Arya's Purpose?

[Errant Bard]

If they have this agenda, why didn't they do anything against the Undying in Qarth? They were there moldering in their moldery house for hundreds of years at least. And they're high profile figures, known throughout the world for their magical abilities including I suspect their semi-eternal life.

Good point, though if Quaithe revealed herself to be a FM, that would overturn that argument.

Maybe they tried and failed too, it's not like they are invincible, they just know how to merge in a human population, and kill.

[Errant Bard]

That's just a theory.

Aye, just a theory, at the same level of R+L=J, Sandor=gravedigger, Alleras=Sarella and Jaqen=Alchemist, I won't deny it.

[LogicWarrior]

Seems unlikely. End the Dany before she even lands on Westeros?

That would be a total waste.

Not really, when you consider that there would be 3 dragons, thousands of Unsullied, a host of Dornes and Ironmen, a Tyrion, an Illyrio, a Barristan, and a Varys all without a leader. Power grabs abound.

[a_homeless_harpy]

If Arya was to finish off the living corpse of her own dear mommy she would have to kill her six times more (providing, of course, that the red priest would revive Uncat after every killing and it seemed that he hasn't been very fond of her)...wouldn't it be rather cruel?

I have an impression that the Faceless Men deal only with people - only among people their little saying is perfectly true. For killing the Others you'd better use dragonglass, dragonsteel or...dragons.

[Dany'smygirl]

Good point, that is true; the FM assassination techniques almost seem like...well, near magic to be honest. It almost seems that they don't even touch their victims alot of the time(Jaquen and the guys that he paid Arya back for). You're right in the sense that she'd probably have to never fight.

But yeah, i think that failing this 'test' and going blind(when she accepted Arya's milk) shows them that she's not far enough removed from herself to kill, say, Sansa. She might not have liked Sansa most of the books, but later she even starts to miss her, and i seriously doubt she'd have any ill will toward her anymore.

The other problem of course is Arya's current hotheadedness. She killed Daeron. Honestly, this was not her right. Yes, he was an oathbreaker, which ends in death...but not for anyone to give...that's for the Lord or whatever leader or whoever to decide. Her father killed the oathbreaker because he was the lord of Winterfell and that was his duty. Arya was no lord, and that was, basically, her jumping the gun. If she wanted to do the 'right' thing, she would have turned him into the ''higher ups'' somehow, or even better- cleverly pointed them in his direction. (I think the FM would have been much more impressed by that...since being an FM relies heavily on subterfuge.)

If an oathbreaker comes into a town, the farmer down the street can't kill him and not expect any repercussions. They may not be as hard on him as they would if he had killed an innocent, but he woulnd't get off scott free. I think it was put in, though, just to show that Arya is far from ready of being an actual FM, and that she might indeed lack the ''Complete Removal of one's self'' that they seem to require. Come to think about it, the point i made above, the Arya now might indeed try to take a knight head to head, due to her stubborness and ''im not afraid of anything'' attitude; and it would end in her being cut in two...rather than do it ''Faceless Man'' style with some poison, or magic, or whatnot.

It will be interesting, though, to see how it pans out, and if she can learn real self control.

Who are you... a dam Judge in Westeros with your head up your ass. They're in a time of war...I would have killed that guy myself...he was sent on a mission and could have totally screwed up Jon's plans and the rest of the dude's in black

[Dienekes]

To be a bad ass. Isn't that reason enough? It's odd with all the Arya hate, she happens to be one of my favorite characters. Same way I can't see Sansa love or Jaime love I guess, they just annoy me.

I digress. Arya's purpose has always seemed to me to be the trauma of war itself. Sure Brienne travelled through the towns that have been scourged but Arya was there. The things that have happened to her are relatively standard in medieval wars but we can see what type of toll they have upon her (stabbing the Tickler), just as we can see the toll of loosing one's family can have upon someone in Catelyn's chapters (finally culminating in UnCat, may her kills be aplenty). Her spiritual purpose would seem to be at this point how much trauma can one person go through and come out intact. Her plot purpose I won't pretend to know.

Also I support the killing of Dareon, he left Sam and Aemon to fend for themselves. You can argue that he wasn't directly responsible for Aemon's death but he sure sped up his demise. Also Arya is in her mind helping the world by ridding it of this oathbreaker just as her father did before her and as the FM seem to pride themselves in doing.

[a_homeless_harpy]

It's easy to identify with Arya and feel pity for her - a weak girl among the monsters and war criminals who has to fend for herself and eat worms. When she kills, though, plenty of people squirm. I find it quite natural.

She's seen so much pointless deaths that stabbing Daeron for his treason came easy, it was almost a noble thing to do.

Arya's purpose has always seemed to me to be the trauma of war itself.

The trauma seen by a child, that's very true, but after all these attrocities Arya yearns for home and stability so her purpose will be to find a group she can identify with and belong to. A pack.

[PestilencE]

Arya’s character became a tad less likable when she killed that singer and stole his boots.

He was a deserter from the Night's Watch and deserved to die.

[Errant Bard]

He was a deserter from the Night's Watch and deserved to die.

Aye, and had the wildling had an Arya among them, Jon would be dead too.

[Dienekes]

There is a man who was told by a superior to desert for a time to in fact further the night watches intellegence as compared to a man who deserted for some poon-tang.

[Errant Bard]

The readers know, but... How does the child assassin know? mind-reading?

[Dienekes]

By context, he wasn't doing anything to support the night's watch and by watching him as she seems to have a knack for doing it is very easy to realize that he had completely betrayed his cause.

[Errant Bard]

By context, he wasn't doing anything to support the night's watch and by watching him as she seems to have a knack for doing it is very easy to realize that he had completely betrayed his cause.

Well, yes, I'm just arguing that killing like that will likely get some innocents (and maybe good guys) killed too. It's too easy to say someone "deserves to die" and still want the good guys to live when they do the same things or worse (like, Tyrion, Jaime, Sandor, or Jon). It's a slippery slope, and even if, I for one welcome our new psychopatic vigilante overlord, some people are not happy when it happens with people like, say, Brienne.

[shadowbinding shoe]

Well, yes, I'm just arguing that killing like that will likely get some innocents (and maybe good guys) killed too. It's too easy to say someone "deserves to die" and still want the good guys to live when they do the same things or worse (like, Tyrion, Jaime, Sandor, or Jon). It's a slippery slope, and even if, I for one welcome our new psychopatic vigilante overlord, some people are not happy when it happens with people like, say, Brienne.

But, Jon is totally different! How can you even compare what Jon did to the crimes Daeron committed? Daeron was sleeping around after he vowed to a life of celibacy and he as good as killed poor maester Aemon (and nearly Sam as well!), his brother in the Night's Watch.

And let's not forget the final clincher. The thing after which Arya leaves nothing of him but a smelly pair of boots. He started wearing non-black clothes! This is exactly the crime for which Mance Rider is about to hang. Wenching around and killing fellow black brothers is bad enough, but this!

[Errant Bard]

But, Jon is totally different! How can you even compare what Jon did to the crimes Daeron committed?

I am not comparing them, I'm saying a character in the story would not know the internal reason and only see that both confessed oathbreaking.

As for Dareon's crimes, I think you overstate them. He didn't kill anyone, not even nearly, all he did was being a realist. He didn't try to delay Lady Ushanora's departure because it would not have changed anything, Aemon could not get better. He didn't continue to devote money for Sam's delusions, because it was hopeless. A healer did come and could do nothing against old age.

If you want to hold criminal charges against someone for Aemon's death for such flimsy reasons, blame Sam and Jon, they were the ones who forced him to stay in Braavos and who sent him in the first place. I honestly cannot see where Dareon tried to murder Sam, but if you're talking of the incident where our Tarly boy got threatened by bravos and nearly drowned, you'd better blame Sam's stupidity, the Happy Port matron, and the guy who sent him flying.

His worst crime was deserting the Watch, symbolized by his shedding of black clothes.

[Jon Targaryen]

As for Dareon's crimes, I think you overstate them. He didn't kill anyone, not even nearly, all he did was being a realist. He didn't try to delay Lady Ushanora's departure because it would not have changed anything, Aemon could not get better. He didn't continue to devote money for Sam's delusions, because it was hopeless. A healer did come and could do nothing against old age.

If you want to hold criminal charges against someone for Aemon's death for such flimsy reasons, blame Sam and Jon, they were the ones who forced him to stay in Braavos and who sent him in the first place. I honestly cannot see where Dareon tried to murder Sam, but if you're talking of the incident where our Tarly boy got threatened by bravos and nearly drowned, you'd better blame Sam's stupidity, the Happy Port matron, and the guy who sent him flying.

Very true. Wrt Aemon's death, Aemon says himelf that the cold preserves. Jon saved him from Melisandre's fires only for him to die anyway when he left the Wall and the cold. I realize this probably has little real effect in real life, but this is fantasy and I felt the truth of it when Aemon said it.

[Blackfox]

Dareon let old master Aemon died miserably in an old basement why he prances around singing, fucking women, and lived a comfortable life. this face alone is worth letting him die.

plus he was a black brother, he had an oath to fullfill and a job to finish, he care none of that. his selfishness and cruelty are simply disgusting and I am glad Arya finished him off.

[Multaniette]

Her chapters are, by and large, the most interesting and well written in aSoIaF. As others have pointed out before, her story, by itself, is worth reading.

Blaming Arya for killing Daeron is akin to blaming Ned for killing the black brother at the beginning. You can argue the deeds were pointless, psychotic etc, but we are dealing with a slightly different set of morality in Westeros.

[Ser Luke]

All I want for Christmas is Arya's head on a spike.

[a_homeless_harpy]

All I want for Christmas is Arya's head on a spike.

Be careful what you wish for. In fantasy literature a head on a spike doesn't necessarily mean that its owner is dead. Arya is an interesting character, say what you might.

Her chapters are, by and large, the most interesting and well written in aSoIaF. As others have pointed out before, her story, by itself, is worth reading.

I agree. Absolutely.