Daenerys Targaryen’s devastating attack on King’s Landing in the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones’ season 8, “The Bells,” remains one of the most talked-about and controversial moments in television history. Fans were left reeling, questioning: why did Daenerys burn King’s Landing? After seemingly securing victory by decimating Euron Greyjoy’s Iron Fleet, the Golden Company, and King’s Landing’s defenses with Drogon, Daenerys unleashed dragonfire upon the city even after the bells of surrender rang, signaling Cersei Lannister’s defeat. This horrific act completed Daenerys’ transformation into the Mad Queen, echoing the infamous reign of her father, the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen.
For many viewers, this sudden descent into madness felt jarring, a betrayal of Daenerys’s established character arc. However, a closer look reveals that Daenerys Targaryen’s actions, while shocking, were not entirely without precedent. The seeds of her destructive potential were sown throughout the series, culminating in the fiery destruction of King’s Landing.
The Build-Up to the Burning: How Daenerys Lost Everything
Early Restraint and Mounting Losses
Initially, Daenerys burning King’s Landing was presented as a terrifying possibility she actively resisted. At the outset of her war against Cersei in Game of Thrones season 7, Daenerys possessed overwhelming power and intended to conquer Westeros swiftly and decisively. Her strategic advisors, particularly Tyrion Lannister, cautioned against “burning cities to the ground,” urging restraint and minimizing civilian casualties.
Daenerys began her campaign with an impressive array of allies and forces. She had Tyrion as her Hand, alliances with House Tyrell, Dorne, and the Greyjoys, not to mention Varys, Missandei, the Unsullied, the Dothraki, and her three dragons, Rhaegal, Viserion, and Drogon. Victory seemed assured. However, Tyrion’s strategies backfired, leading to consistent setbacks, save for the Loot Train Battle where her dragons proved decisive.
By the time Daenerys arrived at Winterfell for the Great War against the Night King in Game of Thrones season 8, her strength had been significantly diminished. She had lost key allies like Olenna Tyrell and Ellaria Sand, Yara Greyjoy was captured, and Viserion had fallen and been resurrected as an ice dragon by the Night King. The North’s cold reception and Jon Snow’s presence further isolated her, but it was at Winterfell that Daenerys suffered a devastating personal blow: the death of Jorah Mormont, her long-time confidante, who died defending her during the Battle of Winterfell.
Her losses continued to mount as she returned to Dragonstone. Euron Greyjoy ambushed her fleet, killing Rhaegal. Then, Missandei was captured and brutally executed by Cersei in Daenerys’s sight. These successive traumas pushed Daenerys closer to the edge.
The Mad Queen Emerges: Trauma and Betrayal
Key Allies Daenerys Lost Leading to King’s Landing:
| Character | How She Was Lost |
|---|---|
| Ellaria Sand | Captured by Cersei Lannister; daughters killed |
| Yara Greyjoy | Captured by Euron Greyjoy; fleet destroyed |
| Olenna Tyrell | Suicide after Lannister conquest of Highgarden |
| Viserion | Killed and resurrected by the Night King |
| Jorah Mormont | Killed in the Battle of Winterfell |
| Rhaegal | Killed by Euron Greyjoy |
| Missandei | Executed on Cersei’s orders |
| Varys | Betrayal; plotted to replace her with Jon Snow |
| Tyrion Lannister | Betrayal; plots against her |
| Jon Snow | Kills her |
In “The Bells,” Daenerys faced the stark reality of her isolation. Virtually all her trusted advisors from Essos were gone, except for Grey Worm, who was consumed by grief for Missandei. Those around her in Westeros, despite pledging allegiance, were revealed to be conspiring against her. The secret of Jon Snow’s true identity as Aegon Targaryen, Rhaegar’s son and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, had spread. Despite Daenerys’s pleas for secrecy, Jon confided in Arya and Sansa Stark, and Sansa promptly informed Tyrion.
From Daenerys’s perspective, Westeros had consistently rejected her. She felt betrayed by her Westerosi advisors while mourning the loss of her closest Essosi companions, all while striving to “save” Westeros. Tyrion’s betrayal, followed by Varys actively working to install Jon on the throne, solidified her sense of paranoia and anger. Jon’s stronger claim to the Iron Throne further fueled her resentment. While some viewers found Daenerys’s abrupt turn to the Mad Queen unconvincing, her capacity for brutality had been evident throughout Game of Thrones.
Daenerys’s descent wasn’t a complete reversal but an amplification of existing traits under immense pressure and loss. She felt Westeros had not only rejected her but actively conspired against her, even as she sacrificed so much for them. The deaths of Jorah and Missandei, coupled with the betrayals of Tyrion and Varys, and the looming threat of Jon’s claim, pushed her over the edge. This culminated in the tragic end for both Daenerys and Bran Stark’s ascension to the Iron Throne.
Westeros’ Rejection and Daenerys’ Retaliation
In Essos, Daenerys was revered and loved. Her successes stemmed from unwavering self-belief. However, Westeros offered only mistrust and resistance. The collective memory of Targaryen rule was far from positive, contributing to the suspicion she faced. Tyrion even observed Sansa’s deliberate refusal to trust Daenerys. Despite Daenerys’s attempts at friendship, Sansa remained hostile.
Upon conquering King’s Landing, Daenerys realized that Westeros would never accept her as their ruler, despite her sacrifices. Jon’s hesitation to reciprocate her affection was the final confirmation. Her response was to instill fear. Daenerys believed herself uniquely qualified to rule, having years of experience governing and a vision to “break the wheel” and create a better world. However, the actions of her Westerosi allies suggested they were determined to maintain the existing, flawed system.
From the beginning to the end of Game of Thrones, Daenerys felt failed by Westeros. She lost everything in her pursuit of the Iron Throne. Her burning of King’s Landing was a devastating culmination of her grief, rage, and frustration. While some interpret it as the true Mad Queen emerging, it can also be seen as Westeros driving her to madness, receiving the destruction they, in a twisted sense, “deserved.”
Daenerys: Force of Nature, Not Pure Villain
Despite the horrific turn in season 8, Daenerys is not a straightforward villain in Game of Thrones. She is more accurately understood as a product of Westeros’s inherent cruelty, a reflection of the brutal world she navigated. Her story serves as a stark reminder of the cyclical violence in Westerosi history, foreshadowed by events in House of the Dragon.
Daenerys’s arc highlights the dangers of unchecked power and the corrupting influence of trauma and betrayal. Tyrion’s decision to support Bran the Broken for the throne reflects a preference for wisdom over raw power, a lesson learned from Daenerys’s destructive reign.
It’s crucial to remember Daenerys’s extensive suffering. Even in her early relationship with Khal Drogo, which is romanticized by some fans, she endured sexual assault. This disturbing detail, often overlooked, underscores the pervasive cruelty that shaped Daenerys. She became a brutal liberator, reacting to a hostile world with the brutality she experienced.
However, Daenerys’s actions are not comparable to the sadistic pleasure found in villains like Ramsay Bolton or Joffrey Baratheon. Her character is far more nuanced, driven by a complex history and initially noble intentions. She is less a villain and more a force of nature – like her dragons – capable of both immense destruction and potential for positive change, ultimately twisted into a destructive force by the very world she sought to save.
House of the Dragon Contextualizes Targaryen Madness
House of the Dragon provides further context for Daenerys’s “madness” by exploring her Targaryen ancestry. The prequel series highlights the infamous Targaryen madness, attributed to generations of incest and Valyrian blood magic. This hereditary instability manifested in various ways among her ancestors, from prophetic visions (Helaena) to impulsive violence (Daemon) and outright insanity (Aerys II). The Dance of the Dragons, a brutal Targaryen civil war, was itself fueled by this internal family madness.
Daenerys’s descent, therefore, becomes less of an anomaly and more of tragic inevitability within the context of her lineage. Westeros will forever remember her as the Targaryen queen who burned King’s Landing, fulfilling the legacy of the Mad King. While shocking to those who believed in her heroic potential, Daenerys’s actions were perhaps predictable considering her Targaryen heritage and the historical precedents within her own family. House of the Dragon deepens this understanding, making Daenerys’s tragic transformation feel less sudden and more rooted in the established lore of the Targaryens.
The Rushed Execution of a Plausible Descent
Daenerys’s transformation into the Mad Queen was a highly divisive element of Game of Thrones‘ final season. The core concept of her descent, however, is arguably more flawed in its execution than in its inception. Many viewers felt the shift was abrupt and unearned, and the rushed pacing of the final season undoubtedly contributed to this perception. However, the seeds of Daenerys’s capacity for cruelty were present much earlier in the series.
As early as season 1, Daenerys watched impassively as Khal Drogo brutally murdered Viserys. She also reacted with pride to Drogo’s threats of violence and conquest against Westeros. These early moments, while often overshadowed by her more heroic actions, reveal a capacity for ruthlessness that was always part of her character.
Her journey through Essos, where she inflicted violence upon slavers and was celebrated as a liberator, may have also desensitized her to the consequences of her actions. The cheers of liberated slaves may have inadvertently normalized brutality in her mind. Arriving in Westeros, she might have mistakenly believed the burning of King’s Landing would also be seen as a form of liberation, failing to grasp the profound horror it would inflict.
George R.R. Martin’s books have also hinted at a darker side to Daenerys, suggesting a similar tragic trajectory in the novels. However, Martin’s nuanced approach would likely have allowed for a more organic and complex exploration of her descent, potentially moving beyond a simple “Targaryen madness” explanation to delve into the psychological and political complexities driving her actions.
Ultimately, while the backlash against Daenerys’s ending in Game of Thrones is understandable, the concept of her becoming the Mad Queen was not entirely unfounded. The series arguably failed in its rushed execution, sacrificing nuanced character development for shock value. However, viewed within the broader context of her losses, betrayals, and Targaryen lineage, Daenerys’s tragic turn, while controversial, possesses a certain tragic logic, highlighting the devastating consequences of trauma, isolation, and the corrupting nature of power in the brutal world of Westeros.
