'Game of Thrones' Season 8 Spoilers: Arya's Absence in New Teaser Explained

HBO released a new Game of Thrones Season 8 clip on Sunday, revealing the tense moment when Sansa Stark and Daenerys Targaryen finally come face to face in Winterfell. We’ve already analyzed that exchange — and the dire implications it might have — but there’s anything important detail you might have missed (because it’s not actually in the scene).

The last time we saw Arya she was also in Winterfell, executing justice on the neck Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish. So why is she missing in action when we return to Winterfell at the start of Season 8. There’s no clear answer, Arya’s absence could have big repercussions heading into the final season of Game of Thrones.

Possible spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8 below.

The simplest explanation for Arya’s absence from this new Game of Thronesclip is that it’s only a few seconds long. Arya could be standing just off-screen and appear moments later to say something snarky about Daenerys’s winter coat. After all, HBO isn’t going to show us everything before the episodes air.

Other fans noted that Jon’s apparent disinterest in the exchange between Sansa and Daenerys might be because he’s distracted by his other sister standing just offscreen. And another argued that Arya’s absence is more of a thematic one since including her in the scene might similarly distract audiences from the clear conflict between these two other powerful women.

However, you have to also consider the fact that there are only six episodes left in the series, even if each one is longer than your typical episode. With little time to spare, the Game of Thrones writers may have already sent Arya off to take care of something more important, like killing another person from her enemies list.

It’s possible that Arya departed from Winterfell shortly after the Season 7 finale, taking an important item with her. As redditor u/the_real_kg points out, the younger Stark sister killed Littlefinger with extreme precision to the point where she might be able to add his face to her collection of disguises.

“She cut him perfectly at the neck,” u/the_real_kg writes. “Who could she catch lying by wearing it? Jaime? Varys? Tyrion?”

In response, several commenters pointed out that no one would trust Littlefinger enough for his identity to be of much use to Arya. Also, considering that a whole roomful of people saw the character die, it’s likely that the news has already spread across Westeros. Then again, it’s possible not everyone knows quite yet, and as another fan notes, Littlefinger “at least has some pull around the Vale.”

Of course, if Arya is setting out on another mission of revenge, chances are she’s heading straight for Kings Landing to kill Cersei (or at least try to). In that case, it’s unlikely she’d disguise herself as Little finger, though she’ll still probably use someone’s face during Game of Thrones Season 8 to get the job done.

Of course, as much as we’d all like to see Cersei get what’s coming to her, most fans would be happy simply to see Arya and Jon reunite after such a long time apart. And don’t forget Bran, who’s also lurking somewhere in Winterfell but probably won’t be going very far (at least physically) this season.

Arya and Jon’s reunion should be an exciting one, but it’s Bran who could move the plot forward by using his powers to reveal that Jon and Dany are related. That raises yet another question: Where’s Bran? Sadly, we may have to wait until the Season 8 premiere in April to find out.

Game of Thrones Season 8 will premiere in April 2019 on HBO.

Related video: Arya and Brienne dueling … with lightsabers.