Portrayed by Emilia Clarke

Status: Deceased

Age: 23 (in her final season)

Date of Birth : 282 AC

Origin: Dragonstone

Episode Appearances: 62

First Seen: ‘Winter Is Coming’

Last Seen: ‘The Iron Throne’

BACKGROUND

Sixteen-year-old Daenerys Targaryen is the only daughter and youngest child of King Aerys II Targaryen, the "Mad King", and his sister and wife, Rhaella. Her father died during the Sack of King's Landing before she was even born. The usurper, Robert Baratheon, installed himself as King, having defeated Aerys in the conquest known as Robert's Rebellion. Afterwards, Daenerys’ pregnant mother Rhaella and older brother Viserys fled to the island of  Dragonstone, the ancestral home of House Targaryen, to escape Robert. Daenerys' other older brother, Rhaegar Targaryen, was also killed in the war by King Robert himself, as the Targaryen prince had allegedly kidnapped the usurper’s betrothed, Lyanna Stark. The forces of House Lannister then murdered Rhaegar's wife, Elia Martell, and their children, Rhaenys  and Aegon.

At Dragonstone, on the night Daenerys was born out of incest, a standard Targaryen custom, a severe summer storm raged. For this reason, she is sometimes nicknamed "Daenerys Stormborn". Her mother, Rhaella, died soon after she was born, leaving Daenerys and her brother Viserys as orphans. As a baby, Daenerys was whisked away and taken into exile in the Free Cities with her brother Viserys by loyal retainers, among them Ser Willem Darry, who later died when she was just five years old. After years spent fruitlessly trying to raise support to retake the Iron Throne, Viserys and Daenerys have been given sanctuary by Magister Illyrio Mopatis in the Free City of Pentos. She dreams of finding a peaceful home and a place to belong to. Daenerys grew up in constant fear of being discovered and killed by agents of the usurper King Robert, and is frequently abused by her older brother Viserys, which led to her developing a fearful, submissive and furtive nature.

Daenerys is most often described as uncommonly beautiful, with long, pale silver-gold hair. She is slender and pale, although taller than some of her female ancestors. She is fluent in the common tongue of Westeros as well as in High Valyrian and bastard Valyrian, which she speaks with a Tyroshi accent.