As a child, Arya Stark witnessed some true horrors, and over the course ofGame of Thrones, she, her family, and her friends were constantly betrayed. After a conversation with the Night’s Watch recruiter Yoren, Arya made a death list, swearing vengeance on those who had wronged her. She would say their names each night before sleep.
While some of the characters on Arya’s list met their end by other means, she managed to kill four of them herself, and doubtless would have assassinated more given the chance. For better or worse, this list defined Arya Stark. This article will be focusing on Arya’s kill list from the TV series, which has a few extra names on it than intheA Song of Ice and Firebooks, as well as a few missing names.
This article contains major spoilers for Game of Thrones, including character deaths.
10Joffrey Baratheon
Ordered The Execution Of Arya’s Father, Eddard Stark
Joffrey Baratheon is one of the most despised characters in the history of television,never mind just inGame of Thrones, and so it is little wonder that he made it onto Arya’s list. However, there are two specific reasons for Joffrey earning the enmity of Arya Stark in the opening season alone.
Firstly, by lying to his parents, the king and queen, Joffrey got Arya into trouble, and her friend Mycah subsequently died because of this lie. Additionally, Sansa’s direwolf Lady was killed in place of Arya’s own direwolf being put down for biting Joffrey. The second reason is that Joffrey ordered the execution of Arya’s father, Lord Eddard Stark, when he was supposed to be shown mercy. Unfortunately, Arya would never get vengeance on Joffrey, as he was poisoned at his own wedding.
9Cersei Lannister
Demanded The Direwolf, Lady To Be Killed
Other than being an evil Lannister in the eyes of Arya Stark and her possibly believing Cersei was involved with her father’s execution, there is potentially a more specific reason why Cersei was included in Arya’s nightly prayers. In season one, Cersei demanded that Arya’s direwolf be put down, and when Nymeria could not be found, the fate fell even more cruelly to Sansa’s innocent direwolf, Lady.
Beyond the first season, Arya never interacted with Cersei again, and the Queen’s death was likely fairly low on his list of priorities. As for this particularLannister’s fate, Cersei was crushed by the collapsing walls of the Red Keep, alongside her lover and brother, Jaime.
8Walder Frey
For Orchestrating The Red Wedding
Walder Frey may seem like an obvious addition to Arya’s list for his role in orchestrating the Red Wedding, but surprisingly, he is only on her list in the show, as in the books, she is unaware of what really happened and who was behind the murders of her mother and brother.
In Season 6 Episode 10 of the show, Arya delivers justice to Walder Frey by cutting his throat. However, this is only after he eats a pie, unknowingly made out of the sons of his who played the biggest roles in the Red Wedding.
7Ser Meryn Trant
Killed Syrio Forel, Who Was Practically Unarmed
Ser Meryn Trant ofthe Kingsguardwas one of the first people to earn Arya’s fury when he seemingly killed her practically unarmed fighting instructor, Syrio Forel, in the first season. Had Arya seen the way Ser Meryn treated her sister, she would have had even more reasons, with the knight beating Sansa and stripping her at the behest of King Joffrey.
Even worse than these offenses, when Arya finally got vengeance on Ser Meryn Trant, ultimately slitting his throat, it was at a brothel in Braavos where he was beating young girls.
6Tywin Lannister
For Being At War With Robb Stark
In the books, Arya never met Tywin Lannister, and her list was more focused on those who had personally done her or others harm in her presence. However, with the show swapping out Roose Bolton’s acquaintance with Arya at Harrenhal for Lord Tywin, the pair had a few great scenes together. This was arguably one of thethings the show did better than the books.
While Tywin was courteous with her, he was nevertheless at war with her brother Robb, and his inclusion on the list can be seen as more politically motivated. If the formidable general Tywin died, Robb would be more likely to succeed, and to a young Stark girl, all Lannisters must have seemed evil. In the end, Tywin was slain by his own son, Tyrion, while on the privy.
5The Hound, Sandor Clegane
Killed Mycah, The Butcher’s Boy
Sandor Clegane, known as ‘The Hound’, was one of the first characters on Arya’s list, as he killed her friend Mycah, the butcher’s boy in season 1. However, after taking Arya captive, thisiconicGame of Thronesduosomewhat became friends, or at the very least could tolerate one another, and worked together. In time, The Hound’s name was removed from Arya’s death list.
Free from Arya’s vengeance, Sandor Clegane would eventually fight his brother to the death, tackling The Mountain through a wall so that they would both plunge to a fiery death below.
4The Mountain, Ser Gregor Clegane
Tortured Prisoners At Harenhal
Ser Gregor Clegane, known as The Mountain, is easily one of themost evilGame of Thronescharacters, and swiftly got his name on Arya’s list by torturing men, women, and children at Harrenhal. In the books, more of his men involved in the torture, such as Raff the Sweetling, were also on her list.
However, Arya was far from the only one seeking Gregor Clegane’s death, as Oberyn Martell would first try, and somewhat succeeded, as The Mountain appears to have died, before being brought back by Qyburn. The Mountain’s rival brother would then finish him off by sending them both to a fiery hell in King’s Landing.
3Ser Ilyn Payne
Executed Arya’s Father, Eddard Stark
Ser Ilyn Payne was the Royal Executioner and was thus the man to take Lord Eddard Stark’s head with his own sword, Ice. Witnessing her father’s unjust decapitation, Arya naturally found room on her list for Ilyn Payne, who would continue to wear her father’s sword.
However, in the TV series, his actor, Wilko Johnson, sadly developed cancer and had to step away from the role. Ilyn Payne was never recast, so after season 2, his fate is unknown. In the books, the character eventually becomes an unlikely companion and sparring partner ofJaime Lannister.
2Polliver
Murdered Arya’s Friend Lommy & Stole Needle
In the books, Arya has many Lannister soldiers in the service of Gregor Clegane on her list, but in the show, it is only Polliver. In the second season, Polliver cruelly murdered the boy Lommy Greenhands with Arya’sown blade, Needle, which he had just stolen.
He would later come to regret this, however, as Arya and The Hound stumbled upon a tavern, where Polliver and his men were enjoying themselves. Led on his back after taking a beating, Arya reclaimed Needle and spoke the same words that Lommy had heard, before pushing the pointy end through Polliver’s throat.
1Beric Dondarrion, Thoros Of Myr, & Lady Melisandre
The Two Outlaws Betrayed Gendry & Sold Him To The Red Woman, Who Tortured Him
Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, and the Red Woman, Lady Melisandre, are three people on Arya’s list who were not on it in the books. Beric’s and Thoros' crimes of betraying Gendry and selling him to the Red Woman only happened in the show. Similarly, Melisandre only tortured Gendry in the show, doing so by leeching his king’s blood with the desire to eventually sacrifice him.
Arya may also have been angry at Beric Dondarrion for letting The Hound go, despite him confessing his crimes after winning his trial-by-combat. As for the fates of these three characters who didn’t stay on Arya’s mind for long and ended up on her side, Beric died defending Arya during The Long Night episode, Thoros died beyond The Wall, and Melisandre ended her life naturally by removing the necklace which kept her alive.
