What is Arya Stark's Great Role?

[BlackLightning]

On 5/31/2023 at 1:52 PM, Craving Peaches said:

They would also have no reason to believe that Bran could father an heir so, by picking him, they are almost certainly guaranteeing another round of conflict when King Bran I dies unless Rickon survives that long and the succession is magically not contested.

Let's be clear: when Aegon the Conqueror united the seven kingdoms and created the Iron Throne, he had been married to two women for years without a single child to show for it.

I think Bran will be fine. Bran has plenty of heirs: Sansa, Arya, Rickon (I'm 80% sure that Rickon will survive the series) and any of children that they may one.

Basically, I envision that the Stark dynasty will begin similarly to the Targaryen one. The Targaryen dynasty started with three siblings and the Stark dynasty will start with three or four siblings. Aegon was unable to have children, but Visenya and Rhaenys had no such problem.

Sansa will probably be named both his Hand and his heir because he'd probably want to keep Rickon out of harm's way; after all, Rickon is the key to the survival of the Stark name. So, Sansa might end the actual series single and childless, but the epilogue or afterword might show that Sansa did eventually marry and have children that succeeded Bran as the High King/Queen of all Westeros.

On 5/31/2023 at 1:51 PM, Aejohn the Conqueroo said:

Arya is learning to distinguish vengeance from justice so I suspect that in the end her role will be to impose some sort of judgement on her family's vanquished enemies. She will have the chance to claim vengeance, but will grant justice. 

You mean mercy right?

Because the opposite of vengeance is mercy, not justice.

On 5/31/2023 at 4:54 PM, Springwatch said:

The only true business for a Stark is fighting winter and the Others. That's what they'll all do. The song of ice and fire.

I agree.

If Arya leaves the Faceless Men on good terms, then I think she will spend most of her time fighting the Others and whichever Bolton man escapes the Battle of Winterfell. But I do think that she (not Sansa) will be the one who will end up meddling in Jon and Daenerys' relationship.

If she leaves the Faceless Men on bad terms, well...then we'd see her story become a lot like the Jason Bourne movies where she is perpetually on the run from a secret society. Except in her case, it will happen at the end of the world and her family (which might include Daenerys and the dragons, after a certain point) will have to get involved.

Speaking of Arya again though, I do not believe for a moment that she will leave Westeros as soon as everything is said and done. She might even spend a bunch of time in the new capital being the behind-the-scenes agent of her brother King Bran.

Edited October 30, 2023 by BlackLightning

[Aejohn the Conqueroo]

On 10/30/2023 at 10:34 AM, BlackLightning said:

You mean mercy right?

Because the opposite of vengeance is mercy, not justice.

It doesn't have to be the opposite to be distinct. In fact it's probably the subtleties of the distinction (especially from the point of view of the wronged party) that require such a long and bloody series of lessons.

Was she just or cruel or merciful when Arya denied the hound the 'gift of mercy' when he asked her to kill him?

 

[James Fenimore Cooper XXII]

Arya is a cautionary tale for those obsessed with revenge.

[Northern Sword]

12 hours ago, James Fenimore Cooper XXII said:

Arya is a cautionary tale for those obsessed with revenge.

I guess, but her first obsession was to survive being hunted down and killed by the same people who killed, captured and made war on her whole family. Quick reminder, she is a 10 year old.

Cautionary indeed !

[SaffronLady]

13 hours ago, James Fenimore Cooper XXII said:

Arya is a cautionary tale for those obsessed with revenge.

Dany is a cautionary tale for those obsessed with entitlement.

[BlackLightning]

On 11/3/2023 at 11:31 AM, SaffronLady said:

Dany is a cautionary tale for those obsessed with entitlement.

I think you mispelled Stannis

[SaffronLady]

5 hours ago, BlackLightning said:

I think you mispelled Stannis

Stannis is not a major POV like Dany and Arya.

[Hippocras]

On 11/5/2023 at 12:25 AM, SaffronLady said:

Stannis is not a major POV like Dany and Arya.

It is a good point though. I think Stannis is, in many ways, a cautionary tale for Dany.

 

Anyway, I see Arya as being sort-of about revenge as so many people here see her, but also about justice, mercy and loyalty. She is basically being pulled in different directions and needs to choose. 

Meanwhile, she is also the queen of tbe strays. Both as Nymeria gathering the largest pack ever, and as Arry et al., before she went to the FM, leading her band of orphans. Even in Braavos this bonding with strays and directing them element is not completely gone, though limited by her training conditions. For example, the cat.

So I think her leadership qualities are often overlooked, but very much define who she actually is, and in the end her choices re: revenge, justice, mercy etc. will be defined by it.

Not your typical queen, but a queen all the same.

[SaffronLady]

9 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

It is a good point though. I think Stannis is, in many ways, a cautionary tale for Dany.

Yes, but discussing Stannis' entitlement issues would derail this thread.

The concept of a "Great Role" would be fulfilled at least by a POV, and in the context of the OP, one of the 5 major POVs, so let's try to fold things back there.

[Hippocras]

No thoughts on the queen of the strays thing then?

[SaffronLady]

32 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

No thoughts on the queen of the strays thing then?

Nothing to add.

[Northern Sword]

5 hours ago, Hippocras said:

It is a good point though. I think Stannis is, in many ways, a cautionary tale for Dany.

 

Anyway, I see Arya as being sort-of about revenge as so many people here see her, but also about justice, mercy and loyalty. She is basically being pulled in different directions and needs to choose. 

Meanwhile, she is also the queen of tbe strays. Both as Nymeria gathering the largest pack ever, and as Arry et al., before she went to the FM, leading her band of orphans. Even in Braavos this bonding with strays and directing them element is not completely gone, though limited by her training conditions. For example, the cat.

So I think her leadership qualities are often overlooked, but very much define who she actually is, and in the end her choices re: revenge, justice, mercy etc. will be defined by it.

Not your typical queen, but a queen all the same.

I like this analysis. Following this thought... I wonder if she will cross paths with the BWOB and Lady Stoneheart.

If she give LS a gift of Mercy, she could take over leadership of the BWOB ! Leader of an outcast band of misfits and strays. With Nymeria is in the same vicinity too. This would fit together nicely imo, to the detriment of the Frey's.

[Hippocras]

1 hour ago, Northern Sword said:

I like this analysis. Following this thought... I wonder if she will cross paths with the BWOB and Lady Stoneheart.

If she give LS a gift of Mercy, she could take over leadership of the BWOB ! Leader of an outcast band of misfits and strays. With Nymeria is in the same vicinity too. This would fit together nicely imo, to the detriment of the Frey's.

I think Arya probably will reconnect with them, yes. As for killing Stoneheart, I don't know. I guess someone needs to do that, but I think it could just as well be Brienne. The Lady knight may face a similar moral dilemma as Jaime did.

[Roswell]

Arya is easily one of the most tragic, if not the most, characters in the story.  The choices she made placed her in a no-win, no happy ending path.  There is no coming out of the depth of darkness where she is.  Her soul got lost after she killed too many people.  I think that is Arya's role.  She's the Stranger who will die as she has lived.  By violence.  

[Hippocras]

2 hours ago, Roswell said:

Arya is easily one of the most tragic, if not the most, characters in the story.  The choices she made placed her in a no-win, no happy ending path.  There is no coming out of the depth of darkness where she is.  Her soul got lost after she killed too many people.  I think that is Arya's role.  She's the Stranger who will die as she has lived.  By violence.  

Nah. When she leaves the FM, which she will, it will mean a rejection of that path. The choices she made were traumatized kid choices and she has been growing up.

[Northern Sword]

17 hours ago, Roswell said:

Arya is easily one of the most tragic, if not the most, characters in the story.  The choices she made placed her in a no-win, no happy ending path.  There is no coming out of the depth of darkness where she is.  Her soul got lost after she killed too many people.  I think that is Arya's role.  She's the Stranger who will die as she has lived.  By violence.  

She does have a tragic story. Mainly, because she was forced on to this path and was just trying to survive for the most part. Which at 10 years old is one of the reasons it is so tragic. I don't think all is lost though. She is still in the training phase. The next step, once she leaves the FM will be both interesting and telling. Her soul is just fine, don't be so dramatic...lol. There is a long list of people who have done far worse.

Also, I don't think many characters in asoiaf will have happy ending. She wont be alone.

[Sandy Clegg]

On 11/8/2023 at 10:04 PM, Northern Sword said:

There is a long list of people who have done far worse.

Wonder if Arya will ever add her own name to her list. That’s on my bingo card now

[Old Rusty Coin]

Arya will wear the face of the Master of Coin, debase the Westeros Gold Dragon and put the kingdom on the Iron Standard.

(I'll finally be able to afford a bowl of brown.)

Edited November 26, 2023 by Old Rusty Coin

[BRANDON GREYSTARK]

The Queen of Winter.

[Lord of Raventree Hall]

On 11/9/2023 at 7:04 AM, Northern Sword said:

She does have a tragic story. Mainly, because she was forced on to this path and was just trying to survive for the most part. Which at 10 years old is one of the reasons it is so tragic. I don't think all is lost though. She is still in the training phase. The next step, once she leaves the FM will be both interesting and telling. Her soul is just fine, don't be so dramatic...lol. There is a long list of people who have done far worse.

Also, I don't think many characters in asoiaf will have happy ending. She wont be alone.

I don't know. GRRM's stories usually have...what I would call, bittersweet endings, but not necessarily unhappy. I think a lot of the main characters will have endings like that...where we feel almost good about where they are at, but its also bittersweet. Well, except for his horror stories. Those characters have horrifying endings, lol.