Maisie Williams on her GoT character Arya: ‘She turned into a monster’

Maisie Williams plays Arya Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones.  Image: HBO

Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers from Game of Thrones’ Season 7 premiere.

The buzz surrounding HBO’s Game of Thrones’ Season 7 premiere continues to dominate headlines across the world.

The hourlong episode featured several thrilling developments in the fictional world of Westeros, but one moment in particular perhaps captivated audiences the most.

The episode’s opening scene showcased Maisie Williams’ character Arya Stark continuing her quest for vendetta, as she took care of of the rest of House Frey by posing as Walder and poisoning the rest of his banner men.

Aside from the scene’s intense action, it also showed Arya’s empowering character development—from a spirited young girl to a to a full-blown skilled and cunning assassin.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the 20-year-old Williams described the now iconic sequence of events.

“When I first heard about the Faceless Men, I always thought it would be really cool if she switched faces with a leading character rather than an unknown person’s face. I really hope [viewers] don’t guess it’s her straight away,” she told the news outlet.

The English actress also discussed her character’s evolution after six seasons.

“It’s so f**ked up! Even Arya is surprised she has so much power,” she revealed.

“In that last moment she’s staring out at all those men dying, she’s turned into a bit more of a monster than she’s ever realized. I don’t think she’s sad about that but she’s got it on her mind.”

Aside from the wave of dead bodies left by Ned Stark’s youngest daughter, fans were also taken aback by the cameo appearance of pop-singer Ed Sheehan in the episode.

READ: Ed Sheeran sings a folk tune on ‘Game of Thrones’

The second episode of Game of Thrones’ seventh season plays on HBO this Sunday (Monday in Manila).