30 Sec Answer: Arya went blind after being poisoned by the Waif in Braavos and then being denied medical treatment for several weeks.
Introduction
Arya Stark is one of the most beloved characters on HBO’s hit show "Game of Thrones." After starting out as a plucky tomboy, she quickly became an important part of the series’ storyline and has since evolved into a skilled assassin. As fans know, Arya eventually goes blind, leaving many viewers wondering how it happened. In this article, we’ll explore the events that lead to her blindness and why it was so important to her story arc.
Who is Arya Stark?
Before delving into the specifics of how Arya went blind, let’s take a look at who she is. Arya is the youngest daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark, making her a member of House Stark from Winterfell. She has two brothers – Robb and Jon Snow – and three sisters – Sansa, Bran, and Rickon. Growing up in Winterfell, Arya dreams of becoming a great warrior like her father and uncles before her. When war comes to Westeros, she flees with her family but eventually gets separated from them as they all go their own ways.
Journey Across Westeros & Essos
After losing touch with her family, Arya embarks on a journey across Westeros and later Essos in search of her siblings. During this time, she experiences many hardships and learns valuable lessons about survival along the way. She even finds mentors in the form of Syrio Forel, Jaqen H’ghar, and Sandor Clegane (The Hound). By learning various skills such as swordsmanship, disguise-wearing, and alchemy during these travels, Arya ultimately becomes an even more capable warrior than ever before.
Arrival in Braavos
After spending some time in The North and crossing The Narrow Sea to get there, Arya eventually arrives in Braavos where she seeks out Jaqen H’ghar once again. He brings her to The House of Black & White which is home to Faceless Men – assassins who can change their appearance at will. There, she begins training under him to become one of them. While living at The House of Black & White however, Arya is also constantly being tracked by the Waif – another student at The House who hates Arya for reasons unknown.
Conflict with The Waif
As time passes by, tensions between Arya and The Waif increase until finally they reach a breaking point when The Waif poisons Arya while she’s training one night. Although this doesn’t seem to do any lasting damage right away, it slowly takes its toll over time until eventually leaving Arya completely blind after weeks without proper medical treatment or care due to her inability to pay for it. This is how Arya ends up going blind – not through any physical injury or fight but instead because of something far more sinister.
Implications of Blindness
Now that we’ve established how exactly Arya ended up going blind, let’s take a look at what this means for her character arc moving forward. Being deprived of sight forces her to rely solely on other senses such as hearing and smell to navigate the world around her which ultimately leads to a newfound appreciation for them both. It also changes the way that others view her as now she must prove herself based solely on skill rather than looks or age which makes for some interesting moments throughout the series going forward.
Growth Through Blindness
Perhaps most importantly though, going blind allows Arya to learn how to truly survive on her own which makes her even stronger than before as she no longer needs anyone else for assistance or protection anymore. It also pushes her character further down the path towards becoming a true Faceless Man since now she must learn how to do things without relying on sight like they must be able to do as well. All in all, losing her vision gives Arya invaluable experience which ultimately helps shape who she is today – something that wouldn’t have been possible had it not happened in the first place.