Among the many questions left unanswered with Game of Thrones‘ final episode, fans wonder why Drogon didn’t kill Jon Snow after he murdered Daenerys Targaryen. By the finale of the series, Drogon was Daenerys’ only remaining dragon, and it was atop Drogon that she won the Iron Throne and completed her arc as the Mad Queen, burning much of King’s Landing and its people to the ground. It was because of this crime that Jon made the difficult decision to forgo his honor and kill his queen and lover in order to spare the kingdom from a murderous ruler.
As Daenerys lost allies as her time in Westeros went on, Drogon was her most loyal companion. It was shown many times that the largest of Daenerys’ dragons would come to her aid and always follow her commands to kill her enemies. However, upon flying to the throne room and finding his “mother” dead, Drogon ignores Jon and instead melts the Iron Throne with his dragonfire before picking up Daenerys’ body and flying away. It is a surprising reaction from the vicious beast which has led to a number of theories about why Drogon doesn’t kill Jon.
Theory: Drogon Understood Jon’s Actions
Drogon Possibly Saw Daenerys’ Dark Change
One of the most interesting theories about why Drogon spared Daenerys’ life was because he understood that Daenerys had become the Mad Queen. Throughout the series, Drogon had been by Daenerys’ side as she built her reputation as a conqueror, even playing a big role in achieving many of her victories. He was an instrument of destruction and a weapon to be used against her enemies, but that doesn’t mean that he liked it.
Drogon obeyed Daenerys’ commands, but it is possible he understood that she was changing in her view of who her enemies really were. He helped her burn King’s Landing, but Drogon might have known it was wrong and was doing it simply out of loyalty to his mother. It is clear that Drogon loved Daenerys, as seen by his anguish over her death, but it is also possible that he understood why Jon felt it was necessary to kill her to stop her from going further down this dark path.
Theory: Drogon Trusted Jon As A Targaryen
The Connection Between Jon And Drogon Could’ve Saved His Life
House of the Dragon‘s Dance of the Dragons has proven that nothing is stopping a dragon from killing another Targaryen. However, there is a sense that these dragons understand where their loyalties are meant to lie and don’t attack their kin without being commanded or provoked. This could possibly be another reason Jon is spared by Drogon after killing Daenerys. When Drogon meets Jon on Dragonstone, the dragon instantly has a connection to Jon.
It is possible that Drogon simply did not see Jon as a threat and therefore did not even consider that he was the one responsible for killing Daenerys.
The implication is that Drogon senses that Jon is a Targaryen, even if Jon doesn’t know that himself at the time. That early connection might have been enough to save Jon’s life in the end. It is possible that Drogon simply did not see Jon as a threat and therefore did not even consider that he was the one responsible for killing Daenerys. It is also possible that Drogon understood what happened and was angry at Jon, but he was also conflicted because of the connection they shared and simply couldn’t bring himself to kill him.
Theory: Drogon Didn’t Blame Jon
Drogon Might’ve Understood What Corrupted Daenerys
While it is up for debate whether Drogon understood that Jon killed Daenerys, even if he did know, it is possible he simply didn’t blame Jon for what happened. Once again, this theory suggests that Drogon had a deep understanding of the journey Daenerys was on and was able to see a change that overtook her. It is possible that Drogon saw the Iron Throne as the corrupting influence that led to Daenerys’ demise which is why he focuses his wrath on it instead of Jon.
The script for the finale of Game of Thrones gives some clues to Drogon’s mindset in the final moments. About Drogon, it notes that he “wants to burn the world, but he will not kill Jon.” It is perhaps giving the dragon too much credit to suggest that it understands what the Iron Throne is and what it represents, however, in the DVD commentary for “The Iron Throne,” showrunner David Benioff says about Drogon’s burning of the throne: “If [Dany is] not going to sit on it, no one’s going to sit on it.”
Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have always held the theme that the fight for the Iron Throne is misguided and pointless, driving characters down dark and deadly paths despite the result not being worth it. For Drogon to understand this, while so many human characters did not, feels like a fitting end to that message.
Daenerys is never actually shown sitting on the Iron Throne.
House Of The Dragon Showed How Intelligent Dragons Actually Are
The Targaryens Do Not Understand The Power Of Their Dragons
| Dragon | Rider(s) |
|---|---|
| Syrax | Rhaenyra Targaryen |
| Caraxes | Daemon Targaryen |
| Vermax | Jacaerys Velayron |
| Vhagar | Aemond Targaryen, Laena Velayron (former) |
| Meleys | Rhaenys Targaryen |
| Stormcloud | Aegon III Targaryen |
| Seasmoke | Addam of Hull, Laenor Velaryon (former) |
| Dreamfyre | Helaena Targaryen |
| Tessarion | Daeron Targaryen |
| Arrax | Lucerys Velayron |
| Tyraxes | Joffrey Targaryen |
| Moondancer | Baela Targaryen |
| Sunfyre | Aegon II Targaryen |
| Vermithor | Jaehaerys Targaryen (former) |
| Silverwing | Alysanne Targaryen (former) |
| Sheepstealer | Unclaimed |
| Cannibal | Unclaimed |
| Grey Ghost | Unclaimed |
House of the Dragon adds more dragons to the story while also examining these beasts in a deeper way than Game of Thrones ever did. The dragons are a symbol of status in the Targaryen clan, as evidenced by their treatment of those who don’t manage to receive a dragon at birth, and they’ve proved to be vastly intelligent creatures. An early example of this is Laena Velaryon’s death. She pleaded with her dragon Vhagar to kill her, but the beast refused until the very last moment. They do not kill on a whim but rather make decisions themselves.
Part of the theme of House of the Dragon is the Targaryen’s taking their dragons for granted. They begin to see them merely as weapons to use in their war. However, the show goes out of its way to show that the dragons are more in control than the Targaryens are willing to admit. At the moment that kicked off the war, Aemond is unable to stop his dragon, Vhagar, from killing Luke and Arrax. Similarly, when Addam is revealed to be the new rider of Seasmoke, he points out that the dragon chose him rather than vice versa.
The intelligence and power that is revealed more and more in the Game of Thrones spinoff series highlights the tragedy of this story. By the time the Targaryen civil war is over, most of the dragons will have died and the remaining Targaryens will be faced with the hard reality that they gave away the greatest power they had in the world for a pointless fight over which of them would sit on a throne.
