George R.R. Martin Almost Ruined the Best Game of Thrones Storyline That Would’ve Made Emilia Clarke a Villain
George R.R. Martin had a different plan for Daenerys Targaryen in his initial pitch for Game of Thrones back in 1993.
George R.R. Martin had a different vision for Daenerys Targaryen in his original 1993 pitch for Game of Thrones, which shockingly would have seen the famed Mother of Dragons as the villain of the story from the very beginning. Not only will she lose the affection of her loyal fans, but it will also change the entire course of her journey.
Viewers have seen Emilia Clarke’s portrayal of the Targaryen queen in the television adaptation, and there’s no doubt that we all miss the old Daenerys when she finally found her own voice and before she descended into madness. Apparently, the author had a different plan for the character that many fans would certainly feel divisive about.
Daenerys Targaryen Kills Khal Drogo to Avenge Viserys in the Original Story
A now-deleted post from Waterstones (via Business Insider) revealed George R.R. Martin’s initial story for Daenerys Targaryen. It would still begin with Viserys wanting his sister to marry Khal Drogo, but he will soon realize that the Dothraki lord had little interest in invading the Seven Kingdoms.
Like in Game of Thrones, Viserys would vex Khal Drogo with his incessant pestering, and the latter would kill him out of hand. Daenerys would be left as the only surviving Targaryen, but this is where things would turn in a different direction.
According to Martin’s pitch, the Khaleesi “will bide her time, but she will not forget,” referring to Viserys’ death.
When the moment is right, she will kill her husband to avenge her brother, and then flee with a trusted friend into the wilderness beyond Vaes Dothrak… Then she begins to plan for her invasion of the Seven Kingdoms.
In the show, Daenerys has grown to resent her brother after he abused her for so long, even selling her as a bride. On the other hand, she learned to trust her husband and grow affection for him, so witnessing Khal Drogo pour melted gold on Viserys’ head must have brought relief to her.
Even though Martin had the same vision for Daenerys in his initial pitch and in the series, the reason and motivation behind her quest to conquer the Seven Kingdoms has changed. We could also speculate that the author started growing fond of her relationship with Drogo, so he ended up changing the cause of his death.
George R.R. Martin on Why He Didn’t Follow Initial Plans for the Book
Martin has been very vocal about his style of writing and the way he accepts changes in directions while in the process. In his letter to his publisher, the author wrote (via Business Insider): “As you know, I don’t outline my novels. I find that if I know exactly where a book is going, I lose all interest in writing it.”
This could be the reason why many of his initial plans for the characters in A Song of Ice and Fire changed over time, including that of Daenerys killing her husband. Martin said in his personal blog, too, that he’s more of a gardener than an architect: “My stories grow and evolve and change as I write them.”
Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on HBO
