Based on the fantastic A Song of Ice and Fire novel saga, Game of Thrones immediately catapulted into fame, capturing the hearts globally. Bringing in a lore-rich fantasy setting, a plot full of political intrigue, backstabbing, dragons, and an amazing cast of characters, there was a lot to love in the show.
The ensemble cast consisted of characters that showed great depth and even had flaws to match their strengths. For every smart decision or heroic moment that has the audience rooting for them, there is a choice that was questionable at best, or had watchers outright yelling at the screen.
6.Banishing Jorah Mormont
The Mountain and the Viper (Season 4, Episode 8)
Robert Baratheon wasn’t about to let the last dragon’s go unwatched, and sent the disgraced ex-noble to spy on Daenerys in exchange for a royal pardon that would allow him to return home. At first, Jorah was loyal to Robert Baratheon, spying on Daenerys and reporting back to King’s Landing, and agreeing to try to assassinate her with poison when she grew pregnant. But as he spent more time with her, he fell in love with Daenerys and his loyalties changed, to the point he even interrupted the plot to poison her.
This change of heart was not enough for her to forgive her most loyal servant, and she banished him upon pain of death when she learned of his earlier betrayal. Though her anger and hurt is completely understandable, Jorah became a steadfast and loyal advisor who taught her much of the world to try and prepare her for when she goes to Westeros. Banishing him might have been one of her worst mistakes, as she loses one of her most seasoned warriors who also knows the inside of Westeros well.
5.Falling in Love with Jon Snow
The Dragon and the Wolf (Season 7, Episode 7)
Game of Thrones contained as much romance as it did brilliant characters and entertaining fight scenes, pairing off most of the main cast. Dany had already had her fair share of lovers by the time the latter seasons rolled around, but that did not stop her from gaining a new beau in the form of Jon Snow, who was thought by nearly all to be the bastard son of Ned Stark, but later it was revealed a popular fan theory was in fact true: he was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, making him her nephew.
Though this revelation wasn’t revealed to Dany after the two had gotten intimate with one another, the fans already knew this piece of information which made the skin of many viewers crawl. Even after enduring seasons of the incestuous relationship between Cersei and Jamie, fans still weren’t desensitized to this kind of relationship, and what’s even worse is Dany was not so disturbed by the fact they had committed an act of incest but that Jon’s claim to the throne might be stronger than her own.
4.Dismissing Daario Naharis
The Winds of Winter (Season 6, Episode 10)
Daario was one of Daenerys’s beaues throughout Game of Thrones, once a sellsword who eventually become loyal to Daenerys without the thought of monetary gain. He turned his back on his mercenary brothers to join her army, becoming one of her most devoted right-hand men. Inevitably, the duo drew closer and eventually became lovers, loyal to her as a partner and a guard. He journeyed with her for seasons, helping her conquer city after city, proving himself a seasoned swordsman and a devout guardian.
In the Season 6 finale, Tyrion advised Daenerys to dismiss Daario from her side as he was a distraction from her goal. Whether this is actually a fair assessment of his character is debatable, but what is not debatable is that Daario was protective and loyal, and might have very well changed the tides of the war. Daenerys should have followed what her heart told her to and kept him by her side rather than following this particular bit of advice.
3.Ignoring the Iron Fleet
The Last of the Starks (Season 8, Episode 4)
There was another major family involved in GoT’s final war, which was the Greyjoy’s. Euron rose to the head of the family and tossed in his lot with Cersei Lannister, becoming another threat Daenerys should have been more mindful of. She was warned of their impending arrival by Varys, and yet she dismissed them entirely, her sights tunnel-visioned to Cersei and ending her reign over Westeros.
This mistake was definitely one of her most costly, as she lost not only one of her dragon children Rhaegal, but also Missandei, one of her dearest friends. These losses are the major reason she was driven so prematurely to madness that resulted in her losing everything else she had in the end. Daenerys should have taken the threat more seriously, as then things could have ended much differently for her.
2.Sacking King’s Landing
The Bells (Season 8, Episode 5)
The final season of Game of Thrones was mired in controversy, with many characters completely diverting in a different direction than their character arc had taken them, or making poor decisions with disastrous consequences. As the show ended earlier than originally thought, there were many choices made that were nonsensical, with Daenerys being perhaps the worst offender.
She fell into the grips of violent madness very quickly, a descent which should have been given many seasons to properly show, but instead was done over the course of an episode, snapping when she lost everything and venting her despair onto King’s Landing. While there were many characters that might have deserved her ire, such as Cersei Lannister, the city was home to many innocents, the people she wished to be the Queen of. The choice might have made sense if the show was given enough time to show her falling to the Targaryen curse, but instead it feels cheap and rushed.
1.Turning to the Dark Arts to Save Drogo
Baelor (Season 1, Episode 9)
One of the most surprising twists in the first season was the undefeated Drogo growing increasingly weak from a wound gained during battle with one of the Dothraki. An infection set into the chest wound, leading to him regressing into a vegetative state and unable to ride his horse, which is a poor omen in Dothraki culture.
Dany had fallen in love with her husband at this stage, and was expecting to give birth to his son. Desperation takes hold, and she turns to a wise woman she saved from being assaulted, Mirri Maz Duur. As the Khaleesi, she commands her to save her husband, ignoring her warnings that the spell would come at a high cost. Instead of saving her husband, his condition remains unchanged until she smothers him with a pillow, and she loses her son, who was born deformed and stillborn. Instead of trusting Mirri Maz Duur, Daenerys should have said her farewells to Drogo and raised his son to be the strong Dothraki Prince he could have been.
