Emilia Clarke Pinpoints The Moment of Daenerys’ Heel Turn in Game of Thrones

Daenerys Targaryen’s final turn to the Dark Side was one of the controversial elements of Game of Thrones‘ last season, and Emilia Clarke has pinpointed when it happened. The Sun reports that a new behind-the-scenes featurette titled “When Winter Falls” featured Clarke discussing Daenerys’ mindset during the Battle of Winterfell that took place in the final season’s third episode, “The Long Night,” and noted that this was when she reached the point of no return.

“In the actual battle itself, Dany’s impatient to get in there,” Clarke said of the Battle of Winterfell, where she was initially waiting back with Jon and her dragons. “She’s like, gunning for a fight. She’s ready to take this guy down. She’s a fierce warrior, although you don’t see a lot of hand-to-hand combat with her, she’s ready to fight to the death.”

She added that this mindset led to her choices in episode five, saying, “Especially at this point, there’s a lot of anger – she’s got all of that in her to put into this fight. It’s not just the matter at hand, but I think because of everything at an emotional level that’s gone on, she’s able to go into her cold-blooded side.”

Between the start of the Battle of Winterfell and seige on King’s Landing, Daenerys suffered a few key losses as well including Jorah Mormont at the end of the Winterfell fight, Missandei who was executed in front of her by Cersei, and a perceived betrayal from Varys who pushed for Jon Snow’s ascendancy. In the end, when King’s Landing was sieged, the city ultimately surrendered but Daenerys chose to burn the city anyway, which set the stage for her demise in the finale at Jon Snow’s hands.

Discussing her time on the show, Clarke said, “What I realised the other day is the show has given me more than just a job, it’s literally given me a family, it’s given me an identity that I didn’t have. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to play someone like this and so she’s been such a saviour for me in so many ways.”