Daenerys Targaryen

Daenerys Targaryen
source
Name	Daenerys Targaryen
Portrayer	Emilia Clarke
Creator	George R. R. Martin
First appearance	A Game of Thrones
Family	House Targaryen
Titles	Queen, Khaleesi
Affiliation	Unsullied, Dothraki

Daenerys Targaryen Daenerys Targaryen is a fictional noble figure from the A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the Game of Thrones television series. She is a scion of House Targaryen, a central actor in the dynastic conflicts depicted alongside entities such as House Stark, House Lannister, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, and institutions like the Iron Throne and the Small Council. Her arc intersects with events such as the Robert's Rebellion, the War of the Five Kings, and the upheavals in regions including Westeros, Essos, Braavos, Pentos, and Meereen.

Early life and family

Born during the aftermath of Robert's Rebellion, Daenerys is the daughter of Aerys II Targaryen and Rhaella Targaryen, members of a dynasty that traced ancestry to Valyria and the Targaryen conquest of Westeros. Her sibling relations include Rhaegar Targaryen and the stillborn or deceased offspring associated with the fall of King's Landing. House alliances and rivalries such as those with House Tyrell, House Martell, and House Frey set the backdrop for her claim to the Iron Throne, contested by parties including Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon. Her lineage and survival were shaped by characters like Jon Arryn, Eddard Stark, and the exile choices influenced by figures like Viserys Targaryen.

Exile and upbringing

Raised in exile after the sack of King's Landing, Daenerys spent childhood and adolescence in diverse Essos locales such as Braavos, Pentos, and the free cities including Lys, Mytilene, and Norvos. Her early guardianship involved movers and brokers like Illyrio Mopatis and navigators connected to ports such as Qarth and Astapor. During exile she encountered groups and leaders including the Dothraki horse-lords, their khal families like Khal Drogo, and merchants from Pentos and Pyaros. Political exiles such as Varys and refugees tied to events like the Sack of King's Landing influenced her understanding of power and diplomacy.

Rise to power and rule

Daenerys’s ascent involved strategic interactions with institutions and cities including Pentos, Qarth, Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen, and powerbrokers like Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Daario Naharis, Tyrion Lannister, Jorah Mormont, and Missandei. She negotiated for forces such as the Unsullied and allied with commanders and nobles across regions including Braavos and Dorne. Her governance confronted insurgent actors like the Sons of the Harpy and required conflict resolution approaches comparable in narrative scope to episodes involving The Red Wedding and the political machinations of Cersei Lannister and Petyr Baelish. Diplomatic contacts encompassed emissaries from Volantis and councils resembling the Small Council, while military logistics invoked ports such as Pentos and fleets associated with houses like House Martell and House Greyjoy.

Dragons and military campaigns

Daenerys commanded dragons—named Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion—whose introduction paralleled catastrophic sieges and battles reminiscent of historical events in the narrative tradition, engaging opponents such as slavers from Astapor and Yunkai and confronting forces arrayed by regional powers including Slaver's Bay and the Summer Isles traders. Her campaigns brought her into contact with military figures like Khal Drogo, Grey Worm, and marshals comparable to commanders of Stokeworth or Riverrun contingents. Strategic theaters included sieges in Meereen, naval actions involving the Narrow Sea, and engagements near landmarks such as Dragonstone and the The Twins in the broader conflict that also encompassed the Battle of Blackwater and clashes connected to Theon Greyjoy’s rebellions. Her dragons’ impact echoed in confrontations with magical and undead threats later associated with the White Walkers and the Long Night mythos.

Character and personality

Daenerys exhibits traits aligned with figures of transformation and revolution found across the saga: conviction in claims similar to Rhaegar Targaryen and rhetoric akin to persuasive actors like Olenna Tyrell and Stannis Baratheon; empathy mirrored in interactions with freed slaves and advisors such as Missandei and Tyrion Lannister; and episodes of ruthless decision-making paralleled by Cersei Lannister and Ramsay Bolton. Her moral dilemmas intersect with lessons from the histories of Valyria, the governance models of Braavos and Pentos, and the legal cultures of cities including Meereen and Volantis. Personal relationships involved figures such as Jorah Mormont, Khal Drogo, Daario Naharis, Viserys Targaryen, and counselors like Varys.

Death and legacy

Daenerys’s end occurred amid warfare over claimants to the Iron Throne and alliances involving Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, and leaders representing House Stark and House Lannister. Her demise precipitated shifts comparable to treaties and settlements that reshaped governance across Westeros and Essos city-states such as King's Landing and Meereen, influencing subsequent rule by assemblies echoing the Great Council concept and prompting reexaminations of succession practices linked to House Targaryen history. Her legacy reverberates through the lineage debates involving Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, the political realignments of houses like House Tyrell and House Martell, and cultural memory among freed populations in Slaver's Bay and the Dothraki.

Category:Characters in A Song of Ice and Fire