Arya Stark and Brienne of Tarth's Sword Fight Proves That the Best Fighters in Westeros Are Women

Someone please pick Sansa's jaw up off the floor.

game-of-thrones-arya-stark-brienne-of-tarth
(Image credit: HBO)

This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 7, episode 4, "The Spoils of War."

This week's episode of Game of Thrones, "The Spoils of War," saw the return of yet another Stark to Winterfell. That's right, people, Arya is finally home.

After reuniting with her sister and brother (and dealing with some guards who didn't believe she even was Arya Stark), she decided to dive back into training—with the best best swordsman in the North. Or should we say swordswoman? Because obviously the best of the best is Brienne of Tarth.

Arya might have declined Bri's offer to serve and protect her when they met back in Season 4, but she was impressed by someone who could beat The Hound and needed to spar with her personally.

And it. Was. Awesome.

Arya impressively held her own against Brienne, in spite of Bri's size and experience. When asked who taught her to fight, Arya slyly replied, "No one."

Season 7 has been Game of Thronesmost feminist yet (not that that's necessarily a high bar to clear) and this fight scene proves that's not changing any time soon.

Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

Weekend Editor at Cosmopolitan

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.