Published Oct 16, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT
Lewis is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant and has written for the site since 2022. This has allowed Lewis to explore a vast array of films, TV shows, books, comic books, and games from across the mainstream world of pop culture, reflecting his lifelong love of all media and typifying his experience in the world of fiction storytelling. To top this off, Lewis graduated from Northumbria University with First Class Honours in Film & TV Studies, truly exemplifying his experience in the medium.
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Daenerys' ending in Game of Thrones was not loved, to say the least, and the franchise will only continue making it worse. Game of Thrones' ending was divisive across the board; while the opening two episodes started strong, the culmination of the Long Night, the Night King's story, Daenerys' quest for the Iron Throne, and who ended up dead, alive, or on the throne itself caused mass discussion, most of it negative. Undoubtedly, though, Daenerys' ending had few defenders.
Game of Thrones' Daenerys quickly transitioned from a liberating, merciful queen to a cold-blooded tyrant who killed millions of innocents for her own gain, before dying unceremoniously at the hands of Jon Snow. In the years since Game of Thrones' final episode, the opinion around this fate has not changed, with many still firmly believing that her transition into the Mad Queen was far too sudden and needed several more seasons to be fleshed out properly. Recently, wider Game of Thrones spin-offs have tried to make her quest for the Iron Throne better, to little effect.
House of the Dragon, for instance, introduced the idea of Aegon the Conqueror's dream. This was said to be a vision seen by Aegon Targaryen, who conquered the Seven Kingdoms and began the Targaryen dynasty centuries before Daenerys' birth. This vision apparently made it so that Aegon knew of the Long Night and the Night King, and that a Targaryen of white hair would bring back the dragons and sit on the Iron Throne to save the kingdoms from such a fate. This was an attempt to make Game of Thrones season 8 more prophetic, lore-heavy, and, as a result, easier to digest.
Unfortunately, this fell flat, as Game of Thrones season 8 remains anticlimactic and frustratingly underwritten when it comes to Daenerys' role and the conclusion of the Long Night. Moreover, Game of Thrones will only continue to double down on this attempt to make Daenerys' ending better, while actually making it worse. In the upcoming movie centered on Aegon the Conqueror, his dream of Daenerys and the Long Night will almost certainly be included, only serving as a reminder to viewers how disappointing the end result of Game of Thrones was once again.
Game Of Thrones Keeps Trying To Fix Its Own Ending
This attempt at making Daenerys' season 8 storyline and the Long Night more important is just another way Game of Thrones is trying to fix its own ending. The creatives of the franchise evidently believe that if they weave the events of the show's ending into stories that take place centuries before it, season 8 will become deeper and more impactful in retrospect. The Aegon movie will try to do this, just as House of the Dragon has in its three seasons thus far.
Beyond that, there were many rumors and reports of a spin-off centered on Jon Snow set after the events of Game of Thrones season 8. In fact, the Jon Snow spin-off still isn't dead, and could possibly happen in the near future. This story is likely another attempt to smooth over the ending of Game of Thrones by giving Jon a more fulfilling story that ends in a place that makes fans much happier than his conclusion in the original show did.
Future Game Of Thrones Projects Should Stop Trying To Make Daenerys' Ending Better
Image via MovieStillsDBDespite these continued attempts to make Game of Thrones' ending easier to stomach, the franchise should cease to make them. Of all the Game of Thrones spin-offs either completed or set to be produced soon, only one has not tied itself inherently to the events of the show or its ending: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Many agree that the show, instead based on a collection of novellas by George R. R. Martin and thus focusing on only two lovable characters making their way in the world, was a breath of fresh air for the franchise.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was much less concerned with prophecies and dragons, and papering over the cracks that Game of Thrones season 8 caused. Instead, the show wanted to tell a story about two great characters and the exploits they get up to in Westeros. Evidently, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms succeeds, proving that Game of Thrones needs to stop trying to fix its own ending and instead shift focus to better, more concise stories. In doing so, audiences can once again learn to enjoy the ride, rather than be endlessly reminded of a very obvious time when they did not.
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