Daenerys Targaryen is one of the most controversial figures in Westeros as the conclusion to her arc in Game Of Thrones was met with plenty of criticism and confusion. Of course, those who follow the show on Reddit have shared their various unpopular opinions about the character’s journey through the HBO series.
With House Of The Dragon inbound, it’s important to look at what Game Of Thrones got right and wrong about Dany’s representation, considering she led that very same house for so long. Some of these Reddit opinions might even be pretty accurate, even if they are still debated on some level.
Entitled From The Start
Daenerys has had a traumatic narrative to follow, which started with a rather sheltered life. Once she had broken out from the chains she was bound by, she began to amass power and wealth. Her sights were set on the Iron Throne, and she became a hero to plenty of viewers who idolized the character.
Despite being a key protagonist for many, Add_Poll_Option noted that they never felt the same way. They said “She never really grew on me that much personally. Maybe a bit. But for the most part I never found her appealing. She always seemed like a self-entitled brat to me. I know that’s a product of how she was raised, but that doesn’t change the fact that I find her irritating a good chunk of the time.”
Jaime Comparisons
Dany was one of the favorites in the early seasons and fans only turned on her once she began to demonstrate a more ruthless side. Her story was very much the opposite of Jaime Lannister, who began life on Thrones as one of the most hated villains, before redeeming himself over a longer arc.
Yet one Reddit user, ZappInc seems to controversially disagree with that assessment. They say that “she follows an arch similar to Jamie in a way. We are supposed to love her until she actually has some power. By then she becomes unbelievably obnoxious with her thirst for power. Eventually, she changes again and then you’re supposed to feel a different way about her.” Long term it might be true for the power, but a comparison to Jaime seems unfounded.
Book Comparisons
The books have a chance to dive deeper into these characters. But very few would argue that Dany is so different on the page in comparison to the small screen, especially in her earlier days. There are some differences to be found, but at the heart of them, they are still the same character.
However, thedjotaku said that “I like Dany a lot more in the books – being able to understand what’s going on in her head and why she’s doing what she’s doing.” They previously noted that the characters on the page make a lot more sense, thus implying they don’t in Game Of Thrones. However, that’s quite a drastic comparison, with plenty of credit needing to go to the small screen iteration.
The Endgame
The series finale of Game Of Thrones is absolutely controversial. There’s plenty of debate amongst fans over whether the choices made were the right ones for the characters. The Targaryen Queen’s arc ended in bloodshed and there were numerous fans extremely unhappy with this villainous turn, regardless of how long it took.
While they might be right on some level, NawBruhThatAintMe said “I don’t think where the show ended was the problem most people had, at least I didn’t. It was just the sprint to get there in the final two seasons. Everything that made the show so great was the long plot and character development, even if it was kind of boring at times it made it so much worth it once it got to the climax.” The speed might be a factor, but the story to start with angered many.
Dany Was Never The Hero
Daenerys was hailed as a hero for most of the show, with fans flocking to her defense at any given opportunity. Alongside Jon Snow, the Stormborn was the star, with many hoping she would one day end up on the Iron Throne. It’s pretty unpopular to suggest that she was an antagonist all along.
The Reddit user Fatefoul goes into great detail concerning their thoughts on why she is a true villain. They start by saying “Watching this series again made me realize how horrible and evil of a person Daenerys truly is, how secretly manipulative the show actually is during her screen time, and her demise in the last season of the show should already be expected just from how she behaved in the previous seasons.”
A Terrible Queen
One of the things that audiences respected Dany for was that she was a firm and fair leader. There was a real learning curve, but at a certain point she ruled over her empire with genuine skill. She made morally just decisions and the people began to thrive, eventually leaving the care of her kingdom to another.
Perhaps the Unburnt should have stopped her journey there, but SlapHappyDude disagrees. They said “She was always better at conquest than governance. She was told a lie that the people of Westeros were just waiting for her to liberate them. She was unable to accept it was a lie.” But many would argue that governance was her main accomplishment!
Lord Of The Rings Parallels
It’s certainly no secret that in crafting Game Of Thrones George R. R. Martin would have drawn from classic fantasy fiction like Lord Of The Rings. The faceless army of White Walkers, led by the Night King is often associated as the equivalent to Sauron and his Mordor army. But controversially, that’s not the comparison that one Redditor makes.
User ZeroQuick instead said that “Dany was always just Sauron in a dress. I was so relieved when King’s Landing got torched because then I knew the show wasn’t going to let her get away with everything.” Daenerys is far more complex than that, and there are very few links to be made between the Khaleesi and Sauron.
Her Story Isn’t Gripping
Dany is arguably one of the most interesting characters in both the show and the books. There’s a reason that her narrative is featured again and again, with audiences genuinely gravitating towards her twists and turns, and for HBO, most importantly her merch.
It’s thus surprising that when heading back to the source material, anyone would suggest she is not interesting. For Kergen85 they said “I’m kinda in a weird spot where I think she is a fantastic character, but she really isn’t that high on my list of favorites. The reason for this is because while I think her character is amazing, her storyline doesn’t grab me as much as other’s do. It isn’t bad, it’s quite great actually, but compared to some other POV characters, it grips me less.”
Powerless Without Dragons
Dany brings a lot to the table. She has a strong political mind, is great with people, is willing to put herself in danger, and understands how to rise up through society. She also manages to inspire people. Without the dragons by her side she would have still achieved huge things, with some of her achievements coming in spite of the beasts.
But AryamanShetty said “She wants Iron Throne just because Mad King had it but he was overthrewn by Robert. So technically she isn’t the heir. She has 3 dragons without whom she would lose 80% of her powers.” This dismantling of her character definitely wouldn’t sit well with many fans.
An Oversimplification
There have been so many reasons discussed as to why Dany is one of the most popular characters in Game Of Thrones. While her writing might not have been perfect, she continued to capture the attention of the audience because of how gripping her role in Westeros was.
But one user, AshleyKateee, put this all down to a single factor. They said that “95% of people only like her bc Emilia Clarke is hot and dragons are cool. I personally like Daenerys bc Emilia Clarke is hot and dragons are cool. Literally no other reason. If you are talking abt the book version that’s a different debate.” It’s definitely a simplification that doesn’t apply to most viewers who were compelled by her character regardless of the dragons or the actor’s appearance.
