Game of Thrones Season 7 may be heading for another Stark reunion — finally. In Season 6, Sansa and Jon became the first Stark siblings to reunite since the family was split up way back in Season 1. With Robb and Rickon both dead, there are only four living Stark kids left — and new set photos hint Bran and Arya may reunite next.
Watchers on The Wall's latest batch of Season 7 set photos include quite a few placing Maisie Williams alongside Kit Harington, Gwendoline Christie, and Liam Cunningham. Yes, that could mean fans are in for a massive Stark reunion with Arya, Jon, and Sansa possibly finally finding their way back together again. But, to make things even more interesting Isaac Hempstead Wright — Bran Stark, himself — was spotted in the makeup chair right alongside Williams. Now, they could have simply been getting ready to film two totally unrelated scenes, or Arya and Bran could be the next Stark siblings to find each other in the crazy world of Westeros.
While Bran and Meera still had a long way to go before they made it to Winterfell when Coldhands/Uncle Benjen dropped them off at The Wall, it is not beyond the realm of possibility Arya could run into her brother. Arya was last seen in the Riverlands presumably heading toward Winterfell, which means the two siblings' paths could conceivably cross. Not only would their reunion be a rewarding moment for fans, finding Arya would be a major bonus for Bran.
Without Hodor and Summer, Bran has to rely entirely on Meera for transportation and defense. Meera is excellent at both, but it is hard to both move Bran and defend him at the same time. From a practical standpoint, it would be nice for Bran to have his assassin sister by his side.
Having Bran and Arya reunite before they join up with their other siblings would also be an unexpected move. Just as Sansa and Jon seemed like the most unlikely Starks to find each other, Bran and Arya are a bit of an odd couple too — that is exactly why their reunion would work. While Arya and Jon were extremely close and Arya and Sansa had an antagonistic relationship, Arya and Bran's sibling relationship has not been defined and that could be a good thing for both of them.
While all the Stark kids have been on transformative journeys, Arya and Bran's have been the most drastic. Bran is now the Three-Eyed Raven and he is not entirely sure what that means for him. After seeing the effect he had on Hodor's life, Bran is sure to be contemplating the extent of his power and what it will mean for him moving forward. Meanwhile, Arya has become an assassin with the ability to change her face. She is no longer the child Jon and Sansa remember: she is a woman who can be extremely dangerous.
Both Bran and Arya may be concerned about how their older siblings will react to the things they have done to survive, and the people they have become. This fear could bond them in the same way Sansa and Jon were bonded by their desire to hold onto any shred of family they had left when Sansa arrived at The Wall. Bran and Arya need each other right now too, even though that is something neither of them can fully understand yet.
There is no way to know for sure what lies ahead for any of the Starks until Season 7 premieres in 2017, but if these new pictures really do indicate Arya and Bran will find each other soon, there are some amazing stories ahead for the Stark family.
Image: HBO
