The actor who first portrayed the Night King on Game of Thrones has defended one of the series’ most debated moments. Richard Brake feels Arya Stark killing the White Walker was “a stroke of genius.” Brake said that he enjoyed binge-watching the finale as a fan.
Why Richard Brake believes Arya’s victory over the Night King worked
In an interview with ComingSoon‘s Tyler Treese, Richard Brake was asked about starting the role and then watching the ending from afar due to scheduling conflicts. He answered, “I was disappointed we couldn’t make it work, but at the same time, looking back, I’m really grateful. It was great to be a part of it and an incredible honor to play the character when I did. I had my favorite scene, raising the dead in Hardhome.”
The actor added, “But the reality is that there were so many films I was able to do afterward because it would have taken up a lot of scheduling. Watching it from afar was not difficult. I enjoyed it as a fan and wondered where it was going.”
Brake continued, “Unlike many people, I thought they did an incredible job, particularly having him killed by a little girl. Arya was always my favorite character, and I thought that was a stroke of genius.”
The scene in question features during the Battle of Winterfell, season 8, episode 3. The Night King corners Bran Stark in the godswood, and Arya Stark dives out of the darkness. The villain manages to grab her by the throat, but Arya manages to plunge her Valyrian steel dagger into his heart, killing him and his entire army.
Richard Brake was not the first actor to play the role of the Night King; he was succeeded by Vladimir Furdik, who played the role from season 6 till the end due to Brake’s busy schedule with his other projects.
Brake noted that Arya’s story arc from a naive little girl witnessing her father’s murder to a skilled assassin who kills the leader of the Army of the Dead was one of his most satisfying roles as an actor.
Richard Brake is set to be seen as Geppetto in the horror film Pinocchio: Unstrung, which hits theaters on July 24, 2026.
