Game of Thrones: 7 best (and 5 worst) Daenerys Targaryen episodes

Worst Daenerys Targaryen episodes: “The Bells”

Of course, we can’t talk about Daenerys Targaryen without discussing the season 8 episode “The Bells.” Ugh. Where to begin? Multiple character arcs are thrown out the window with this episode, especially Daenerys’. I’ve already mentioned in this article that Dany is committed to freeing the enslaved and bringing justice to the oppressed, right? She’s also mentioned several times throughout the show that she wants to avoid killing innocent people in her quest for power.

Well, the writers decided to have her just forget all about that in order to take down Cersei. She flies over King’s Landing on Drogon and burns it down, killing many innocent people in the process. The episode was polarizing among fans, with many people — myself included — angry over this turn of events. This moment sees Dany mirroring her father, the “Mad King,” but there’s really nothing beforehand suggesting she would commit such an act.

We know Daenerys is very angry at this point. But to just forget everything she stands for still doesn’t sit right with me.

Best Daenerys Targaryen episodes: “The Dance of Dragons”

And we’re back to simpler times when Daenerys proves her badassery once again and makes a major move in the penultimate episode of season 5, “The Dance of the Dragons.” Here, Dany is still in Meereen. She faces danger when the Sons of the Harpy attack during some gladiatorial games at Daznak’s Pit. This group of rebels oppesses Dany’s rule over the city and their conflict comes to a head here when they attempt to kill her.

Things could’ve been the end of Dany’s journey, but fortunately, Drogon swoops in to save the day.

“The Dance of the Dragons” marks the first time Daenerys rides Drogon. It’s beautiful to see her finally able to mount the creature and flee the city unscathed. Now that she is able to do this, she gains yet another powerful weapon against her enemies in Westeros and beyond.