The second episode of Game of Thrones Season 7 briefly reunited Arya with her direwolf Nymeria for the first time since Season 1. For Arya and the fans, the moment was an emotional one. But it also likely left you wondering where Nymeria's last surviving brother, Ghost, has gotten off to. In fact, you may be wondering if Ghost is even still alive on Game of Thrones? Rest assured, Jon Snow's white wolf is still among the living, but you are forgiven for thinking otherwise. After all, the last time the massive direwolf appeared on the show was in the Season 6 episode "Oathbreaker."
Since Jon's resurrection, Ghost has been seriously MIA, and it's a glaring oversight. While it's understandable that Jon wouldn't want to risk his companion's life in the Battle of Bastards, it's pretty unforgivable that his wolf hasn't been seen once since his master's crowning as the King in the North. Ghost is surely at Winterfell, but he must be laying super low because he's certainly not at his master's side.
According to a tweet from Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman, Jon and Ghost were supposed to share a scene in Season 7's "Stormborn." The writer doesn't offer up any details, but it seems likely that the scene would have featured Jon bidding Ghost farewell before heading South to meet with Daenerys. Given that the episode contained Nymeria and Arya's reunion and farewell, the lost Ghost and Jon scene could have served as a beautiful parallel and a reminder of the connection Jon and Arya still share. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.
The longer the series goes without showing Ghost, the more glaring his absence becomes. Direwolves aren't quite as big as dragons, but they're large enough that their presence should be felt. More importantly, for the Stark children, the direwolves are a tangible connection to their House. Due to budgetary reasons, it seems Game of Thrones has been forced to put less emphasis on the powerful connection that exists between the Starks and their wolves as the show has progressed. This is especially evident when you remember all but two of the direwolves have been killed off, even though only Lady and Grey Wind are dead in the books.
It's highly unlikely that Ghost will reappear in "The Queen's Justice," and if he does, he would be by Sansa's side, not Jon's, since Jon doesn't appear to have taken the wolf South with him. Seeing Sansa and Ghost share a scene would be rewarding in its own way though — especially if Ghost proved to be as suspicious of Littlefinger as his master is. With Jon gone and Sansa leading the North in his absence, she should also be in charge of caring for Ghost. And, he should be caring for her in Jon's stead.
Now that the Starks are finally heading toward a proper reunion, it's time for Ghost to return to the fold. Budget concerns simply aren't a good enough reason to sideline the show's last remaining direwolf. Ghost is far too important to Jon to be left out of Game of Thrones final two chapters.
