‘Game of Thrones’ Finale Script Gives Unexpected Explanation for Why Drogon Melted the Iron Throne

The 'Game of Thrones' finale was divisive, and certain moments left some fans a little more than confused. This revelation may or may not help.

Emilia Clarke, Kit Harrington
Image via Getty/Steve Granitz
Emilia Clarke, Kit Harrington

The Game of Thrones finale was divisive, and certain moments left some fans a little more than confused.

**Spoilers below**

When Kit Harington's Jon Snow killed Emilia Clarke's Daenerys Targaryen, the latter's dragon showed up to see what was going on. Drogon, in a fit of rage or grief, burned down the Iron Throne and flew off with Daenerys' corpse. While it was clear why Drogon would want to take his mother's body away, many were still confused as to why he burned the Iron Throne.

Thanks to the release of the Emmy-nominated script, titled "The Iron Throne," on the awards show's site, we now know why Drogon burned it down. The scene, as it appears in the excerpt below, reveals that Drogon didn't even do it deliberately.

We look over Jon’s shoulder as the fire sweeps toward the throne ― not the target of Drogon’s wrath, just a dumb bystander caught up in the conflagration. We look through the blades of the throne as the flames engulf it, and blast the wall behind it. We see the throne in the flames, turning red, then white, then beginning to lose its form. We get tight shots of the details melting in silhouette: the armrests, the iconic fan of swords on the backrest. The fire stops. The smoke clears revealing a puddle of smouldering slag where the throne once stood. Who will sit on the Iron Throne? No one.

While it might have seemed like a moment of protest or hyper-intelligent grief from Drogon, it was actually a mistake. Simply put, the Iron Throne was just in the way.

It could also be interpreted as commentary on the futility of war, although series co-creator David Benioff famously told Grantland in 2013 that "themes are for eighth-grade book reports," so maybe that's a charitable reading.

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Peruse the full script for the Game of Thrones series finale here.

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