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In the battle at King’s Landing last night on Game of Thrones, Daenerys went from badass queen of the Andals and the First Men to mad queen who "burned them all" just like her father had wanted to do when he was the king of Westeros. After she obliterated millions of people with her armies and dragon, Daenerys officially descended into madness and Arya might be the only trained assassin to take her out. But will Arya kill Daenerys on Game of Thrones? There are some clues to suggest that she is coming for the Dragon Queen.
Arya is one of the few survivors who witnessed Daenerys’ rampage firsthand in King’s Landing. In the preview for next week’s series finale, Arya is still in town. If she had no intention of confronting Daenerys or even wearing someone’s face to get close to her, I think she would have taken that perfectly placed white horse and rode north back to Winterfell.
While the fact that Arya is sticking around doesn't necessarily mean she is going to kill Daenerys, it does mean she has a reason for not getting the Hell out of dodge when Daenerys is more unpredictable than ever. The biggest explanation is that Arya plans to kill Daenerys and there are some clues that support this.
The Biblical Meaning Of Her White Horse
In the Bible, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse all ride in on different horses. One of the horsemen, Death, is said to ride in on a pale horse. Arya just happened upon a white horse in the middle of the rubble of Flea Bottom and as she rode through the town, she could have been meant to symbolize Death riding to take someone’s life. The only person I can think of who Arya would be after at this point is Daenerys.
Another Explanation For The White Horse
On Reddit, LokeshC2 pointed out that there is a reference to a white horse in the Game of Thrones books. Or, more specifically, a "pale mare." Someone warns Daenerys to beware of a pale mare, and although it is in reference to a smallpox-like disease, this could be where the inspiration came for Arya’s new horse. It would make sense, then, for Daenerys to beware of the pale horse and who will be riding in on it next week, especially if Arya already has a plan forming.
She’s Still In King’s Landing
Arya hasn't left King’s Landing. She could have taken the horse and rode as fast as she could until she got to Winterfell, but in the preview for the Game of Thrones finale, she can be seen overlooking Daenerys, the remaining soldiers, and the ruins of the city. She is also in the shadows, which might be a callback to her days as a trained assassin in Braavos. Arya might not be a match for an actual dragon, but she can wear anyone’s face and slink around in the shadows better than anyone. She definitely stands a chance of getting close enough to Daenerys to kill her.
There’s No One Else Left On Her List
With the Hound gone and Cersei crushed under several tons of rubble, there is no one else left on Arya’s kill list. She has either killed those who wronged her family or they have been killed off in other ways. I don't think Arya is going to start an entirely new list, but her drive for killing has always been to protect herself or those around her. Right now, her closest relative to Daenerys is Jon. She might see killing Daenerys as the right thing to do, if only to protect Jon from blindly following her.
She Already Killed One Villain This Season
Arya already proved that she can swoop in at the last minute and kill off the big bad. She did it with the Night King earlier this season and the way things are going, she might just be the one to take down Daenerys. It might be a little predictable at this point, though right now, nothing is certain on Game of Thrones.
For some fans, it’s a hard pill to swallow that Daenerys isn't the hopeful ruler she had planned to be at the start of the series. It was a far distance for her to fall after she struggled for eight seasons to get from Essos to King’s Landing to take a throne she felt was rightfully hers.
But the signs were all there along the way to point at the possibility that Daenerys would follow in the footsteps of her father. The more she realized that she didn't have a place in Westeros, the more it ate away at her. The only way I can see her story arc ending is in death and Arya could be the one to make that happen.
