Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke played one of the HBO series’ most iconic characters — Daenerys Targaryen. Known by many names — the Mother of Dragons and Breaker of Chains, the beloved Mhysa, and the one and only Khaleesi — Daenerys went on a memorable journey throughout the show’s eight seasons.
Even though the character’s ending was controversial, she still had plenty of incredible moments along the way. Here are Emilia Clarke’s eight most bada** moments as Daenerys Targaryen.
8. Daenerys eats the heart of a horse in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 1, Episode 6
The sixth episode of season 1 featured a pivotal moment that hinted at the fierce woman Daenerys would eventually become. In one of the most shocking scenes of the first season, Khaleesi is forced to eat the raw heart of a horse during an ancient Dothraki ritual.
The blood all over her mouth couldn’t hide her beauty, stamina, or determination. For many fans, this was the moment that they fell in love with the tough Targaryen.
7. Becoming the Mother of Dragons
Throughout the first season, Daenerys becomes a much more confident and powerful woman. And by the season finale, it’s clear how much she has drastically changed. After losing her husband and unborn baby — and getting abandoned by the Dothraki people — Daenerys walks into the flames while Khal Drogo’s (Jason Momoa) funeral pyre burns.
She emerges unharmed by the fire, and takes her place as one of the most powerful people on the series. The iconic moment of a naked, charred Daenerys cradling her newly hatched dragons — Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal — is now part of TV history.
6. Setting the Khals on fire
In Season 6, Episode 4 “Book of the Stranger,” Daenerys was in a vulnerable position after being captured by the Dothraki army. She’s taken to their spiritual home of Vaes Dothrak, where the world’s most powerful Khals try to figure out what to do with her.
But Daenerys didn’t wait around for their decision and instead went into bada** mode, taking down every single Dothraki khal in one fiery swoop. As the Khals gathered, she had the doors sealed and then proceeded to burn the place down.
She did it all without dragons, armies, or Queensguard. And of course, she emerged unharmed. Which caused the Dothraki people to kneel before her.
5. Burning Jaime Lannister’s army
Despite having a massive army and three dragons with her, Daenerys suffered some defeats at the hands of Jaime Lannister’s (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) army when she arrived in Westeros in the war for the Iron Throne.
But in Season 7, Episode 4 “The Spoils of War,” the Mother of Dragons reminded everyone that she shouldn’t be messed with. She channeled her inner bada** and proved how indestructible she was when she attacked the Lannister loot train and set the roof on fire. She also managed to avoid Jaime’s spear with the help of Drogon.
4. Becoming Mhysa in the ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3 finale
At the end of season 3, there was another bada** Daenerys moment in the finale after the Breaker of Chains had built herself an army of Unsullied and freed hundreds of slaves. She had finally achieved god-like status, and those freed slaves lifted her on their shoulders out of respect and loyalty.
She was officially queen and “Mhysa” — crowdsurfing on liberated Yunkai slaves — with more encouragement than ever on her quest for the Iron Throne.
3. Becoming the first Targaryen in more than a century to ride a dragon
In Season 5, Episode 9 “The Dance of the Dragons,” Daenerys’ enemies tried to end her reign once and for all with the opening of the fighting pits — and they nearly succeeded. Her friends had been killed off, Viserion and Rhaegal had been chained up, and Drogon had left the city, leaving Daenerys and her allies surrounded by the Sons of Harpy.
Suddenly, Drogon appeared and proceeded to torch the Sons of Harpy. Then, the moment fans had been waiting for finally arrived. Daenerys mounts the scaly creature and soars through the air riding her dragon for the very first time — making her the first Targaryen in more than a century to mount and ride a dragon.
2. Squashing her enemies in ‘The Battle of the Bastards’
Season 6, Episode 9 “The Battle of the Bastards” is considered one of the best episodes of the entire Game of Thrones series. But it didn’t just focus on Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) battling it out at Winterfell.
The episode began with Daenerys squashing her enemies in Mereen during a bada** action sequence that featured all three dragons for the very first time. Daenerys flies Drogon again, as he breathes fire on her enemies hundreds of feet below.
Viserion and Rhaegal are also there to torch the fleet of attack ships, while the Dothraki army shows up to finish off the Sons of Harpy.
1. Daenerys takes back Drogon in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3
Many fans believe that the fourth episode of season 3 was the absolute peak for Daenerys in the entire series. And there’s a good reason why. She showed just how much she had mastered her dragons when she got tired of being insulted by slave master Kraznys — and decided it was time to get Drogon back.
In this bada** moment, the Mother of Dragons takes control of the Unsullied and orders them to kill the masters. Then, by simply saying the word “Dracarys,” Drogon immediately unleashed his flames on Kraznys and burnt him to a crisp. It was a thrilling and satisfying victory for Daenerys that foreshadowed her ruthless nature and the dark turn the character would eventually take.
All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are now streaming on HBO Max. The new prequel House of the Dragon — which is set three centuries before the original series and tells the story of the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons — premieres Sunday, August 21 on HBO.
RELATED: ‘House of the Dragon’: 8 Moments Daenerys Targaryen Hinted She Was Just Like Her Father the Mad King
