Entertainment

Maisie Williams Loves Arya, Too

by Rachel Simon

*some spoilers to follow*

Like any good drama, Game of Thrones doesn't feature many characters whose motives are black and white. Even the fan favorites — Tyrion, Dany — have dark sides, and the ones viewers love to hate on — Tywin, Cersei — occasionally change our minds. Yet there is one character on the show who's so likable, so easy to root for, that it's hard to imagine ever not wanting to cheer her on: Arya Stark, played by the equally-awesome Maisie Williams.

And Williams, it seems, is an even bigger fan of Arya than the rest of us. The 16-year old actress and Vine star has long expressed her admiration for her character, but in recent weeks, her love for all things Arya has been taken up a notch. On Twitter and in interviews, Williams has praised Arya's courage, rooted for her victories, and shared her hope that the girl's fate doesn't end up like that of another major teen character on the show. Williams' enthusiasm for Thrones is appreciated, considering the generally dark tone of her scenes. While Arya's busy grieving for her family and killing enemies with the Hound, Williams is sharing her reactions, recording funny videos, and re-tweeting photos of KFC chicken. It's especially nice to see the actress' excitement during this season of Thrones, which already feels darker than past ones; when every new episode causes the Internet to melt down, it's a relief to know that one of its stars is right there with us, freaking out, scanning Twitter, and rooting for the good guys to succeed.

Some examples:

Getting the Chicken Joke

Back in the premiere, The Hound demanded a chicken from men he and Arya encountered, but was quickly denied. Predictably, this rejection didn't go over well, and the line "I’m going to have to eat every fucking chicken in this room" soon followed. Flash forward to the episode's end: the men were dead, Arya was a murderer, and the Hound got his chicken.

Of course, the thing from all of us that Thrones fans held onto most was the poultry, and a startlingly high number of "the Hound wants his chicken"-type posts crowded Twitter in the moments that followed. Williams wasted no time joining in on the fun:

Loving Her Friendship with The Hound

No one would've expected it, but Thrones season four has showed that Arya and the Hound, when thrown together, make for one of the most entertaining pairings on TV. The travels of the (very) odd couple has provided endless amusement for viewers, and apparently, for Williams, as well:

Thinking Needle is the Coolest

Needle might not sound like the most intimidating name for a sword, but when Arya used it to cross a name off her enemies list, no one questioned its power. Everyone, including some famous Thrones fans, cheered when the teen got reunited with her beloved weapon:

Wanting Arya to Take the Throne

Now that Joffrey is out of the running, the Iron Throne is up for grabs — and Williams thinks that Arya should be the one to take the seat. While there are certainly other Thrones members who are closer in line, no one would complain if Arya ended up being the one to rule all of Westeros.

Planning Joffrey's Death

Arya isn't one of the characters suspected of poisoning Joffrey, but she certainly had motive; the deceased king beheaded her father, supported the murders of her mom and brother, and tormented her sister whenever he got bored. Although Williams said in an interview this morning that she wouldn't have wanted Joffrey to die ("he makes such an interesting story"), her character would've — and the way she would've done it involved acid, "epic" stuff, and references to Breaking Bad. Works for us.

Worrying for Arya

The way to know that Williams is a true fan, though, is how much she worries about Arya. Although the character hasn't lost her spunk and likability, recent weeks have seen her more focused on getting vengeance than taking "dance lessons" and arguing with Sansa. This transformation is understandable, but it doesn't mean that we're all not worried; if not reigned in, all that anger could turn the morally-strong Arya into a cold-hearted killing machine.

Addressing this after last week's premiere, Williams said that the turn in Arya is "kind of frightening," and that her "brutal approach to things" is a "lot more risky." In another interview, Williams said she's "playing an Arya who's completely different to the one [she] auditioned for at the beginning," and that this new version is "ruthless" and "angry." Nevertheless, the actress, like, all of us, seems to believe that nothing Arya could do could cause viewers to drop their support; when there are as many terrible people on Game of Thrones as there are, the ones who still have a glimmer of goodness inside of them, like Arya, are always worth fighting for.

Image: HBO