Arya Stark has always been a standout of Game Of Thrones and is one of the characters best positioned for a spinoff show. However, just because the character was popular among most fans, that doesn't mean that she doesn't have her fair share of detractors, as fan discourse on Reddit indicates.
In fact, there are plenty of unpopular opinions out there concerning Arya as a character, her personality traits, major arcs, and the role she ultimately plays in Westeros. Whether they're based on the Song of Ice and Fire novels or the HBO series, it's clear that these ideas probably won't land with most fans.
The Most Unlikeable Character
Arya Stark continues to be a beloved character; a badass whom audiences saw grow up on screen. She had to survive in the harshest conditions and hasn't exactly had the best influences around her, but ultimately her moral compass appears to be intact. As a coming-of-age story, Arya's has been one of the most complex.
Despite how the majority see her, for Reddit user Dismal-Fan-4716, she is one of the worst characters of all time. The wrote, "All I have to say is in the end she was a smug narcissist, sociopathic, highly insane in actions and feats a very unlikable individual who should have died early on." This is definitely a take that not everyone is going to agree on.
The Smugness
Arya has really lived a life and returns to her family with far more experience than they would have expected. She finally has a voice that she can contribute. And, having made the right decisions in the past, Arya's lived experience may benefit the situation they find themselves in.
Other Reddit users have also picked up on this particular character trait though, suggesting rather than confidence, it's smugness. lostinthesauceguy said, "The smugness with Arya was what really killed it for me. She was so irredeemably smug and kept getting rewarded for it. Desperately, desperately needed to be taken down a peg." She's definitely earned the right to allow her point of view to be heard.
Comparisons To Daenerys
There are some parallels to be made between Arya and Dany. Both didn't choose the life they were thrown into and each had to find a way to become independent and thrive in some of the most lethal places in Westeros. But in regards to their final arcs, Dany's murderous rampage on the innocent is a far cry from Arya's list of revenge.
Taterific suggests though that "I hate how they try so hard to convince us that Dany is a violent murderer and needs to be killed, while they push the concept that Arya is a heroic avenger. The complete lack of consistency in the final half of the HBO series is so incredibly frustrating." There are quite different circumstances surrounding these choices though.
Arya Is A Caricature
Game Of Thrones was often commended for boasting such a diverse range of characters, each of which felt real in every possible sense. That was partially taken from the books, but the show ensured that each individual managed to really connect with the audience while featuring their own unique voice.
In a discussion about Arya though, RaevanBlackfyre made a wider point about the show, which included the Stark assassin. They said "They were just ticking off their fantasy character list. A female assassin who's dark and will go to all lengths, a sassy young woman, a cruel conqueror, a drunk femme fatale, a white knight honorable hero, the great father-like figure in Davos. The only thing was, they made them all caricatures of their tropes."
Misunderstanding The Books
Fans of the Game of Thrones books have continued to praise the show and debate how much of it is truly accurate to the source material. It's a different take, that can't be argued, but throughout the earlier seasons, the spirit of George R. R. Martin's original work is still clear to see. That includes the portrayal of Arya who isn't an exact match but carries the same essence.
But one unpopular opinion sees elipride really labor that point. They say "I love Arya in the books but I can't stand her in the show. I made this comment a while ago about how D&D completely misunderstood and butchered her character." For plenty of fans, there's still a clear link to be made between the two iterations.
Seeing Arya Through A Lens
Arya is an anti-hero in many ways and follows the tropes of these kinds of vigilante figures in wider pop culture. The likes of the Punisher for instance are celebrated for the same reason. Her mission is seen as bringing justice to Westeros and her family, and as long as her actions can still be justified on some level, audiences will continue to root for her.
But, one Redditor suggests that's not the case, and really it's based on the lens of Arya's justifications. Gettingbetter says "A lot of people excuse her because she seems to have a kind of code, but what kind of code involves killing a drunk man and stealing his boots." But in the context of the show, that very same man betrayed her father.
Wouldn't Survive King's Landing
Arya certainly isn't her sister. Sansa Stark navigated the trauma of King's Landing, while Arya continued to survive in the wilderness by herself. But Arya also showed that she could handle being in a household, disguising herself for some time as a servant. She's versatile and will always find what she needs to come out on top.
But one Redditor disagrees with that assessment. CranberryBogMonster says "Imagine if Arya had been trapped in King's Landing instead of Sansa. She'd probably be dead. She wouldn't have been able to keep up the quiet internal fortitude and navigate the politics the way Sansa did, and instead she'd have antagonized Joffrey and Cersei endlessly until she was inevitably executed."
Arya Is Dead
Arya has developed so much throughout the books and the show, but there are elements of the character that can be traced back to her early days. In fact, once she is reunited with her family on screen, Arya's funny and relatable childhood returns to her and she starts to revert to who she once was, leaving the Faceless Men behind her.
But when discussing the books and shows some time ago, one Redditor made an unpopular opinion about her potential fate and her metaphorical shifts. They say "Arya Stark as we knew her will not survive the series. In many ways, she's already dead. I don't think that there will be anything left of her but murder by the series' end."
Too Overpowered
One of the refreshing elements of Arya is that her skills were picked up along the journey. At no point was she suddenly fantastic at everything. Instead, she continued to struggle and learned from a number of wise and talented teachers. Audiences went on that journey with her.
Despite this, AlthricPasta suggests that the character didn't develop in this way. They note "But even that doesn't really make sense to me, we saw her train, but it didn't feel earned. She's way too OP considering what we saw her actually go through." Her skills are a culmination of everything she has gone through though.
Shouldn't Have Killed The Night King
The Night King was the ultimate threat in Westeros. To defeat him, those defending the realms of life needed the ultimate killer. Arya's whole journey was about becoming death herself. It takes someone like that to tackle the previous lord of the dead and the arc was completely earned.
Yet, one Reddit user completely takes a different point of view. They say "the whole "murdering the night king" thing just felt cheap. She had literally no connection to ANYTHING that had anything to do with the white walkers before the battle of Winterfell... NOTHING about it made ANY sense and it ends with Arya killing the Night King which as I said is in no way satisfying because it's just random."