Arya Stark and Gendry Baratheon (née Waters) are two of the most powerful and important characters on Game of Thrones. Although Arya spent most of her time in the show living as a commoner in exile and Gendry spent nearly his entire run believing he was nothing more than a bastard blacksmith, it's clear that their impact on the world of Westeros was massive.
They only spent a brief time together on the show, but their friendship became one of the fan favorite relationships for the entire series. However, were Arya and Gendry actually true friends? These are ten reasons why they were not.
Because They're Not Kids Anymore
Gendry and Arya are probably each other's closest childhood friends, but they split up when Arya was still a girl and when Gendry was barely a man. And clearly, they both went through a lot after they parted ways.
Gendry and Arya are both completely different from the people that they were when they last knew one another, and their friendship is really a relic of their past.
Because They're On Different Wavelengths
Arya and Gendry certainly seem to like one another, but they're completely different people with completely different points of view who come from completely different worlds.
Their stories may have collided for a brief moment throughout their journeys, and clearly they developed a connection when they met, but realistically speaking they can't relate to each other on any deeper level.
Because They Don't Really Know Each Other
Gendry and Arya have been through an enormous amount throughout the course of their tenure on the series.
They've transformed into completely different people and have experienced more than most people can even fathom, and they basically happened to run into each other on one of the bunny hills on their ridiculous roller coaster ride through life. A momentary road trip together doesn't make anyone true friends.
Because He Won't Stick With Her
Although it seemed like Arya and Gendry got to know each other pretty well on the road together, it would seem that this friendship was not enough to get Gendry to want to stay with her.
Continuing on with Arya could have led Gendry to a more comfortable life than he'd ever had before. But he still chose to stay with the Brotherhood Without Banners, a group of men he'd never met, over the girl who had saved his life on the Kingsroad more than once.
Because She Won't Stick With Him
Clearly by the end of the series, Gendry sees himself with Arya for life, and he lets her know it.
However, despite the fact that a life with Gendry is probably the most appealing offer that Arya has in all of Westeros, and it's a life that would enable her to do much of what she hopes and dreams of, she still turns him down. To put it bluntly, she chooses a mission that is almost a guaranteed death sentence over a life with him.
Because She's a Noblewoman
Regardless of the fact that Arya has always despised being a lady and has always fit in much better with the common people, Gendry is quite clear about how he sees her when he and Arya go their separate ways for the first time.
He's not comfortable with their friendship because she is highborn, and he's lowborn. An inferiority complex is not something that can be used as a foundation for friendship, and Arya's high status is too much for him to deal with.
Because He's A Nobleman
It's certainly not lacking in irony that Arya seems to ultimately reject Gendry for one of the same reasons that he initially rejected her.
Becoming one of the highest lords in all of Westeros definitely puts Arya and Gendry on equal footing, something he clearly realizes, since the first thing he does after becoming Lord of Storm's End is profess his love for her. But although Gendry might feel worthy of her now, Arya has never been a lady, and she's not looking for a lord.
Because She's A Killer
Granted, the world of Westeros is a harsh and unforgiving world, but even in that world, the violence that Arya has committed is extreme. She is a badass, but she's also a traumatized child who uses violence as her personal outlet, and she is quite literally a serial killer and mass murderer.
Gendry undoubtedly likes her and is impressed with her fighting skills, but anyone who is remotely sane would be terrified of Arya, not friends with her.
Because She Doesn't Want To Marry Him
Considering what everyone has seen in regards to marriage in Westeros, Arya being able to marry Gendry is basically like hitting the jackpot.
Marrying someone that you actually like is more than both Arya and Gendry could possibly hope for given their stations in life, and while Gendry seems to care about nothing more than making Arya his wife, she turns him down. Arya may like him, but not enough to stay with him permanently.
Because They're Clearly More Than Friends
Gendry left off the series as the Lord of Storm's End, and Arya left off the series by literally leaving Westeros. It's unclear if they'll ever even meet again.
But one thing that is incredibly clear is that, whatever Arya and Gendry are, it's something far more than friends. They've already proven that if they had one last night on earth, they'd want to spend it together. That's not what people who are only friends do.