story usually gets punished for it. Arya gets a great example of what living with the desire for revenge is manifest in the Hound. A nice story arc would be her learning to let go. But it's AOIAF so who knows.
I've always thought Arya would die in the end, I never saw her growing up and having a normal / happy life. This video convinced me even more! Totally see this happening.
+Because Geek Well... you never know. She might take everything she's learnt and become a Master Assassin of some kind. It looks like she has the skill progression coming into play.
+skaterjay man that could happen! although to me it sounds a bit too much like a happily ever after ending, Arya becoming one with Nymeria feels more poetic and feels more like GRRM's style but yeah we'll see :D
Billy Salmon I really don't think they have an end-plan for Arya in the show. ...I really don't think they have an end-plan for many of the characters in the show. *Hears Gendry rowing in the distance.*
It's easier to kill them, while they breathe in the books. They obviously have their favs, which we see in the show. Tyrion, if I remember correctly had toughts of raping Cersei in the fifth book. Don't get me wrong, Tyrion is my favourite too, but they should stick to the books. Also ruined Stannis, already in the early seasons.
I love that part about Arya becoming Nymeria. I think it would make a great ending to the series. What if in the epilogue Arya (as Nymeria) comes across a lone gravedigger, who bends down and scratches her ear?
Damn. That was depressing. Hope Arya hooks up with her living siblings like Jon, Rickon, Bran and Sansa. Hope that becomes her pack instead. It would break my heart to see my girl Arya die and warg into a Direwolf instead of finally being with her family. Despite what she's done, she still deserves to be reunited with her family.
Agreed. I just meant that, because of the way Arya has had to live her life, not by choice by the way, she should not be held accountable for some of the actions she has taken to survive on her own and deserves to be reunited with her family.
Zarfots No, but I've been told whole my life that I wasn't good enough and that I am ugly and worthless. I have an older sister who's prettier, smarter and better person. My mother always wanted me to be and act like a lady, although I have never been one. Although my best friend was not killed, some people did everything to tear us apart. Just like Arya, I only wanted to be happy, but I always missed just a little for it.
Interesting - it would put a nice twist on the warging prologue, which pushes us hard to conclude that we're being given this information to prepare us for Jon's resurrection - but I see Jon walking out of the funeral pyre to parallel Dany - so your Arya solution would give an alternate explanation for the prologue.
ben1ben2ben1 Did you think Dany walking out was cheesy? Or are you saying that the parallel of both of them walking out would be cheesy due to repeating it?
Kevin Moore Unless dragons are born that doesn't make much sense. Targaryens have no fire resistance, only a small amount more of fire tolerance. George have said it himself. It happened to Dany because it was a magical event that caused the birth of dragons.
Zuko Darkborn Right - and presumably the temporary fire resistance (and other miraculous stuff) was made possible by some combination of Mirri Maz Duhr's spells, the comet (?), Drogo's king's blood (?), and/or other factors, possibly tied in with the various inscrutable prophecies. In the case of Jon, possibly Melisandre would play a role similar to Mirri's, the appearance of the true "Lightbringer" sword would be analogous to the birth of the dragons, the Azor Ahai prophecy would relate to the various prophecies tied up in Dany's arc and so on. And of course, if Targaryen blood plus specialized magic can under the right circumstances produce temporary fire resistance, Jon also likely has Targaryen blood (but then again, poor Jon needs more than just fire resistance since he's stabbed to death). Let's go at it from a different angle. Jon may be truly dead and if so, there are nice parallels to be drawn to Ned and Robb, but many things have made many people predict that Jon somehow continues into TWoW. If this is the case, and we assume that GRRM is going to knock it out of the park and do something satisfying ... and given that GRRM is deep into drawing this massive parallels between character arcs ... and given that the series is called Ice & Fire and Jon & Dany are often surmised to represent these two themes and have both just gone through massive challenges as they grapple with their first attempts to be leaders ... and since we assume that some kind of magic will be necessary for Jon's survival, why not a magical scene that corresponds to Dany's magical scene? Her scene, which ended Book 1, was handled quite brilliantly by GRRM and also by the show I thought. I wouldn't be surprised if GRRM had a scenario by which he could pull off the parallel without being cheesy. The one thing I'm confident of is that IF he does do it that way, it won't be cheesy. If not, then I'm guessing Jon will survive via warging. One last alternate scenario. Since Azor Ahai (according to legend anyway) had to kill his beloved Nissa Nissa, perhaps Jon wargs to Ghost and then, as Jon's corpse is burned in the Weirwood Grove, Ghost walked into the pyre and Jon walks out. In this scenario, Ghost dies - to fulfill the prophecy Jon has to kill the creature he loves most - hence, "bittersweet" as frequently suggested by GRRM.
When the hound killed Mica he did it on the orders of the douchebag Joffrey.... he didnt do it maliciously and didnt toprture him. I think he is the Anti-hero of the GOT series, He leaves King asshat when he cant take it anymore and tries to rescue Sansa by bringing her with him (if he was a badguy he would have 1. raped her or 2. just ignored her while she was about to get raped by the rioters or just ignored he when he left. He also helped Arya get her sword back and killed the ones who killed her friend. And the fact that he still protected Arya even when he would get nothing for his trouble just makes him a badass. I believe the Hound was one of the major influences of Arya`s life and she will never forget what he taught her.
Do y'all think maybe he felt attracted to Sansa but then feels rejected and resents her for it? When he meets Tormund, he says he hates gingers... I wonder where that comes from 🤔
I really, really, wish for Arya and Jon to see each other again.. Even if they don't live with each other, I wanted them to know they were alive and well - Jon is dead, for now. Their's is one of the relationships I really enjoyed. Even away, they love each other so deeply! Goddamn it please make it happen ;-;
Of course as siblings. Can't see them as something else and it's creepy to think of them as something else. Although, if Martin's original draft had left it's pages, Jon and Arya would have become lovers and Tyrion would be in love with her as well. Thus, what is Lianna and Rheagar's story and the war Robert wagered against the Targaryens would have been Tyrion's against Jon for Arya's love.
Still though, a fifteen year old boy falling in love with his eight year old cousin who has grown up as his sister is pretty vile. The Starks don't seem like the types to condone insest on any level. Plus Arya doesn't really need romance to fit into her story arc. Just IMO though. :)
I LOVE how you handle Aryas character/storyline. She is arguably my favorite character. It seems like so many people don't get just how much trauma she has experienced. That's nearly ALL she has experienced. I do fear she won't survive, ultimately. The idea of her becoming nymeria is about the best we could hope for, though it is also problematic, considering the erosion of soul that happens while in an animal. It's sort of hard to imagine the faceless men giving her a pass, too. I mean, the many faced good gets it's due, ala iron bank. I like the idea of Arya about to die trying to kill Gregor or cersei, and Jamie stepping in sacrificing himself to kill cersei and save Arya, satisfying his oath to cat and brienne, and the Valonqar theory. Great videos, yours are top notch.
Your videos are quite likely the greatest analysis of GOT of any. Truly magnificent and sublime. You are worth whatever you make from TH-cam and then some.
BucketheadChuck i ... actually did. "when the snows fall and the white winds blow". i had to take manual control of my breathing at that point, and it only got worse after that :(
+Adam Stitt because apparently Winds of Winter and A Dream of Summer are already out. I didn't realize that this was just a recap of how Arya's story finished, please, tell me more about how this video isn't a theory?
BattlerTheBaster Congratulations. I hope you like them i personaly love all of them A LOT, it depends of what you like. You can ask me anything if you ever have problems
Patrick Turner But just like with Drugs you will love it, and well actually most of us can control that... at least when you are talking with other people
Great theory man. Arya's story is so sad, her circumstance-driven spiral from a cheery tomboy to a cold-blooded murderer is my favorite story arc in the whole series. I really wish your theory to be true so Arya could become whole again.
Extremely addictive channel. Ive watched every video you have on game of thrones and i agree with just about everything you have in the videos. You must have been a psychology major, you're very good at breaking down the psychological processing of people in the show. All around great channel, 10/10.
Arya is the best. Struggling through AFfC atm but Arya's chapters are the only ones that really get me excited when I see them in this book. Shame they're so rare :/
I believe Arya will reunite with Jon snow when she is sent to kill him, however I think I'm the end she will willingly have Jon thrust his blade through her heart and receive the gift of death from him. Thus fulfilling the lightbringer part of the azor ahai prophecy by being the sacrifice of a love one that is needed, and will live out her days as nymeria with her pack but also returning to visit Jon every so often.
+bo hamburgers This makes total sense - who would Dany sacrifice if she was Azor Ahai? No one that I can see. The whole emphasis on her plot is that she is alone. While Arya is also alone, her story constantly refers back to Jon. Jon probably has more credibility than Dany as the prince that was promised in more ways than one, but also because he has the viable sacrifice. George R.R Martin said all along, that this was a generational tale - Arya, Jon and Bran all have a place in this theme; but where do Sansa and Rickon come in? One could argue that Sansa will unite the north - So where does that leave Rickon? Is he now a pointless character?
Wren Wrenwood yeah it's interesting in AFFC how Sansa seems to do better at taking on the identity of Alayne Stone than Arya does at being No one - perhaps that's down to Lady being dead while Nymeria is still alive?
Mr Alt, your game of thrones videos have to be among the best written and most thought provoking of the heap. And you sure point out how the Starks really have a horrible time of it, i cant think of a more unlucky house in the story...Ned, Catelyn, robb, everybody Arya knows all murdered, she goes on the run and has to deal with these very horrible situations, yet she's just a child. All the violence, murder, cold, hunger, terror she undergoes, yet somehow she survives, she is a tragic figure whose only deliverance is probably going to be death (and rebirth). She is one of the characters you desperately hope something good will happen for - but somehow you know this just isn't in the cards for her story arc...A lot of other people may have guessed her end game by now, since maybe the only release for her will happen when she dies and gets warged into Nymeria, leading the huge pack of wolves in the riverlands - and perhaps she will only find peace A huge dire wolf, munching on the dead flesh of all her enemies - was her prayer of enemies she wants dead turn out to actually just be the "shopping list" lol
You've created a very believable and convincing possible ending for Arya. By the old Gods I hope that you're wrong. Watching this really made me think and feel how much I want Arya to be reunited with her family. In the latest episode, "The Door" Arya shows that she still has strong feelings for her family whilst watching the mummers play of the events of season one. I felt that she was holding back in that scene, I think and feel that seeing Jon and Sansa reunited and knowing that they're both fighting for their home she would join their pack! Sansa's direwolf, Lady maybe long dead but Sansa has become a Lady and has teeth of her own now. Bran has to head towards the wall, is the only safe place known to him and Meera and I hope that he will be reunited with Jon and Sansa too. Something has to trigger her feelings into becoming Arya Stark again, maybe it will be news that Jon Snow and Sansa Stark have reunited and are building an army to retake Winterfell and the North. When Arya goes back to Westeros she will have become herself again, she hid needle for a reason, she's going to want to take that back with her. Alternatively she may through it into the sea if she does become "no one"... I hope that the bitter sweet ending will be something else... I have a bad feeling about that... Personally I already feel bitter after the recent loss of Summer, Hodor and possibly the last of The Children of the Forest...
After watching the latest episode (blood of my blood) it seems very likely that Arya will die and the "bitter sweet ending" promise will be fulfilled. :( Also the next episode is entitled "No one".
I love the waif and I love Arya. Both characters are badass in their own way. In all honesty, Id be most happy if neither of them dies, but its gonna be tricky.
Alexander Jenkins Well, I think they are going to give the Lady Stoneheart story to Arya, so the reunion is highly likely. He will probably be her second in command
***** So? The guy gets out of breath just talking about about dragons and shit. If you think sex isn't more physically demanding than talking to nerds about ice zombies anfdd fairies, I think you're doing it wrong.
***** Where exactly did I say it was sexist? The books are written by a guy, so of course it's gonna end up full of femal characters who get naked at every opportuntity. That's not sexism. Ever read the Vampire Chronicles? Female author, male characters who can't resist having sex with each other. It's a very common thing
I have watched this video too many times to count and it is my favorite theory thus far. I long ago accepted R+L=J but the Arya Wolf Theory is still my all time favorite.
It would be bittersweet for an elder Arya to learn the miseries of the Hound and all the good he did to both her sister and herself. I very much look forward to that moment.
Arya can't die. I refuse to believe she will die until I read it. She'll ride Nymeria and be a wolf queen, she'll reunite with some of her siblings - I hope Jon - and kill some important character. I also like to believe she'll find a family - she'll find love and come to peace with herself. Because there is also Ned's comments of "You'll marry a king..." to think about to. :) Great video though! I love how you organized it!
A slight enhancement to the theory that Arya's plot must lead to her death: If Arya really and truly becomes no one by the end, we won't know for sure whether she died or not. No One will die, and we won't know "which" No One died. I could easily imagine Arya's last chapter, or perhaps even the last chapter of the series, or the epilogue chapter simply be titled: NO ONE.
I love that idea for the bittersweet ending. Fabulous deduction skills! You're a veritable Sherlock Holmes mate. Your videos are all so cool and amazingly fantastical but they're still logical and it just is so exciting! Keep doing this! Oh maybe do another of these Arya ones but incorporating what we now know of Arya after S06
"all of her brothers are slain, apart from bran, jon and rickon" wat that means only one brother is slain.
Moonman she didn't know bran and rickon were still alive. As far as she is aware jon is the only brother left
They’re all dead!...except most of them
the family actually had pretty light casualties everything considered
@@Nosedive_253 Yeah
Ned and Rob and (partially) Cat (I won't count Jon because I'm sure they'll bring him back)
That's 5/8 starks still alive, which in comparison to other houses, it's a pretty good number of survivors
I think it refers to the fact that they are not the same people in the end.
I've always found it telling that a lot of Arya's aliases are related to her old life - even when she's trying to become "no one" Arry, Nan, Nymeria, Cat (like Catelyn), etc.
like the cats she chased on the reed keep*
@@ledanoir1239 would make more sense to be inspired by her mother and not a cat she chased around for... a scene
@@juwebles4352 eh she talks about the cats a lot, it was a big lesson for her from syrio… I’ll say it’s both
@@ledanoir1239 I like to think it's both. Also, Cat+Alayne kinda sounds like Catelyn
Arya and Sansa’s aliases are literally halves of Catelyn’s name
Arya's Harenhall chapters were so fucked up. I love how she escaped when she killed that guard. It's been a while but I believe she whispers Valar Morghulis as she kills him and she didn't even know it meant All Men Must Die. Fucking epic.
in many years of youtube, i have never seen anyone making videos like you do, from the perfect narrating to the incredible editing, knowledge .. i dont even know what to say, i just appreciate the fact i can watch stuff like this for free .. mindblowing. thank you
+Pigeon Community Cheers mate! Glad you like them.
Me too i love got have all there season i just download to watch over and over thats all i dont take crited if its not mine
I still believe Arya's fate was foreshadowed: "'You’ll be sewing all through winter. When the spring thaw comes, they will find your body with a needle still locked tight between your frozen fingers.'
Arya didn’t think it was funny. "
If we take Needle to mean her sword Needle, then sewing means killing... and frozen may mean dead, or just cold/broken-hearted.
But grrm has said that he regrets the amount of forshadowing he has done in the initial books, because he's not following that outline anymore. (Or at least that's what I like to tell myself because I can't handle Arya dying)
@@sukanyaparashar9474 it'd be a much better ending for her than the show ending
@@tlgmc1908 Arya accidentally stubbing her toe and falling off a cliff would be a better ending than the show.
@@sukanyaparashar9474 Don't worry, it'll be worse than dead!
no Gerogre said hes a gardner meaning he doesnt plan to far ahead he lets the story naturally flow. So no. Fucking retard.
It's really unfortunate that the show never touched on the Jon and Arya's warg powers. Especially when it seems like their powers are pretty important to the characters.
I completely forgot that aspect of them. 😂 going to have read and force tv GOT out of my head
Bet she kills the Night King in the Godswood with the Catspaw’s dagger.
dude you called it lmao
@@larperdixon723 Read it from the leaks, more like.
Larper Dixon you he posted this after the ep
*teleports behind you*
psst...nothin personnell, Night King....
@@eiad1251 This is poetry
There is a very odd connection between Arya and Catelyn. Arya is the only child of Catelyn she never has contact to on screen. Arya constantly thinks about her mother during her time in the riverlands (Because a lot of people keep telling her they are going to deliver her to Catelyn). Catelyn barely thinks about Arya (because she subconcouisly accepts that shes dead). Lady Stoneheart only exists to punish those who have destroyed her family, a lot like Arya's only real motivation is her list of names. Arya associates a lot with cats and Catelyns nickname is Cat. Its not a very strong connection but its definatly there.
A great way for Arya to grow and overcome some of her very bad coping mechanisms is witnessing what is left of her mother being everything Arya wishes to be, a unstopable and cruel force of vengance itself, and realizing its not worth living like that. That would be a bittersweet way for her character arc to end.
Not only that, but Arya (and Bran) keeps thinking that the Starks are more wolf than man and if she was a wolf, she could do all sorts of things to her enemies, and considering that post-resurrection Jon Snow will be a violent and bloodthirsty Wolf-Man due to his time inside Ghost moved by self-hate, PTSD and guilt(just like Guts after he became the Black Swordsman), Arya will realize on the hard way that becoming obsessed with vengeance and being more wolf than man is way more uglier and darker than she realizes!
If you look closely at the characters, Arya and Catelyn are very much alike deep down. You can clearly see that Arya gets her temper and impulsiveness from her mother.
I DEFINITLY want a moment were StoneHeart meets with her children to show that they're still alive, but they're horrified/disgusted by what she's become. It'd show that the whole time she spent avenging her desd family is time she should have spent with the living ones.
Agree and also add that Stoneheart now knows from the brotherhood that Arya is in fact still alive and actively searches for her (as seen in Brienne's chapter)
@@brittany3890 I always thought she was like Brandon Stark
Didn’t GRRM say he’d never kill Arya because his wife threatened to leave him if he did ??
Yes! Thank god!
@@bkilg2509 There is an actual /list/ of characters that he wasn't allowed to kill off because of that.
@@mikie.1668 Paris is the real Azor Ahai.
I think this is why he's taking so long. He's waiting for his wife to pass so that he may kill everyone!
@@mikie.1668 I hope that's a joke, because otherwise his wife is a detriment to the writing.
King Jonathan Starkaryen the First. Fantastic
This needs more likes
Love that too
I freak out a little too much when I see a new Alt-Shift X Game of Thrones video in my subscriptions.
RullyisJRM yes. I know exactly what you mean. (._.)
I know how it feel mate
His stuff is topnotch and high quality. Imo it's a top3 GoT info channel
RullyisJRM I feel you! The impeccably researched canon and flawless video editing cutaways, transitions, are 15mins of bliss.
***** dont recomend EmergencyAwesome pls... Thats one bad Game of thrones channel, hes only good at the walking dead and comicbooks
It would be bittersweet, heartbreaking & breathtaking all at the same time if Arya’s last chapter was simply titled … “Nymeria”
Or even more, if her last chapter was titled ... "The Night Wolf"
@@alialmuhanna4938that sounds horrible
@@Polo-wk7zlseriously at the risk of sounding mean, the fandom is way too obsessed with giving all of the Starks 'wolf' names after Jon and Robb got theirs. Sansa being 'the Red Wolf' is the only one I'm kind of on board with, but the wolf name thing is hardly a common thing throughout their history aside from one guy (Howland) using it as a thin veil to conceal who he was talking about. Robb's is basically just a slightly cooler way of saying "HAHA YOU JUST GOT WRECKED BY A LITERAL INFANT, SUCK IT", and Jon seems to get one more because its an echo of Robb than anything else. But so many fanfics turn it into Bran being the Raven Wolf or some bs like that
It all just sounds too reminiscent of those cringey self insert fanfics with characters nicknamed 'the Aquamarine Wolf-Dragon-Lion', and their actual name is some misspelled Targaryen bs with even more vowels than GRRM dares like Elaynaereia, and they're the secret twin of Jon but were raised by Cersei and Robert and have now been betrothed to Robb, and yes this is a needlessly specific example but the vibes are the same.
In short, 'the Night Wolf' is indeed a dumb name, nothing personal to the original commenter
@@CoRLex-jh5vxI agree with everything you said, but it is worth noting that there are plenty of “Wolf” nicknames throughout Stark history. But yeah, not everyone needs a Wolf name
@@BIastwave. Oh yeah I'm not saying it didn't happen, just that it really wasn't common, certainly not to the point of it being realistic that every current Stark kid would get their own nickname. Per AWOIAF, there were only three historical Starks with wolf-based nicknames, vs SEVENTEEN non-wolf nicknames.
Personally I believe Robb was called the Young Wolf way more because of Grey Wind's prominence rather than just him being a Stark. Statistically 'Robb the Young' makes more sense based on the previous nicknames, but is way less cool and when you've got a massive wolf on your side, of course you're gonna give your King a cool name derived from that. Then Jon was named both after Ghost, his status as a Snow, and as an echo of Robb. But its always made out to be a unique circumstance for them. Not just "well every Stark gets a cool wolf name, better call Rickon the 'Even Younger Wolf'"
Many on TH-cam try, but few succeed at crafting thought-provoking ASOIAF videos as you have done. Thanks!
+Lame Tyler Cheers mate!
+Alt Shift X You're seriously a wizard at these videos.
+Alt Shift X Did you see that clip from season 6 that was on conan with liam cunningham? Do you think Jon will get brought back in episode 1 or later?
mikebud12 Way later man. Jon Snow coming back means that the end of the show will be coming and HBO wants to do a few seasons
Lame Tyler
totally agree, it's sad and yet beautiful. after watching this video i hope Arya becomes Nymeria
Considering how Arya has dark hair and grey eyes, she must have looked a bit like Sandor's little sister who was killed by Gregor (if the rumors are true). Maybe that's why he was so protective over her. My heart broke when I realised that... :(
"…Arya as a wolf, running with her pack across the snow."
I'm crying in a fetal position thinking about that ending.
Instead they just had her sailing across the sea like a wanna-be Columbus
Jack It was so fucking cheesy I hated it. In fact I really just hated how she suddenly was the main character and everyone else was forced to give room to her
Jack More akin to a wannabe Elissa Farman.
@@9393jack to be fair, Leif Ericsson would be a better comparison, he's the one that charted out blind into the west first centuries before.
Arya isn't a genocidal rapey monster like Columbus haha, and he thought he found India.
But yeah.. I've been reading the series since 2003, waited over a decade now since Dance, got a few good years of the show when it appeased book fans..and then it fell victim to its own popularity, writing the bare minimum to entertain drunks watching it in the bar for reaction videos..
I just want the real ending to be here already.
Although realistically i don't think we'll ever see dream of spring, he won't last another decade
I feel the same...
It scares the shit out of me how this might end up happening in the series cuz its so believable.
***** stop saying right.
Waltz if you read the first chapter of DoD you will realize that warging into an animal for too long kills your mind and soul, so this theory is interesting but most probably wrong, besides GGRM´s wife made sure that Arya is going to survive the song, because its her favorite character tho...
+sPuN SpUn I have read the DoD prologue however your view is slightly flawed. Varamyr's "mind and soul were killed" due to him entering a human host who was trying to repel him. It is easier for wargs to become there animals after death as shown by Orell turning into his eagle. Therefore this theory still could be valid and it's very interesting to think about.
“They say you forget,” Haggon had told him, a few weeks before his own death. “When the man’s flesh dies, his spirit lives on inside the beast, but every day his memory fades,
and the beast becomes a little less a warg, a little more a wolf, until nothing of the man is left and only the beast remains.” nope this theory cannot work
i think the opposite will happen. Ol´ShizzleX already showed us very well how she lost her humanity and got more violent and cruel during the story. This is of course what GRRM does most of the time. but i am convinced this can be healed and its going to. at some point she will be with her family again, at some point she will be with nymeria again. This will be the point where she will find her humanity again. To me Arya is kind of a little Anakin in the story.
but yea, a symbolic end as you mean would fit in aswell, cheers
What if the view of Nymeria is more symbolic. Arya sees Nymeria leading a pack of wolves. What if that's what happens with Arya? She ends up leading her own pack of "Wolves," meaning she becomes head of House Stark.
+TheUnknown285 For that Sansa, Rickon and Bran all need to die, and Arya not only need to return, but be recognized.
Jonathan Luoto I don't disagree. It would be insanely depressing but not out of the realm of possibility. And if there is only one Stark left at the end, my money is on either Arya or Bran.
TheUnknown285 I actually think both Sansa and Rickon have a better chance surviving than Arya or Bran. Arya is surrounded by death. Her main theme is death. And Bran's role seem to be interlinked with Beyond the Wall. Meanwhile Rickon is Manderly's secret card, and Sansa is learning to play the Game from a master.
+TheUnknown285 I don't think she could technically become head of house Stark but I do think her pack may be the remaining Starks even though seeing them all together would be fan fiction at this point :(
+TheUnknown285 That, or lead the northern army as the Lord Commander against the Others.....I think it make much more sense....
If Arya were real she would need YEARS and YEARS of therapy
@Me Alexander like drugs
If Arya were real, it's unlikely she would have survived so many of the crap she goes through, much less all of it. Heck, she'd likely have died from disease or the Waif's stabbing, at the very least.
@Me Alexander Very, very unlikely. Only macho morons think getting help for serious mental trauma is a weakness.
@Me Alexander Yes, mostly abuse others. Also suicide.
@Me Alexander lmao nothing wrong with getting therapy. Doesn't make you weak or anything. If anything it takes real strength to admit you need help. Stop being a bitch boy.
When you have to explain to your girlfriend that you're tearing up because you watched a GoT fan theory video on youtube...
Ah stop! I'm a woman and I'm in bits over this video. I'll blame it in the hay fever 😉
Hahaha, how cute is that 😂
It's not just a fan theory, though. It's a whole tragic tale summed up into 13 minutes. Arya is a sympathetic character that's both grounded in reality and fantasy. Taken individually, her harrowing experiences feel real and tragic although all of those things happening to a 9-year-old girl over the period of a long few years is fantastical. The only way for someone, anyone really, to survive all of it was to become a bit of a Mary Sue character. Which in turn invites criticism and shaming when the audience is still swept up in emotions over her. I feel ya, brotha.
OhNo Haha girlfriend sure buddy
@@playermartin286 Haha so true! People don't have girlfriends!! Haha
You are a legend, this makes sense I can't believe youtubers slag you off, there more to you than meets the eye, I hope Arya's wish will come true. I really do
Jon Connington Which youtubers slag him off, and why?
Sofia Alarcon Red team Review slagged him off because his video's on the popular theories were "bullshit" also I heard that other youtubers said bad things about him, they should really keep their opinions to themselves.
Jon Connington that red team guy..... no offense to him of course, is a mental midget in comparison to altshiftx.... altshiftx handles things concisely, and almost scientifically.... he is certainly the most logical got youtuber out there.... a guy who presents evidence, and counter-evidence in a logical, intuitive manner....
Jon Connington
Ugh, and this is why I can't stand RedTeamReview. It's fine if he doesn't like fan theories- that's his personal thing. But I see him all the time in the comments section of other ASOIAF-related channels, talking shit about anyone who theorizes. He also claims that anyone who makes ASOIAF-related videos is just jumping on the "GoT bandwagon". One time I pointed out that particular hypocrisy to him, and he basically said that it's okay for him to do it because he makes other, non-ASOIAF related content. Right, because everyone who is dedicated to one fandom is required to be dedicated to all fandoms equally *sarcasm*. Needless to say, I unsubscribed to his channel long ago.
But why do other youtubers say bad things about AltShiftX? All he does is make videos outlining popular fan theories so that people don't have to read ridiculously long essays on westeros.org, and then provide his analysis on those theories. What is there to get pissed off about?
Sofia Alarcon Exactly you see my point, he makes videos about the theories and the future plot's happening to these Charaters and they are very detailed and make a lot of sense, Also Red Team Review is just a 20 year old guy who acts young and likes to believe in his own stuff, but Alt Shift is really intelligent and people shouldn't judge him too much or they will make a fool of themselves, he puts a lot of time and effort into his work just like Preston Jacobs which is why I respect them both the most on TH-cam.
I wish they would have shown Arya's wolf dreams in the show.
Most people don't know about Nymeria having this giant pack and that Arya has these dreams. It'll be out of left field for the majority of viewers if they do this in the show
+Victor Malone yea I have the book but just havent come around to reading them.. things like things make me want to just start reading!
Arya must not be like Bran in the show. All the Starks in the show are unique "wolves", all unique human beings who share various wolf-like traits, but that the fantastic Warg abilities is limited to only one of the Starks (Bran) works well for the show, in my view.
They still show that she's (Arya's) connected with wolves in the show. One time she thought she found Nymeria, and put her hand out like Jon did with one of Dany's dragons (Since he's half Targaryen) with such tenderness and familiarity, before realizing it wasn't her.
And of course...all the killing of enemies and such.
Dionysus it was Nymeria. Arya was referring to how Nymeria had changed. Just as Arya had changed after all their time apart.
Nymeria isn’t about to follow Arya around any more like a puppy. Like Arya isn’t about to become a Lady of Winterfell when she returns home.
Which plays into the Arya Sansa Littlefinger storyline.
I swear now I'd rather read the books. SMH
She's a bit like Beric Dondarrion in that everytime she takes a new name she loses a bit of herself.
Here's my hot take: This is not a "bittersweet" ending. What lesson does this proposed arc for Arya tell us? It tells us that people can be so fundamentally broken that they can only die to escape their trauma. This is a dark ending, not bittersweet.
Your argument for this theory turns on the idea that Arya *cannot return* to being a functioning person after all the trauma she's experienced; that has a parallel in Frodo leaving for the Undying Lands at the end of LOTR, but it's an awfully pessimistic view for people with PTSD/trauma. GRRM spends a lot of effort in ASOIAF to directly play on our expectations from LOTR and subvert them.
How about this different interpretation, that focuses on different elements of her story?
[Obviously, SPOILERS.]
Arya is not obsessed with "pack" *literally,* but with *family.* Nymeria and her wolf pack are foreshadowing, a symbol, rather than Arya's literal fate. Nymeria - Arya - is gathering strength, gathering friends, improving her skills as a leader. Arya would be a great leader: She has real empathy and connection with the smallfolk, she suffers the same traumas as the Riverlands smallfolk during the War of the Five Kings, and she is decisive, intelligent, brave. Her arc honestly lacks subtlety in how it tells us what a good leader she is - the name of her direwolf is foreshadowing of her future as a leader of her people.
Arya goes into a period of hiding and darkness and isolation because *she believes she has no alternatives.* (It's also a symbolic arc used in something called the Heroine's Journey, which Arya's arc traces very closely.) She chooses to stay with the Faceless Men because she believes she has *nowhere else to go.* She believes her entire family is dead: she witnessed the Red Wedding; last she heard, her younger brothers were burnt to death during the sack of Winterfell; she believes Sansa may be dead, according to gossip in taverns. She knows Jon is still alive at the Wall, but feels powerless to reach him, because she has no money and no one is sailing North on stormy autumn seas.
Arya may leave the Faceless Men if she hears that Jon has been killed and reborn, if she hears that Sansa is ruling the Vale with Harry Hardyng, if Bran calls her home through a wolf dream, if the Faceless Men plan to kill Jon and she serves during that meeting and hears, or if her latest kill in TWOW as Mercy gets her kicked out of the Faceless Men. Regardless of the impetus, she won't be able to give up her identity fully and will eventually leave. I argue that she reason she leaves will have to do with love of her living family.
When she returns to Westeros, the first thing she'll do is reunite with Nymeria. Her wolf dreams are very intense, and she'll feel more herself and more safe with her wolf. Nymeria is in the Riverlands, which is also where the Brotherhood is -- chances are, she'll run into them, recognize LSH, and give her the gift of "mercy." Harwin and Gendry will recognize her and be glad to be rid of the violence of LSH, so the Brotherhood may serve Arya instead (especially if Brienne is there and not dead), in parallel to Nymeria and her wolf pack.
The merciful death of LSH will be bittersweet. Arya will provide her mother with an end to suffering, and Arya will get closure on her mother's death. She'll also see a demonstration of what blind hatred and vengeance gets you, and may give up on that and instead seek to reconnect with surviving family members. Remember, Arya's list is not just hate -- it's a scared, lost, grieving little girl trying to feel some measure of control over the chaotic and cruel world that she experiences. When she starts to feel love and support from friends in the Brotherhood and gets catharsis through LSH's end, she may be able to start to heal.
Now, here's the last bittersweet part of this theory: Arya reunites with Jon and they both fight in the War for the Dawn. The living win the War, but Jon and Daenerys both die in the fight, and the seven kingdoms fracture into seven again (and *no one gets the iron throne*). Imagine how bittersweet this would be: Winterfell is a husk of what it once was but it's slowly being rebuilt; very few members of the Stark family are alive, but they're together; and Arya got to reunite with Jon (one of the only things she has wanted, for years) only to almost immediately watch him die, and yet she goes on living. She doesn't have to end up a highborn lady. What if she just lives out a modest life as an herbalist/frontierswoman/craftsman with someone she loves (i.e. Gendry)?
Suffering a lot of loss but getting to start to heal from deep trauma is bittersweet. Being irredeemable and dying is not bittersweet.
Lmao “the heroines journey”
This is really nice
Wow the comparison between Arya and Stone Heart is on point. I definitely see that happening
Lots of really good points there. Like the bit with the brotherhood, could actually see that coming. I do think Arya will die in the end, but I also believe the many loose ends such as LSH, her relationship with the different members of her family, etc will be resolved in some way by her. The war for the dawn and the game of thrones is not really part of her arc, so I see her more in this brotherhood/nymeria role with maybe a role to play in the Northern conspiracies. Regardless though, Arya remains one of the most mysterious characters for me as I really don’t know in which direction GRRM will take her. Could be anything really. Just hope she doesn’t become the super-weapon invincible girl of the show...
*_If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention._*
Amazing stuff man, great video! Love all the research and knowledge you have put in to this! Pure class.
+Dries van leeuwen Cheers mate!
You had me at King Jonathon Starkgaryen I.. Hilarious!
soulofbook What sort of monster would be the house animal for the Starkgaryens... I bet it would be really cool actually...
Fenrisúlfr
The closest attempt I know of: 37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lo2mknvvbS1qjblr0o1_500.png
NJRanirishnirvana Huh, so it's a dragon that craps direwolves...
+soulofbook that theory is overused and is put in a supercheesey way
sauron lord
what's wrong with cheese?
Arya has always been my favorite character on the show - she's so fearless and strong despite having arguably the most tragic storyline.... i love her! Thanks for the video!
The Night Wolf theory is actually pretty cool. It would definately put the end back at the beginning, with the Starks finding their wolves.
The last line of "maybe we'll see Arya in Nymeria running with her pack across the snow"...really beautiful and I hope it happens. Great break down of Arya and bringing it back to the fact that she's truly just a hurt and broken little girl desperately looking for a family. There's too much of the cheering for "bad-ass" Arya fetishism out there making her character seem pretty flat. But there's so much more to her that you illustrate here. Thanks for another great video.
This video is so well done: thoughtful, well-narrated, and insightful with excellent editing and using of material from both the show and books. Great job. Thanks for putting it together.
+Scott Meyer Thank you!
+Alt Shift X do you think that when the story/show increases, can you please made part 2 of arya,s story🙏
I'm surprised there was so little mention of Sansa in this video, especially considering her initial role as Arya's foil as well as the way their stories have paralleled each other. Rather than going to assassinate Jon, I think it's much more likely that Arya's going to hear something about either Sansa (once she's finally revealed by Littlefinger), or Catelyn/Lady Stoneheart. My current theory is that she's going to fail in becoming No One and she'll be forced to leave the faceless men and return to Westeros. There she'll reunite with Nymeria as well as Sansa, at which point I think both of them are going to have to deal with what's left of their mother, all of which will happen post- Sansa being revealed to be Sansa and not Alayne. Rather than becoming a wolf herself, I think it's far more likely that Arya will have to reconcile with her pack, starting with Sansa, the sibling she's had the most conflict with in the past. Both of them have expressed that they miss the other, and wish they hadn't treated each other so badly in their POVs. Becoming a wolf feels almost like a regression in Arya's character development, and I'd much rather see her grow past her grief than succumb to it.
Amazing video as always. Keep up the good work man!
Mark Johnson Thanks, will do!
Alt Shift X I second this, your videos are highly professional and intriguing. ^_^ Could do a video on Bran Stark and the Three Eyed Crow/Raven next?
Alt Shift X Do you think you'll ever do a video detailing the more minor GOT theories? Maybe do one with the theory that Sweetrobin is actually Littlefinger's son.
Elround4 yeah i'd like to see this too.
Man, I read the books and I honestly find your theories and how you narrate them more compelling and fun. Good job!
I *REALLY* hope Arya won't be killed off. I know, I know, it's game of thrones but I love this character. ;-;
+Eloise D (Dr Lovey Buns) i heard grr martin had to promise his wife to let arya live because arya's her favourite character.
Royce Keen
THANK YOU! ;-;
Eloise D
no problem. but its also possible - considering we are talking about george martin - that he would stab his own wife and afterwards kill arya.
Royce Keen
yeah, but I woul still be sad. but, thanks for giving me a little hope :)
+Royce Keen in the books, yeah. But the show might kill her.
In the show, they just made her kill the night king lmao
*Rode a horse down an old town road oh my god,*
I have not read the books, just seen the show 5 times now (lol). But judging from this video, Arya in the show seems so under-developed compared to the one in the books. So many important things are left out :o
Eiken That's the essence of the book verses show. The show is one teaspoon of ice cream. the books are the most decadent dessert you could ever imagine. Read slowly with attention to details they're really deep brilliant books. 7 blessings!
Did actually buy all the books about a year ago and have read all of them now, and I absolutely agree. The books are amazing, and they made me love Arya even more than before.
"when the snow falls and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives" just means "everyone needs to stick together cause winter is coming"
+Notpoop and winter *is* coming.
+Marcel Krebs For the night is dark n full of terrors
+Anarchy91 And assholes. Don't forget assholes.
no my friend it has a much deeper meaning then winter is coming and I think you know this but are unable to put it to words, it is of a bond that not even death can break, stronger then a mother and child, father and son, death and resurrection
@@chuchulainn9275 the night is dark and full of assholes ....that sounds far worse than terrors the smell alone
I have to admit, I didn't consider this ending. It definitely works, really interesting.
1000 bits *****
Demotruk Thanks!
Demotruk I could give a fuck about game of thrones or whatever this is. All I know is people used to post that ugly ass looking little girl all over the boards I used to visit. She looks like if quasimodo had a kid who was run over by a car and then fell 20 stories. The young Rosie O'Donnell
AMERICA IS WHIIITE You post just goes to show that ignorance is a choice. You don't know or care about this character whose personality in the books and show has been so intricately crafted, so why bother commenting on matters you know nothing about?
AMERICA IS WHIIITE Ugly? She is adorable, and an awesome little actress. But clearly in your opinion a female is completely worthless if she doesn't fit your idea of beauty.
AMERICA IS WHIIITE not as little of a fuck as we could give about your negative opinion of a child actor's physical attractiveness you fucking pervert.
Your videos help me so much keep up with game of thrones I'd have been well lost if it wasn't for them :')
I'm glad they help!
+Alt Shift X Can we see your face ?
+F Society the voice is from a computer speech reader dumb ass
+Noi Vilbo I know you peace of shit , I mean the face of the owner of this channel
+F Society Jaja... did not mean to make an enemy out of you just tough it would be funny pissing you off. sorry
There's another aspect to her story which is about the desire for revenge. Every character who pursues revenge in the story usually gets punished for it. Arya gets a great example of what living with the desire for revenge is manifest in the Hound. A nice story arc would be her learning to let go.
But it's AOIAF so who knows.
I've always thought Arya would die in the end, I never saw her growing up and having a normal / happy life. This video convinced me even more! Totally see this happening.
Lol never thought I would run into you in the wild.
Evol Saiyan hehehehe
***** lol I'm not gonna copy someone else, I have my own style
+Because Geek Well... you never know. She might take everything she's learnt and become a Master Assassin of some kind. It looks like she has the skill progression coming into play.
+skaterjay man that could happen! although to me it sounds a bit too much like a happily ever after ending, Arya becoming one with Nymeria feels more poetic and feels more like GRRM's style but yeah we'll see :D
this was a beautiful essay on Arya's identity crisis...i have new respect for her character now
Absolutely love that shot at 5:37. So much feeling and great character development to both George and the show!
As a book reader, this ending would be amazing.
As a show watcher this ending would be terrible.
Billy Salmon Fock the show.
Billy Salmon Fuck D&D
Billy Salmon I really don't think they have an end-plan for Arya in the show.
...I really don't think they have an end-plan for many of the characters in the show. *Hears Gendry rowing in the distance.*
It's easier to kill them, while they breathe in the books. They obviously have their favs, which we see in the show. Tyrion, if I remember correctly had toughts of raping Cersei in the fifth book. Don't get me wrong, Tyrion is my favourite too, but they should stick to the books. Also ruined Stannis, already in the early seasons.
Ain't come out ever again? Get your facts, cowboy. Martin is writtin' the sixth book.
Why did I tear up at the end? I think arya warging into nymeria is the best thing that could happen to her.
+Lindsay Gardipee at least the third time i've watched this video, and i teared up at the end too.. again!
Starkgaryen, has a nice sound to it
+Reve Inaz lol it's also the name of the Arya/Daenerys ship...yes that is an actual ship.
+Curseofthehellmouth X but why, they probably won't even meet each other, like never
errybody onboard!
Jonathon too xD
I love that part about Arya becoming Nymeria. I think it would make a great ending to the series. What if in the epilogue Arya (as Nymeria) comes across a lone gravedigger, who bends down and scratches her ear?
🤮
This is your best ASOIAF video IMO. They're all very good
Damn. That was depressing. Hope Arya hooks up with her living siblings like Jon, Rickon, Bran and Sansa. Hope that becomes her pack instead. It would break my heart to see my girl Arya die and warg into a Direwolf instead of finally being with her family. Despite what she's done, she still deserves to be reunited with her family.
I'd say 'because of what she's done' , not despite it. I don't see that she has done anything wrong, given the circumstances.
Agreed. I just meant that, because of the way Arya has had to live her life, not by choice by the way, she should not be held accountable for some of the actions she has taken to survive on her own and deserves to be reunited with her family.
Kind I
hook up = sex
@@themudpit621 maybe don't use hook up because.. well
You cant believe how happy i was when i saw that you uploaded another video, amazing as always thank you !
Gosh, this video made me cry. I love Arya so much, I relate to Arya so much, I don't want her to die!
+Jovana Riković what is most of your family dead and are you seeking revenge and intense hatred towards a couple people? smh relating to her...
Zarfots No, but I've been told whole my life that I wasn't good enough and that I am ugly and worthless. I have an older sister who's prettier, smarter and better person. My mother always wanted me to be and act like a lady, although I have never been one. Although my best friend was not killed, some people did everything to tear us apart. Just like Arya, I only wanted to be happy, but I always missed just a little for it.
+Jovana Riković that sounds like my life too
Interesting - it would put a nice twist on the warging prologue, which pushes us hard to conclude that we're being given this information to prepare us for Jon's resurrection - but I see Jon walking out of the funeral pyre to parallel Dany - so your Arya solution would give an alternate explanation for the prologue.
Kevin Moore Jon walking out of the funeral pyre would be SOOOOOOO cheesy
ben1ben2ben1 Did you think Dany walking out was cheesy? Or are you saying that the parallel of both of them walking out would be cheesy due to repeating it?
Kevin Moore Unless dragons are born that doesn't make much sense. Targaryens have no fire resistance, only a small amount more of fire tolerance. George have said it himself. It happened to Dany because it was a magical event that caused the birth of dragons.
Zuko Darkborn Right - and presumably the temporary fire resistance (and other miraculous stuff) was made possible by some combination of Mirri Maz Duhr's spells, the comet (?), Drogo's king's blood (?), and/or other factors, possibly tied in with the various inscrutable prophecies. In the case of Jon, possibly Melisandre would play a role similar to Mirri's, the appearance of the true "Lightbringer" sword would be analogous to the birth of the dragons, the Azor Ahai prophecy would relate to the various prophecies tied up in Dany's arc and so on. And of course, if Targaryen blood plus specialized magic can under the right circumstances produce temporary fire resistance, Jon also likely has Targaryen blood (but then again, poor Jon needs more than just fire resistance since he's stabbed to death).
Let's go at it from a different angle. Jon may be truly dead and if so, there are nice parallels to be drawn to Ned and Robb, but many things have made many people predict that Jon somehow continues into TWoW. If this is the case, and we assume that GRRM is going to knock it out of the park and do something satisfying ... and given that GRRM is deep into drawing this massive parallels between character arcs ... and given that the series is called Ice & Fire and Jon & Dany are often surmised to represent these two themes and have both just gone through massive challenges as they grapple with their first attempts to be leaders ... and since we assume that some kind of magic will be necessary for Jon's survival, why not a magical scene that corresponds to Dany's magical scene? Her scene, which ended Book 1, was handled quite brilliantly by GRRM and also by the show I thought. I wouldn't be surprised if GRRM had a scenario by which he could pull off the parallel without being cheesy. The one thing I'm confident of is that IF he does do it that way, it won't be cheesy. If not, then I'm guessing Jon will survive via warging.
One last alternate scenario. Since Azor Ahai (according to legend anyway) had to kill his beloved Nissa Nissa, perhaps Jon wargs to Ghost and then, as Jon's corpse is burned in the Weirwood Grove, Ghost walked into the pyre and Jon walks out. In this scenario, Ghost dies - to fulfill the prophecy Jon has to kill the creature he loves most - hence, "bittersweet" as frequently suggested by GRRM.
Kevin Moore
It was a different situation. A repeat would be pretty cheesy, but then again, Jon's whole character is pretty cheesy
When the hound killed Mica he did it on the orders of the douchebag Joffrey.... he didnt do it maliciously and didnt toprture him. I think he is the Anti-hero of the GOT series, He leaves King asshat when he cant take it anymore and tries to rescue Sansa by bringing her with him (if he was a badguy he would have 1. raped her or 2. just ignored her while she was about to get raped by the rioters or just ignored he when he left. He also helped Arya get her sword back and killed the ones who killed her friend. And the fact that he still protected Arya even when he would get nothing for his trouble just makes him a badass. I believe the Hound was one of the major influences of Arya`s life and she will never forget what he taught her.
I cried
Do y'all think maybe he felt attracted to Sansa but then feels rejected and resents her for it? When he meets Tormund, he says he hates gingers... I wonder where that comes from 🤔
"Jonathan Starkgaryen I" -ASX
Absolutely insightful and riveting analysis. Your research is ridiculously extensive and I thank you for it. Have a like.
Bradyn Caneris Cheers mate
Great analysis, and the editing is outstanding. Thanks.
GeoJake Cheers.
Alt Shift X Dude, you almost made me cry when comparing Arya to her best frenemy, the Hound. You went deep on this one. Great job!!!
I really, really, wish for Arya and Jon to see each other again.. Even if they don't live with each other, I wanted them to know they were alive and well - Jon is dead, for now. Their's is one of the relationships I really enjoyed. Even away, they love each other so deeply! Goddamn it please make it happen ;-;
I hope you mean as siblings
Of course as siblings. Can't see them as something else and it's creepy to think of them as something else. Although, if Martin's original draft had left it's pages, Jon and Arya would have become lovers and Tyrion would be in love with her as well. Thus, what is Lianna and Rheagar's story and the war Robert wagered against the Targaryens would have been Tyrion's against Jon for Arya's love.
I'm glad they didn't become lovers. That's just sick.
If it was that way it would be clear they weren't brother and sister.. This isn't a Lannister case of siblings love.
Still though, a fifteen year old boy falling in love with his eight year old cousin who has grown up as his sister is pretty vile. The Starks don't seem like the types to condone insest on any level. Plus Arya doesn't really need romance to fit into her story arc. Just IMO though. :)
So poetic, yet so human!! Loved this video
+Andrés De la Oliva Guzmán Cheers mate, glad you enjoyed!
Thank you for replying!! I have no words :D
I LOVE how you handle Aryas character/storyline. She is arguably my favorite character. It seems like so many people don't get just how much trauma she has experienced. That's nearly ALL she has experienced. I do fear she won't survive, ultimately. The idea of her becoming nymeria is about the best we could hope for, though it is also problematic, considering the erosion of soul that happens while in an animal.
It's sort of hard to imagine the faceless men giving her a pass, too. I mean, the many faced good gets it's due, ala iron bank.
I like the idea of Arya about to die trying to kill Gregor or cersei, and Jamie stepping in sacrificing himself to kill cersei and save Arya, satisfying his oath to cat and brienne, and the Valonqar theory.
Great videos, yours are top notch.
What the fuck is a Lommy?
He was my friend!
😂
Your videos are quite likely the greatest analysis of GOT of any. Truly magnificent and sublime. You are worth whatever you make from TH-cam and then some.
I almost cried watching this. Holy shit.
I choked up at the end of the video 😯
Arya probably won't die. Even if she does, it will be in the dream of spring. George's wife has seen to that she will.
BucketheadChuck I got goosebumps listening the end of the video...
BucketheadChuck Oh my god, I got a bit emotional at the end also! Glad I'm not the only one...
BucketheadChuck i ... actually did. "when the snows fall and the white winds blow". i had to take manual control of my breathing at that point, and it only got worse after that :(
I love how concise and unbiased these videos are, truly amazing
I love these videos they are so nicely edited. Great job :D
Tom Cohen Thanks!
This is my favorite video by you. I love the theory and all your hard work. Thank you.
George's mind is such a beautiful thing.
what theory? all he did was recap...
+Adam Stitt because apparently Winds of Winter and A Dream of Summer are already out.
I didn't realize that this was just a recap of how Arya's story finished, please, tell me more about how this video isn't a theory?
I hope this still happens in the books
Martim's never finishing the damn books. He's actually gone on record saying he's okay if they're left where they are now, closure be damned.
@@ElectromagNick when has he stated that? I just want winds of winter so I can imagine the rest lol
@@martinortiz5851yeaaaa we ain't getting winds of winter too😂😂😂
Well, i am going to start reading the books.
You really, really should. It's a lot more informative than the show and you get to know more about the characters and meet new ones 😊 enjoy!
BattlerTheBaster Congratulations. I hope you like them i personaly love all of them A LOT, it depends of what you like. You can ask me anything if you ever have problems
BattlerTheBaster you won't regret any second of it! You will learn so much more from reading, the show can only do so much.
Patrick Turner
But just like with Drugs you will love it, and well actually most of us can control that... at least when you are talking with other people
Patrick Turner i was like that when i read LotR and the Silmarillion, are these books almost as good?
Great theory man. Arya's story is so sad, her circumstance-driven spiral from a cheery tomboy to a cold-blooded murderer is my favorite story arc in the whole series. I really wish your theory to be true so Arya could become whole again.
Extremely addictive channel. Ive watched every video you have on game of thrones and i agree with just about everything you have in the videos. You must have been a psychology major, you're very good at breaking down the psychological processing of people in the show. All around great channel, 10/10.
why can't we analyse GoT for English in school rather than Shakespeare...
This is the future I dream of
Lola Lale-Klasicki Sorry, GoT is not that good. Try the Perelandra Trilogy by CS Lewis; not a kids story.
DocZom but so religious...which is a reason not to teach it.
***** Shakespeare is fucking garbage.
asspounderify well i was trying to be nice about it but yes i agree
Turns out she's actually the prince that was promised. Great Stuff
She is cold hand
What the fuck's a lommy?
+Korey Luster haha Best thing the hound ever said :P
Arya is the best. Struggling through AFfC atm but Arya's chapters are the only ones that really get me excited when I see them in this book. Shame they're so rare :/
+Conall Harkin yea that book was though. her chapters were the highlights.
I thought the book was actually pretty good except the brienne chapters. I also hated the dany chapters in adwd the plot just moves so slow
This theory nearly brought me to tears. Your narration of this bittersweet story is impeccable.
+Mil A Jon stabbing her with Lightbringer/Longclaw would be a bitter sweet moment, thus proving him to be Azor Ahai would give me mixed emotions...
all i know is that when i read the last words of the series ill probably die a little bit
I believe Arya will reunite with Jon snow when she is sent to kill him, however I think I'm the end she will willingly have Jon thrust his blade through her heart and receive the gift of death from him. Thus fulfilling the lightbringer part of the azor ahai prophecy by being the sacrifice of a love one that is needed, and will live out her days as nymeria with her pack but also returning to visit Jon every so often.
+bo hamburgers This makes total sense - who would Dany sacrifice if she was Azor Ahai? No one that I can see. The whole emphasis on her plot is that she is alone. While Arya is also alone, her story constantly refers back to Jon. Jon probably has more credibility than Dany as the prince that was promised in more ways than one, but also because he has the viable sacrifice. George R.R Martin said all along, that this was a generational tale - Arya, Jon and Bran all have a place in this theme; but where do Sansa and Rickon come in? One could argue that Sansa will unite the north - So where does that leave Rickon? Is he now a pointless character?
+Vincent97 It's been argued that Ser Jorah will kill Dany to gain Lightbringer.
+Vincent97 In the show at least, I am unhappy to say he will probably be another one of Ramsay's plot convenient advantages and victims.
As long as Nymeria lives Arya will always be a Stark and not No One.
I haven't watched the video yet, but I completely agree with your statement!
Lady Squee Hi Squee I see we favor the same places.
Wren Wrenwood So it seems! xD
Wren Wrenwood yeah it's interesting in AFFC how Sansa seems to do better at taking on the identity of Alayne Stone than Arya does at being No one - perhaps that's down to Lady being dead while Nymeria is still alive?
Woah, this video was unusually heavy, even from you. :'(
Liked. Favorited. Subscribed again.
"ALL her brothers slain... except Jon, Bran, Rickon, etc...." 9:18 lmao
As far as she knows, they're all dead but Jon.
I don't think she knows any of them are even supposed to be dead, does she?
I'm pretty sure she only thinks Jon is alive but I don't know why I think that.
I'm old LOL
Can't wait for The Winds of Winter. This is video is 7 years old but still good content...
Still waiting after a year😂😂😂... Maybe the Gods will bless us
Mr Alt, your game of thrones videos have to be among the best written and most thought provoking of the heap. And you sure point out how the Starks really have a horrible time of it, i cant think of a more unlucky house in the story...Ned, Catelyn, robb, everybody Arya knows all murdered, she goes on the run and has to deal with these very horrible situations, yet she's just a child. All the violence, murder, cold, hunger, terror she undergoes, yet somehow she survives, she is a tragic figure whose only deliverance is probably going to be death (and rebirth). She is one of the characters you desperately hope something good will happen for - but somehow you know this just isn't in the cards for her story arc...A lot of other people may have guessed her end game by now, since maybe the only release for her will happen when she dies and gets warged into Nymeria, leading the huge pack of wolves in the riverlands - and perhaps she will only find peace A huge dire wolf, munching on the dead flesh of all her enemies - was her prayer of enemies she wants dead turn out to actually just be the "shopping list" lol
Wow. I literally got a bit misty-eyed watching this.
You've created a very believable and convincing possible ending for Arya. By the old Gods I hope that you're wrong. Watching this really made me think and feel how much I want Arya to be reunited with her family. In the latest episode, "The Door" Arya shows that she still has strong feelings for her family whilst watching the mummers play of the events of season one. I felt that she was holding back in that scene, I think and feel that seeing Jon and Sansa reunited and knowing that they're both fighting for their home she would join their pack! Sansa's direwolf, Lady maybe long dead but Sansa has become a Lady and has teeth of her own now. Bran has to head towards the wall, is the only safe place known to him and Meera and I hope that he will be reunited with Jon and Sansa too. Something has to trigger her feelings into becoming Arya Stark again, maybe it will be news that Jon Snow and Sansa Stark have reunited and are building an army to retake Winterfell and the North. When Arya goes back to Westeros she will have become herself again, she hid needle for a reason, she's going to want to take that back with her. Alternatively she may through it into the sea if she does become "no one"... I hope that the bitter sweet ending will be something else... I have a bad feeling about that... Personally I already feel bitter after the recent loss of Summer, Hodor and possibly the last of The Children of the Forest...
Arya will never b No one....she will always Be a Stark and She will never forget that
After watching the latest episode (blood of my blood) it seems very likely that Arya will die and the "bitter sweet ending" promise will be fulfilled. :( Also the next episode is entitled "No one".
Nah, she's gonna kick some waif ass. You'll see.
+The Mudpit I so hope so! I'm sick of the waif!!!
I love the waif and I love Arya. Both characters are badass in their own way. In all honesty, Id be most happy if neither of them dies, but its gonna be tricky.
Arya/Hound reunion. Make it happen, Gurm.
Alexander Jenkins
Well, I think they are going to give the Lady Stoneheart story to Arya, so the reunion is highly likely. He will probably be her second in command
Alexander Jenkins
What do you expect? The books are written by a man who hasn't had sex since medieval times
*****
So? The guy gets out of breath just talking about about dragons and shit. If you think sex isn't more physically demanding than talking to nerds about ice zombies anfdd fairies, I think you're doing it wrong.
*****
Where exactly did I say it was sexist? The books are written by a guy, so of course it's gonna end up full of femal characters who get naked at every opportuntity. That's not sexism. Ever read the Vampire Chronicles? Female author, male characters who can't resist having sex with each other. It's a very common thing
CLEGANE BOWL
You made me appreciate her soo much and i loved the video good work !!!
I have watched this video too many times to count and it is my favorite theory thus far. I long ago accepted R+L=J but the Arya Wolf Theory is still my all time favorite.
Expectations definitely subverted my dude 👍
“You’re welcome”
-D&D
This video gave me goosebumps. That ending would be amazing, and probably cement Arya's as the best plotline in the books.
Someone's cutting onions in here... It sure got dusty real quick... It's raining in my eyes. Great theory, heartbreaking and soaring all at once
It would be bittersweet for an elder Arya to learn the miseries of the Hound and all the good he did to both her sister and herself. I very much look forward to that moment.
You, Secrets of the Citadel and In Deep Geek are the only ones keeping me alive between seasons (less so after 7) and book releases.
Wow your english professor would be proud from all the citations.
Arya can't die. I refuse to believe she will die until I read it. She'll ride Nymeria and be a wolf queen, she'll reunite with some of her siblings - I hope Jon - and kill some important character. I also like to believe she'll find a family - she'll find love and come to peace with herself. Because there is also Ned's comments of "You'll marry a king..." to think about to. :) Great video though! I love how you organized it!
u sir probably the best game of throne/asoiaf explainer in youtube.
A slight enhancement to the theory that Arya's plot must lead to her death:
If Arya really and truly becomes no one by the end, we won't know for sure whether she died or not. No One will die, and we won't know "which" No One died.
I could easily imagine Arya's last chapter, or perhaps even the last chapter of the series, or the epilogue chapter simply be titled: NO ONE.
I love that idea for the bittersweet ending. Fabulous deduction skills! You're a veritable Sherlock Holmes mate. Your videos are all so cool and amazingly fantastical but they're still logical and it just is so exciting! Keep doing this! Oh maybe do another of these Arya ones but incorporating what we now know of Arya after S06
I actually clapped when you finished talking, brilliant work!
"All her brothers slain but Jon.." plus tree boy Bran, and unicorn island Rickon.
Meaning, in actuality, all her brothers are alive but Robb
I love your videos, only one problem...about the end. Martin said Arya is the only character he wont kill. He promised his wife he wouldnt.
he said atleast until the last book
Chris tine touche
Arya isn't dead if she's living out her life in a dire wolf.
Your excellent voice gives all your offhand comments much more credence than they perhaps deserve.
The feels during the part of Arya and Sandor. Damn onion cutting Faceless Men
+Rejoy Panakkal lmao I'm dying right now. This is so true!
Fun fact: In GRRM's first draft of Game of Thrones, Arya was supposed to be in a love triangle with Jon Snow and Tyrion. Let that one sink in.