It’s no mystery that the excitement over Daenerys Targaryen’s story waned towards the epic finale of Game of Thrones, especially after the anticlimactic conclusion that saw her demise at the hands of Jon Snow. But, this wasn’t where her arc started to plummet.
In fact, as early as the third season when she finally got her army of Unsullied, her narrative became stagnant for many fans. This universal feeling among the audience lasted until Season 4 during her stay in Meereen where she ruled as queen.
Game of Thrones Fans Expressed Dissatisfaction With Daenerys Targaryen’s Storyline
Emilia Clarke’s portrayal of the Mother of Dragons remains unparalleled, a character whom she dedicated almost ten years of her life to embody the fearless Daenerys Targaryen. While she’s a fan-favorite figure in the world of Game of Thrones, viewers could not help but feel bored with her storyline.
This is quite a controversial take because her character has the most interesting twist: a fragile Targaryen girl sold as a bride to a brutal Dothraki warlord turned into a fierce claimant to the Iron Throne. Almost half of the story in the show was allotted to her journey, and yet the audience thinks other characters’ arcs were more intriguing than hers.
On Reddit, several fans expressed their sentiments regarding Daenerys’ storyline. After one shared how they found her plot dull and distracting, other Redditors also agreed. One particular plot they found too dragging was when her dragons were still young. Fans loved the scenes with Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion, and that long wait until they could fly was unbearable for some fans.
I loved Game of Thrones but found Daenerys Targaryen’s storyline the most boring throughout the series.
byu/ForeverDenGal ingameofthrones
Comment
byu/ForeverDenGal from discussion
ingameofthrones
Comment
byu/ForeverDenGal from discussion
ingameofthrones
Comment
byu/ForeverDenGal from discussion
ingameofthrones
Comment
byu/ForeverDenGal from discussion
ingameofthrones
Another compelling remark on Daenerys’ seemingly mundane arc was when she finally became queen and all she had were meetings with her council. Fans loved the time when she was still trying to survive and actually going out there to discover the new world she got thrown into. Indeed, after she conquered the Unsullied and formed her own army, things were no longer exciting for one fan who said, “I zoned out of her storyline.”
Another unimpressive plot for the audience was her lengthy time spent in Meereen, the last city in Slaver’s Bay. After receiving word that her ruling council in Astapor had been overthrown, she decided to stay in the Great Pyramid and rule as queen.
Can George R.R. Martin Change Daenerys’ Ending?
The majority of the viewers were disappointed with Daenerys’ fate in Season 8. However, there is still hope that George R.R. Martin can turn her unfortunate ending into a justifiable and worthy one. After the series’ conclusion in 2019, he hinted on his blog the possibility of giving Daenerys a proper end far from what she suffered in the show.
He notably wrote on his platform, “The same ending as the show? Different? Well… yes. And no. I am working in a very different medium than David and Dan.” This clearly tells that he could still change Daenerys’ devastating plot, and fans can decide which one they want to treat as the real ending.
Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on HBO.
