Her Watch Has Ended: Daenerys Targaryen
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen.
Game of Thrones has entered its final season and that means it’s time to take stock of the show as a whole. But rather than do a set of episode reviews, we decided to take a little inspiration from the books for our post-mortem. George R.R. Martin’s still unfinished series features chapters based on the point of view of its characters, so each of these posts will review their individual journeys in the show as they come to their end, whether peacefully or violently - this is Thrones, after all.
We’ll ask the same set of questions for each character, reflect on where they came from, where the events of the series took them, and where we leave them. How effective was the show’s approach to the character, and is their ending satisfying? What purpose did each character serve throughout the series?
If it isn’t already obvious, this is MEGA-SPOILER territory, so beware if you’re not fully caught up on the show.
Also check out:
Night King, Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Cersei Lannister, Jamie Lannister, Theon Greyjoy, Sandor Clegane, Jorah Mormont, Euron Greyjoy, Beric Dondarrion, Missandei, Lyanna Mormont, Melisandre
Daenerys Targaryen
Where Did She Come From?
Daenerys is the daughter of Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King, who was killed by Jaime Lannister before the beginning of the series. Dany and her older brother, Viserys, then fled Westeros and landed in Pentos, where the show picks up. Having grown into adults, Viserys plans to marry Dany to Khal Drogo, the leader of a horse-riding warrior tribe known as the Dothraki, in exchange for an army would help Viserys retake the Iron Throne. The plan goes awry, however, when the hot-tempered and cowardly Viserys insults Drogo, and is later killed by a ‘crown of gold’ in one of the series’ most memorable deaths. In Viserys’ absence, Dany takes full agency of her life and convinces the Dothraki to help her re-establish Targaryen rule.
Where Did The Show Take Her?
Dany spends a huge chunk of the show on the continent of Essos, east of Westeros. She travels with the Dothraki for a time, but when her dragons hatch and she begins to gather an ever-bigger force around her. She matures into a leader, with lots of help from her advisors, including Jorah Mormont, and eventually liberates several city states in Essos, earning her title as the ‘Breaker of Chains’ and making a name for herself as a tough but benevolent ruler. Through some ups and downs (and two burnings of entire Dothraki settlements), she at last returns to Westeros and gathers her armies at Dragonstone, where she meets Jon Snow.
In exchange for helping Jon defeat the Night King and the undead, Jon proclaims Dany as queen and pledges that the North will support her claim to the throne against Cersei Lannister. Dany’s campaign against Cersei is succesful, but not before Dany succumbs to the madness that afflicted her family for generations, leading her to burn down all of King’s Landing, much like her father Aerys II planned to before he was murdered by Jamie Lannister.
Where Does Her Story End?
You’d think after all her years of fighting, Dany might want to settle down at King’s Landing and help rebuild the nation, but she suggests to Jon Snow that there’s more work to do; she must travel and conquer other countries in the name of freeing them from tyranny. Jon recognizes that Dany has become just as arrogant, self-righteous and uncompromising as her father, and plunges a dagger into her as they embrace for the final time. Dany’s final surviving dragon, Drogon, melts down the Iron Throne as a symbolic gesture and puts an end to the conflict before flying east with Dany’s body.
Does The Character Redeem Herself?
Not really. Dany begins the show as an innocent, but her arc on the series curves steadily toward madness, even in the middle seasons when she crucifies slavers. But the process intensifies in the final season as she loses two of her dragons and several of her best advisers and friends to the war. Some viewers feel that Dany’s final plunge to becoming a city-leveling maniac was undercooked, and they’re probably right. If you think about other meek characters who have become crazed villains over time, like Walter White on Breaking Bad, Dany’s turn is pretty weak and sudden.
Is Dany’s Ending Satisfying?
This really depends on whose side you’re on, but there’s no question that Dany’s violent conquest would’ve caused more suffering and death, including to those who are innocent. It’s simply just not George R. R. Martin’s style to have Jon and Dany rule the seven kingdoms together in harmony; as was his intention, the ending is very bittersweet. It’s the rare show in which none of the main characters — Ned Stark in Season 1, Dany and Jon afterward — end up where they want to be. However, as far as character arcs go, even if Dany’s heel turn was too quick and convenient, she nonetheless transforms from a timid girl to a ruthless leader.
What Role Did This Character Player In The Overall Storytelling?
Much of the show revolved around Dany, and in an ensemble cast she has arguably the biggest role as the mother of dragons. She encompasses many of the fantastical elements of the show and was always foreshadowed to be the key player opposite Jon Snow, the fire half of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’. Though there were lulls in the middle seasons in which Dany faced competition to her rule and remained a non-factor for most of the events in Westeros, her arrival quickly changed the political landscape permanently.
Best Moment On The Show
Dany’s been a fan favourite since the early seasons, so she’s had a lot of highlights. It was cool to see her reigning as Queen in Meereen inside a chic pyramid. She’s proven time and again that having dragons as your children is the ultimate power move — when your enemies aren’t armed with magical ice spears or turret crossbows, at least. But, her very best moment on the show? When she appeared unscathed after sacrificing herself and her dragon eggs to die with Khal Drogo in a giant fire, giving viewers their first glimpse of the three dragons, earning the trust and respect of the Dothraki and embracing her destiny as the ruler of Westeros.