The final season of Game Of Thrones got off to quite a start this past Sunday night, as Jon Snow returned to Winterfell with Daenerys Targaryen and her army of Dothraki screamers and Unsullied soldiers in tow, as the Northern lords and ladies gathered their troops in preparation for the great war to come.
It was all go at Winterfell, but Samwell Tarly managed to find the time to tell Jon the truth about his parentage. Sam’s motivations in doing so were of course were a direct result of having just learned of Daenerys’ part in the death of his father and brother, which prompted him to question the Mother of Dragons’ ability to be a just ruler. He commented that Jon might be the type of person to surrender his crown for the sake of the people, but argued that Dany was unlikely to do the same.
Of course, Sam has every right to be angry at Daenerys for what she did, but the question which he posed Jon simply isn’t a fair one. Why? Because despite his resentment towards Dany, he doesn’t know enough about her to make such an assumption. In spite of what Cersei Lannister has told the people of Westeros, Daenerys is not her father. Sure, she could’ve spared the lives of the Tarly men, but if we’re going down that road then surely we should question the decisions made by all of the show’s protagonists during times of war?
Was Robb Stark justified in executing Lord Rickard Karstark — a man who’d served his family well for years? It was a bold move on the Young Wolf’s part, but nobody questioned his sanity in making such a decision. Similarly, Jon Snow beheaded Janos Slynt for making treasonous comments — despite the fact that the man had apologised profusely for his actions. Couldn’t Jon have spared the former City Watch commander’s life? Of course he could’ve, but Jon was adamant that he had to establish control after taking over as Lord Commander of The Night’s Watch — and treason was simply unacceptable.
Daenerys’ decision to execute the Tarlys is no different. The two men had broken their vow to House Tyrell and ultimately played a part in the murder of their former queen, Olenna — a woman who’d only just aligned herself with Dany. By all accounts, this is treason — the same reason that made Robb murdered Karstark, and Jon murdered Slynt.
Unlike Jon and Robb, however, Dany gave her traitors a choice. They chose to die for honor, which is rather ironic considering they had betrayed Olenna. Like Slynt and Karstark, the Tarly men were simply casualties of war, and had their death been at the hands of any other protagonist, few would’ve batted an eyelid.
Unlike Sam, we’ve have seen all of the hardship that Dany has endured on the show. We’ve also seen how she’s used her unfortunate circumstances to her advantage, which allowed for her to grow into a strong woman — one that’s more than fit for ruling. It’s true that Daenerys wants to be queen, but more than that she wants to be a just ruler — one that puts her people above all else, and the proof of this lies in her journey on the show to date.
After overcoming her brother’s abuse in the first season, Daenerys set out to take back the crown that Robert Baratheon had usurped from her family. With a claim to the Iron Throne as strong as hers — not to mention three growing dragons — she could’ve hopped on a ship as soon as she gathered an army and sailed straight to Westeros to take her crown. But she didn’t.
Instead, she spent years in Slaver’s Bay, liberating those who’d spent their lives in chains. Even when such places posed a threat to her life — as Ser Jorah Mormont and Ser Barristan Selmy so frequently pointed out during the third season — Dany refused to cower until she’d accomplished her mission and abolished all slavery. A tall task, no doubt, but one that showed us her ‘gentle heart’. It soon became clear to us that — unlike all of the previous Westerosi rulers — this was a queen who put people above all else.
Furthermore, by the time she’d liberated all the slaves in Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen, Dany once again opted to stay put so that she could ensure the aforementioned cities remained slave-free. This was about more than reputation for her. It was about breaking the wheel and creating a new world — one in which people were free to live as they wanted.
By the time she had arrived in Westeros in the seventh season, she could’ve easily taken the Seven Kingdoms, what with an army of Unsullied soldiers, Dothraki screamers and three very large dragons by her side. There was nothing stopping Dany from laying waste to all those who stood in her way, as she could’ve easily burned her way to the Throne. Nobody — not even Cersei Lannister — could have stopped her. However, once again she opted against this. Why? Because she didn’t want the people of Westeros to fear her, but rather wanted to earn their affection by proving why she should be the one to rule the country.
If you still don’t believe that Daenerys would surrender her crown for the sake of the people, then the next bit will likely do the trick as, during the seventh season, she did just that. Against everyone’s advice — including that of her hand Tyrion Lannister, she risked her life — and those of her beloved dragons — so that she could come to the rescue of Jon, Jorah and the others involved in the expedition beyond the Wall. Surely if the crown was all that was important to Dany, she could’ve left them to die?
What’s more, Jon hadn’t bent the knee at this point, so having The Night King finish him off strategically would’ve made more sense for her if all she cared about was ruling Westeros, as she wouldn’t have had The King in the North to contend with.
Following this incident, the Dragon queen then decided to put her quest for the Seven Kingdoms on hold so that she could work alongside her enemies — including Cersei, who sits on what she believes to be her throne — to rid the world of the biggest threat it’s ever seen — a selfless decision which made Jon realise that Dany is exactly the type of queen the Seven Kingdoms is in need of.
Her devotion to making the world a better place has won her the support of Tyrion, Jorah and Jon, all of whom are considered to be — by both the other protagonists on the show and the viewers — wise and just. Even if you were to ignore all of her admirable actions in Slaver’s Bay, surely this fact is proof enough of Dany’s ‘gentle heart’.
Again, Sam’s upset over what Daenerys did to his father and brother is more than justified, but one questionable action — which took place during a time of war — doesn’t make her unfit to rule. Is she perfect? No. But she’s the best chance the Seven Kingdoms has, and with Jon, Tyrion and Jorah advising her, she might just change the world. That is, of course, if they can defeat The Night King first!
Game of Thrones returns tonight on HBO and will be simulcast on Sky Atlantic here in the UK. Seasons one to seven are available to stream on NOW TV.
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