In honor of the final season of the epic HBO show Game of Thrones airing soon on April 14, let me explain to you the impact my favorite character Daenerys Targaryen has had on me in my own life through her story in the Song of Ice and Fire Universe. This is why I believe she deserves to win the Game of Thrones and sit on the iron throne at the end of the final season. SPOILER
*WARNING: There will be minor spoilers if you haven't read or watched Game of Thrones yet.*
If you have yet to watch the brilliance that is the Game of Thrones HBO show, I will, first of all, recommend you start watching it as soon as you can. I didn't think I would like it at first, but after season one, I was invested in the storyline and the characters. Second of all, I will give you a brief backstory on who Daenerys Targaryen is.
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She is the only daughter of the previously ruling King Aerys II Targaryen and Queen Rhaella Targaryen who were both ousted from the throne during Robert Baratheon's rebellion, that led him to be the new King. King Aerys was also called the "Mad King" because of the madness he suffered from. Towards the end of his rule, he was often chanting "burn them all" and his Kingsguard Jaime Lannister "Kingslayer" ended up killing him during a raid.
Ever since Daenerys' father's death and her family's loss of the Iron Throne, she has been desperately wishing to be able to be Queen as she is the rightful heir, due to both of her older brothers Rhaegar and Viserys dying before her, meaning she is the next Targaryen in line for the throne.
The lady who currently is on the throne is Cersei Lannister, who was married to Robert Baratheon who was the King after Aerys Targaryen got wrongfully killed despite his madness. Ideally, the throne should've gone to the next Targaryen in line after his death, but it went to the Robert Baratheon, then his son Joffery Baratheon (who is actually the son of Cersei and her brother Jaime Lannister) and now Cersei has claim to the throne simply because she lost everyone else who had it before her.
I believe Daenerys has grown so much since Season 1 and her character has become such an inspiration to me as a young woman. From early on, we see Daenerys "auctioned" off in marriage to Khal Drogo the chieftain of a Dothraki tribe who are essentially seen as "savage" horse people. Despite his initially harsh ways towards her, Daenerys actually holds her own with Drogo and ends up showing him how she wants to be treated and respected, which was a totally new concept to the Khal.
They fall in love and I believe it is because Daenerys needs a strong man by her side to match her competitive and fierce nature, and Khal Drogo fell in love with her because he appreciated her strong-willingness and control that she demanded in their relationship, and how she demanded to be equal to him, and not just an object. I truly believe this relationship they had molded Daenerys into who she is today because she was forced to take control and show she is powerful, despite being a woman.
She also has consistently been making tough political campaign decisions and has built an army from showing respect to the enslaved. She travels through Essos to build her army, by showing respect to all and drawing them in with her power and wit. She has great mentors who stand by her side such as Ser Jorah Mormont who has believed since Day 1 that she is his Queen. She liberates the slaves at Slaver's Bay and frees them, by using the force of her mind and outsmarting the slave owners, as well as of course, using her dragons to burn those who don't listen to her, which is always a plus.
She gains her army of the Unsullied through this action at Slaver's Bay and also unites the Dothraki people to follow her order. What is significant about this is that they have never fought for anyone but themselves and they don't sail, as they are a land-based people, yet they do all these things because they trust Daenerys is meant to be Queen.
Throughout the entire series, Daenerys has shown her political power and her strength and has held the respect of those around her, which is more than many of the other character's can say. I think what I find so inspiring is watching this young, at times naive girl transform to be a political heroine and future Queen that is not to be messed with. She lost everything, her home, her family, at times even her dragons, and yet she has kept moving forward.
She hasn't let any setbacks defeat her, and that is how I wish to live my own life. I know I'm not leading an army, fighting to be Queen, or riding on dragons, but as a young woman about to graduate undergrad and pursue my future, I have goals too. I have gained so much inspiration through watching Daenerys defy what everyone originally expects of her.
She isn't well liked by everyone, simply for reasons such as, "She is spoiled and wants too much" or, "She yells about where her dragons are too much." Well, if you're hating on a female character because she has goals and she wants to be Queen and sit on a throne that is rightfully hers because Targaryens have been on that throne for centuries prior, then maybe you are the problem, not her. And as far as the dragon thing goes, she's literally the "Mother of Dragons" I mean, if you lost your children, you'd be yelling too.
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I have been in awe of Daenerys' character from the very beginning, and so impressed with how far she has come, literally. She traveled all over Esos and on to Westeros because she wants to reach her goal of being Queen, but understood she needed to first establish an army of people who will fight and defend her as she rules. She is smart, cunning, and strong, yet also shows compassion to those who like her, have lost their families and their homes. She is everything a strong ruler should be, and I cannot wait to see if she ends up on the Iron Throne at the end of this final season of Game of Thrones. I think there will be tears shed either way, if she doesn't and if she does.
I have my tissues ready. Bring it on.
