If Daenerys Targaryen does officially become Queen in The Winds of Winter, then it would finally break a rule that’s been in place since the first A Song of Ice and Fire book. Daenerys was Queen by Game of Thrones’ ending – after years of pursuing her claim – though her reign was cut short, with Jon Snow killing her before she could sit on the Iron Throne even once. George R.R. Martin’s books, though, could change that.
Infamously, The Winds of Winter is taking a long time, and still doesn’t have a release date. But when it does finally come, it’s expected that, at last, Dany will make her way to the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and look to take what is her birthright (with plenty of fire and blood involved). With Martin’s books so much longer than the TV show, it could have time to actually follow Daenerys as the crowned ruler of Westeros, breaking a trend in the process and doing the story Game of Thrones could not.
A Song Of Ice & Fire Books’ POV Characters Aren’t Westeros’ Kings Or Queens
So far in Martin’s books, three characters have been the officially crowned King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men: Robert, Joffrey, and Tommen Baratheon. Interestingly, not one of the three kings has ever been a point-of-view character, and that seems very unlikely to change with Tommen in The Winds of Winter.
The other claimants during the War of the Five Kings were Stannis Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy, none of whom were a POV character.
Extending it further, this applies to others in Westeros too. The other claimants during the War of the Five Kings were Stannis Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy, none of whom were a POV character. Euron Greyjoy is now styled as the King of the Iron Islands, but he isn’t a POV character either. The closest it has is actually Cersei Lannister, who finally became a POV character in A Feast for Crows. While she has power as the Queen Regent, she isn’t the one who was crowned, so it is a bit different.
This rule does make sense, as it allows Martin to better explore the dynamics and machinations of the realm’s politics, and where power truly resides. It avoids giving too much away in terms of insight into the kings’ actions, instead viewing them through other characters who still have agency, but aren’t the true ruler, which is perhaps a more interesting choice. In fairness, it’s also not like Robert (a drunk), Joffrey (a psychopath), or Tommen (a child), would’ve been all that fascinating to be inside the heads of.
How Daenerys Could Break This Rule In The Winds Of Winter
Cersei herself could break this trend if Tommen dies, and she claims the Iron Throne like in Game of Thrones, but I think Martin will go in a different direction. It’s more likely that Aegon Targaryen, aka Young Griff (who claims to be the believed-dead-but-secretly-still-alive son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell) will take the Iron Throne and be crowned king. Aegon himself isn’t a POV character, so he would actually continue the trend… until Daenerys defeats him.
It’s quite plausible that, unlike Game of Thrones, Daenerys will head to Westeros in The Winds of Winter and battle for power first, then move on to deal with the threat of the White Walkers. This would mean Aegon vs. Daenerys, giving Westeros a new Targaryen civil war. And if Dany does become Queen – and it’s hard to imagine her losing, as that seems pointless – then Westeros would have a king or queen who also appears as a POV character. Dany has been one since the first book, and is a claimant to the Iron Throne, but this would make it official.
| A Song Of Ice & Fire Books In Order | |
|---|---|
| Title | Release Year |
| A Game of Thrones | 1996 |
| A Clash of Kings | 1998 |
| A Storm of Swords | 2000 |
| A Feast for Crows | 2005 |
| A Dance with Dragons | 2011 |
| The Winds of Winter | TBA |
| A Dream of Spring | TBA |
For all Martin has followed this rule so far, he’s actually set up a lot of characters who could break it. If Jon Snow and/or Sansa Stark become the King/Queen in the North, like in Game of Thrones, then it would be another Westerosi monarch to be a POV character. The same is true of Bran Stark if, by the end of Martin’s planned seventh and final novel, A Dream of Spring, he becomes king. Dany, however, has a good shot at being the first.
The Books Can Do The Queen Daenerys Story That Game Of Thrones Didn’t
With Daenerys not arriving in Westeros until Game of Thrones season 7, and then being convinced to fight against the White Walkers first, her time as Westeros’ official Queen was never really explored. It was all about her pursuit of power, which also ended up being her downfall as it corrupted her. That could – and should – be somewhat different in The Winds of Winter and then A Dream of Spring, which can devote more time to her sitting on the Iron Throne and ruling over the Seven Kingdoms.
Even if [Daenerys] does become more villainous and burns King’s Landing like in season 8, we can actually see some of that from her perspective.
Dany being a POV character is a huge benefit in this regard, compared to Game of Thrones. Even if she does become more villainous and burns King’s Landing like in season 8, we can actually see some of that from her perspective. The ability to be in her head, fully understanding her motives and why she snaps, can provide the kind of character work that Game of Thrones was missing, making Dany being Queen – “mad” or otherwise – into something deeper and even more nuanced than the show.
