One of the most iconic characters in Game of Thrones is Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains. And over the eight season show her hair transforms pretty drastically. So similarly as I did with Sansa Stark I thought I would go over her hair evolution. I was rooting for her since season one to have the iron throne, though Sansa did come close second until the possibility of the north being separate. Then I wanted Sansa being Queen of the North with Dany on the Iron Throne ruling the rest of the kingdoms. Now no spoilers… but oh what they did with her character. I mean you could see it coming but it felt rushed.
Child Bride
Daenerys is introduced as a pawn of her brother Viserys in his attempt to get the Iron Throne. He married his little sister off to Khal Drogo. At the beginning of the show her icy blond hair is worn down for her innocence. Granted that innocence is short lived as she being a Khalessi from eating the heart of a horse to watching her brother have molten gold poured on his head. She doesn’t flinch once.
Mother of Dragons
The next major transformation of Dany is the birth of her three dragons. And this can be shown with the single braid on either side of her head. Granted she was starting to wear the braids shortly after marrying Khal.
Unsullied Army
In Season 3, Dany obtains the Unsullied Army and is now wearing two braids in her hair. Signifying her growth as a leader as she has her new army slaughter the masters and establishes that she’s not just a child playing at the great game. She is a revolutionary that isn’t going to let anyone get in her way. And the second braid starts to hint at this. As the Dothraki gain braids through victories. She doesn’t get a new braid each victory but she does gain them as she grows as a leader.
Learning to Rule
In season four, Dany takes a break from conquest and learns to rule in Meereen. She wears a single rope braid on either side, a type of braid that royals typically are shown to wear. Especially in King’s Landing. She struggles to rule during this time and also locked up her dragons.
Leaving Meereen
Season five shows Dany still in Meereen trying to learn how to rule. She ends up allowing the fighting pits to be opened up and goes to watch. Her braids also resurface at this point as she’s no longer trying to be the ruler everyone expects her to be, but rather who she sees herself. However, during one of the fights they are ambushed by the Sons of Harpy who want to see Dany dead. She flees on the back of Drogon leaving Meereen behind.
Prisoner
After fleeing Meereen she is captured by the khalasar and she reveals she is a widowed khaleesi. In that culture, widowed khaleesi are meant to be kept in a temple with the other widows and has violated the law for trying to make a name for herself rather than spending the rest of her life with the other widows. She burns the temple to the ground saying the khals are not fit to lead the Dothraki after they declare she will be raped by each of the khals. During this time her hair is unkempt to show her vulnerability of this period in her life.
Marching to Westeros
Having burnt the khals to the ground, Dany gains a third braid in her hair as she heads back to Meereen to get her advisors, ships, and army together. This is where we truly she the mad queen as she wants to return the cities to dirt but doesn’t from the encouragement of Tyrion Lannister. All three of her dragons are freed at this time as well. After making an alliance with the Greyjoys, she finally heads to Westeros.
Dragonstone
Dany makes it to her birthplace, Dragonstone, in season 7. Jon Snow arrives and does not immediately bend the knee to her much to her annoyance. As he wants an alliance to deal with the threat against the Night King. Dany has three braids on each side of her head and they spiral in a bun on the back of her head. This hairstyle is what we see on Dany for the majority of season 7 and into season 8. Though there are slight variations.
King’s Landing
With the defeat of the Night King and King’s Landing, Dany has the most braids ever in her hair. From what I can tell there are about five braids on each side of her head. The additional two braids for each of those major victories in true Dothraki style. This is also the final form her hair takes as there are no more victories for Dany without giving too much away.
WHICH HAIRSTYLE OF DANY’S WAS YOUR FAVORITE OVER THE COURSE OF GAME OF THRONES?
Love ya,
Mae Polzine
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