Interview
Kit Harington was “pissed” when he found out Arya would kill the Night King
We’re still reeling from Arya’s big moment in episode three where she successfully skewered the Night King like nobody’s business and showed everybody who’s who. Whether or not fans liked that moment, one person who wasn’t too happy with the move was Kit Harington. In a behind-the-scenes video released by HBO, Harington said, “I was pissed. I was pissed that it wasn’t me killing the Night King.”
He went on to say, “I’d have bet you thousands before we read the finals. ‘Yeah, it’s definitely me.’ And then they lead you on that Jon’s chasing the Night King.”
Considering the show has often positioned him as the supreme hero, it’s understandable Jon Snow wanted in on some of that action. There have long been talks of Jon fitting the bill for Azor Ahai, a prophesied prince set to save the realm from the darkness. But that baton seems to have been passed on to Arya for now. Nothing could have been more poetic than him ending the supreme villain but hey, life moves on. At least he got to play a cute little game of peek-a-boo with undead Viserion, so there’s that.
Showrunner David Benioff and the team seem to have had this plot twist on their minds for a while. He says in the video, “Jon Snow’s always been the hero, the one who’s been the saviour. But it just didn’t seem right to us for this moment.”
Harington seems to have come around to the decision though, because later in the video he says, “I think it’s an inspired move. You’ve always been waiting as to what purpose Arya’s assassin skills are going to lead to, and it’s for the most important purpose.”
What do you think? Should Jon have been allowed to kill the Night King?