14 Years Later, Game of Thrones’ First Big Death Still Sets the Bar for Shock Value

Throughout its eight-season run on HBO from 2011 until 2019, Game of Thrones developed a reputation for killing off important characters left and right. Both the series and its source material, the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin, don’t flinch when a seemingly important character shockingly bites the dust. Through the course of all eight seasons, 30 of Game of Thrones’ main cast members (per the show’s opening credits) would be killed off, often times without any build-up and before the characters were able to finish any grandiose arc or journey. In fact, only three episodes of Game of Thrones don’t feature any character death at all: Season 1, Episode 3, “Lord Snow,” Season 3, Episode 7, “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” and Season 8, Episode 2, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” To paraphrase Magister Illyrio Mopatis (Roger Allam) in the series’ pilot, “Winter is Coming,” a Game of Thrones episode without at least three deaths is considered a dull affair.

Many fans consider the death of Eddard “Ned” Stark (Sean Bean), the de facto main character of Game of Thrones, in Season 1, Episode 9, “Baelor,” to be the moment that solidifies the series as a bona fide killing machine. Ned’s death proved to be a huge game-changer for the series, causing audiences to watch each episode on the edge of their seats in fear that their favorite characters might be next. However, while Ned’s execution at the command of King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) may be the first truly shocking death in the series, it’s worth noting that he is not the show’s first series regular to die prematurely. Three episodes prior, in Season 1, Episode 6, “A Golden Crown,” a different character who seemed like he’d be important throughout the series’ run would have his time on Game of Thrones cut short. While it might not have been as unexpected as several deaths down the line, the killing of Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd) shows the extent to which Game of Thrones would completely brutalize its characters.

Who is Viserys Targaryen?

Not to be confused with his ancestor of the same name, played by Paddy Considine in the first season of the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, Viserys Targaryen III fancied himself the rightful king of Westeros. During Robert’s Rebellion, Viserys and his mother fled to Dragonstone for safety. The Rebellion ended with the deaths of Viserys’ father, King Aerys, and brother, Prince Rhaegar, and shortly thereafter, Viserys’ mother died while giving birth to his sister Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), thus making the two Targaryen children the last members of their ancient and powerful house (or so they thought).

After the Rebellion, Viserys and Daenerys fled to the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea, on the continent of Essos. From there, Viserys worked to assemble forces powerful enough to take back the Iron Throne, to little avail. He earned the unfortunate nickname “The Beggar King” due to his lack of funds. While a handful of Targaryen loyalists supported Viserys’ claim to the throne, everyone except Viserys seemed to recognize that his chances of becoming king were slim.

Daenerys’ story kicks off in Game of Thrones when Viserys sells her to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), a Dothraki horse lord, in exchange for his army’s support in retaking the Iron Throne. However, Viserys does not understand Dothraki customs and traditions, and grows impatient at Drogo’s delaying his invasion of Westeros. In order to make sure Drogo would hold up his end of the bargain, Viserys accompanies his sister and her new khalasar to the sacred city of Vaes Dothrak, a mistake which would prove to be fatal.

Throughout the first season of Game of Thrones, Viserys out-Joffrey Joffrey. Actor Harry Lloyd does a fantastic job of making his character utterly detestable. He is cruel, abusive, and incestuous towards his sister. He boasts a fierce temper, which he refers to as “the dragon,” and whenever Daenerys upsets him, he screams about how she has “woken the dragon.” He looks down upon the Dothraki, disrespecting them at every opportunity. He lacks any sort of ability to back up his ego, with his own sworn knight, Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), refuting his claims of being a dragon, instead saying he is “less than the shadow of a snake.” Viserys also grows frustrated at Daenerys’ ability to stand up for herself, resulting in his punishment throughout the khalasar. He very quickly becomes resentful of her status, and that resentment would spell his doom.

The Death of Viserys Targaryen

While seething with jealousy towards his sister and anger at Khal Drogo, Viserys attempts to steal Daenerys’ dragon eggs, a wedding gift from Magister Illyrio. He intends to sell the rare stones in order to buy the loyalty of an army, rather than wait for Drogo and his forces to finally take action. However, Jorah catches Viserys in the act. Viserys surrenders the eggs, leaving to drink away his sorrows instead.

Viserys then drunkenly stumbles into a Dothraki feast, demanding to sit in a place of honor. When Drogo refutes his request, Viserys insists on being treated like a king, to which Drogo replies, “You are no king.” Viserys, in a fit of rage, draws a sword, a forbidden act punishable by death in the sacred city. Viserys demands that Drogo give him the crown he was promised, and Drogo, surprisingly, says that Viserys shall have a crown that will make men tremble.

Viserys, now lulled into a sense of security, feels grateful. That is, until Drogo’s blood riders hold him back, and the khal melts some gold medallions. Drogo then pours the melted gold over Viserys’ head, proclaiming, “A crown for a king!” Viserys screams in agony as the molten gold covers his face, fulfilling his wish for a golden crown in the cruelest, most ironic way possible. As he falls to the ground, dead, with a heavy thud, Daenerys finally admits that he could not have been a dragon, as fire cannot kill a dragon.

What the Death of Viserys Says About Game of Thrones

Viserys Targaryen’s death is utterly brutal. Even though Viserys has proven to be nothing but despicable throughout his five appearances on Game of Thrones, watching molten gold trickle down his face still makes audience members squeamish. The crowning of Viserys shows that Game of Thrones is not only unafraid of killing off characters who seemed like they’d be important throughout the series’ run, but they’ll make it extra brutal. While a handful of somewhat prominent characters had died by this point in the series, including Will, Jory Cassell, and Ser Vardis Egen, all of those deaths had been relatively standard killings for a fantasy series: Will was beheaded, Jory stabbed through the eye, and Vardis defeated in combat. The death of Viserys with melted gold shows just how much of a meal Game of Thrones will make out of killing its characters. The molten gold paved the way for the outright slaughter of the Starks known as the Red Wedding, the disgusting squashing of Oberyn Martell’s (Pedro Pascal) head, the dismemberment of Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) at the hands of his own hounds, and countless other killings which showcase just how brutal the series can be.

Additionally, Viserys’ death showcases another recurring trend in Game of Thrones. While the character had no redeeming qualities, it’s still hard not to feel sorry for him when he goes. It’s almost painful to see everyone else, including Daenerys, realize what’s going to happen to Viserys before he realizes it himself. In his final moments, the cruel character becomes a somewhat tragic figure. The same can be said for other Game of Thrones villains who meet painful ends, including Joffrey. As the vicious king chokes to death at his own wedding, his face turns a horrifying shade of purple, and his mother cradles him. For a moment, it’s easy to think of him as nothing more than a frightened little boy instead of a tyrant. While Viserys, Joffrey, and their ilk never had any sort of redemption arc, nor did they deserve one, their final moments invited fans to both celebrate and wince. While Viserys deserved his fate, Game of Thrones managed to turn a satisfying moment into a nuanced one, setting up similar scenes throughout the course of its run.