Game of Thrones fans have finally been given the chance to understand how Arya Stark killed the Night King in one of Season Eight’s most shocking scenes.

The Battle of Winterfell dramatically concluded with the moment when Arya plunged her Valyrian steel dagger into the show’s terrifying villain, annihilating his army of the dead in the process.

But the moment sparked as many questions as it settled – namely the small matter of how Arya managed to jump at The Night King when he towered over her.


Now, it’s been settled in new documentary Game of Thrones: The Long Watch. Revealing all behind the scenes of the eighth and final season, the doc shows producer Bryan Cogman reading the script for The Long Night.

He states: “Something is hurtling towards [the Night King] out of the darkness: Arya.

“She vaults off a pile of dead wights, leaps at the Night King, and she plunges the dagger up through the Night King’s armour. The Night King shatters.”

So there we have it – Arya was able to propel herself off a pile of The Night King’s dead soldiers.

Although it’s far from a satisfactory explanation, actress Maisie Williams previously revealed that she actually wanted her character to finish off Cersei in the final season.


“I wanted Arya to kill Cersei even if it means [Arya] dies too. Even up to the point when Cersei’s with Jaime I thought [while reading the script], ‘He’s going to whip off his face [and reveal its Arya]’ and they’re both going to die. I thought that’s what Arya’s drive has been,” she said.

Meanwhile, the same documentary also revealed Kit Harington’s shock upon learning for the first time that John kills Daenerys Targaryen in the show’s final episode.