Daenerys Targaryen is perhaps the most conflicted and ambiguous character in Game of Thrones. Her tragic ending may have been unexpected, but it was her villainous turn that caught us off-guard. While she started as a kind leader, the final season showed us who she truly was.
It’s hard to grasp why Dany, the Mother of Dragons and Breaker of Chains, would do such a cruel thing to innocent people. Some could theorize what led her to take the dark path, but not many would say that she had it all planned out from the start.
Daenerys Targaryen was a promising leader at the beginning of Game of Thrones
When we met Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen in the first season of Game of Thrones, she immediately earned our sympathy after she was sold as a bride by her brother Viserys to the Dothraki leader, Khal Drogo. She had been abused and humiliated, but she held her ground and eventually learned how to adapt to the hard life.
When her husband died, she didn’t immediately rule over the Dothraki tribe. She had to prove herself by walking through the funeral pyre and surviving the flames unscathed. With an army at her disposal, she was ready to conquer cities.
In Season 3, viewers witnessed her acquisition of the army of Unsullied and the liberation of Slaver’s Bay, the latter demonstrating one of the most important milestones in Dany’s conquest. She became the beacon of hope for the people, and the way she was adored and loved and called “Mhysa” was a testament to her compassion and genuine sympathy for the commonfolk.
As the story progressed, we saw Dany gain more power as she expanded her military forces and political connections. She gained an adviser in the form of Tyrion Lannister, who gave her insights into the power dynamics in Westeros. After finally setting foot on Dragonstone, her birthplace, she began her mission.
Dany’s desire to regain control of the Seven Kingdoms that her ancestors ruled over for many years eventually took over her, sacrificing many things in order to achieve her goal. While others believed her descent into madness was brought about by the events that happened prior to the incineration of King’s Landing—the death of Missandei, the betrayal of Tyrion, etc.—it was the fact that the people love and favor Jon Snow over her.
Consumed by ambition, Daenerys finally showed who she really was
She fought this fear by enforcing fear as well among the citizens of King’s Landing. She ordered the Unsullied to sack the city, but Tyrion advised against it. Dany believed what happened in Meereen was possible in King’s Landing, but the smallfolk would never rebel against Cersei Lannister for fear of punishment.
In this situation, Dany clearly wanted the people to fight in her name and overthrow Cersei, even at the cost of their lives. The harrowing end saw her consumed by grief and anger, and despite the people’s surrender, she went on a rampage and burned the whole city down.
Thousands of people died during that battle, but it didn’t seem to bother Dany as she still conveyed her plans to “liberate” the rest of Westeros. Did she really care for the people? Maybe in the past, but towards the end, it became all about her ambition and nothing more.
