A Girl will encounter a famous musician while she travels through the North in Game of Thrones Season 7 — at least, sort of. Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran has shed light upon his Season 7 cameo and how it impacts Arya Stark’s plot.
“Nothing exciting happens in this scene, we just have a conversation and that’s kind of it,” Sheeran told ET. “It’s not an integral part of it, at all…I didn’t put on my thermal socks and I was outside in the winter in England for about 10 hours. So it was cold.”
Although Sheeran maintains that his cameo is quick and unimportant to the plot, it still holds some intriguing clues about Arya’s Season 7 story. Season 7 is only seven episodes, the show is not wasting screen time. Their shared screen time might not be “integral,” but there are still clues to be gleaned.
Filming “outside” means that he’s not someone Arya will encounter in a tavern, but on the road. Every Season 7 photo of Arya shows her alone in the North outside, apparently traveling to Winterfell. Photos of Sansa with Arya’s beloved sword Needle indicate that the sisters will reunite at some point.
Arya Stark heads north in 'Game of Thrones' Season 7
Sheeran’s character is, therefore, most likely someone she encounters before she gets to Winterfell. What could be the relevance of her having a conversation with a random roadside stranger?
Since A Girl has been in Braavos for a while, she’s a bit behind on Westerosi gossip. She’s not exactly pen pals with her former traveling companions The Hound or Gendry. She doesn’t really have any way of knowing that Jon Snow has just been crowned the King in the North. A fellow traveller on the road is the perfect person to inform her.
Since the cameo is a one-off, he’s not going to be in any sort of position to be an important, reoccurring character. Chances are he’s just a common Northerner (maybe a bard?) who isn’t nefarious enough for Arya to murder. He’ll likely remark on the new King and be on his way. After all, A Girl must know that her beloved brother (who is actually her cousin) is in power.
Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres July 16 on HBO.
