Game of Thrones: Maisie Williams Kills the Theory That Jon Snow Helped Arya Kill the Night King

Game of Thrones may have come to an end, but the show and its cast still had one battle left to fight: facing the crowd inside Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. There were a lot of questions that needed answering, and moderator James Hibberd made sure to hit all the big ones.

One of the most infamous pieces of Game of Thrones' final season was the Battle of Winterfell in the episode "The Long Night". The epic battle between the living and The White Walkers ended in the stunning twist of Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) killing The Night King and saving Westeros.

After the episode aired, a contingent of Game of Thrones fans got it into their heads that Arya was aided in killing The Night King by Jon Snow. During the battle's climax, Jon was pinned down by fire from The Night King's undead dragon, and some fans alleged that Snow was yelling "Go!" to Arya (who was positioned offscreen) so that she could make her surprise strike against The Night King.

The "Jon Helped Arya" theory has sparked a lot of ire with female fans in particular, as the theory strips Arya of the sum of her glory, by suggesting it took a male character to help her achieve it. Well, during the Game of Thrones panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Arya actress Maisie Williams shut down this theory for good. When asked directly if Jon saved Arya, Williams had this to say:

"She did it on her own. If we're going to give credit to anyone, then it's Melisandre. Melisandre knew what she had to do, to put the mission in Arya's head when she's really at like the lowest point. This the first that she's been fighting but now she has something to lose. For so long she's been on her own, and being back with her family has made her that much more vulnerable. And I think if we're gonna to put it down to anyone for getting Arya's head back on track and helping her go and finish the job, it's Melissandre. and the, 'brown eyes, green eyes, blue eyes...' All the eyes."

This "Jon saved Arya" theory was always a major stretch of logic, and seemed geared to helping fans who imagined Jon Snow would have a more heroic arc in the series' final installment. Jon's arc has remained one of the biggest criticisms of season 8, as he had no final epic showdown with The Night King; never took the throne; and ultimately betrayed and killed the show's strongest and most beloved female character (Daenerys). Still, reality is what it is, and Jon was just a guy stuck facing a dragon, while his little sister put in the work that saved Westeros. The end.

You can catch Game of Thornes in its entirety on HBO. A prequel series is now in production.