The first sequel to Game of Thrones will follow Jon Snow (Kit Harington) as he lives Beyond the Wall, though the series finale had already set up a much better Stark character spinoff. Jon Snow’s sequel Game of Thrones series is the latest of many spinoffs to enter development after Game of Thrones’ divisive 2019 finale, but it's the first to directly follow up on the stories of characters from the original drama. Following the Targaryen-centered House of the Dragon, which premieres on HBO in August 2022, Game of Thrones’ other prequel spinoffs in development include Ten Thousand Ships, The Sea Snake, The Tales of Dunk and Egg, and The Golden Empire.
Considering Game of Thrones’ inspirational books for the original show have still yet to be completed by George R.R. Martin, a sequel series for HBO means entering uncharted territory in the universe. Game of Thrones’ ending saw relatively happy endings for House Stark’s surviving characters, including Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) as King of Westeros, Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) as Queen in the North, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) heading on an adventure to discover new lands, and Jon Snow – aka Aegon Targaryen, trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark – exiled to the Night’s Watch after killing Queen Daenerys Targaryen. While each of the four Stark siblings was left with a captivating future, one ending was ambiguous enough to warrant a spinoff.
Although Jon Snow is one of the most popular TV characters of all time, with Kit Harington undoubtedly having the charisma to lead his own spinoff, he isn't the best choice for the first official Game of Thrones sequel series. While many would have rather seen Jon ascend the Iron Throne as the rightful Targaryen heir, the character chose what was right for the realm, which concluded with exile Beyond the Wall and life among the free folk. Jon Snow ended Game of Thrones by leading the free folk back into the snowy landscape outside of the Seven Kingdoms, with his conclusion fitting for the character’s arc. Jon’s story didn’t necessarily warrant a follow-up so soon, but one Stark story did: His younger sister (well, cousin), Arya.
As she sails on a journey to discover what’s “west of Westeros,” Arya Stark’s future guarantees novel conflicts, groups of people, locations, and political strife. Considering the character was largely on her own throughout Game of Thrones, Arya leading a spinoff isn’t a stretch, as her season-long training in Braavos with the Faceless Men already gave a taste of what a solo Arya series would look like. Arya’s Game of Thrones ending perfectly teased a new conflict for the character and the future of the series’ universe beyond the battle for the Iron Throne (which, granted, is now destroyed), setting up her adventures as the most natural progression of House Stark’s story.
Arya’s open-ended conclusion in Game of Thrones was the only one that truly felt to be setting up a spinoff, with the final shot of Maisie Williams’ character smiling as the ship heads toward uncharted waters signaling that the story of the girl with no name was far from over. Whereas Game of Thrones gave no indication as to what the story of a Jon Snow spinoff would consist of, Arya Stark’s adventures beyond Westeros with a ship and crew of her own are boundless. The direction of Jon Snow’s ending was also subject to significant controversy, which subjects Harington’s spinoff to more skepticism as the first direct follow-up to Game of Thrones. The conclusion to Arya, however, was received more positively than those of her siblings, further suggesting that an Arya Stark Game of Thrones spinoff would be the best way for HBO to test the waters for more Game of Thrones sequel series.