Game of Thrones: Were Daenerys’ choices worth it?

Daenerys Targaryen made a lot of questionable choices during the final season of Game of Thrones. Were they worth it in the end?

Daenerys Targaryen has come a long way since the first season of Game of Thrones, and the eighth and final season of the show brought her closer than ever to sitting on the Iron Throne—though, sadly, her reign is so shortlived that she never truly gets to claim it. And given that her choices throughout this season led to her demise, fans have to question whether it was all worth it in the end.

With Cersei, the answer to this question is more clear cut. The Lannister queen only ever had her own interests in mind, and provoking Daenerys clearly didn’t serve those interests too well. Daenerys, on the other hand, wanted to break the wheel for the people of Westeros—even if she lost sight of that objective in the home stretch. And even if Daenerys had to become the villain and sacrifice everything to do it, she did succeed in breaking the wheel in the end.

Even if the seven (well, now six) kingdoms are still under a monarch at the end of the finale, that monarch was chosen by the lords and ladies of Westeros instead of by birthright. And this is a step toward democracy—something far more progressive than even Dany imagined—even if the suggestion of true democracy in Westeros is laughed off during the finale. It’s a tiny move in the right direction, and given that Bran will have no heirs, it will likely lead to similar conversations and progressive steps in the future.

So, on a personal level, Dany’s choices probably weren’t worth losing her life over. If she could do things differently, she probably would—all the way back to agreeing to go North and aid in Jon’s fight against the Night King. Things might have worked out better for Dany, her advisors, and her armies if she’d just taken King’s Landing before riding North. (Of course, that also could have gotten the Seven Kingdoms overrun by the Army of the Dead…)

On a grander scale, however, Dany’s decisions may have paid off for the realm. After all, her choices did lead to the removal of Cersei—and herself—from power. Her lack of remorse for her actions—even if it wasn’t necessarily believable—resulted in everything that occurred during the finale.

And what follows Dany’s short reign is a more neutral government for Westeros and full-on independence for the North. In this way, Dany’s choices paved the way for what could very well become a better world.

It’s just a shame she’ll never be around to see it…

What did you think of the Game of Thrones series finale? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.