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

Best Daenerys Targaryen episodes: “Fire and Blood”

We’ve made it to the two most impactful episodes for Daenerys Targaryen in all of Game of Thrones, so let’s start with the good one. The 10th and final episode of the first season, “Fire and Blood,” sees Dany literally walk through fire, giving us one of the most epic scenes of the whole show.

After Khal Drogo’s death, Daenerys makes the mistake of trusting a healer named Mirri Maz Duur in a desperate attempt to heal her husband of his infection through blood magic. Of course it doesn’t work.

During Drogo’s funeral, Dany instinctually decides to put her three dragon eggs on the pyre before walking into the flames. When she emerges, the eggs have hatched and the dragons are by her side, solidifying her status as the Mother of Dragons and creating a huge moment in history.

With the birth of her dragons, Daenerys gains confidence and strength. She feels like she knows her true purpose now, and is ready to reclaim the Iron Throne. Not only is this a pivotal plot point for her storyline, but it’s also just a really great episode overall.

Worst Daenerys Targaryen episodes: “The Iron Throne”

I wasn’t necessarily expecting a happy ending for Daenerys Targaryen — this is Game of Thrones, after all — but her death just…sucks! After burning down King’s Landing the episode before, the series finale “The Iron Throne” wraps up her storyline in a disappointing way.

Though Dany has conquered the city and is ready to sit on the Iron Throne, her triumph is very short-lived. After witnessing what she’s capable of, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and those around her are extremely concerned. She’s only won the game by killing innocent people, which is shocking for those who know her. Jon is left with no other choice but to kill her.

I’m not even mad at Jon for killing Daenerys; I totally get why he does it. I’m more frustrated with the fact that her storyline even gets to this place. Needless to say that because she dies in the Game of Thrones finale, this is her worst episode by far.

Daenerys Targaryen is one of my favorite characters in Game of Thrones, but neither she nor her storyline is perfect.

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