With fan theories running rampant, we've really got to take a close look at Arya Stark on Game of Thrones. Details are everything when it comes to figuring out what's going on with her. In my opinion, the one clue that proves Arya is alive on Game of Thrones has all to do with her hair.
When Arya left the theatre to retrieve needle, she was sporting two braided buns on the top of her head. In this scene, her hair was pulled back simply in a half-ponytail. Those aren't the clothes that Arya was last seen wearing in Essos, either. Instead of her skirts and netting, she was dressed in pants — but not the pants that she arrived in Bravos wearing, either. Why the wardrobe change? Maybe that wasn't Arya after all. In fact, the Waif's old lady disguise looks more like what Arya was last seen wearing. Something is definitely up.
With the ability to change faces, there are enough possibilities here to make even Bran Stark's head hurt. (What if that was Arya as The Waif stabbing The Waif as Arya, etc.) It's entirely possible that the Waif stabbed Jaqen H'ghar, disguised as Arya, instead. The faceless man has many skills, but hair braiding may not be one of them.
Like, do we really think that Arya is as gullible as Snow White? Give the Stark girl some credit. She definitely wasn't exactly acting like herself when she went to book passage on the Westeros-bound ship. Something was slightly off, if you ask me. Also, in George R. R. Martin's books, Arya joins a theatre company — so I'm surprised that she was even trying to go directly home in the first place.
Sure, it's entirely possible that Arya used her blind beggar spoils to buy a new outfit before traveling back to Westeros. She was disguised as a boy there, which could explain the pants and the simple hairstyle. Still, Arya rarely changes her look at all — so this could very well be significant.
There's also the fact that nobody in town seemed to notice her stumbling through the streets bleeding. I don't think Essos is that heartless. In the promo for next week's episode we see the Waif chasing someone who looks like Arya (by the hair only) and they are both in different outfits this time. I don't know what they're playing at, but it seems to be the key to Arya's fate on Game of Thrones.
Images: courtesy of HBO, Macall B. Polay/courtesy of HBO
