2 Attachment(s)
Maisie Williams' Instagram Post Sparks Speculation Arya Will Survive Game of Thrones
With the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones not releasing for another year, Maisie Williams may have hinted that Arya Stark will, in fact, survive the finale. A vague image she posted on Instagram has since sparked speculation about the possible spoiler.
With the primary focus of the series winding down to Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), character fates are impossible to predict. That said, Williams may have let slip her own character's fate after posting a photo on social media about her final day of shooting on the series.
Williams posted the photo to her official Instagram, including nothing more than a pair of white sneakers covered in fake blood with the caption: "goodbye belfast. goodbye arya. goodbye game of thrones. what a joy i've had. here's to adventures to come." And though the image naturally sparked an emotional reaction from fans, it was the hashtags she included that may have elevated her post into potential spoiler territory. The hashtags she included were as follows: "#lastwomanstanding #barely #immasleepforthenextfouryears #justkiddingidontsleep," and the speculation quickly followed. Though not referring to any specific plot developments for the show or her character, the hashtag "#lastwomanstanding" might imply that Arya Stark may just barely survive the show's finale.
While the hashtags could easily mean something else, or be misdirection - existing for the sole purpose of inciting shocked reactions - Williams hasn't made an official comment one way or the other. In fact, they could just as well be referring to Williams being the last lead female character to complete filming (with Clarke and Headey wrapping in May and June, respectively), which would would literally make her the last woman standing in the context of shooting. The show doesn't necessarily shoot in chronological order, and it has even been suggested that fake endings are being shot. Williams herself denied that rumor but with such a spoiler averse attitude on set (the scripts even "vanish" after filming), it's probably best to not take our any tinfoil hats on this one.
Despite HBO's strict policy on spoilers, various crumbs have nevertheless managed to fall through the cracks. For example, the first four episodes of season five leaked online in 2015, and prior to last year's seventh and penultimate season, a Redditor, awayforthelads, leaked major plot points from the first six episodes. Now, the season eight spoilers are rolling in - with set photos revealing the possible destruction of major landmarks, potential pregnancies, and one character's survival after the Night King's attack on The Wall during season seven's finale.
When all is said and done, not all potential spoilers turn out to be entirely what they seem. After Sophie Turner (who plays Sansa Stark in the show) showed off a new tattoo on The Late Late Show with James Corden that showcases a Direwolf above a body of text that reads, "The pack survives," some fans assumed that it implied the survival of House Stark. However, Turner confirmed that it has nothing to do with the final season, and that she only got the tattoo for sentimental reasons.
Speculation is inevitable in a series as popular as Game of Thrones, but so are spoilers. So, given that plot leaks are bound to surface in some capacity or another (even Stranger Things treaded accidental spoiler territory recently), fans who plan on entering the final season as spoiler-free as possible ought to tread the internet carefully - difficult though that may be.
