The latest brief snippet of footage from Game of Thrones’ upcoming final season is another moment around Daenerys and her forces arriving at Winterfell early in the season, but that’s not why it’s exciting. It hints at a possible new friendship that could be the most formidable in Westeros, since one of Arya Stark’s heroes was also a great Targaryen warrior woman who rode a dragon.
HBO teased the final season from the Seven Kingdoms in a new promo for their 2019 slate (the Game of Thrones part starts at about 48 seconds in). While footage of The Wall is old, the shots of Drogon flying over the Unsullied as they march into Winterfell is all new. And, just like every person in every part of the world does, every Northerner flees when they see a dragon. Except for Arya. Even a supremely brave warrior like Jon Snow cowered the first time he saw a dragon, but Arya not only stands her ground as one approaches, she smiles. We know exactly why too, and that’s why this footage is maybe the most exciting scene from the final season yet.
In the show’s second season Arya (her real identity unknown) was working as Tywin Lannister’s servant at Harrenhal. He took a liking to the clever young girl, and in episode seven he talked to her about his legacy, how the War of the Five Kings would be what he was remembered for, win or lose. That led him to mention how Aegon Targaryen had destroyed the very castle they were in when Aegon changed warfare forever, which is why children still know his name 300 years later. But Arya corrected him by pointing out it wasn’t just Aegon who conquered the Seven Kingdoms. His two sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, were with him– also riding their own dragons.
“Visenya rode Vhagar,” she said, “Visenya Targaryen was a great warrior. She had a Valyrian steel sword she called Dark Sister.” As Tywin said, Visenya is a heroine of Arya’s. Now another Targaryen queen and warrior is literally showing up at Arya’s doorstep.
Both Daenerys and Arya are fearless warriors, and just like Arya and Brienne of Tarth, it’s easy to picture them building a relationship on mutual respect. And if anyone in Winterfell is going to give Daenerys a warm welcome it’s Arya, who already reveres the Mother of Dragons‘ ancestor.
Could Arya eventually be a member of Daenerys’s Queensguard some day? (Or would that be too limiting? We don’t know but we’re ready to debate that every day until season eight premieres.) Will they fight alongside each other in the Great War? We’re not sure, but this does look like the beginning of a beautiful friendship…or even better, a dangerous alliance.
Featured Image: HBO