Game of Thrones: Daenerys Targaryen’s 10 Best Quotes, Ranked

On August 1st, 1996, fantasy author George R.R. Martin released the first novel of his series, A Song of Fire and Ice, with the groundbreaking A Game of Thrones. From there, he wrote and released four sequel novels: A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), A Feast for Crows (2005), and A Dance with Dragons (2011). Kings, queens, wars, families, betrayal, dragons, fire, blood – the series has everything and quickly became one of the most acclaimed and popular fantasy novel collections of all time. From the success of the books, an HBO original television series spawned into the world, with its pilot displayed on the silver screen in 2011. Over a decade later, it has become possibly the biggest television series of all time. The show: Game of Thrones.

Filled with nuanced, interesting characters, it is almost impossible to pick a favorite. Many people, however, lean towards the feisty, strong-willed, exceptionally blonde female protagonist: the Mother of Dragons, Khaleesi, Daenerys Targaryen. Dany, played by Emilia Clarke, is one of the most recognizable characters of the series. While the Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons, Greyjoys, and Tyrells fight for claim of the Iron Throne in the East, Dany waits passionately in her foreign country of Essos in the West for her three dragons to come of age and take back what she feels is rightfully hers: the Iron Throne.

Don’t let the pretty looks and seductive smile fool you. She is indeed a bloodthirsty tyrant. Her brain is made of steel, and her heart is made of fire. She means good by her people, will provide for you if you provide for her, and wishes to free the slaves to create a new world under her control. This headstrong, revenge-induced mentality of hers has made for some bone-chilling, stone-cold quotes that leave her enemies, and even her allies, *bleeping* her pants. Below are the 10 best quotes from Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains, ranked.

10. “Dracarys” – Season 3, Episode 4 (First Use)

Let’s be clear. The only reason this isn’t higher than #10 is because of its constant repetition throughout the series. One-off quotes tend to hit a lot harder and are special in their own, unique context of the story. With that being said, “Dracarys” is perhaps the most defining line uttered by Daenerys that showcases her true power and family heritage. If she ever needs one of her three dragons to swoop down and burn people alive, all she needs to say is this one High Valyrian word, which translates to “dragonfire.”

Her first use of this destructive command comes in season three, episode four (“And Now His Watch Is Ended”). Dany travels to the city of Astapor, looking to trade one of her three dragons to slave trader Kraznys mo Nakloz for the Unsullied, a large group of slave soldiers. Kraznys speaks in Valyrian to undermine Dany and her advisors, Jorah Mormont and Missandei, thinking Dany doesn’t understand the language. Dany then reveals her understanding of the language and uses it to unleash her dragonfire on the leaders of Astapor, keeping all three dragons for herself while freeing the Unsullied army from captivity.

This is Dany’s true turning point in the series as a highly empathetic, cunning leader.

9. “We both want to help people. We can only help them from a position of strength. Sometimes strength is terrible.” – Season 7, Episode 5

Jon Snow, played by Kit Harrington, is one of the most honorable men in all of Westeros, much like the man who raised him, Ned Stark. Throughout his young life, he has killed many, ordered to kill many, and fought in wars and battles that have killed thousands. Still, when standing face-to-face with one of Dany’s dragons, he feels unsure about the abuse of their power to get what they want. To him, it feels immoral, dishonorable, and unfair, especially when the only evidence of dragons ever existing is in old scriptures. In this conversation between Dany and Jon, Dany attempts to convince Jon that you need certain leverages in order to help people. It just so happens that she owns the ultimate leverage. Three of them.

8. “I will do what queens do. I will rule.” – Season 4, Episode 5

This quote serves as a lesson for Daenerys. In a conversation with Jorah Mormont, Dany forms a new goal in her mind. Since the birth of her dragons, her mindset and goals have centered around traveling to Westeros and reclaiming the Iron Throne, which she believes she is the rightful heir of. Now, after seeing how slaves are being treated, she lets her compassionate mind take over to serve a new purpose: to free the slaves. Conquering, especially with dragons, is a hell of a lot easier than do than to rule. A dragon can burn down a thousand villages in a day. In order to get people to follow her, Dany now realizes that scaring people into doing it isn’t good enough; she must convince people, through good and kind action, that she is a person worth following, despite her family name and her three dragons.

7. “I am a Khaleesi of the Dothraki! I am the wife of the great Khal and I carry his son inside me! The next time you raise a hand to me will be the last time you have hands.” – Season 1, Episode 4

Animosity towards her brother Viserys has been building up for years, long before the pilot of Game of Thrones. This is the first time we see her really lash out at her brother. Dany, despite Viserys being a fool, has shown him nothing but love and kindness, meeting him to invite him to supper and give him a gift. The gift, Dothraki clothing, unleashes a rage in Viserys. He claims Dany is trying to change him into one of them and proceeds to hit her. The look on his face in priceless when Dany threatens to remove his hands from his body. At this moment, we truly see how much of a coward and a fool Viserys is. Dany knows this about her brother already, also claiming in the same episode that he couldn’t take back the Iron Throne even if an army was gifted to him.

6. “I am Daenerys Stormborn, of House Targaryen, of the blood of Old Valyria – I am the Dragon’s Daughter. And I swear to you, that those who would harm you will die screaming.” – Season 1, Episode 10

Dragons in this world are the ultimate source of power. In this episode, Daenerys Targaryen finally becomes the Mother of Dragons. Long before Robert’s Rebellion, dragons were flourishing in Westeros. Those who had dragons ruled. If dragons were power, and power was authority, then dragons were the ultimate form of authority. Finally, three new dragons are born, with a healthy, young leader to guide them on a mission to conquer the seven kingdoms. This is Dany’s second birth and marks the start of her journey to shaping the world.

In order to become the dragon’s daughter, she must walk into a burning pyre. If she comes out unburnt, she is the newly claimed Mother of Dragons. When everyone around her sees this as a potential act of suicide, she comes out the other end unharmed, and with it, a quote stating her claim of power. From this point on, all those around her can do is follow.

5. “Let the priests argue over good and evil. Slavery is real. I can end it. I will end it. And I will end those behind it.” – Season 4, Episode 7

This quote shows both sides of Dany’s personality: her empathy towards the enslaved and tortured, and the brutality of which she believes the caprots should be punished. She desires to free the slaves at the expense of the pain and suffering from those who tortured them. Jorah, who is in love with Dany, tries to convince her that maybe a different approach can be made other than executing every master in Yunkai. Jorah claims that brutality is all these slaves know and that slaughtering these men would be hypocritical in Dany’s beliefs that they treat the male slaves like beasts. Dany stands strong on her stance, believing that freeing the slaves and killing those responsible will be beneficial to the kingdoms.

4. “He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.” – Season 1, Episode 6

In the aftermath of one of the most brutal deaths in the entire series (which is saying a lot), Dany ends the sixth episode of the series with a vicious self-realization that her brother, Viserys, was not fit to rule, but she is. Viserys comes off as a typical, tyrannical Targaryen: a young fireblood who wishes for a kingdom under his leadership. The difference between him and his younger sister is, however, empathy and kindness. After Dany eats the stallion’s heart, she becomes no longer an outsider of the Dothraki, but a vital member of the tribe. Viserys, unable to cope that his sister is praised much higher than he, unleashes a fit of rage, threatening the child of Dany and the Dothraki leader, Khal Drogo, played by Jason Momoa.

This disconnect leaves no trace of the love lost between Viserys and Dany. She was dead to him, and now he is dead to her. Literally.

3. “They Can Live In My New World Or They Can Die In Their Old One.” – Season 4, Episode 7

As a continuation of the number five quote on this list, Jorah has convinced Dany not to just simply slaughter the leaders of Yunkai, claiming that he wouldn’t be there with her now if Ned Stark had done the same to him. Instead, Dany has decided to let these slave owners choose their fate: surrender and join her in her new world or refuse and die in the world, built by slavery and abuse. This could be seen as a sign of weakness in her character and leadership, but it makes more sense that she trusts the judgment of Jorah more than most other men.

2. “I’m no ordinary woman. My dreams come true.” – Season 2, Episode 6

It took a few seasons before Daenerys Targaryen strengthened her negotiating skills and finally learned how to lead. “I’m no ordinary woman. My dreams come true” is a quote from season two where her self-entitlement to the throne is glaring, yet at the same time she practically gives herself a prophecy. Throughout the series, we see time and time again that she is indeed no ordinary woman, and her dreams do indeed come true.

For context, Daenerys is in Qarth trying to negotiate with the Spice King for ships to cross the Narrow Sea and head to Westeros. At this time, Dany has no legitimate army, no noteworthy allies, and has never sat on the Iron Throne. This deems too large a risk for the Spice King to agree to such an investment, even though Dany claimed she would pay him back three times over after she takes the Iron Throne. This quote comes immediately after the Spice King says, “Forgive me, little princess, but I cannot make an investment based on wishes and dreams.”

1. “I’m not going to stop the wheel. I’m going to break the wheel.” – Season 5, Episode 8

There is really no other option for Dany’s most notorious quote. Her true intentions come to the forefront here in this conversation with Tyrion Lannister, and it is really difficult not to get goosebumps when she stands and exclaims her desire to destroy the family wheel of the Iron Throne. A member of one of those families, Tyrion, is now her advisor on her conquest to reclaim the long-time family-owned throne, and he can’t help but to feel the similarities between himself and the Dragon Queen. Two orphans with terrible fathers who want to see the world changed. Tyrion starts to believe that Dany might actually cross the Narrow Sea and claim a position of power, satisfying his own ambitions.

“Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell… they’re all just spokes on a wheel,” Dany says as she paints the picture of her master plan, one that stirred up much controversy in the later seasons. Tyrion, however, has heard it all before. An ambitious, young mind with dreams of a new world order, a new way to rule, a new kingdom, wishing to stop this vicious cycle and build a new empire from the ground up. These plans tend to fail when faced with reality. They die as just that: a plan, an idea. Dany is different from the rest of these people, willing to destroy everything to change the world, and this quote shows that in the most brutally poetic way possible.