The 10 Most Important Daenerys Episodes in ‘Game of Thrones’ Ranked

Following the great families of Westeros as they become embroiled in a savage war for the Iron Throne, Game of Thrones thrived as a hit fantasy series that ran for eight seasons throughout the 2010s. One of the series’ major characters is Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the outcast heir to the usurped Targaryen throne who, evading assassins of the crown in Essos, begins her conquest to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms with three young dragons and a building army.

Not only is Daenerys one of the most integral and important characters in the series, but she became a defining icon of television as a medium as well. Fans came to adore the Mother of Dragons for her endeavor to abolish slavery and her desire to command as a fair and just ruler. As such, many of her best and most pivotal episodes stand tall among the series’ most meaningful entries at large. This list will rank the most important Daenerys episodes in Game of Thrones based on the role they play in her overall arc and how they contributed to the show’s legacy.

10. “Winter Is Coming” (2011)

Season 1, Episode 1

While the pilot episode of Game of Thrones does a fantastic job of immersing audiences in the confronting world of Westeros and Essos, it also gives emphatic introductions to many of its significant characters. Perhaps no character is introduced as powerfully as Daenerys. Living on the run with her selfish older brother, Viserys (Harry Lloyd), who is plotting to reclaim the Iron Throne, Daenerys is introduced as a meek and feeble young woman about to be married off to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) so Viserys can have access to his army.

Not only does the marriage inadvertently imbue Daenerys with what will be the start of her army, but it also sees her receive three petrified dragon eggs as wedding presents. Additionally, its depiction of Daenerys as a reserved and abused girl gives tremendous weight to the development she undergoes to become an assertive and beloved ruler capable of mustering a vast army to cross the Narrow Sea and reclaim the Iron Throne for herself.

9. “Mhysa” (2013)

Season 3, Episode 10

Given that it unfolded in the aftermath of the events of the Red Wedding, many elements of “Mhysa” have understandably been forgotten by audiences who were still reeling from the shock of the previous week. While much of Westeros readjusts to the new lay of the land with House Stark decimated and the Boltons taking control of the North, Daenerys’ story takes a more hopeful turn as her quest to eradicate slavery wins over yet more supporters.

“Mhysa” proved that her cause and her conquest were rapidly gaining momentum, and her ambition to gather a force capable of challenging the houses of Westeros would soon come to fruition.

Confronted with the freed slave population of Yunkai outside the city’s gates, Daenerys speaks about how liberty is their birthright and that they must join her to fight for an existence where no person can be sold into slavery. While some critics were quick to berate the episode for its imagery pertaining to white saviors, the Game of Thrones Season 3 finale still stands as one of Dany’s most defining episodes. It proved that her cause and her conquest were rapidly gaining momentum, and her ambition to gather a force capable of challenging the houses of Westeros would soon come to fruition.

8. “The Winds of Winter” (2016)

Season 6, Episode 10

“The Winds of Winter” will be remembered by many for Cersei Lannister’s (Lena Headey) explosive scheme to wipe out the High Sparrow and many of her enemies in King’s Landing by blowing up the Sept of Baelor, but the Season 6 finale proves to be a significant step for several other main characters as well. In the case of Daenerys, it sees her secure House Tyrell as an ally through Varys (Conleth Hill), while the end of the season shows her and her army setting sail for Westeros.

The episode also contains more tender and quiet moments for the character, such as her informing Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman) that he won’t be accompanying her on her voyage and anointing Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) as her Hand. The image of Daenerys on the boat with the sigil of House Targaryen adorning the sails is one of the most iconic and exciting from the series, one that paved the way for her long-awaited conquest of Westeros and the ruling families.

7. “A Golden Crown” (2011)

Season 1, Episode 6

Having spent the first half of Season 1 gradually creeping out of the obnoxious and entitled shadow cast by her brother, “A Golden Crown” is the episode that finally sees Daenerys freed from Viserys’ oppressive rule over her. With Daenerys’ increasing popularity among the Dothraki peaking with her successful completion of a ritual with the Dosh Khaleen, a spitefully envious Viserys threatens her with his sword before insisting on being given his golden crown.

In what is one of the most disturbing sequences of the series, Khal Drogo obliges, having Viserys restrained for his attack on Daenerys before pouring molten gold over his head. With her cold dismissal of Viserys’ death, Daenerys ascends to become the last Targaryen heir. Her icy demeanor towards her brother’s demise signals that she has already evolved substantially from being the shy girl she was introduced as in the pilot episode.

6. “The Iron Throne” (2019)

Season 8, Episode 6

While many fans have some strong opinions about the Game of Thrones series finale, “The Iron Throne” still stands as one of the most important episodes in the context of Daenerys’ narrative arc and her downfall. Having decimated King’s Landing and massacred thousands of innocent people, Daenerys stands triumphant over House Lannister and orders the execution of the soldiers who stood against her. She announces her aspiration to liberate other cities in Westeros in a similar fashion, a dangerous declaration that sees her allies move against her.

Meeting with Jon Snow (Kit Harington) after having had Tyrion arrested for his perceived treason, Daenerys claims that the deaths of the common people should be attributed to Cersei’s actions. Disturbed by both Daenerys’ delusions and her denial, Jon delivers a fatal stab as he kisses her, thus seeing the Targaryen Queen die in an eerily similar set of circumstances as her father. It is a grim conclusion to Daenerys’ frayed story of defiance and hope.

5. “Book of the Stranger” (2016)

Season 6, Episode 4

Following Daenerys’ dragon-bound escape from the attack in the fighting pits in the Season 5 finale, the Mother of Dragons spends the first portion of Season 6 as a captive of a Dothraki horde. “Book of the Stranger” sees Daario and Jorah (Iain Glen) finally reach her in Vaes Dothrak, but their initial plans to flee the city with her are altered when Daenerys instead recruits them to help execute her plan.

When the khals gather to deliberate on what Daenerys’ fate should be, she provokes the Dothraki leaders by challenging their ambitions before setting the temple alight with all of them locked inside. While the khals burn to death, Daenerys emerges from the inferno unscathed, leading to the entirety of the Dothraki horde watching on to bow down to her in fealty. With her army further bolstered, Daenerys’ aspirations to set sail for Westeros are finally within her grasp, making “Book of the Stranger” one of the most important episodes in her journey to become the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

4. “The Queen’s Justice” (2017)

Season 7, Episode 3

Throughout the latter part of the series, one of the most anticipated moments became the inevitable first encounter between Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. It came to fruition in Season 7’s third episode, “The Queen’s Justice,” with Jon and Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) trekking to Dragonstone to meet with the Targaryen queen and discuss an allegiance that would see her aid their war against the White Walkers. While Daenerys is reluctant to focus on anything other than the Iron Throne, she does allow Jon to mine the island’s dragonglass.

While the union between Daenerys and Jon isn’t as smooth as fans may have hoped, it still marks an important moment in the series, especially considering the bond that develops between the two characters in time. With the episode also seeing Daenerys’ ships being destroyed by the Iron Fleet at Casterly Rock, thereby leaving the Unsullied stranded, “The Queen’s Justice” is a pivotal episode in regard to Daenerys’ quest for the throne.

3. “And Now His Watch Is Ended” (2013)

Season 3, Episode 4

Not only one of the most integral episodes in the context of Daenerys’ rise to power in Essos but also the installment that solidified her as one of the greatest television icons of all time, “And Now His Watch Is Ended” displays the Targaryen queen at her absolute best. With Daenerys’ negotiations with the vile Kraznys mo Nakloz (Dan Hildebrand) coming to a close, Daenerys reveals her mastery of Valyrian by setting Drogon on the slave-trader while ordering her newly acquired Unsullied army to sack the city, kill the slavers, and liberate every slave.

Her unforgettable “Dracarys” moment is one of the character’s most defining, and Daenerys’ exploits in the episode see her conquest imbued with a sizable and elite fighting force that remains loyal to her right through to the conclusion of the series. With Daenerys also securing the friendship and council of Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), “And Now His Watch Is Ended” is an episode of supreme significance to the Khaleesi and her grand aspirations for Essos and beyond.

2. “Fire and Blood” (2011)

Season 1, Episode 10

The conclusion of Season 1 marks a debilitating low point for Daenerys. Her efforts to use magic to save Khal Drogo’s life result in the death of her unborn child, and while it spares Drogo from death, it leaves him in a catatonic state. His Dothraki followers abandon him, leaving Daenerys to mercy-kill her husband herself. In a ceremonial burning, Daenerys places her three dragon eggs into a fire before walking into the flames. The season ends with her emerging from the fire completely unburned and nursing three infant dragons, the first to be born in centuries.

“Fire and Blood” is arguably the episode that truly launches Daenerys on her journey to the Iron Throne and must be regarded among the best and most important episodes of the entire series.

After the rise and fall that Daenerys experiences throughout the first season, “Fire and Blood” brilliantly ends by signaling a new wave of hope for the character, an indication that her campaign for the Iron Throne is only just beginning. With the death of Khal Drogo and the desertion of her khalasar, the Season 1 finale is an episode of heartache and hopelessness for Daenerys, but with the arrival of her three dragons, it also ends up being one of promise and empowerment. It is arguably the episode that truly launches her on her journey to the Iron Throne and must be regarded among the best and most important episodes of the entire series.

1. “The Bells” (2019)

Season 8, Episode 5

While its infamy is renowned, the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones simply has to stand as the most important in the context of Daenerys’ journey as it sees her grand dream of ruling the Seven Kingdoms with fairness and love come crashing down in emphatic fashion. “The Bells” tracks the Battle for King’s Landing, with the soldiers of House Lannister striving the defend the city from Dany’s forces. Despite the Lannisters signaling their surrender, Daenerys eviscerates the city perched on Drogon while her soldiers massacre survivors on the ground.

For so many who adored Daenerys as a beacon of hope and goodness in such a violent and ruthless world of amorality, “The Bells” undoubtedly marks a painful and frustrating entry to the series. Seeing Daenerys follow in her father’s footsteps as she is driven mad by rage may even feel like a betrayal of the character after her development from being a soft and reclusive child in the series’ opening. Still, upon reflection, Daenerys will always be remembered for her catastrophic assault on King’s Landing, making “The Bells” the single most important episode in her arc.