No character on Game of Thrones is completely innocent of wrongdoing, but it takes a special kind of person to be considered truly evil. Take Ramsay and Joffrey, for instance, who are arguably the two most hated characters in Game of Thrones history. No attempt at redemption could counter all the evil they've unleashed throughout the years, which is why I'm here to stop a particular preposterous theory that's been slowly gaining momentum throughout the last few weeks: the idea that Daenerys is becoming a villain on Game of Thrones .
Granted, this is a suspicion that's been simmering in the back of book reader minds for years (her father was called the Mad King, after all), but the latest wave of suspicion began bubbling to the surface when Dany made her latest rousing speech to her newly acquired Dothraki army, asking them to "kill my enemies in their iron suits and tear down their stone houses" upon her inevitable return to Westeros. Many found the violent undertones to indicate that she's seeking the Iron Throne for more self-serving reasons now and is willing to do anything — even harming the innocent — in order to make it happen. But let me assure you that is not the case. Dany will not become the Mad Queen. In fact, she is nothing like her father Aerys II Targaryen, which is a sentiment she's proven time and time again.
Yes, Dany wants to rule the Seven Kingdoms and sit upon the Iron Throne, but that's mostly because it is her true birthright, considering the Lannisters stole her from her family back during Robert's Rebellion. She only seeks to reclaim what was already supposed to be hers just like what anyone else would do in her position. And as for the speech she gave about killing her enemies, I merely took that as a general statement for those who seek to harm her. Let's not forget that she expects to be welcomed back by the people with open arms, so it's not likely that she means innocent people any harm. And as her fast friendship with Tyrion has proven, she's also not opposed to creating unexpected alliances to those who would normally be considered her enemy.
Now, we don't know too much about the Mad King, but what we do know is how much he craved power and cared very little for the future of others. In fact, he wanted his pyromancers to "burn them all" when the uprising began, including innocent men, women, and children. Suffice to say, he wasn't a very nice guy. Whereas with Dany, we've seen her do everything in her power to end slavery and liberate the oppressed throughout multiple seasons.
Yes, it did serve the purpose of gaining her a bigger army, but she also did it because she knew it was right. She didn't like how poorly others were being treated, so she sought to make the world a better place. Dany gave a voice to those who didn't have a voice and never forced anyone to follow her or do her bidding. Her love for them made them volunteer willingly. That's not being a villain, my friends. That's being a badass.
So enough talk of Dany being a Game of Thrones Big Bad already. She's just a strong, independent woman who wants what's due to her. Don't confuse ambition with villainy.
Images: HBO; Giphy (3)
