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We should have seen it coming that Arya would end up being the true hero of Game of Thrones after being an underestimated underling for quite a while. After all, she’s proven herself a true survivor and had to take on numerous brave killings in the past to keep herself alive. Season 8 episode 3 spoiler alert: Arya killed the Night King in season 8 episode 3 of Game of Thrones. Now, having defeated the biggest villain on the show, the ultimate question becomes: Will she become queen and sit on the throne? We probably shouldn’t move ahead of ourselves.

Daenerys and Cersei still want the throne

If you happened to watch episode 3 of Game of Thrones Season 8, then you know several central characters died. However, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) wasn’t one of them, and neither was Jon Snow (Kit Harington). The Night King could have slaughtered them had Arya not made the brave move to stab the villainous character with a Valyrian steel dagger.

What we don’t know is whether George R.R. Martin intended to have Arya survive and become the hero in question, or create a twist toward something tragic later. His earlier books insinuate Arya surviving. Regardless, we may never know if he doesn’t finish his final two books and lets the HBO version stand as canon.

Let’s not forget, though, there are three more episodes left for Season 8. While this may have seemed like a finale of sorts, there’s a lot more story to tell. One of those is who deserves the throne now with the Night King out of the picture. Daenerys still wants to be queen, despite Jon being the rightful heir. What’s more, Cersei (Lena Headey) is still in the picture, trying to hold onto the throne.

All of this makes us wonder if Arya will end up in a battle with Daenerys for the throne, especially when you consider that her sister Sansa (Sophie Turner) is already at odds with Daenerys. That said, Arya’s battle will likely be with Cersei first based on a notable prophecy.

Is Arya Stark destined to kill Cersei Lannister?

The female characters in Game of Thrones are proven to be real forces by matching and exceeding the abilities of the men in Westeros. Because this is a highly competitive world, it was inevitable we’d see women conspiring against each other.

For Arya, it might mean having to go up against Cersei for the throne, or Daenerys later. Don’t be surprised if you see these battles play out in the remaining episodes. We could see Arya manage to take the throne if she happens to kill Cersei, something once prophesied to the latter. This warning message said a younger and more beautiful woman would kill Cersei. Beauty is always in the eye of the subjective observer, though Arya certainly is younger.

Will Arya Stark be queen?

Is it overly predictable Arya will kill Cersei and take the Iron Throne? If so, Arya may face Daenerys next, proving Game of Thrones is really about the women battling it out over power. Cersei wouldn’t be her only obstacle: Daenerys is still in the picture. Things could become even more complicated if Daenerys happens to become pregnant, which we think might happen to theoretically produce a future King.

What kind of battle ensues then is entirely up in the air. Considering Game of Thrones has already thrown a major curve ball with the Night King’s death, a small-scale Winterfell-like battle among Arya, Cersei, and Daenerys (with Jon watching it all) could be just as epic — hopefully with better lighting.

While the odds are that Arya is not destined to be queen — her character seems like she’d be much happier as a warrior — you can never quite tell with Game of Thrones. After all, fans didn’t see it coming that it would Arya who kills the Night King. With the victory, prestige, and honor of having decimated the Night King under her belt, it wouldn’t be too far fetched for Westeros to want a valiant warrior to lead them.

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