Why did Jaqen recruit Arya?

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[daniell]

Important correction: Arya's desire to kill people on her list is explicitly not a trait desired by the Faceless Men. The Kindly Man (something of a high ranking Faceless Man) very clearly tells her that their power is not to judge who may live or die, but to deliver death as a mercy to everybody equally when their time comes. Arya takes this to heart so much that she stops speaking her death list aloud, instead confining it to her inner thoughts.

[Sienisota]

I didn't notice that Arya was actually so much like the slave in the orgin story of Jaquen's faith. He must've thought that she was clearly pointed/Guided to him by the Many Faced God. She fit the role to the point of it being uncanny, now that I think about in from Jaquen's point of view.

[DefneDance]

The warg thing is her secret talent. She uses a cat to spy for her when she is temporarily blind and nobody knows.

[LearnRunes]

You captured it in a nutshell at the end - "she is the most promising faceless man imaginable", apart from her rebellious nature making it impossible for her to follow their rules.

[WarKrieg]

I discovered your channel very recently and have essentially been binging your GOT content. First, it's truly brilliant stuff. But because most are years old, I didn't realize you were still doing this for that universe. What a wonderful surprise! 🙏

Second, I have been a long time fan of the books but you have *completely* revolutionized how I think of weirwoods and the old gods, the events that began Robert's rebellion, the Tower of Joy, and the nature of death in the series. Immensely grateful to have found your work.

[padmewan]

It's not just that Jaqen is testing Arya; if he is a true believer, she is a test for him. As you point out, she reflects the Faceless Mens's origins perfectly: to a religious man, she might well be an avatar of their god, a command they cannot disobey. The fact that she also could be a recruit seems a bonus, seen from that perspective.

[virtuerse]

Dude you have an incredible voice, you’d be an amazing reader for audiobooks, and of course these videos.

[chickendoyle]

I think Jaqen was her masquerading as Arya's flamboyant Bravossi sword trainer Syrio Forel, hired by Ned Stark, in Kings Landing - that's how Jaqen is in Kings Landing to be captive in the caravan - he'd have been found to have killed the goldcloaks sent to kill him/Syrio; it's how he knows her and her potential. We also didn't see Arya's sword trainer being killed, all we know is that Syrio Forel's motto was "what do we say to the god of death - Not today".

[TheNinjaDC]

I think magic also plays a bit too.
While he doesn’t particularly care she is a noble, but her Stark blood is old and entwined with magic that is older than even the faceless men. Magic she was starting to awaken too. Put simple, as a user of magic he probably felt an aura about her. That plus the way death seemed to circle around her might have made appear more than just a perfect deciple, but a down right devine gift from the man faced god.

[gregcampwriter]

I'll add that any sensible organization that needs operators would gladly recruit Arya Stark. She's intelligent, self-possessed, and adaptable, and she's shown even at this age that she can face the world as it is, rather than laboring under fantasies about how she wants it to be.

[Arturoperezp]

And keeping in mind how expensive a facelessman hit is, it is even crazier to think Jaqen offers 3 deaths to Arya

[angelojohnnys]

I don’t think nobody else could’ve played this character as well as the young lady did she was absolutely amazing

[littlemouse]

The fact he let her go with their secrets I think it's because he knows her destiny in some way and he knows she has to fulfill it and their training was vital to do that.

[Slammy]

I always thought it was a greater plan from the God of Death, and that Jaqen may have been an incarnation but he was probably just an equivalent of Melisandre and trying to determine the will of his God. Arya kills the Night King, Jaqen gave her training she needed to accomplish that. Surely the God of Death has a response to an army of the undead..

[dansiegel]

Sometimes someone says something that makes you think “What a mind!” I thought that when you described the parallel between Arya’s prayer and the prayer that launched the Faceless Men’s origin story.

[vholzak]

7:52 - "no one would miss Arya... no one even knew where she was" and Jaqen says "I am no one" 😉

[TheSirrandal]

he saw the same thing the red witch saw "You will close many eyes..."

[capedkat]

I'm looking forward to the next part. I always thought the parts with the faceless man were the most intruiging. But also the most complicated ☺

[baumanmarketinggaming]

Perhaps Jaqen could somehow foresee the future! When Arya kills Waif and comes back to him, he says: 'Finally the girl is no one' and she replies: 'The girl is Arya Stark from Winterfell and I'm going home!' leaving a content smile on his face. Why that smile? He knew about her list, but Faceless Men are not allowed to kill upon their own wishes, so it must be something else. Perhaps he knew she was destined to kill a man who not only lived for millennia, but prevented or risen many others from their deaths. By doing so she would have satisfied Many Faced God the most!

[AndrewK]

Great vid as always. As the vid shows Arya is an ideal candidate for the FM for sure. She experienced a lot of loss, trauma and death and is a bit of a floating spec at the time isolated without familial connections or otherwise. Already juggling multiple identities, willing to kill and open to much more in that respect at such a young age, revenge prominent in her mind and literally praying for deaths.

Ideal candidate without a doubt ; i do think being high-born factors in as well given the circles the FM will envision her eventually moving in, her decorum familiarity and the access that comes with her station. That high-born aspect / its access could factor in to the FM’s plans later on with their overarching aims in Westeros. Also, being magical / a skin-changer which the FM become aware later on ; though another seeming magic user like Jaqen likely noticed that much earlier. I am assuming there is a hierarchy of sorts with the FM assassins based on abilities, Jaqen seems quite adept at certain magic, we are told other FM have talent more in line with contorting their face, makeup, acting, disguise etc. I believe most of the top echelon assassins like Jaqen emerge from magic user recruits; which Arya is one of. On top of her current state / ideal factors for a FM recruit ; AS’ magical ability / skin-changing likely enhances Arya’s viability even more with high potential to become a top level assassin from the FM's perspective.