Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Celebrity

    Arya Stark and Brienne of Tarth's Sword Fight Proves That the Best Fighters in Westeros Are Women

    Someone please pick Sansa's jaw up off the floor.

    By Kayleigh Roberts
    Published 7 August 2017 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    game-of-thrones-arya-stark-brienne-of-tarth
    (Image credit: HBO)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 7, episode 4, "The Spoils of War."

    This week's episode of Game of Thrones, "The Spoils of War," saw the return of yet another Stark to Winterfell. That's right, people, Arya is finally home.

    After reuniting with her sister and brother (and dealing with some guards who didn't believe she even was Arya Stark), she decided to dive back into training—with the best best swordsman in the North. Or should we say swordswoman? Because obviously the best of the best is Brienne of Tarth.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Arya might have declined Bri's offer to serve and protect her when they met back in Season 4, but she was impressed by someone who could beat The Hound and needed to spar with her personally.

    And it. Was. Awesome.

    You may like
    • Emma D#039;Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, standing in front of a large bonfire at night, in #039;House of the Dragon#039; season 3. As You Watch 'House of the Dragon' Season 3, Let Our Targaryen Family Tree Be Your Helpful Guide
    • Anna Sawai reclines on red desert rocks in a dark textured top and a shimmering skirt. Anna Sawai Was Trained to Hold Back. Her Best Work Comes From Letting Go
    • Maisie Williams wore a red gown to the Practical Magic 2 premiere in London, which was inspired by Sandra Bullock Maisie Williams Channels a '90s Sandra Bullock Look for 'Practical Magic 2'

    Arya impressively held her own against Brienne, in spite of Bri's size and experience. When asked who taught her to fight, Arya slyly replied, "No one."

    Season 7 has been Game of Thrones' most feminist yet (not that that's necessarily a high bar to clear) and this fight scene proves that's not changing any time soon.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

    Explore More
    Game of Thrones Disney Plus Streaming
    Kayleigh Roberts
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

    Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

    Read more
    Anna Sawai reclines on red desert rocks in a dark textured top and a shimmering skirt.
    Culture Anna Sawai Was Trained to Hold Back. Her Best Work Comes From Letting Go
    By Anna Peele
    Maisie Williams wore a red gown to the Practical Magic 2 premiere in London, which was inspired by Sandra Bullock
    Celebrity Style Maisie Williams Channels a '90s Sandra Bullock Look for 'Practical Magic 2'
    By Meguire Hennes
     
     
    Ayan Broomfield and Malika Andrews in front of the Marie Claire Power Play logo.
    Sports ‘Power Play’ Serves Up a Night of Tennis, Diamonds, and Big Plans Our Power Play dinner series arrived at the U.S. Open to celebrate the women who run the game, on and off the court.
    By Noor Ibrahim
    US actress Zendaya presents the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award to US actress Jean Smart onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026.
    Culture We're Tracking Every Can't-Miss Moment From the 2026 Emmys Expect host Mariska Hargitay to pull out all the stops, major wins for 'The Pitt,' 'Hacks,' and 'Widow's Bay,' and more.
    By Quinci LeGardye
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity
    Grace Gummer and Louisa Jacobson red carpet looks at the 2026 Emmy Awards
    Celebrity Style Meryl Streep's Daughters Make Their Mom Proud on the 2026 Emmys Red Carpet
    Grace Kelly wearing a white dress
    Royals Grace Kelly "Understood Quiet Luxury" Before the Term Was Invented
     
     
    collage of celebrities wearing the red-and-purple color combination trend for The A-List Edit
    Celebrity Style The Shockingly Chic Color Combo That's Taking Over the Runways and My FYP
    Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie and Prince Harry walking through grass at Althorp
    Royals Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Are Changing Schools After Just 2 Days
     
     
    Latest in News
    Ayo Edebiri 2026 Emmys red carpet
    Celebrity Style Ayo Edebiri Sticks to Her Winning Red Carpet Formula at the Emmys
    a white woman in a gold dress with dark brown hair
    Nails Selena Gomez's 2026 Emmys Manicure Is All About a "Frosted Sunset" Finish
     
     
    US actress Zendaya presents the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award to US actress Jean Smart onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026.
    Culture We're Tracking Every Can't-Miss Moment From the 2026 Emmys
    Grace Gummer and Louisa Jacobson red carpet looks at the 2026 Emmy Awards
    Celebrity Style Meryl Streep's Daughters Make Their Mom Proud on the 2026 Emmys Red Carpet
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.