Warning: This story contains spoilers for Game of Thrones.
The “Arya challenge” has arrived — courtesy of the fierce warrior Arya Stark’s heroics as she drove her Valyrian steel blade into the Night King to kill him in the most explosive moment of Sunday night’s “The Long Night” Game of Thrones episode.
As if saving the day in the godswood with her quick handiwork thanks to her years of combat training wasn’t enough, now the Stark assassin (Masie Williams) has mere mortal fans moving as “quick as a snake, quiet as a shadow.”
People are getting in on the worthy hero’s weapon-passing trickery with videos naturally captioned with the hashtags “#aryachallenge” and “#nottoday,” echoing Melisandre’s callback to the words of Arya’s first teacher: “What do we say to the god of death? Not today.”
The challenge has become a hit online, with people mimicking Arya’s slight of hand with the relic by dropping things like keys, a remote control and a carrot from one hand into another and then stabbing the air.
See below for the best takes on the true champion:
The Arya challenge with a microphone
The Arya challenge with an umbrella
The Arya challenge with a remote control
The Arya challenge with a mug
The Arya challenge with young warriors
The Arya challenge with fruit
The Arya challenge with vegetables
Of course, fans recognized the move from when she was sparring with Brienne the Tarth in Winterfell in season 7:
- Zero-COVID Protests in China Have Rattled Global Markets
- Column: Diversity Initiatives Are Failing the U.S. Muslim Community
- Why European Countries Are Giving Teens Free Money To Spend on Books, Music, and Theater
- Republican Skepticism of Trump Has Never Been Higher
- Column: The U.S. Prison System Doesn't Value True Justice
- How Green Is the Qatar World Cup’s Outdoor AC?
- 16 Funny and Whimsical White Elephant Gifts Under $25
- The 5 Best New TV Shows Our Critic Watched in November 2022
