Game Of Thrones: 5 Times Arya Was The Superior Stark Sister (& 5 Times It Was Sansa)

The Stark sisters followed separate paths throughout the majority of Game Of Thrones. Fans first meet Sansa and Arya in Season 1 as two siblings with little in common. Arya escapes King’s Landing and becomes a Faceless assassin, whilst Sansa survives the hardships in the Capitol before retaking Winterfell with Jon Snow.

Arya and Sansa share few similarities. Arya rejects traditional gender roles and pursues life as a warrior, whereas Sansa utilizes those traditional feminine roles to gain political power. Arya proves several times in the series that she is could be the superior Stark sister – but there is sufficient evidence to suggest that Sansa takes the crown instead…

Arya: Killing The Night King

Arya Stark saved humanity in Season 8 of Game Of Thrones. The former Faceless assassin uses Littlefinger’s Valyrian steel dagger to kill Night King in “The Long Night,” destroying the White Walkers and the army of the dead once and for all.

Arya began training with Syrio Forel in Season 1 and continued to hone her skills during her tenure at the House of Black and White. Her formidable combat skills save Winterfell and the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.

Sansa: Saving Ser Dontos

Sansa doesn’t train in swordplay like her sister Arya, but her intelligence proves to be a valuable skill throughout the series. In Season 2, Sansa manipulates Joffrey into sparing the life of Ser Dontos after the drunken and disgraced knight is almost killed by the vicious boy king.

Sansa suffers unimaginable horrors as a hostage in King’s Landing. She still shows kindness to Ser Dontos, however, and utilizes the skills she has to survive her imprisonment with the Lannisters.

Arya: Avenging The Red Wedding

Arya returns to Westeros in Season 6 after leaving Braavos and the Faceless Men. In “The Winds of Winter,” she avenges the brutal murders of her mother Catelyn, her brother Robb and his pregnant wife Talisa by killing Walder Frey. This chilling scene is an overdue moment that gave the Starks some closure after the Red Wedding.

The massacre of the Northerners in Season 3 remains one of the most shocking scenes in Game Of Thrones. Arya avenges her family and her people when she kills the Freys, proving that the North remembers.

Sansa: Bringing The Knights Of The Vale To The Battle Of The Bastards

Jon Snow and Sansa Stark depart from Castle Black in Season 6 to retake Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton. Jon and his army collide with the Boltons’ after Ramsay murders his brother, Rickon. The battle seems lost until the Knights of the Vale arrive, with Sansa and Littlefinger standing by.

Sansa initially distrusts Littlefinger after he arranged her marriage to Ramsay, and rejects his help. She soon realizes that the Knights of the Vale are her only hope of winning the battle and arrives in time to save Jon.

Arya: Escaping Harrenhal With Hot Pie And Gendry

Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie become prisoners at Harrenhal in Season 3. Arya aligns with the Faceless assassin, Jaqen H’ghar, who kills two people for her before helping her escape the castle. Arya ensures the lives of her friends and takes them with her during her escape.

This demonstrates Arya’s fierce, Stark-like loyalty and unwavering compassion, despite the horrors she witnessed. Arya travels with her friends and remains by their side until they are torn apart by circumstance.

Sansa: Becoming Queen In The North

Sansa’s Season 1 wish finally comes true in the series finale, “The Iron Throne.” After Bran Stark becoming King of the Six Kingdoms, Sansa demands Northern independence from her brother, who grants it. Jon is exiled to the Wall and Sansa is crowned Queen in the North.

Sansa ensures the North’s independence and emaciates Winterfell from the Iron Throne for good. She becomes a Queen at last and rules her ancestral home as the eldest surviving child of Ned Stark.

Arya: Killing The Waif

Arya departs Westeros for Braavos in the Season 4 finale. She trains with the Faceless Men at the House of Black and White for the following two seasons. The Waif bullies her throughout her training and later attempts to kill her on Jaqen’s orders in Season 6.

Arya is stabbed several times and frantically flees from the Waif throughout the streets of Braavos. The Waif corners her, but Arya utilizes her experiences without her eyesight and kills her enemy.

Sansa: Learning To Play The Game Of Thrones

Sansa is initially a naive young girl in Season 1 of Game Of Thrones who grows throughout the series. In Season 4, the Stark hostage flees King’s Landing during Joffrey’s murder and travels to the Eyrie with Petyr Baelish. Littlefinger later murders her mad aunt Lysa, and Sansa cleverly lies to the Lords of the Vale to save them both.

This scene signifies a pivotal turning point in Sansa’s journey. She is learning how to play the game of thrones and developing crucial political skills that eventually lead her to her coronation as Queen in the North.

Arya: Her Pseudo-Friendship With Tywin Lannister

In Season 3 of Game Of Thrones, Arya encounters Tywin Lannister after the formidable Lord arrives at Harrenhal. The Lannister luckily fails to recognize Arya, and the two characters share several unlikely and entertaining conversations whilst she serves as his cupbearer.

Arya’s interactions with Tywin are a highlight of the series, as both characters stand their ground with subtle strength. Arya tells Tywin about her admiration for Targaryen dragonriders such as Rhaenys and Visenya, and Tywin remarks that she reminds him of his daughter, Cersei.

Sansa: Comforting Other Women During The Battle Of The Blackwater

Sansa is in a terrible situation throughout her time as a hostage in King’s Landing, but she exemplifies several qualities that make her a viable candidate for the superior Stark sister. During the Battle of Blackwater Bay in Season 2, Sansa resists Cersei’s drunken insults and comforts the other women.

Sansa showcases her compassion in this scene as she helps the frightened women and children remain calm. She ignores Cersei’s example and proves herself to be a better person and a more suitable Queen who earns her crown.