Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, is one of the most beloved characters on Game of Thrones and also the subject of one of the show’s biggest controversies. After spending the majority of the series as a just and capable ruler moving ever closer to the Iron Throne, Daenerys quickly loses her grip on reality after a series of blows in the final season and descends into madness, turning into a worse ruler than even her father the Mad King.
But before her demise, Daenerys does show the potential to be a great leader, particularly through her dialogue. Check out these 10 Daenerys Targaryen lines that prove she’s the ultimate queen.
“You Are Small Men. None Of You Are Fit To Lead The Dothraki. But I am. So I Will.”
This quote by Daenerys Targaryen perfectly represents her definition of strength. She calls the Dothraki men small despite the fact that they are physically bigger than her, proving that she values wit and vision over muscles. It also takes a lot of confidence to speak to powerful men like that, which Daenerys has in abundance because she also has the skills to back herself up.
“They Can Live In My New World Or They Can Die In Their Old One.”
For much of the series, Daenerys is a good queen. She frees the slaves and punishes the masters, setting a new precedent for how things will work moving forward. And she doesn’t give anyone the option to continue committing old crimes and sticking to old traditions. This quote shows that she’s confident in her revolution and she will make no exceptions when it comes to making people embrace it.
“The Next Time You Raise A Hand To Me Will Be The Last Time You Have Hands.”
When Daenerys is still married to Khal Drogo, she’s a much more timid character than the conqueror she grows into by the end of the series. One of the first signs of her inner-strength that viewers see comes through this threat, which she makes to her brother Viserys after he strikes her.
Although assertive, the quote shows that she’s willing to give him another chance to redeem himself, rather than chopping off his hands for hitting her once.
“I Will Answer Injustice With Justice.”
Few rulers in the Game of Thrones universe are known for ruling fairly. By the end of the series, Daenerys completely disregards the concept of justice by burning thousands of innocent people to a crisp. But she begins by intending to rule fairly and answer injustices with justice rather than with more wrongdoings. If only she could stick to her guns.
“It Seems To Me That A Queen Who Trusts No One Is As Foolish As A Queen Who Trusts Everyone.”
Quite a few of the lines that Daenerys utters throughout the series are evidence of the fact that, under different circumstances, she would make a great queen. Unlike other rulers in Westeros, past and present, Daenerys isn’t paranoid and afraid to trust others. She allows several people to give her advice and teach her about different things and is willing to trust easily compared to other sovereigns. Of course, this quality diminishes as time goes on.
“I’m Not Going To Stop The Wheel. I’m Going To Break The Wheel.”
The wheel mentioned in this Daenerys Targaryen quote refers to the wheel of power that perpetually spins in the Game of Thrones universe, raising some as it turns while crushing those at the bottom.
Daenerys reinforces how innovative her vision is with this line, where she promises to destroy the concept of the wheel altogether rather than temporarily stop it from moving while she’s queen.
"Slavery Is Real. I Can End It. I Will End It. And I Will End Those Behind It.”
In the final season of the show, Daenerys wreaks total havoc on King’s Landing. But in Essos, she does a world of good by eradicating slavery. This line shows her determination to obtain justice for the slaves by destroying the very notion of slavery and punishing those who kept the system in place for so long. This is also one of the instances where Daenerys ends up sticking to her word.
“My Enemies Are In The Red Keep. What Kind Of Queen Am I If I’m Not Willing To Risk My Life To Fight Them?”
Studying the various rulers and leaders in Game of Thrones, it’s clear that some are content to let their armies do all the fighting while they watch from afar. Think Cersei Lannister and Ramsay Bolton, two figures who don’t actually get near the front lines when the going gets tough. By contrast, Daenerys understands the importance of getting into the action herself, even if she does so on the back of a dragon.
“Do You Know What Kept Me Standing Through All Those Years In Exile? Faith.”
This line gives viewers more of an insight into the character of Daenerys Targaryen and what makes her tick. She goes on to confirm that the faith she refers to is “not in any gods, not in myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen.” And so with this quote, she teaches a lesson that even applies to audiences watching the show from the real world: that self-belief is really the most important factor in success.
“If I Give Everyone What They Deserve, I’ll Have No One Left To Rule.”
By the end of the show, this line becomes ironic since Daenerys does nearly destroy King’s Landing and kills the majority of the people within it, making it so she really does have very few people left to rule in the city. But early on in the series, she does have the right idea behind ruling. She intends to rule with mercy, which would save her having to execute every one of her subjects who commits a crime. It’s a pity she loses sight of this vision by the final season.