For the ones who dont like the idea of Arya ×gedry relationship

[The Exiled Septa]

So i was wondering about Aryas ending and im 80% sure(He is GRRM after all  nobody can be certain what he is planning)that she will end up married to Gedry.I thought that this scenario would please many fans and i was really confused when i realised that this wasnt the case.Many fans dont like this ending and i would like to know why ?

Please dont use the argument about Arya being very young.Im talking about the future where she will be at least 14 ( I think Dany was at the same age when she married Khal Drogo)

Spoiler

Keep in mind that in the sixth book she says that her breast will grow in a year or two and later she seduces.... (i dont remember his name) so that she can kill him.And generally her character seems more mature and female.

And second pleasr  dont use the argument about Arya saying she will never marry.

Spoiler

In the Egg and Dunk novellas there is a moment where Egg says something about not liking girls and wanting to become a knight of the kingsgaurd and never marry and we do  know that eventually  he falls in love with a blackwood??(im not sure)and he marries her.

So if not for these two reason why are you so against Arya×Gedry romance ?

SORRY FOR BAD ENGLISH its not my mother tongue

[Philokles]

Welcome! Your English is good.

I'm not overly keen on the prospect of Arya marrying Gendry. He is a nice enough person and she finds him pretty handsome, but is rather ordinary - whilst Arya most certainly is not. Gendry would spend most of his time being ordered around, like (the watered down version of Arya) Willow does at the Inn. It would be more underwhelming than bad.

If we are to see her married, it would be better with someone of or close to her status and brilliance. Unfortunately, those of her generation that we've met who meet both criteria are either related to her or female.

It would be nice if Arya and Gendry meet up again and maybe have a fling, but it should be left at that.

[Vaedys Targaryen]

My personal reason for thinking that Arya and Gendry will never be together is because I believe that Arya sees Gendry as a brother.

Arya was/is very close to Jon Snow, as he, similar to her, was an outcast for being a bastard and he was living in Robb's shadow, not to mention, he was really disliked by Catelyn. This is similar to Arya, as Arya was not very lady-like and preferred to play with the boys, which made her an outcast for the other girls and that she was nothing like her older sister, Sansa, and was living in her shadow.

Jon and Arya understood one another in more ways than one and this is was caused them to be very close to one another.

 

Gendry was similar to Jon; he may not know that he is a royal bastard, but he does know that he is a bastard, which has its stigma. He is very hot-headed and gets slightly bullied for it while he works at the smithy.

As they are travelling north to the Wall, Gendry doesn't treat Arya special, even after he finds out that she is the daughter of Eddard Stark. He still plays with her and teases her a bit, like Jon did.

 

I also think that another reason why Arya sees a lot Jon in Gendry, is that they are similar in appearance: Both have black hair, both have somewhat the same skin tone, both are somewhat the same height and their ages are close to one another. Jon is rather slim while Gendry is very muscular, but that has a lot to do with the fact that Gendry is a smith, which means he spends a lot of time swinging a hammer on steel.

 

That is pretty much my reason for believing in that Arya and Gendry will not end up together; Arya sees Gendry as her brother, very specifically Jon, and is thusly not attracted to him.

[The Mountain That Flies]

While I understand the natural inclination to want to see beloved characters paired off into loving and happy relationships, Arya's story arc is simply not one that can ends that way. The level of trauma she has been through is absolutely insane, and it's clearly taking a toll on her psyche. While Gendry wasn't intimidated by this when they were together, she's been through a ton just since then, and I question whether she would be able to form any kind of meaningful relationship if she continues down this path. Gendry, by contrast, is in a pretty similar place emotionally that he was when they parted, and if paired off romantically i don't think they would actually be able to meet each other's needs.

[Ralphis Baratheon]

Jon and Gendry will meet at the trident and duel for her hand, then she'll turn the winner down to assassinate more people.

[ShadowCat Rivers]

After giving it some thought, I have realised that it is not the potential of such a relationship that I dislike, per se, but rather the inflated significance that it is given by those who wish for it.

Gendry is a minor character, and he's fairly alright for the context and the extent that he actually occupies in the books; given an ounce more importance than that and he becomes so meh it's bad... in that sense, IMO, a relationship between them would be OK if was, say, like what Qarl is to Asha: Asha has her agenda, Asha has her followers, Asha has her successes and her failures... among all these, Asha has a lover that she's fond of; but he is not forth and center of her thoughts and her arc. When people speculate about Asha's future, the primary question is not if she ends up married to Qarl. A similar situation between Arya and Gendry would not bother me at all.

But look again at your OP, and just see the difference: Arya's ending being mainly about who she ends up married... Also (not saying you are doing this) most of the people who like the prospect of such a relationship shift the importance of the developement to the minor character, somehow projecting onto Gendry traits and destiny that the books simply do not support, and the actual main character is degraded to becoming the "prize" for the minor's hypothetical feats. That's what I dislike.

Of course I'm aware that people's wishes do not influence how the author will shape the future of his characters, and in that sense I shouldn't begrudge people for their fantasies, but we can't be rational all the time, can we? 

[punzerknacker]

9 hours ago, Valedina said:

keep in mind that in the sixth book she says that her breast will grow in a year or two and later she seduces.... (i dont remember his name) so that she can kill him.And generally her character seems more mature and female.

Hey, please put Winds of Winter spoilers under a cut as some of us haven't read the sample chapters yet and don't want to until the book comes out. I think it's the forum rules even. Thanks!

As for the actual topic, while nothing is impossible I also don't see Arya's arc as one that's steering towards a 'happy home', and Gendry is also too low-born for her, unless she decides to live under a false name, hiding her identity as a Stark (which she has been doing before so why not).

[chrisdaw]

Why bother analysing what people want or don't want? Fruitless exercise.

Arya will not marry Gendry. Arya will love Gendry, Arya will want to marry Gendry, but her love for Gendry and their child is the sacrifice Arya will need to make in the name of duty, so that she can assume a position of power and do justice. Gendry is too lowborn, and besides is going to be KG, he will not be accepted as her husband in a public capacity. She must do as her father did and Cersei didn't, which was the root cause of all the tragedy she has experienced, place the good of Westeros before her love.

She will forego her love of Gendry and do what is in the best interest of the realm as determined by her lord and king, and marry where she is told, eventually, after her king sets the example himself and sacrifices everything for his people.

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

There is clear tension between them towards the end of their time together. Especially in the forge scene where they wrestle and then Tom's song. And Arya does make comments about his rippling chest muscles. Then we have her throwing a wobbler in the brothel when his unbeknown to him sister propositions him. And likewise Gendry is put out when Edric Dayne starts chatting to her. 

In my previous experience discussing this topic it has always been the main objection. That people do not want to acknowledge Arya is growing up. And they are deeply against the idea of her developing any kind of sexuality. People used to throw tantrums over the idea all the time. Likewise with Sansa. Until their TWOW sample chapters came out and it became clear that yes both girls are indeed growing up and the author won't be shying away from exploring the topic. 

This idea that people are using the idea of an Arya/Gendry ship to elevate him as a character is new to me. And if that is the case I am in agreement with Shadowcat Rivers. That is not on, and smacks of minimising Arya's importance. 

It was recently asked at I think Balticon if GRRM would be developing their relationship ( I paraphrase) and he did indeed confirm he'd be revisiting them. So something will come of all that emergent emotional draw they had towards one another.  But I don't think I'm willing to call a "happy ever after" for these two. Mainly as I think Arya will be dying in ADOS. But that doesn't mean they won't have a romance. Frankly, I'd be gutted for her if she died having never kissed a boy.  Gendry is currently sifting orphans at the Inn at the Cross rds and that indicates to me that he is still very much thinking about Arya. So when she arrives back in Westeros I do expect their paths to cross, and I imagine there will be some form of adolescent romantic relationship. 

As to the idea that Arya is too psychologically damaged to have a relationship? how so? Seriously how is her experiences "clearly taking its toll on her psyche"? I hear a lot of people saying Arya's damaged by her experiences but I don't see it myself at all. What evidence is there that she's losing her mind because of what she has been through? Convince me, cos I just don't see it. 

[The Exiled Septa]

Well to be fair ,i hadnt thought about the possibility of Arya and Gedry being involved without  evantually  getting married.I dunno....  it could happened and if it is true what the weirwoods eyes said (about GRRM confirming that something will change in their relationship )it seems all the most possible scenario.But there are some obstacles.For one Gedry seems very honorable( he doesnt sleep with whores )and he was ashamed when he said vulgar words in front of Arya after he realised ofcourse that she was a Lady.So i dont think he would accept just a make out season with Arya.I think he respects her and he would never dishonor her like Robert would have done.....or maybe he could i dont know

For those who said that Arya would marry just some high lord for the greater good.....i just cant see that happening  That theory (at least for me )comes in contrast to everything that makes up Arya.

As for Gedry not being enough for her i also dont see it that way.Gedry is a simple good man and Arya (althought nobody could say she is simple) was always more drawn to simple normal people.(she was friend with the butchers boy,she liked to hear the stories of her fathers fighters instead of being in the company of educated and clever lords and ladys).Those were the people that made her comfortable and i cant see her after everything she is been through to settle  down like a good girl and marry just a foreigner lord.

As for the belief of Gedry not being clever enough for her or generally clever i still dont understand it.Arya has many times called Gedry stupid over the books but that was only when she was angry and at that time she also called him bastard( altough her favourite brother was bastard and she never discriminated people for their status).So those are not proofs of him not being clever.In addition i was reading the third book(page 49 for those who are intrested) and there was a moment when Arya was reading a map so they could find the best way to go to the Riverrun and we kind of saw that Gendry althought uneducated  has a swift mind:

Quote

Gedry was frowning as well"The one you are pointing at runs into the other one see"

"The Big Willow"she raid

"The Big Willow,then.See,and the Big Willow runs into the Trindent,so we could follow the one to the other,but we would need to go downstream,not up.Only if the rivet isnt the Little Willow ,if it is this other one here..."

"Rippledown Rill"Arya read

"See it loops around and flows down toward the lake,back to Harrenhal"He traced the lune with his finger.

And later on:

"Are you surewe are going north?"asked Gedry "All these hills....if we got turned  around...."

"The moss on the trees-"

He pointed to a nearby tree"That trees got moss on three sides,and that next one has nomoss at all.We could be lost,just riding around in circle"

"We could be"said Arya......

Now dont get mad i know that these arent real proofs of  Gedry being intelligent either  but they certainly show us that he can be resourful not only by using his streangth but his mind too and Hot pie doesnt make any of those observations. He seems completely incapable of thinking ways to solve their problems (and he is just as educated as Gendry.)

It may sound strange, but in  some way, Gedry reminds me of Dunk. 

Spoiler

By reading the Eggs and Dunks novellas you can easilly realise that Dunk hasnt a high regard for himself.He constantly calls himself an idiot("Dunk thick as a castle wall") and he generally underastimates himself and his capabilities.But we know for a fact that he will end up as one of the most renowned member of the kingsguard being one of the few people who managed to go from an insignificant( possibly bastard)boy  to a member of the kingsguard with Eggs helps ofcourse

Gedry doesnt have any high esteem for himself too but with a little help he could become a very capable person and do great things just as Dunk did.For me that is not  a  boosting of a minor character  and exploiting of a  manor character.

As for Arya being too broken i dont understand this statement too.what do you mean about that?

Spoiler

In the excert from TWOW she seems anything but broken.(Again i mention this chapter because i truly loved  how Arya seemed more mature and womanly.It was a huge pleasant suprise for me.For a moment i thought that i wasnt reading an Arya chapter it was just so.....aghhhhh ...perfect!!)

Sorry for the long post and the mistakes

 I apologize to snaperknacher for not putting the spoiler mark.Just yesterday i began to write in this website and i make some mistakes but this time i used the spoiler mark just so i could be safe. 

[Chris Mormont]

As we have all found out, no one, not even Arya and Gendry are safe from GRRM, and thus it is possible that neither one will be around in the end. 

However, I see no reason why the 2 of them, if they were to find each other again wouldn't find themselves in a relationship and possibly married.  Gendry's low born status would not matter to Arya, there are plenty of examples of her ignoring class status in her interactions.  And for those who said she would be dutiful and marry who she is told to, obviously haven't been reading these books carefully.  She started to show signs of a crush and so I do not think she looks at him as a brother, she's got plenty of those.  They also shared a lot of time together and those experiences will allow her to agree that he does understand what she went through.  Could you imagine her with some highborn who lived in a castle during the war, she would hate him for not having suffered through similar hardships.   She looks upon Gendry as her equal in all things, and I have a feeling they will end up together, I just hope it is not an ending that has one of them dying in the other's arms. 

[Philokles]

1 hour ago, Chris Mormont said:

And for those who said she would be dutiful and marry who she is told to, obviously haven't been reading these books carefully.

I don't think anyone suggested that she would meekly accept being ordered to marry some random lord, but her choosing to marry to secure a vital alliance that ensures the victory over the Others and House Stark's future, giving up her dreams of independence and being known for her own achievements for the greater good, would provide a bittersweet (largely bitter), but fitting end to her arc.

[ShadowCat Rivers]

2 hours ago, Chris Mormont said:

[...]   She looks upon Gendry as her equal in all things, [...]

The thing is, he is not her equal. He's of equal value, of course, as are all human beings and no, it's not his social status that makes him "less than" her, no matter how much he thinks it does. It's in many of the important qualities that characterize an individual person: she is by far braver, more intelligent, has initiative while he generally lacks it, she's by far more perceptive, she cares more about people and she's willing to dirty her hands for those she cares about, including him - him, not so much. She's a leader, he's a follower. As the time passes, this inequality grows as she becomes more formidable in all aspects while he remains relatively static.

That, theoretically, should not be a problem for a relationship - relationships are not developped exclusively between people of equal skills and qualities - hell, for centuries relationships were, by definition, between people of unequal status, given that women were treated officially as lesser people for their gender alone... And here is, I think, the crux of the issue: people still cannot easily accept that the woman may be the stronger pole in a relationship, thus the tendency to elevate Gendry so that the relationship appears less unfavourably unbalanced for him, and therefore more appealing to this mindset (you rarely see anything similar being done in cases where the weaker pole of a relationship is the woman).

[Meera of Tarth]

36 minutes ago, ShadowCat Rivers said:

The thing is, he is not her equal. He's of equal value, of course, as are all human beings and no, it's not his social status that makes him "less than" her, no matter how much he thinks it does. It's in many of the important qualities that characterize an individual person: she is by far braver, more intelligent, has initiative while he generally lacks it, she's by far more perceptive, she cares more about people and she's willing to dirty her hands for those she cares about, including him - him, not so much. She's a leader, he's a follower. That, theoretically, should not a problem for a relationship - relationships are not developped exclusively between people of equal skills and qualities - hell, for centuries relationships were, by definition, between people of unequal status, given that women were treated officially as lesser people for their gender alone... And here is, I think, the crux of the issue: people still cannot easily accept that the woman may be the strongest pole in a relationship, thus the tendency to elevate Gendry so that the relationship appears less unfavourably unbalanced for him, and therefore more appealing to this mindset (you rarely see anything similar being done in cases where the weakest pole of a relationship is the woman).

Some people like them together for other reasons than to elevating some secondary character's traits.  I don't think there is something wrong in liking the attributes of secondary characters, as long as you realise the truth. As you said, Arya is a leader, more intelligent and braver than him, but he is also clever, good-hearted and physically strong, he has a characterisation, even having a secondary role, but he'll never be as important as Arya. There is also the fact that many people who like them together don't want it as Arya's ultimate goal in life, but as part of her life (which is, the love life). In fact, I think there is nothing wrong in a main character ending up with a non main one, it is not exceptional in fiction, and that doesn't diminish the role in the story of Arya, which is about many other things. I wouldn not think differently if the roles were reversed.

I suppose there are fans who follow them in order to elevate Gendry as you say, but I don't think they are a majority. I for one might not seem a good example, because I tend to like quite a lot many secondary characters, but my sincere opinion is that I don't want them together because of these reasons, and many people don't, too.

And I think people say they are equals in the sense that, as @Chris Mormontpointed out, they have shared a story together in moments that were very hard for both of them, so he might be one of the few people who can understand her more than others. They are also different, but also similar in the sense that they make a good team together. Besides, as @Valedina was saying, Arya has always enjoyed the company of non highborns, so Gendry fits perfectly a role of a friend or something more in her story (which is what matters), even if he might be minor. The importance is her story. If her story flows well with minor characters and people like how it is developed, there is nothing wrong in that. Might there be someone better than Gendry for her? Possibly. Or not. Sometimes better is not important, but the story that has been developed and that might continue and that can make him more suitable than anyone because she has simply fallen in love with him and not with anyone else (in case she does in a future, or if her hidden, small feelings for him reappear and finally mean something clearer for her).

[ShadowCat Rivers]

1 minute ago, Meera of Tarth said:

Some people like them together for other reasons than to elevating some secondary character's traits.  I don't think there is something wrong in liking the atrtibutes of secondary characters, as long as you realise the truth. As you said, Arya is a leader, more intelligent and braver than him, but he is also clever, good-hearted and physically strong, he has a characterisation, even having a secondary role, but he'll never be as important as Arya. There is also the fact that many people who like them together don't want it as Arya's ultimate goal in life, but as part of her life (which is, the love life). In fact, I think there is nothing wrong in a main character ending up with a non main one, it is not exceptional in fiction, and that doesn't diminish the role in the story of Arya, which is about many other things. I wouldn not think differently if the roles were reversed.

And I have no problem with that. The other stance is what annoys me (and perhaps, because it annoys me I tend to notice it more).

[Meera of Tarth]

Just now, ShadowCat Rivers said:

And I have no problem with that. The other stance is what annoys me (and perhaps, because it annoys me I tend to notice it more).

That would annoy me as well. I don't want anyone to be the prize of another character. And I agree that with female characters sometimes it happens, but I believe the vast majority of people value the story and the characters for what they are, not just  by being somebody's trophy.(or this is what I want to believe)

[Nevets]

Gendry has two things going for him - both accidents of circumstance.  He is Robert's bastard, albeit unknown and unacknowledged, and he spent time with Arya in the Riverlands and Harrenhal.  That is pretty much it.  As far as actual accomplishments, he is a decent smith/armorer.  As @ShadowCat Rivers has pointed out, she outclasses him in pretty much every department.  She is way smarter, has a lot more initiative, and has an education and upbringing typical for a noble.  She has also shown many more signs of being a natural leader than he has.   They really have very little in common.  I have seen suggestions that he might be legitimized and made Lord of the Stormlands or some such and have to laugh.

I do see her having a romance and even becoming sexually active after her flowering, but I doubt it will be with Gendry.  I think the age (12/13 vs. 17/18 is a big difference, even in Westeros) and class differences are probably too great (more for him than her, even), plus I think he regards her as more of a sister than anything else.  I have a far easier time imagining her with a squire-type roughly her own age.  Someone like Edric Dayne (who she got along well with), Podrick Payne, or Tyrek Lannister (who I think may be hiding out in Braavos.    

[ShadowCat Rivers]

23 minutes ago, Nevets said:

[...] I think the age (12/13 vs. 17/18 is a big difference, even in Westeros) and class differences are probably too great (more for him than her, even),[...]

Hmm, about the age difference, it may not be of consequence. GRRM, in a recent con (the same one that has be mentioned), reffered to him (and Arya) as "very young childern". It seems that he does not see --or at least is not going to treat-- Gendry as any older than Arya.

 

(GRRM has not dealt very well with his characters' ages - Gendry is closer in age to Brienne than to Arya, but Brienne considers him pretty much a boy, and not her peer at all).

[Nevets]

5 minutes ago, ShadowCat Rivers said:

Hmm, about the age difference, it may not be of consequence. GRRM, in a recent con (the same one that has be mentioned), reffered to him (and Arya) as "very young childern". It seems that he does not see --or at least is not going to treat-- Gendry as any older than Arya.

That may well be.  While I can see a possible temporary liaison between them, I have a hard time seeing anything remotely long-term.  I also wouldn't be surprised to see her as the point of a romantic triangle between Gendry and a squire (one of the -aynes's perhaps?).  And I can easily see her marrying out of a sense of duty (probably at Jon's instigation), although I would expect her to exert considerable say over who it was.  

[ShadowCat Rivers]

Oh well. When the time for romance comes, we'll see... I don't have an opinion in advance about it, as no character dynamic -so far- that could lead to such a developement has particularly excited me. What I'm really looking forward, for the time being, is the prospect of her interactions with Lady Stoneheart and maybe the Hound, with whom she has had by far the most interesting dynamic out of all the characters she has interacted.