Given that the fantasy universe of Game of Thrones continues to expand ever more on both the big and small screen, audiences still hope to see Arya Stark again, portrayed once more by Maisie Williams. Chosen for that role at only 12 years old, the actress guided the misadventures of the young Stark for eight seasons on the small screen and, years after the finale, has not entirely ruled out a possible return of Arya.
After Game of Thrones, Maisie Williams shares today what she thinks about the series and whether she would return as Arya
It wasn’t easy or immediate for Maisie Williams to grasp the scope of Game of Thrones. Only with time did she understand what she had helped to create. The story is drawn from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin and today it remains a widely beloved fantasy universe on television, to such an extent that it has fostered the development of two spin-off prequels: House of the Dragon about the fall of the Targaryens and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms dedicated to Dunk & Egg. We also know that soon we will see Game of Thrones return to cinema with a film, a prequel detailing the history of Aegon the Conqueror. But what fate awaits Arya Stark? Years after the finale, Maisie Williams has confronted the legacy of that series: “I think that in the last seven years, the greatest gift has been being able to look back and feel immense pride for what we accomplished. It was a surreal experience to live,” she told Collider.
Arya Stark may have been one of the few characters to achieve a complete and satisfying narrative arc. Her journey was winding and at times threatened to break, but perseverance and the spirit of vengeance pushed her forward, turning her into a skilled assassin. For instance, Arya herself killed the Night King, saving Westeros from the advance of the White Walkers. Many years have passed since the conclusion of Game of Thrones, and only now has the actress admitted to appreciating it:
So I had to wait for the series to finish, detach a bit, and rewatch it to understand what I truly felt. Only today, years later — after reading other scripts, auditioning for other roles, and portraying other characters — am I able to look back and say: “Wow, it has been one of the most incredible periods of my life. How lucky to have lived such an experience in my career, something that for many remains just a dream.” And I can finally enjoy it. For a long time it was hard, because it seemed to me the only thing that kept me away from my friends, including those who are actors. It was such a global success that it was almost impossible to find someone to talk to about it really. Now, though, I don’t see it only from that perspective. I see it as the artwork we created, and I’m proud of it. And I am proud of Arya. I think she is the most fantastic character ever, and I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to portray her.
Thinking, then, about the possibility of portraying Arya Stark again, perhaps by proposing this time a sequel to Game of Thrones that follows her on a new adventure, the actress admitted she is unsure: “Maybe, I don’t know. I change my mind every day. Tomorrow I might say no, but the day after I might say yes again. Today I say maybe,” she concluded.
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