Our girl Taylor Swift has some epic revenge songs. From early bops like “Better than Revenge” to newer hits like “Karma,” she always makes it clear that she’s not afraid to fight back when someone has wronged her. And much like Swift, Arya Stark from Game of Thrones also seems to live by the motto in Swift’s song “Vigilante Shit” of “don’t get sad, get even.” Turns out this similarity is no coincidence because Arya is the GOT character Swift relates to the most, and she explained why.
In an interview with THR, the Midnights singer was asked which character she identifies with most, and she responded with the young assassin played by Maisie Williams on Game of Thrones, explaining:
Arya Stark. I realize I don’t know how to use a sword and I’ve never had to rise up from near death to go on an epic revenge mission — but I have been in the music industry for over 15 years, so …
She makes a good point, she might not be able to wield a sword like Needle or steal faces, but she has made big moves to shake up the music industry over the last 15 years, especially when she’s been wronged or taken advantage of.
From bad breakups to the fiasco with Ticketmaster, Swift has always expressed how she feels, and she refuses to be used. The biggest example of Swift getting even was when Scooter Braun bought her catalog of music. Following her not being able to outright own every album she released before Lover, the singer dedicated herself to re-recording all her albums, from every era, so she can gain control over her entire body of work (which is why most of Swift’s upcoming projects will be re-recorded albums).
I’d say this calculated move from Swift is just as precise and measured as many of Arya’s finest moments on the show, like when she brilliantly swooped in to kill the Night King.
It turns out Swift doesn’t just relate to Arya. She was so inspired by Game of Thrones that it directly influenced her 2018 album Reputation. Swift told EW in 2019 she had been watching Game of Thrones while making the album. The popstar explained the GOT connection when talking about "Look What You Made Me Do," saying:
These songs were half based on what I was going through, but seeing them through a Game of Thrones filter. ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ is literally Arya Stark’s kill list.
You can feel the aggression in the song, and it’s extremely similar to Arya’s passion for revenge in the hit fantasy series. To quote the aforementioned song both women have a “list of names...in red underlined.”
Swift also revealed the influence of Game of Thrones on other songs. For example, she told EW “King of My Heart” was influenced by Khal Drogo and Daenerys' relationship, and “I Did Something Bad” was written after she watched Arya and Sansa devise a plan to kill Littlefinger in one of the best episodes of Game of Thrones.
The pop star also mentioned that she loved Game of Thrones’ ability to lay Easter eggs and hidden meaning throughout the show, which has directly impacted her music. Swift's love for hidden messages has been on full display throughout her last few albums, but especially in the cameo and Easter egg-filled “Bejeweled” music video.
I can totally see why Swift responded with Arya Stark when asked about a character she identifies with. There are tons of parallels to pick up on, but if you are looking to find even more similarities between the two, you can watch every season of Game of Thrones with an HBO Max subscription.
