Emilia Clarke was left in a state of unrest following the death of Daenerys Targaryen during the final season of Game of Thrones.

Emilia Clarke played a fascinating character called Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s hit show Game of Thrones. Her role was arguably the most important one in the storyline that captured millions of hearts around the world between 2011 and 2019. Clarke earned herself numerous awards since debuting on GOT over a decade ago. She was also named one of the most influential people in 2019 by TIME.

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

Unfortunately, the award-winning television series came to an end in 2019 after its eighth and final season aired. Fans weren’t too happy about it back then and neither was Emilia Clarke, who had an issue with how writers chose to bring an end to her character’s story during the final season. Daenerys was killed by her own nephew on GOT, Jon Snow (portrayed by Kit Harington).

What did Emilia Clarke say about Daenerys Targaryen’s tragic death on Game of Thrones?

Sometimes, actors find it hard to process sudden twists and turns in their character’s storylines. Emilia Clarke suffered the same fate as she couldn’t process how Daenerys’ role was laid to rest by Jon Snow. Both characters also had a brief on-screen romance that was hindered by the fact that Snow and Daenerys were related. Harington’s character was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenerys’ brother.

Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons from Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

Coming back to Clarke’s comments, according to Mirror, she claimed that she pitied the Daughter of Death. She added,

Was I annoyed that Jon Snow didn’t have to deal with something? He got away with murder… literally.

Emilia Clarke also described the emotions she felt upon discovering her character’s death. She claimed that she couldn’t stop thinking about what fans would think about it.

I knew how I felt when I first read it. And I tried at every turn not to consider too much what other people might say. But I did always consider what fans might think because we did it for them. And they were the ones who made us successful.

Daenerys Targaryen’s death came about by the end of the Last War. Snow had assassinated her to put an end to her vicious massacres that ended thousands of innocent lives.

Emilia Clarke’s tenure on Game of Thrones nearly ended shortly after season one

Without Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones probably wouldn’t have had as much of a successful run as it did until 2019. Shortly after the show wrapped up the filming of its first season, Clarke suffered from a severe aneurysm. Her personal battles could’ve ended her acting career ages ago. According to The New Yorker, she said,

I looked as though I had been through a was more gruesome than any that Daenerys experienced. I emerged from the operation with a drain coming out of my head. Bit of my skull had been replaced by titanium.

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen during Game of Thrones Season 1 | Credits: youtube.com/@MrAnybody04

After the conclusion of Game of Thrones, Dany’s fans were gifted with the release of House of the Dragon. This standalone show is purely based on Targaryen history, inspired by executive producer, George R.R. Martin’s booked Fire & Blood. But also features a couple of references to GOT. Though Clarke was excited about the release of HOTD, she still didn’t want to watch the show.

The 37-year-old interestingly compared it to attending a high school reunion that wasn’t for her year, according to Variety. Meanwhile, Emilia Clarke has worked on different projects such as Marvel’s Secret Invasion and The Amazing Maurice. She also starred in a movie called The Pod Generation which came out in 2023.

Game of Thrones is currently available to stream on Max.