The 30 most iconic moments from Game of Thrones, ranked

26. Khal Drogo gives Viserys a crown of molten gold

Game of Thrones would be a very different series if Viserys Targaryen had survived the show’s first season. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Viserys would have succeeded in reclaiming the Iron Throne, nor does it suggest that he would have made a decent ruler. However, Viserys’ survival would have put many of the series’ characters on very different paths.

This is why Khal Drogo’s choice to end Viserys’ life is so critical. When Drogo pours the “crown” of molten gold onto Viserys’ head, he alters the course of Daenerys’ life. No longer is she merely his Khaleesi; as far as she knows at the time, Viserys’ death also makes her the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. And that knowledge is what drives her following Khal Drogo’s death. Had Viserys survived, she may have willingly submitted to being taken to Vaes Dothrak. Instead, Daenerys embraces the fact that she’s the last living dragon and begins her journey to reclaim her birthright. She more or less takes the path that Viserys wanted to take, using him as an example of what not to go about it.

So Viserys’ death is one of those moments that helps set everything else into motion. On top of that, it’s a fitting death for his character fans aren’t likely to forget. It’s also the first time a major character is killed off, something the series would double down on in a big way just a few episodes later.