Game of Thrones influences in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, in a cave without internet access, on a swampy planet in the Dagobah system, then you have probably watched the final trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which debuted on Monday night. The trailer was the third of its kind released by the notoriously secretive J.J. Abrams, the director of The Force Awakens. It’s also the final look at the film until its worldwide premiere on December 18.

After the trailer aired, many fans of both Game of Thrones and Star Wars couldn’t help but notice an obvious comparison between Rey—a new Star Wars character portrayed by Daisy Ridley—and Arya Stark, portrayed by Maisie Williams. The reason for the comparison between the two female leads was the trailer’s opening back and forth between Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o in a motion capture role) and Rey. Here’s the trailer; pay special attention to the opening dialogue.

“Who are you?”

“I’m no one.”

If before Monday night, I had presented you with this set of quotes, and asked you to name who said them, you probably would have guessed that it was a conversation between Jaqen H’ghar and Arya Stark. The obvious quotes aside, there are more parallels between Rey and Arya:

• Rey is a loner, living in a place that is not her home. Arya is the biggest loner in Game of Thrones, and currently resides in Braavos, a place that is not her home.
• For months now, the mystery surrounding Rey has been the source of one of the biggest rumors involving Episode VII: that Rey is not actually this character’s name, and that she’s in disguise on the desert planet of Jakku hiding from the Knights of Ren, who are seeking the remnants of the Skywalker bloodline so they can eradicate the last Jedi. Arya has gone by many names throughout her travels, from Arry to Weasel to Nan (and that’s just when she was still in Westeros). If the rumors are true, both characters will have changed their names to protects themselves from people who are hunting them.
• Rey carries a unique weapon that many believe she had to have special training to use, much like a double-bladed lightsaber. Arya carries a unique weapon (Needle) that required her to receive special training from Syrio Forel.
• Rey is a strong female and may be the heroine of The Force Awakens and its subsequent sequels, Episode VIII and Episode IX. Arya is also being prepared to become the heroine of Game of Thrones, a young girl trained by the Faceless Men who can use that training to seek vengeance for the atrocities committed against her family.
• Rey seeks help from the grizzled veteran Han Solo. Arya reluctantly sought companionship and help from the grizzled veteran The Hound.

As you can see, there are many reasons why fans of both genres have drawn comparisons between these two characters. Whether J.J. Abrams intentionally drew inspiration for Rey from George R.R. Martin’s Arya is just unconfirmed speculation, but it’s remarkable how closely the two characters match.

As for the other Game of Thrones inspirations in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, you may or may not know that Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) is playing a villain, and that she got her moment in the spotlight in the new trailer as well. Notice the shiny armor and the iconic J.J. Abrams lens flare bouncing off her helmet. Gwendoline is portraying Captain Phasma, the leader of the First Order’s elite stormtrooper corps.

The only art of Zuvio, so far, comes from his figure released on September 4.

Speaking of Syrio Forel, Miltos Yerolemou has a role in The Force Awakens, but we don’t have any confirmation on who or what he’s playing. Our best guess is that he’s playing an alien lawman by the name of Constable Zuvio. Zuvio is described as a vigilant law officer on a mostly lawless world (Jakku). He is tough and humorless and keeps order in a frontier trading post. This means he may come into contact with Rey.

Finally, we have screen legend Max von Sydow. Sydow will be portraying the Three-eyed Raven in Game of Thrones Season 6. The role is a recast from Season 4, and Sydow will more than likely spend his time on screen training Bran and traveling through time to experience his visions with him. Again, we don’t have any official confirmation as to who Max von Sydow will be portraying in Episode VII, but we do have leaks that say he will be playing a man named Lor San Tekka, the vicar of a small village. He is sought out by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) for his knowledge of a powerful Jedi artifact.

Max von Sydow concept art for The Force Awakens.

Intentional or not, Game of Thrones is having quite the impact on the next chapter in the Star Wars saga. The actors involved are all fantastic and exciting to watch in their own right, and the comparisons between Arya and Rey are undeniable. For more Star Wars news and information on all the new films—including The Force Awakens—visit Dork Side of the Force.

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