Arya Stark

Arya Stark is a major character in Game of Thrones. She is played by Maisie Williams and debuts in the first episode.

Arya Stark is the youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn, and the sister of Robb, Sansa, Bran and Rickon and half-sister of Jon Snow. Arya rejects the notion that she must become a lady and marry for influence and power, feeling she can forge her own destiny. She wields a sword named Needle, a gift from her half-brother Jon Snow, and has been trained in the Braavosi style of sword combat.

Winter is Coming
Arya is a young tomboy who'd rather be training with swords and bows than learning how to sew. During King Robert's visit, Arya tests her mother's patience by misbehaving and teasing her sister, Sansa. Arya names her pet direwolf Nymeria, after a great warrior-queen of Essos.

The Kingsroad
Arya receives a sword as a gift from her half-brother, Jon Snow. She names it Needle. Whilst journeying south to King's Landing, she practices her swordwork with Mycah, the son of the butcher in King Robert Baratheon's retinue. When Prince Joffrey Baratheon spots them practicing, he intervenes, cutting Mycah and threatening Arya. Nymeria bites his arm, allowing Arya to throw Joffrey's sword in the river. She later drives Nymeria off with rocks so she won't be punished, but Queen Cersei orders Sansa's direwolf Lady to be executed instead.

Lord Snow
After reaching King's Landing, Arya argues incessantly with Sansa over the incident on the Kingsroad, to her father's despair. Discovering Needle amongst her belongings, Lord Eddard decides to hire a master sword-fighter, Syrio Forel, to train Arya in the art of combat.

Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things
Eddard is bemused to find that Syrio's training regime includes having Arya balance on her tiptoes for hours at a time and chasing cats around the Red Keep.

The Wolf and the Lion
Arya watches the tournament along with Septa Mordane and Sansa. She asks Littlefinger how he got his nickname, to his amusement. Arya later resumes her cat-chasing training exercise and finds her way into the dungeons under the Red Keep. Here she overhears Varys and Illyrio Mopatis plotting, but by the time she gets back to her father she has forgotten most of the details. Whilst dishevelled and unclean, Arya is constantly mistaken for a boy, to her annoyance.

A Golden Crown
Arya is distracted from her training exercises by news of Jory's death and her father's injury, so Syrio teaches her how to ignore her troubles to focus on fighting. Later, Sansa and Arya have an argument triggered by Sansa calling Joffrey a lion, but Arya points out he'll be a stag like his father. Sansa replies that Joffrey is nothing like Robert. This gives Eddard the clue to realize that Joffrey is not Robert's son and thus not the heir to the throne.

The Pointy End
After Cersei and Joffrey have Eddard arrested, they send guards to take Arya into custody. Syrio defends Arya, disarming several Lannister guards before holding off one of the Kingsguard, Ser Meryn Trant. Arya flees the castle, stabbing and killing a stableboy who tries to stop her. Later, Varys confirms to Eddard that Arya has escaped.

Baelor
Arya, having escaped from Joffrey's soldiers, is now living on the streets of King's Landing and has to catch wild birds to feed herself. While trying to bargain for something to eat at a baker's stand, Arya notices crowds of people running to the city's center.

When she enquires where they are going, she discovers that they are assembling to witness the trial of the Hand of the King (Ned Stark). Arya runs to the crowded square and climbs on a statue to gain a better view. Ned spots Arya and manages to warn Yoren without anyone else noticing. When Ned is made to confess his treason and Joffrey orders Ned's execution, Arya dashes forward in an attempt to save her father. Yoren manages to grab her. Holding Arya against his chest, he tells her not to look. Upon seeing the frightened birds taking flight, Arya knows that her father is dead.

Fire and Blood
Yoren cuts Arya's hair short and tells her she must now pass as a boy, now named Arry. He intends to help her escape from King's Landing when he departs with his newest batch of Night's Watch recruits. Arya defends herself when some of the boys notice her sword and try to take it from her. She meets Gendry Waters amongst the recruits when he helps to chase off the boys.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels Arya is nine years old when King Robert Baratheon arrives at Winterfell. She is a tomboy who wants to learn how to fight with a sword and ride in tourneys, to the horror of her more demure older sister, Sansa, but she is encouraged by her half-brother Jon.

In the novels, Arya is left-handed. Maisie Williams is right-handed, but plays Arya as left-handed to be true to the books, including learning how to fight with a sword in her left hand.