To avid Game Of Thrones fans, Daenerys is, of course, a subject of much controversy. There are the die-hards who stick by her character until the end; there are those who were skeptical about her but held on hope that she would gain their allegiance; and there were also those, of course, who could not really care less and used her time on screen as an excuse to go get more snacks.
No matter where you stand, Daenerys had an undeniably big influence on the Game Of Thrones experience. Here are some of the ups and downs of her time as a ruler leading up to the eruption of her character.
Good Leader: Frees The Slaves
One of Daenerys's first acts as Queen is to free the slaves of any city she encounters. In a way, Daenerys served as a slave herself, first to her brother, and then to Khal Drogo.
She knows what it is like to be trapped in a life with no sight of escape and now power over one's day-to-day. This gives her a sense of empathy toward slaves, causing her to prioritize their liberation.
Hard To Watch: Kills The Masters
Whether it was the right thing to do or not, it was definitely difficult to watch Daenerys command that the slave masters be crucified, nailed to the very posts they had nailed slaves and left to rot in the sun.
We later find out that not all of the masters were cruel ones, as slavery was an age-old practice and dealt with differently by each master. Many of the slaves preferred their situation to being freed. Regardless, Daenerys found it important to make a statement, which she definitely did.
Good Leader: Kind To Missandei
Daenerys liberates Missandei from her slave master and gives her life a greater purpose. She could easily command Missandei to serve her and use her for her ability to speak many languages, of which she does make use.
However, she also treats her kindly and offers her the position as her own choice, allowing her the opportunity for a more dignified existence.
Hard To Watch: Her Ego
As soon as she realizes she caused the birth of dragons, Daenerys' ego goes sky high.
She becomes immensely self-important, and any time she enters a room and is displeased with how she is treated she makes sure to remind people of who she is, with a title that has a painful amount of descriptions and becomes more cringe-worthy with each recitation.
Good Leader: Values Women
Being a woman who was once the object of sexual and physical abuse makes Daenerys a leader who is more sympathetic to women than any other leader on the show.
When she visits a new city and sees ill-treatment of women there, the camera often lingers on the women's faces, implying Daenerys's interest in their state of being.
Hard To Watch: Burns The Witch
The female gaze is not a lens we are frequently offered in this show or any show. Although Daenerys is not made out to be any kind of feminist icon, her character is used to play at the idea, and how little of a feminist she is emphasizes the pitiful amount that the rest of the leaders are.
This makes her harsh treatment of women even more noticeable and thought-provoking, such as when she chooses to murder the witch who did not give her the results she wanted.
Good Leader: Dislikes Violence (Most Of The Time)
Her manic episodes aside, Daenerys is perhaps one of the characters who derive the least enjoyment from violence. She is swift to deal out punishment when it is advised to her that is necessary in order to maintain the respect of her people, but even then, this is only in extreme circumstances.
When she is advised to re-open public fighting practices, Daenerys squirms at the sight of the blood that is shed. This made her a more sensitive leader than most and had she held on to this trait, it would have done her well.
Hard To Watch: Rejects Jorah
It is difficult to watch Daenerys send Jorah away, even if he did technically betray her. The viewer sees Jorah when Daenerys does not, and so we know the strength of his loyalty and, well, his general obsession with Daenerys.
It takes a while for Daenerys to believe this after he was not honest with her. Jorah is easy to become annoyed with but at the end of the day, it is just painful to see someone repeatedly humble themselves for another, as Jorah does for her.
Good Leader: Takes Tyrion As Advisor
Daenerys has her moments of wisdom, and one of them was when she granted Tyrion a place on her counsel. As is emphasized repeatedly throughout the show, a leader is greatly influenced by the voice closest to their ear. T
his is why Cersei Lannister has so much sway over the kingdom before ever becoming its leader and is another reason why Tyrion was a good choice as an advisor for Daenerys, as she could have chosen someone out of more self-interest, as Cersei often did.
Hard To Watch: Blind Entitlement
Daenerys fancies herself more wise and pure than any other leader in Westeros and beyond. In many ways, she succeeds in being one of the most progressive leaders on the show (at first).
However, she has an illogical belief that as a member of the Targaryen family, she is somehow the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, even though her family had been overthrown. She thinks that she is above all of the leaders of Westeros whose claims to the throne are held together by threads, but she is, in reality, no different.