This Timeline (Nearly) Proves That Arya & Gendry Reunion Is Coming On Game Of Thrones

With Game of Thrones having just picked back up, it's almost certain to have a very exciting reunion between Arya Stark and Gendry, a blacksmith who is actually the bastard son of the late king Robert Baratheon. The last time the two (who were definitely trending towards romance) saw each other was in season 3. Here's why Game of Thrones season 8 is going to be their moment to shine, and perhaps even be endgame.

Back in the finale of season 1, Arya was posing as a boy named "Arry" so no one in King's Landing would find out she was a Stark. (Joffrey had just beheaded her father an episode earlier.) She joined Yoren from the Night's Watch to travel to the Wall where her brother Jon Snow was. Gendry was also forced to flee by his blacksmithing employer because Cersei Lannister was determined to kill all of Robert Baratheon's bastards. (Gendry didn't yet know he was a Baratheon.)

In Arya and Gendry's first scene together, Gendry helps scare off a group of boys picking on "Arry."

In season 2, Gendry reveals to Arya that he knows she's a girl. She shares with him that she's a Stark, and he swears to keep her secret. Arya returns the favour when they're captured by Lannisters and Arya tells the soldiers that one of the other (already dead) boys is Gendry, thus throwing suspicion away from the real Gendry.

In season 3, Arya and Gendry escape the Lannisters and join the Brotherhood Without Banners. Arya makes plans to leave from there to travel back home, but Gendry informs her that he's staying with the Brotherhood because they're the only family he's ever known. Arya tells him in a wobbly voice that she can be his family if he comes with her. Gendry reminds her that she's a noblewoman and he's just a blacksmith; their classes will always keep them apart.

Maisie Williams, who plays Arya, told Rolling Stone in 2013 that this scene between Arya and Gendry was supposed to be Arya expressing her feelings towards him the best she could. "When I was doing the scene, [director] Alex Graves said 'When you say that last line, ‘I can be your family,’ say it like ‘I love you.' And that’s the take that they used," the actor said.

One episode later, the Brotherhood sells Gendry to Melisandre and Arya never sees him again. Until...

The audience hadn't seen Gendry either since season 3, but he showed up in season 7 and joined Jon Snow's side against the impending White Walker army. And, in season 8, the trailer shows he'll be at Winterfell, which is also where fans last saw Arya...

Joe Dempsie, who plays Gendry, hinted (by way of declining to answer) to Buzzfeed News that the Arya and Gendry reunion happens in the first episode of Season 8. "I don't know if I can really say. I know a lot of people want Gendry and Arya to be reunited," he said, "Is this [interview] going to go out after Episode 1?" When he was informed that the interview wasn't being held until after the premiere, Dempsie simply said, "In that case you'll have to wait and see."

The Ringer noted that Arya ending up with Gendry would fulfil a season 1 prophecy from King Robert Baratheon. He once told Ned, "I have a son. You have a daughter. We’ll join our houses." He was speaking of Joffrey and Sansa, but since Joffrey is technically a Lannister and not a Baratheon, this prophecy is still up for grabs. Gendry's Baratheon blood means that he'd be fulfilling his father's words if he got together with Arya.

The other theory from Reddit user Paint It Black insinuates that Arya and Gendry are destined to fulfill the Robert Baratheon/Lyanna Stark storyline. Robert was betrothed to Lyanna, but she eloped with Rhaegar Targaryen before she could wed Robert. Gendry and Arya are said to resemble Robert and Lyanna, and their own marriage could settle this age-old romantic snub.

There are and have been many couplings in Game of Thrones that are downright awful, but Arya and Gendry have always been a breath of fresh air in the face of that. Arya was very young the last time she saw Gendry, but she already knew she felt strongly for him. Now that so much time has passed, and they're poised to reunite, this could be the chance they need to get together once and for all.