Game Of Thrones: Who Will Arya Kill With Littlefinger's Dagger?

A girl received a dagger on this week's episode of Game of Thrones.Arya Stark's long-awaited return to Winterfell didn't disappoint. The youngest and deadliest Stark daughter, Arya (Maisie Williams), reunited with her surviving siblings Brandon (Issac Hemstead-Wright) and Sansa (Sophie Turner). Things have definitely changed since the Stark children last saw each other all the way back in season one. Today, Sansa is Lady Stark in charge of Winterfell in the absence of their brother Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the King in the North. Bran no longer considers himself Brandon Stark; he's the Three Eyed Raven now. Bran also has no need for weapons, such as Valyrian steel daggers with dragonbone hilts.The dagger Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) gave Bran in "The Spoils of War," which Bran in turn gave to Arya, might be the most important weapon in the history of the show, in terms on its impact on the events that have transpired since season one. Littlefinger is the only man to claim ownership of the dagger, but as he told Bran, where the dagger came from and who it really belongs to is the question that essentially launched the War of the Five Kings. Given to a cutthroat assassin and meant to be used to kill Bran, the dagger passed to Bran's mother Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), to his father Ned (Sean Bean), and back to Littlefinger when he betrayed Ned to the Lannisters. The dagger's whereabouts were unknown until season 7, and now it belongs to Arya.

ARYA'S LIST

Joffrey Baratheon with a crossbow on Game of Thrones

Arya began mentally compiling a list of enemies of her family and people who have harmed her and her friends since the second season. Her list grew to thirteen names: Joffrey, Cersei, The Hound, The Mountain, Tywin Lannister, Walder Frey, Melisandre, Ser Meryn Trant, Ser Illyn Payne, Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, Polliver, and Rorge.

At this point, half the names of the list have met their demise, four by Arya's hand. She killed Polliver, the torturer at Harenhaal, and Rorge, the rapist who threatened to rape her. In Braavos, Arya encountered and killed Ser Meryn Trant, the man who murdered her sword teacher Syrio Forel, and she not only murdered Walder Frey, but most of the Frey men, as revenge for The Red Wedding. The other two people from her list who are now dead that she most wishes she got a chance to kill herself are Joffrey, who was poisoned by Lady Olenna Tyrell, and Tywin, whom Tyrion killed by crossbow in the privy.

The people on Arya's list still breathing are Cersei, The Mountain (Gregor Clegane), The Hound (Sandor Clegane), Melisandre, Thoros of Myr, Beric Dondarrion, and Ser Illyn Payne. Payne was Joffrey's royal executioner who beheaded Ned Stark with his own greatsword, Ice. Melisandre makes the list for taking Genry away, and Thoros and Beric from the Brotherhood Without Banners earned Arya's enmity for selling Gendry to her. The Mountain made the list for the torture she saw him perpetrate at Harrenhaal, and she has never forgiven the Hound for killing Micah, the butcher's boy, back in season one.

Cersei is now the name at the top of Arya's list, but Arya surrendered her chance to become a Queenslayer when she decided to turn back from her course towards King's Landing and return to Winterfell to reunite with her family. As Cersei is unlikely to venture to the North any time soon, especially with her war with Daenerys Targaryen still raging, the Queen is safe from Arya - for now.

However, counting Cersei out as an achievable target for the time being, there are now two very intriguing new potential victims in the North a girl can add to her body count thanks to her new Valyrian steel dagger.

LITTLEFINGER

To hear Lord Petyr Baelish justify his actions, everything he has done since Game of Thrones began was for his lifelong love Catelyn, and now he has devoted his life to keeping Catelyn's children safe. However, that includes conspiring to have Ned Stark killed, whom Littlefinger had always hated and resented. Littlefinger's intentions towards Sansa are also rather blatant: he would very much like to marry Lady Stark, unite Winterfell and the Vale, and see how high up the ladder of chaos they can climb together - all the way to the Iron Throne, if Littlefinger gets his way.

Arya, whose skills at murder have now been provocatively demonstrated in her friendly duel with Brienne, is a serious threat to Littlefinger's plans and his very life - and they both know it. Littlefinger will have to engineer a circumstance to keep Arya away from him by pitting Sansa against her and using Sansa as a political shield. Littlefinger knows the youngest Stark daughter has avenging their father on her mind, and the last thing he wants is to die ironically by the very dagger that began all the tragedy the Stark family have endured.

THE GOLDEN COMPANY

When discussing the Lannisters' repayment of their debt to the Iron Bank in "The Spoils of War," Cersei mentioned to the Bank's representative Tycho Nestoris that she intends to take out a new loan in order to hire The Golden Company. Based in Essos, The Golden Company is an army of 10,000 sellswords with a sterling reputation. Cersei also indicated she would like the Golden Company to recover "some things that belong to [me]."

What does the reigning Queen of the Seven Kingdoms not already have that she wants? Revenge, in the form of two people who slipped out of her grasp years ago: her brother Tyrion and his wife Sansa Stark. Cersei still believes them responsible for the murder of her son King Joffrey, and they both escaped King's Landing in season 4. Unable to go to the North herself to retrieve Sansa, Cersei could send the Golden Company after her. Luckily, even with Jon Snow in Dragonstone, Sansa has Arya - who knows more about the warriors of Essos than anyone in Winterfell, to protect her if Golden Company sellswords come calling.

THE NIGHT KING

Does Arya have a greater purpose, however, than scratching off the names on her list of enemies? Does a girl's return to Winterfell at this opportune time, only to receive a new weapon dripping with significance, herald the potential for Arya to perhaps end the Great War about to commence? Along with Dragonglass, Valyrian steel is the only other substance that can kill a White Walker (though this may not be something anyone other than Jon Snow and Sam Tarly is aware of at the moment).

At this point in her life, Arya has become one of the best warriors - and one of the most prolific killers - in Westeros. She has the ability to disguise herself like a Faceless Man. She has the swordfighting skills of a Braavosi water dancer. And she now has a Valyrian steel dagger. The Army of the Dead is on their way; their march is bringing them closer and closer to Winterfell, and Arya is certain to bring her skills to play with the Northmen who need all the help they can get.

Is Arya destined to use her Valyrian steel dagger to pierce the heart of the Night King? Could Arya even be the Princess Who Was Promised - or even just the one who will end the war? Why else would she have spent her life learning the skills to get to this point? What greater destiny could there be for a girl than to kill the Night King with that particular dagger?

Arya has always been one of the most popular and important characters on Game of Thrones. She has spent the series separated from most of the other main characters and cast on her own unique journey, but all roads have led her back to Winterfell, where she belongs. Fate has given her the most significant weapon in the series, and she has the skills to know how to use it. No trueborn Stark has the steel of Arya in the figurative sense, and we'll soon see what impact she will have with the literal Valyrian steel she now wields.

Who do you think Ayra will kill with Littlefinger's Valyrian steel dagger? Let us know in the comments.