Game Of Thrones Would Have Lasted Just 3 Seasons If One Character Hadn't Died

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Khal Drogo taunting Viserys with his golden crown

Published May 9, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT

Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones.

You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep."

Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant.

The legacy of Game of Thrones might have been overshadowed by its ending, but when the show was at its best, it was an unpredictable fantasy masterpiece that left no character safe. The infamous Red Wedding massacre changed the game for both the show and for the fantasy genre, but even before that, Game of Thrones' best episodes were full of "what if" moments in which a possible future was just within reach before being dramatically taken away. These include Ned Stark's execution, and the death of a fan-favorite character that shocked viewers unfamiliar with the books.

If the Dothraki were as dangerous as the story portrayed, the Seven Kingdoms would have had to set aside their differences and ally against Drogo. If he had lived, his crossing of the sea would have been a perfect ending for season 1, with season 2 being dominated by hasty alliances and battles. This would have left season 3 with either Drogo as the main threat, or the Night King. The Seven Kingdoms' wildly varying terrains, strategic skills, and battle equipment make it almost certain that the Dothraki would fall, leaving an allied Westeros to face the Night King.

The Lannisters underestimating "the Targaryen girl across the sea" only became a major plot point once Daenerys had her dragons. However, if Drogo had lived, they would likely have been proven right in seeing her as a minor threat. In the unlikely event that Drogo's army won a battle against the Seven Kingdoms, season 8 showed that the Dothraki were not equipped to face the Night King, which would have resulted in a victory for winter. Even with this less optimistic ending, Drogo's survival could have made Game of Thrones less predictable by changing the fate of a major character.

Drogo's Survival Would Have Turned A Predictable Character Into A Wild Card

Khal Drogo holding two blades in Game of Thrones

Many of the best characters in Game of Thrones are morally ambiguous, complicated, and unpredictable. On the other hand, Jon Snow represents Ned's influence on the Stark family, despite his Targaryen parentage. He is stoic, morally righteous, and prefers action to playing political games. While these characteristics make him a classic fantasy hero, they do not make him particularly interesting compared to characters like Cersei. Drogo's survival could have turned Jon into a wild card for the show by changing the options for his character.

It is likely that while searching for ways to combat the Night King, Samwell Tarly would still discover the truth of Jon's identity. With Jon being both Targaryen and a Stark, he might still have the opportunity to turn down the throne as he did in the show, but it is also possible that he could be faced with a different dilemma that forced him to compete against Daenerys for it. Jon only took positions of power when he felt he had no choice, and an imminent threat from the Dothraki might have put him in that situation once more.

Jon was always a reluctant leader, and he was often driven by the shame of being a bastard. However, Drogo's arrival could have taken his character's journey in a much less predictable direction, offering him the chance to become a more stable Targaryen ruler thanks to Ned's influence and his Stark heritage. Whether he chose leadership or not, a clash between the Targaryens with major emotional stakes would have been a defining Game of Thrones battle, even without the dragons.