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6. Daenerys Targaryen

Keith Bernstein/HBO

  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

Daenerys is the daughter of King Aerys II Targaryen, often called "the Mad King," who was deposed by Robert Baratheon. She believes that she is the true heir to the throne. Her older brother married her to Khal Drogo, the leader of a tribe of horse riders known as the Dothraki, in an effort to secure the Dothraki army to help him regain the throne of Westeros. Her brother was killed and Drogo later was also, so Daenerys became the leader of the tribe. As a wedding gift, she received dragon eggs. When Daenerys put them on a pyre, the eggs hatched, and she now possesses three dragons, the only ones that have been seen for centuries.

Her constant companion is Ser Jorah Mormont, a knight who was initially sent to spy on her and report back to King Robert but is implied to have fallen in love with her. In season two, Daenerys travels with Jorah and her Dothraki tribe to the city of Qarth. There, she is betrayed by Xaro, a merchant who seized control of Qarth and asked for her hand in marriage. She kills him and takes enough of his possessions to fund a ship to bring her to Westeros.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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