5. She Questions Her Own Capability to Rule
Daenerys admits that her ability to rule is not perfect. When she installs herself as the temporary ruler of Meereen, she has a very honest conversation with Jorah Mormont where she asks him, “How can I rule seven kingdoms if I can’t control Slavers Bay? Why should anyone trust me? Why should anyone follow me?” This type of self-reflection is vital and it’s very unique when it comes to the individuals vying for the Iron Throne. Stannis, Renly, Robb, Bolton, Petyr, and even the Tyrells are firmly in the “we deserve to rule” camp. Being an unfit ruler never even crosses their minds. This realization triggers her decision to settle into Meereen to rule Slaver’s Bay.
And if Daenerys can wrestle the region into her control, she’ll be amply prepared to deal with everything Westeros has to throw at her. Why? Well in Westeros, she’ll have allies flock to her solely due to her family name and she’ll be ruling over a region whose culture aligns far more closely to her own mindset. There will be no wrestling with unhappy slave owners because she freed some of their most expensive possessions.
6. She Understands Hunger and Poverty
Daenerys has a deeper understanding of poverty, hunger, and lack of security than most of the contenders for the Iron Throne. Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, introduced a pyramid called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The premise of this pyramid is that for a happy, healthy, and productive life, humans must have at the very foundation of things their basic needs (food, shelter, and water) and physical security met.
Daenerys has experienced, both as a child and throughout the series, moments where her basic needs were not met effectively. As a child, her brother had to beg for people to take them in. As a result, they wandered from place to place searching for individuals sympathetic to their cause. Such uproar failed to meet her security needs, feeding into her desire to return to a land she’s never visited, but has always been told to call home.
In the series, Dany must wander through the desert seeking civilization with minimal food and water. These moments of emotional and physical starvation have led to her being acutely aware of how her people can suffer, and exactly how they feel when they do. That kind of empathy makes her a ruler who will look after her people.
7. She’s Willing To Make Personal Sacrifices
Daenerys is willing to make personal sacrifices for her people and realm’s well being. In an effort to encourage peace and strengthen ties with her new realm, Daenerys decides to marry a man from a powerful Meereenese family (Hizdahr zo Loraq). Tyrion admits that such a personal sacrifice is an impressive decision. Even Cersei Lannister didn’t willingly agree to her own political marriage. Such a sacrifice bodes well for Dany’s ability to put her people first.
8. She Follows the Rule of Law
Daenerys instils laws and sticks with them to the best of her ability. One of her core laws is that the premeditated murder of a master or slave is a death sentence. When her first potential murderer (the suspected son of the Harpy) is captured, she decides that he would get a fair trial, but then he’s killed.
Things get a little muddy with how Dany deals with the former slave who murders the suspected son of the Harpy. The former slave doesn’t appear to get a formal trial, but that could be explained by the fact that the slave is caught red-handed. He even admits to Daenerys that he killed the man because her hands were tied. That scene was a form of a trial. Not a developed three man trial that is based on generations of tradition, but a rudimentary one as fits the newly developed country she’s begun to rule.
The other legal issue that Hunter brought up which made Daenerys an unfit ruler was the slavery issue from the books. What we have here is a formerly rich merchant who is unwilling to work hard manual labour for the only thing that Dany can currently offer (food and shelter). This working for goods and shelter is actually fairly common in underdeveloped medieval societies, but even if it wasn’t, in this case Daenerys makes it clear the man is not currently her slave—he can leave Meereen at any time. And if he wants to do it as a slave, Xaro is free to buy him.
At this point in the political climate of Meereen, Daenerys cannot sell him, but the man can sell himself. The book and television show both call the practice slavery, but it’s actually closer to what we refer to as indentured servitude (very common in 18th century British colonies). The man would agree to temporarily give up his freedom for a few months of promised food, water, and shelter. The ex-merchant just assumes that the gig will be cushier than his current circumstances. The indentured servitude was an astute political decision meant to aid some of the former slaves until the economy changed enough to offer more support for them.
9. She Understands Dragons are Not Slaves or Weapons
Dragons are not atomic bombs or slaves. The dragons are magical beasts who are tied to Dany through a mother bond, but everyone else is fair game to be eaten or roasted. When Dany realizes Drogon burned a child alive, she locks up two of her dragons, but Drogon has already left on his grand journey to explore the world. Not her fault.
As for why she doesn’t seek advice from the maesters on how to control her dragons. Let’s remember for a second that the Ice and Fire universe lies somewhere between the Iron Age and the Scientific Revolution. Long story short, since all of the maesters are in Westeros, there is no consulting a Maester unless someone magically locates a telephone. And even if they did locate a telephone there is a good chance not even the maesters would possess the knowledge she needs.
By this point dragons have been extinct for generations and the last living dragons were the size of a small dog. A guide on how to train your dog-sized dragon is useless to Dany. I’m afraid Daenerys is going to have to find a means of controlling her dragons on her own through trial and error. And no one can deny she’s doing what she can to protect people while she figures out what to do.
Daenerys has what it takes to be a contender for the Iron Throne. Every event in her life and every choice she has made has moulded her into a very good candidate. If she controls the Sons of the Harpy, gains control of her dragons, continues to find allies, and keeps Tyrion close, she just might outlast and outsmart all of her competitors.
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