Of all the characters in the great ensemble TV series known as HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Maisie William’s Arya Stark is perhaps the most controversial. The young character started as a headstrong wannabe warrior, right in the thick of things, but through many of those middle seasons, Arya became sidelined in a faraway land, with really no connection to the main plot. Luckily, last season saw that change and now Arya has rejoined the fight, and not a second too soon.
And in a new interview with EW, Williams talks about the upcoming season, and particularly why you should probably not skip the first season in your mad dash to rewatch all of ‘Thrones’ before April 14.
“After reading the scripts I went back and watched Season 1 again because so much of it refers back to that season,” the actress said. “There are so many scenes that will look similar. And also I watched just to remind myself of the arc I’ve taken already.”
She continued, “I wanted Arya to go full circle and try for some kind of normalcy like when she was younger. Basically this year it’s like she has a dual personality — there are so many emotions and memories that come flooding back when you’re with your family and the things that you fight for become very different, yet she’s also remaining on this path to try and kill Cersei and remembering her list and getting closer to that. So there’s this split with Arya between trying to be who she wants to be — getting back to the naïveté and innocence with her family — and unfinished business.”
While we don’t know much about Season 8, we do know that Arya is teaming up with her big sis Sansa, played by Sophie Turner, as the Starks finally get a chance to band together and defend Winterfell. And for Williams, the teaming of her and Turner is a welcome addition.
“It’s not often you see a character siding with Sansa who’s not manipulating her,” Williams said. “Last season it was really tough for Sansa because Jon was thinking with his penis and it kind of made Sansa look bitter. This season you see Arya teaming with Sansa and sometimes calling out Jon. It felt nice and powerful to stand next to Sophie [Turner]. Sophie and I are the tightest of friends when sitting across from anyone, so no acting required.”
Perhaps, the best part of these final two seasons, ending on May 19 with the highly anticipated series finale, is the fact that Arya is no longer learning how to be an assassin away from the rest of the cast. She’s right in the thick of things. And for Williams, that brings something new to the table that she missed in previous seasons.
“I feel like I’ve always been a part of this big show but in terms of being part of the episodes that really define us, this is my first taste of it,” she said.
The final six episodes of “Game of Thrones” is coming soon, with the season premiere on April 14.
Here’s a new picture of the sisters together:
