'Game of Thrones' episode 5 saw its silver lining in a white horse who now carries a harbinger of death, Arya Stark
It was a sight to behold when Arya Stark rose from the ashes and a white horse was beaming amidst the rubble and ruin caused by the now mad queen - Daenerys Targaryen. The ultimate King Slayer, (sorry Jamie, Arya killed the Night King) fought hard in the penultimate episode without much reward, until she escaped Daenerys' madness.
The Dragon Queen, the Breaker of Chains, etc., etc., lost her glorious reputation as a wise ruler when she took over King's Landing and burnt the city to ashes with Dracarys (Dragonfire), wrecking the innocent lives she championed once upon a time. In what felt like a dark cloud, with fire, smoke, boulders, dust, and cement, a pale white horse served as the silver lining.
Ample speculations on where the white horse comes from have been traced by eagle-eyed viewers who pointed that it was the same horse that Harry Strickland, the leader of the Golden Company, was riding before they were destroyed by Daenerys. Many also opine that Bran Stark, who is a warg, possessed the horse to save Arya. In episode 3, Arya saved Bran and killed the Night King with a weapon Bran had gifted her.
A quick Google search on white horse significances directs us to the understanding that white horses have a special place in the mythologies of cultures around the world. They are often associated with the sun chariot, with warrior-heroes, with fertility and mainly with an end-of-time savior.
Arya is a savior, to say the least. Not only did she save thousands from turning into the walking dead, but also tried to save a young child and a mother this episode. The coming of a white horse in the final scene also has a biblical reference. In the Book of Revelation, Death rides a "pale horse." Revelation 6:8 reads: "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." This reference has materialized into literature and 'Game of Throne' is no exception.
As fans point out, 'Game of Thrones' has used white horses to denote heroes starting right from Ned Stark in season 1 to Daenerys being gifted a white horse by Khal Drogo. But because of the turn of events for these characters, Arya may have to look out for what's coming next. However, this could be a representation of Arya transforming into a harbinger of death, which of course is not a surprise. She knows death has many faces.
Arya backed out from killing Cersei as the Hound persuaded her, but Cersei's apparent death only leaves Arya one more prophecy to fulfill. Remember Melisandre’s had reinforced that Arya would shut “brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes” forever.
Blue eyes was that of the Night King, brown eyes may have been Waler Frey's and green eyes... definitely Daenerys. Behold the finale, death is coming on a white horse and her name is Arya Stark.
