Ever watched Game of Thrones and thought, "Wow, Arya Stark really holds onto a grudge"? Yeah, me too. But the grudge she has against Meryn Trant was on a whole different level.
So, let's break it down. Why exactly was Meryn Trant such a big deal on her kill list?
It All Starts with Her Father
The most obvious reason? Meryn was directly involved in Ned Stark's execution. He was one of the members of the Kingsguard ordered to drag her father, Jon Arryn's, arrangement, wait, King Robert's Kingsguard, down to the chopping block. Arya watched it happen, and it scarred her for life.
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I mean, imagine being a little kid watching the Kingsguard — the elite knights, the so-called protectors — help end your father's life. That's not just a grievance; that's deep, personal trauma.
Most of Arya's kill list is connected to the Red Wedding or her father's death. But Meryn? He was right there in the mix of one of the worst moments of her childhood.
He Was Just... Awful
Look, even before Ned's death, Meryn Trant was already on Arya's radar. He had abused and mistreated children in the past. It surprises no one that a girl like Arya, even as a kid, would want to see someone like that gone.
Arya Stark finally executes Meryn Trant (RoT) : r/Bannerlord
He wasn't a noble warrior or a tragic figure. He was ruddy-faced, mean-spirited, and downright unpleasant. Hitler, take a number — even Arya didn't need much convincing to hate him.
It's like that one coworker everyone at the office already disliked, except in Westeros the solution was a lot more... final.
The Kill List: A Personal Compass
Arya's kill list isn't just random names scribbled on a page. It's her mission, her way of staying sane while the world falls apart around her.
Each name represents someone who hurt people she loved or people who were simply too cruel to live. Meryn fits both of those categories perfectly.
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Think of it like a to-do list. Not the kind you do for laundry — more like someday-you're-going-to-conquer-a-kingdom kind of list.
Justice in Arya's World
The world of Westeros has a crappy justice system. The powerful protect each other, and the weak get crushed. Arya saw that firsthand, so she decided to become her own judge.
Killing Meryn Trant wasn't just personal revenge — it was her way of proving that no one is above consequences. Even a member of the Kingsguard? Say goodbye.
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For someone who's trained with the Faceless Men, a face is just a tool. But a name attached to a face carries weight — and Meryn's carried a whole bucket load of resentment.
The Bottom Line
So there you have it. Arya wanted to kill Meryn Trant because of family betrayal, childhood trauma, and pure disgust at who he was as a person.
And honestly? After watching him for five seasons, we all kind of understood why she felt that way. Sometimes you just need closure.
At least her list gave her something to focus on when everything else was chaos. And hey, isn't that what any of us would want?