Syrio Forel’s ‘Not Today’ Line Casts Game of Thrones in a Darker Light

One line early in the series reframes much of what follows. In Season 1, Episode 6, "A Golden Crown," Syrio Forel tells Arya Stark, "There is only one god, and His name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: 'Not today.'" On the surface it is an inspiring mantra for Arya, but taken against the show’s broader arc it carries grimmer implications for religion and magic in Westeros.

Syrio is from Braavos, a city founded by escaped Valyrian slaves, and his words reflect a Braavosi cosmology. The series and the books link Arya’s training with the Faceless Men to other forms of magic—skin-changing, warging and greensight—and the books suggest the Faceless Men possess older, secret knowledge, even ties to the Doom of Valyria.

If Braavosi culture in some way worships Death, that casts their powers and political reach in a darker light. Religion and fate recur elsewhere in the story.

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