The 30 most heartwarming moments on Game of Thrones

3. Jon gives Needle to Arya (“The Kingsroad”)

KATIE: As early as Season 1, Episode 2, the audience gets the impression that Jon doesn’t quite fit in with the Starks, regardless of his blood ties to them. He’s at once a family member and an outsider, more of a good friend than a blood relation. But as is her wont, Arya doesn’t care half as much about titles as she does about what sort of person you are. And Jon, for all his brooding, is inherently a good person who treats the Starks like family, even if they don’t always return the courtesy.

Although it’s their only scene together (thus far), Jon and Arya’s farewell tells us everything we need to know about their sibling bond. Jon is very much the responsible, if slightly indulgent, big brother to his wild little sister. He encourages her to follow her own path, and understands that it’s different from the one usually set out for noble ladies. While there’s nothing wrong with traditional femininity, it’s just not for Arya. Jon accepts her as she is, just as Arya accepts him despite his bastardy.

As the series goes on, Jon and Arya both embark on separate journeys to find their place and identity. But in this scene, they are precisely where they’re meant to be—brother and sister, sharing a moment that only they can understand. For two characters who are forever searching for home and acceptance, it’s heartening to remember that they can find that in one another.