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One of the biggest questions coming out of the season eight premiere of Game of Thrones
Having not seen each other since season three, the pair finally reunited in Winterfell , with Baratheon blacksmith Gendry (Joe Dempsie) hard at work forging dragonglass into weapons ahead of the forthcoming battle against the White Walkers.
Arya (Maisie Williams) wasn’t there just to catch up with her old friend, though. She handed him a slip of paper that had her own design on it. It features the word “Dragonglass” with what appears to be a spear tip.
“What do you need something like this for?” Gendry asks her – and it’s a good question.
The best evidence comes from Vanity Fair ‘s Still Watching Thrones weapons designer Tommy Dunne. He revealed he’d designed a “showstopper” for the final season that has been “reverse-engineered” so that it can be “made into two different items.”
Looking at Arya’s sketch, it seems like this is the weapon he’s referring to.
Show all 13 1 /13Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Cersei Lannister Why? Cersei falsely accused Arya's father, Ned Stark, of treason, leading to his eventual arrest and beheading.
Current status: Alive, sitting on the Iron Throne, probably drinking wine and plotting revenge against the Starks as her newly bought Golden Army comes to Westeros.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Tywin Lannister Why? The Lannister patriarch helped orchestrate the Red Wedding (AKA the day Robb, Catelyn and Talisa were butchered by the Freys).
Current status: Dead. Tywin's own son, Tyrion, shot him with a crossbow while he was sat on the toilet.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane Why? Arya was forced to watch the Clegane brother torture a group of locals at Harrenhal.
Current status: Undead. The Mountain was poisoned by Oberyn Martell, only to be brought back from the dead by Maester Qyburn. Now, he stands by Cersei's side.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Meryn Trant Why? The first man to be put on Arya's list, Meryn killed her dance instructor Syrio Forel in season one.
Current status: Dead. After training as a Faceless person, Arya tracked down Meryn in Braavos. Arya lured him into a trap, stabbed him in the eyes and slit his throat.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Melisandre Why? Melisandre took Gendry away from the Brotherhood Without Banners in the hope of using the Baratheon for Black Magic purposes.
Current status: Alive (although very, very old). Jon Snow banned her from stepping foot in Westeros. However, Melisandre has already prophesied her own death will take place in Westeros. Perhaps at the hands of Arya.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Beric Dondarrion Why? The leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners captured Arya, Gendry and The Hound. He then sold Gendry to Melisandre and freed The Hound.
Current status: Alive and currently at The Wall, hiding from the Night King's zombie dragon.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Thoros of Myr Why? Beric's fellow brother without a banner. Thoros helped sell Gendry.
Current status: Dead. Thoros was one of Jon Snow's troupe who headed north of The Wall to retrieve a Walker. The idea was to present the creature to Cersei. On that journey, Thoros was attacked by an undead bear and eventually froze to death.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Walder Frey Why? Because Walder Frey was the host of the horrendous Red Wedding.
Current status: Dead. When Arya got back to Westeros from Braavos, Walder was the first person she went after. Using her new Faceless skills, she infiltrated the Frey household and slit Walder's throat. She then stole his face and poisoned the rest of the Frey family.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Ilyn Payne Why? Ilyn Payne, played by Dr Feelgood himself Wilko Johnson, was the one to behead Ned Stark.
Current status: Alive. Ilyn has not appeared on the show since season two. One of the reasons for this could be because Johnson was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. The actor/musician has since made a recovery, and could be back for season eight.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Rorge Why? Rorge threatened to rape Arya when he was a prisoner heading to The Wall.
Current status: Dead. Rorge attempted to ambush The Hound and Arya on their journey to Eyrie. What he did not count on was being bested by The Hound. Arya then quickly learns Rorge's name, adds him to the list, and kills him.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Joffrey Baratheon Why? For sentencing Ned Stark to death (and generally being awful).
Current status: Dead. Joffrey was poisoned at the Purple Wedding (when the King was to be married to Margaery Tyrell). Although Tyrion was initially blamed, Olenna Tyrell was the actual perpetrator.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Polliver Why? Polliver knocked over Arya during the attack on Yoren and stole Needle. "Fine little blade; maybe I'll pick my teeth with it," he said.
Current status: Dead. While travelling with The Hound, Arya bumped into Polliver (still with Needle) at a tavern. Polliver then offered to exchange a chicken for sex with Arya. Funnily enough, that did not go down well, and The Hound soon did away with Polliver's men, leaving the thief for Arya.
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Arya Stark's death list – Game of Thrones Sandor "The Hound" Clegane Why? During season one, The Hound murdered Arya's friend, Mycah the butcher's boy, at the orders of Joffrey. Despite travelling around Westeros with Arya, The Hound was never forgiven, and the Stark girl left him for dead.
Current status: Alive. The Hound was on the verge of death when Brother Ray came and saved him. He then joined Jon Snow and is currently on his way to Winterfell – where Arya awaits.
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The season eight premiere saw Jon discover his true heritage and that he’s the true heir to the Iron Throne, a moment fans reacted to with excitement on Twitter
The episode, which debuted a new opening title sequence , also featured a hilarious reference to Ed Sheeran’s maligned cameo appearance last season.
The final season of Game of Thrones continues every Sunday.here .
You can find our extensive ranking of our favourite most shocking moments below.
Show all 23 1 /23Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Click through the gallery to see what made the list...
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments George W Bush’s head on spike Season one, episode 10 This was shocking but not because it was violent. During the last episode of season one, we saw former president George W Bush’s head on a spike. The directors have since confirmed that no subliminal political messaging was intended: they just needed an extra prosthetic heads and Bush’s was lying around.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Daenerys takes over Meereen Season four, episode four It's after offering the slaves of Meeren a chance of freedom that Daenerys first reveals her deadly side: "I am not your enemy. Your enemy is beside you. I do not bring you commands. I bring you a choice. And I bring your enemies what they deserve." Cue the crucifixion of the city's slaveowners and Daenerys announcing herself as queen of Meereen.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Lysa breast feeding Robin Season one, episode five Not that Breastfeeding should ever be a taboo subject on TV, but when the feeding child is 10 years old, well, there's obviously going to be some kind of uproar. The scene in question came in season one and some viewers could not handle the sight of Catelyn’s sister, Lysa, sitting on a throne with her near-adolescent son, Robin, attached at her breast.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Rat torture Season two, episode four Watching people being tortured is a pretty common occurrence in Game of Thrones. Perhaps the most horrible method of all came in season two, when a bucket of rats was strapped to a man’s chest. Rather than just letting the rodents sit there, a torturer proceeded to heat up the bucket, leading to the rats having to eat their way through the man to escape.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Theon botches a beheading Season two, episode six Although it feels like a long time ago, there was a time when Theon took control of Winterfell. During his governorship, Theon not only had two children killed (believing them to be the Starks), but beheaded Ser Rodrick Cassel himself. Unfortunately, the Greyjoy managed to botch the job, having to take four swings at Cassel until eventually just kicking off the head.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Joffrey murders Ros Season three, episode six Joffrey was a great villain, the writers doing an excellent job of making sure everyone who watched the show despised the child king. One of the most violent moments featuring the Lannister came during season three, when he decided to use the prostitute Ros as a living target. Vile.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Arya ends Littlefinger's life Season seven, episode seven A brutal, if overdue, moment occurred in the season seven finale with Arya slitting the throat of Littlefinger, a character who has been playing his own game of thrones since the very first season. Having his life ended by the youngest daughter of Lady Catelyn Stark, the woman he loved, was likely not the way Lord Baelish expected to go.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Jaime rapes Cersei Season four, episode three Joffrey’s death, in itself, was horrifying. To then witness Jaime rape his sister Cersei, as they argue next to their child, was utterly mortifying. What made the scene particularly controversial was that, in George RR Martin’s books, the moment between Jaime and Cersei was seemingly consensual. Showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss have yet to respond to the outrage that followed after the episode’s broadcast.
Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Theon gets his penis chopped off Season three, episode ten While Theon may have been a smug arse, watching the Greyjoy being tortured for almost an entire season was not pleasant. The worst came when Ramsay, also a smug arse, decided to cut off Theon’s penis and send it to his family. Theon quickly became a shell of his former self and Ramsay renamed him Reek.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Tommen jumps out of a window Season six, episode 10 In the dramatic season six finale, Cersei's deadly plan is put into motion, which minutes leads to the fiery death of Margaery Tyrell. Cut to King Tommen who, after learning of his wife's death, sets his crown down and calmly jumps out of the nearest window.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Ice dragon Season seven, episode six Most fans may have seen this twist coming from a mile off, but those who didn't would have been left stunned after the Night King turned one of Daenerys's dragons into one of his own. As the deceased Viserion's eye opens, the future of Westeros looks a lot more uncertain.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Jaime loses his hand Season three, episode three The smarmy Jaime Lannister AKA The Kingslayer was dealt an unexpected blow early into season three after his identity was discovered by a group of sell-swords. Their reaction? To cut off his hand. This moment marked a huge development in Jaime's character evolution.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Battle of the Bastards Season six, episode nine Fans knew a battle between Ramsay and Jon, two bastards, was coming. Exactly how things would go down, though, no one was quite ready for. The battle started with Rickon being allowed to run towards his brother, only for Ramsay to begin firing arrows at the young Stark. It was brutal. Then, during the battle, Jon looked to be losing. Luckily, Sansa and Littlefinger came to the rescue with the Knights of the Vale and things ended with Jon beating Ramsay to a pulp. Sansa ended up feeding Ramsay to the hounds – a moment of bloody justice.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Tyrion kills Shae and Tywin Season four, episode 10 Tyrion Lannister broke bad in the season four finale after finding his beloved girlfriend Shae in bed with his hateful father, Tywin. The Tyrion fans met in season one would have silently sloped off into the shadows, but not this time: he strangles Shae to death and kills his own father with a crossbow as the senior Lannister sits on the toilet.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Shireen is sacrificed by Stannis Season five, episode nine A scene as dark as it is harrowing: the power-hungry Stannis Baratheon, inspired by Melisandre, burns his only daughter, Shireen, at the stake as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Jon Snow dies Season four, episode ten “For the Watch.” There were screams around the world as our hero Jon Snow was stabbed multiple times by members of the Night’s Watch. The last person to put the knife in? Ollie, Jon’s former protégé who murdered his Wildling partner Ygritte. It was almost Shakespearean. For months after, the fandom rabidly speculated over how/when the the Stark bastard would return. Thankfully, the Red Woman, using a little magic, brought him back within a couple of episodes – and those few traitors got their comeuppance.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments "Hold the door" Season six, episode five "The Door" retells Hodor's tragic time-bending story with a delicacy the show rarely manages. As he's torn apart by an army of wights, Hodor tries to "Hold the door" shut to save Meera and Bran, who wargs into a young version of Hodor, then known as Wylis. With Bran in his head, Wylis suffers a seizure, repeating their words – "Hold the door" – until they merge to become the one word he will be able to say for the remainder of his life: "Hodor".
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Jaime pushes Bran out of a window Season one, episode one The Game of Thrones pilot episode may have happened aeons ago (the Stark children look so young ), but it still holds up. It's helped by the terrific final moment, which sets the tone perfectly: Bran catches Lannister siblings Jaime and Cersei having incestuous sex, so Jaime pushes him out of a Winterfell tower window.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Sansa and Ramsay's wedding night Season five, episode six Sansa and Ramsay’s controversial wedding night has gone down as the most controversial scene in all of Game of Thrones. The episode, which came midway through season five, saw Ramsay brutally rape his new wife while a terrified Theon/Reek watched on. Some people vowed never to watch the show again.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments The Mountain verses The Viper Season four, episode eight Everything was going Oberyn Martell’s way. Not only were fans lusting after Pedro Pascal’s character, but the Viper was fighting for the life of another fan-favourite, Tyrion Lannister. Of course, this is Games of Thrones, and Oberyn’s plans soon blew up in his face – literally. The warrior’s head ended up looking like a squashed watermelon after The Mountain crushed it. With Oberyn dead and Tyion’s fate seemingly doomed, the season four moment was a gut punch.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments Ned's beheading Season one, episode nine For those uninitiated with George RR Martin's source material, the death of Ned Stark was unthinkable: Sean Bean was the main star and a leading charge for good in a show filled with villainous characters. Ned getting beheaded was a strike for the Lannisters and tipped off viewers to expect the unexpected.
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Game of Thrones' 22 most shocking moments The Red Wedding Season three, episode nine The Red Wedding has become a defining moment in modern pop culture. Never before had a television series risked showing a pregnant woman being stabbed in the stomach as her husband and mother-in-law watched on, only for them to be killed seconds later. Game of Thrones, staying true to the source material, went there, brutally murdering three major characters; Robb, Talisa and Catelyn Stark.The royal bloodbath sent shockwaves through the fandom and soon became bigger than Game of Thrones. Memes quickly began spreading like wildfire as the world restlessly talked about those five infamous minutes of terrifying television. After Catelyn’s neck was slit and the screen cut to black, television was never the same again.
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