[Book Spoilers] Is Arya going to "get revenge?"

[teemo]

There was a small but extremely powerful change from the books in the conversation with Jaqen/Arya. Faceless Men in the book are "no one." They don't have identities, they just work for the Many-Faced God. I mean obviously, we all know that. In the show, however, Jaqen tells her that if she joins, she can get revenge on the people that she lists (Cersei, Tywin, etc.) Is this going to be what drives Arya to join? Are the Faceless Men going to be more of a group of assassins that can kill whoever they feel like? This could be a huge plot changer. Discuss!

[Frey Pie a la Mode]

There was a small but extremely powerful change from the books in the conversation with Jaqen/Arya. Faceless Men in the book are "no one." They don't have identities, they just work for the Many-Faced God. I mean obviously, we all know that. In the show, however, Jaqen tells her that if she joins, she can get revenge on the people that she lists (Cersei, Tywin, etc.) Is this going to be what drives Arya to join? Are the Faceless Men going to be more of a group of assassins that can kill whoever they feel like? This could be a huge plot changer. Discuss!

I was just thinking about this. Faceless Men do NOT get to choose their targets. Arya gets in trouble big time when she unilaterally decides to kill Dareon (because she thinks he's a slimeball, which he is, but that's still not how the tools of the Many-Faced God operate).

So yeah, Jaqen going through Arya's prayer list and telling her that she will be able to pop a cap in each one PROFOUNDLY changes what Faceless Men are in the books.

[teemo]

Some people think that maybe Jaqen bluffed her on that to sway her to join. I'm not sure I'm buying that though. Have to think about that one.

[KingWolf]

Prob have to do a re-watch but I thought he may have meant that if she goes with him then she can make a prayer to the many-faced god for them to die. Like she does in the books, she prays in front of the statue every day in the book(unless I am mistaken.)

[Tourniquet]

I think this a change from the books as they never made her "faceless/nameless-ness" a big enough plot device. She will need another reason to travel to Braavos and this may be it.

[Frey Pie a la Mode]

Prob have to do a re-watch but I thought he may have meant that if she goes with him then she can make a prayer to the many-faced god for them to die. Like she does in the books, she prays in front of the statue every day in the book(unless I am mistaken.)

Hmm, I'll have to rewatch as well. I really though he was saying that she could off them herself.

I just remembered that Faceless Men in the books specifically *do not know* their targets. There's a scene in which Arya is serving a group of FM who are discussing various targets and some decline an assignment, saying that they know the man, until one FM says, "I do not know this man. I will do it."

[KingWolf]

Hmm, I'll have to rewatch as well. I really though he was saying that she could off them herself.

I just remembered that Faceless Men in the books specifically *do not know* their targets. There's a scene in which Arya is serving a group of FM who are discussing various targets and some decline an assignment, saying that they know the man, until one FM says, "I do not know this man. I will do it."

Maybe it was just wishfull thinking that I misheard it. Because isn't that whole no killing whoever you want thing a big part of her story. Its one of the reasons she is held back in the FM. Plus it also is one of the reasons she can never truly be be no one. She wants revenge too much. It seems odd for the FM to let her kill whoever she wants, it goes against their no idenity type of life style.

[Greywolf2375]

Some people think that maybe Jaqen bluffed her on that to sway her to join. I'm not sure I'm buying that though. Have to think about that one.

It wouldn't kill her arc in any way, but I definitely would not be a fan of something like that. I loved their interaction, but did not like that he put it out there that she can use the FM as a way to get back at people.

[Howdyphillip]

I was just thinking about this. Faceless Men do NOT get to choose their targets. Arya gets in trouble big time when she unilaterally decides to kill Dareon (because she thinks he's a slimeball, which he is, but that's still not how the tools of the Many-Faced God operate).

So yeah, Jaqen going through Arya's prayer list and telling her that she will be able to pop a cap in each one PROFOUNDLY changes what Faceless Men are in the books.

Actually, Arya wasn't punished at all for killing Dareon. She was elevated into the blindness training that could have taken years longer to reach without that act.

She was specifically told that she was not to kill anyone on her own, but that could have very well just been a part of her training. Jaquen Haggar didn't seem to hold these kinds of limitations.

The bottom line in all of this is that we really don't know for sure what the "rules" for the FM are yet. If Arya leaves training early like most of suspect, we may never fully know.

[Silverx2]

in the books Arya went to brovos with the intention of getting revenge, its not til she learns the way of the FM and starts to learn to become no one that she starts to move up teh ranks.

[kephv]

Another change is how magical they made Jaqen seem. It's like he can teleport from here to there -- when's he's on the cliff and then all the sudden walks up behind Arya -- and apparently can kill groups of guards on lookout without others noticing or raising the alarm.

[sumpthy]

Another change is how magical they made Jaqen seem. It's like he can teleport from here to there -- when's he's on the cliff and then all the sudden walks up behind Arya -- and apparently can kill groups of guards on lookout without others noticing or raising the alarm.

Because peeling his face off and making a dog turn on its master wasn't magical?

[boojam]

There was a small but extremely powerful change from the books in the conversation with Jaqen/Arya. Faceless Men in the book are "no one." They don't have identities, they just work for the Many-Faced God. I mean obviously, we all know that. In the show, however, Jaqen tells her that if she joins, she can get revenge on the people that she lists (Cersei, Tywin, etc.) Is this going to be what drives Arya to join? Are the Faceless Men going to be more of a group of assassins that can kill whoever they feel like? This could be a huge plot changer. Discuss!

Funny thing is ASoFaI-wise, the list has gotten very short.

The Hound, if he is alive, remember, is no longer on her list.

We don't know but by the time she gets back to Westeros, could no body will be left on the list!

[SerMixalot]

I believe what JH said was he could get teh FM to get her vengence for her, ie she could "purchase" more deaths, though one wonders where she would get the cash

[Ciglon]

I think this is to really establish for non-book readers what drives her to go to Braavos and actually stay there at first. Remember, this will be a shocking change for her character in the TV program because she is not all too desensitized to death as she was in the books, so giving her a strong motivator and a real reason to stay there as opposed to just looking for somewhere else to go after RW.

[kephv]

Because peeling his face off and making a dog turn on its master wasn't magical?

More magical I meant. And no, making the dog turn on its master wasn't magical. He spiked some food with basilisk's blood and tossed it to the dog. There's nothing out of the ordinary in any of the FM's kills that we've seen yet.

[boojam]

I think this is to really establish for non-book readers what drives her to go to Braavos and actually stay there at first. Remember, this will be a shocking change for her character in the TV program because she is not all too desensitized to death as she was in the books, so giving her a strong motivator and a real reason to stay there as opposed to just looking for somewhere else to go after RW.

If that does not happen until E5 Maisie Williams will be nearly 18.

Viewers are going to have to get used to a different physical appearance.

[Stannis is the Mannis]

I seem to recall the line being something like "... and you can offer the names up to the red god" like people come to do at the temple in the books. Unless I'm remembering the line incorrectly, I don't think this scene implied any serious changes.

I was surprised a little at the mention of the red god in this scene though. I know he said the red god was owed for the three deaths in both the book and the show, but I assume that is because they were going to die from fire. In this instance, he seems to be implying that it is only the red god the FM serve and not the Many-Faced god.

[Honey Badger]

If that does not happen until E5 Maisie Williams will be nearly 18.

Viewers are going to have to get used to a different physical appearance.

That should be okay. When you look at GRRM's failed attempt at leaping forward five years in the books, you can tell he regretted setting the Stark kids with such young ages. The older ages of Bran, Jon, Sansa, and an older looking Maisie Williams will be what Martin wanted in the first place.