Arya Stark

Arya Stark is the third child and second daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Tully. A member of House Stark, she has five siblings: brothers Robb, Bran, Rickon, half-brother Jon Snow, and older sister Sansa.

Nine years old at the start of A Game of Thrones, Arya's appearance is more Stark than Tully, with a long face, grey eyes, and brown hair. She is skinny and athletic. She is bullied over her looks by her sister and the other girls at Winterfell who call her "Arya Horseface", and is often mistaken for a boy. However, other characters like Ravella Smallwood and the kindly man describe her as pretty. Eddard says Arya looks like her beautiful late aunt, Lyanna Stark and when Bran Stark sees a vision of a girl who could be Lyanna, he describes her as looking like Arya.

Arya is a spirited girl interested in fighting and exploration, unlike her older sister, Sansa. Arya wants to learn how to fight with a sword, to the horror of Sansa, who enjoys the more traditional pursuits of a noblewoman. Arya is particularly close to her half brother, Jon Snow, who encourages her martial pursuits. She is said to take after the fiery Lyanna in temperament. Arya often bites her lips.

Arya is left-handed, quick, and dexterous. She received a noble's education from Maester Luwin at Winterfell and is said to excel at mathematics, household management, and horseback riding. She knows at least a bit of High Valyrian.

Arya is the closest thing to a tomboy, fierce and defiant. But she secretly holds envy towards her older sister, Sansa who acts like how women are "supposed" to act. She is insecure about her looks, due to looking more Stark than Tully and is insecure about her inability to do ladylike things like stitching and singing.

Arya is full of life, and she makes others smile just by virtue of her spirited indifference to rules. Arya prefers to choose and forge her own destiny rather than wed to a man and form a family, despite this, Arya dislikes being called as "a boy" and responds back correcting them saying that she is "a girl", but she also doesn't see herself as a Lady.