The 30 most heartwarming moments on Game of Thrones
By WiC Staff
30. Arya reveals her identity to Gendry (“The Night Lands”)
SARAH: Arya and Gendry truly care for one another. I don’t know if those feelings will develop into something romantic or what—I’ll leave that to the fandom to debate. But they’re bound by affection, even though they’ve been apart for a long time. We first saw that affection in Season 2’s “The Night Lands,” when Gendry learned the truth of Arya’s identity.
This scene is fun to watch, some light relief in a tense situation. It was instantly clear that Arya and Gendry had a lot in common, including a willingness to poke fun at one another and a straightforward, practical nature. Fans took to their friendship, in part because the onscreen chemistry between Maisie Williams and Joe Dempsie gets the endorphins moving.
But what really stands out about this scene is that Arya trusted Gendry with her real name when she easily could have made up another to protect herself. Why? We know Arya has good instincts when it comes to who to trust, but such a secret is too big to risk on a gut feeling. In truth, she and Gendry were already bound by circumstance. Being hunted by the king’s minions set them apart from their traveling companions, whether they liked it or not. Because Arya decided to tell Gendry her name, and because Gendry promised to keep her gender to himself, they made an unspoken agreement to look out for one another.
Arya may be highborn, but she’s not a snob, and she chooses her confidants based on qualities more meaningful than wealth or status. In this scene, she and Gendry demonstrate the importance of finding common ground. Their fathers would be so proud.