Season 4 of Game of Thrones treated us to the adventures of Arya and The Hound, which more often than not made us laugh, and gave us some of the best one liners of the series. But underneath the laughter was a harsh story, of a young girl who had lost everything, and was learning to survive alone in a cruel world. Although the season brought about a dark change in Arya, her story ended on a hopeful note, as she sailed away to Braavos to start a new life.
Maisie Williams spoke with both The Daily Beast and Access Hollywood this week about Arya’s evolution throughout Season 4, and what’s in store for her in Season 5.
Maisie tells The Daily Beast that when Arya left The Hound to die, it was a culmination of everything she had learned since Episode 1, and that she is no longer the same Arya that her friends and family remember.
“It’s the same Arya we’ve seen all year, she’s just putting everything she’s learned into practice now. When she picks up the silver, it’s not a spiteful thing—she’s just doing what The Hound taught her, since he was the one who said, “Dead men don’t need silver.” And in her eyes, she thinks he’s dead. But the big change for Arya happened in Episode 1 when she kills Polliver, and people have loved their relationship this season, but he’s also been telling her constantly how she doesn’t know how to fight and reminding her that everyone’s dead. They seem like funny scenes when you turn a blind eye to the fact that this is a little girl who’s trying to stay alive in this very unforgiving world, so having someone tell you these things all the time isn’t helpful. She’s not Arya anymore; she’s not the girl who everyone thinks she is and likes to believe she is. If anyone is in that environment long enough, they’re not going to have their head screwed on perfectly.”