Advisors on Game of Thrones Daenerys Targaryen’s advisors were often more interesting than the people they advised. Many of them were devious and had their own personal ambitions, while others had their ruler or lord’s best intentions at heart. In her quest to reclaim the Targaryen name as ruler of Westeros, Daenerys Targaryen had various advisors who either helped her achieve her goal or tried to hold her back.

Daenerys became increasingly flawed over the show’s eight seasons, requiring some tough advice that she had to swallow. Her best advisors—Jorah Mormont, Barristan Selmy, and Daario Naharis—were the ones who played to her ego while bringing her down to earth. Her less competent advisors, like Tyrion Lannister and Hizdahr zo Loraq, gave her good advice from time to time, but ultimately didn’t fit the type of leader Daenerys wanted to be.

8 Hizdahr zo Loraq was a temporary solution to Daenerys’ problem in Meereen

Hizdahar zo Loraq had his own agenda

Hizdahr zo Loraq was actively trying to integrate Daenerys into Meereen society. Daenerys was initially opposed to the idea of ​​Hizdahr being part of her council, as he was a slave trader. But he was one of the few nobles in Meereen who would accept her as queen, and she needed someone who knew the city well.

Hizdahr and Daenerys constantly argued about restoring traditions to Meereen. As horrible as the fighting arenas were, Hizdahr defended them because they were part of Meereen’s culture. His resistance to Daenerys’ eradication of the pits foreshadowed his future in Westeros. Daenerys had to learn to adapt and accept that not everyone would automatically kneel before her. In the long run, however, Hizdahr would have been invaluable to her as a man skeptical of change.

7 Varys never really believed in Daenerys

Varys was never the support Daenerys needed

Varys never let it be forgotten that he worked for the people of Westeros, and not for its noble lords and ladies. This commonality with Daenerys should have made them a perfect couple. Unfortunately, Varys had a deceptive side that ended up making him an enemy of Daenerys.

Varys was a good advisor when he first began serving under Daenerys, but she didn’t like how much Varys defied her. He was more or less trying to stop Tyrion from making bad choices in Meereen. When they arrived in Westeros, Varys was the first to notice that Daenerys was falling into a bad state. But instead of confronting Daenerys like he promised, he betrayed her. Maybe if he hadn’t been so incompetent, he could have helped Daenerys become the leader he wanted her to be.

6 Tyrion Lannister wasn’t ready to become an advisor

Tyrion was struggling with his own demons

Tyrion’s failure to guide Daenerys in the right direction can easily be blamed for the decline in writing quality in later seasons. But in the story, Tyrion was clearly not fit to be an advisor when he met Daenerys. Having just killed his father and escaped execution, Tyrion spent most of his time drunk and without a care in the world. Daenerys made him Hand of the Queen only because she had no one else.

Tyrion certainly had his good and bad moments advising Daenerys. Two of Tyrion’s worst moments were giving the Masters of Slaver’s Bay seven years to abolish slavery and trusting Cersei when she posed Daenerys’ greatest threat. However, Tyrion was the realist Daenerys needed when she escaped into her own fantasy. The best advice Tyrion ever gave was actually the one Daenerys hated the most: stay in Essos and forget about the Iron Throne.

5 Missandei was loyal but didn’t give much advice

Missandei was most effective as Daenerys’ confidante

If this were a list of Daenerys’ most loyal allies, Missandei would be at the top of the list. Even Jorah betrayed Daenerys early on, but Missandei served her queen from the moment they first met until her death in Game of Thrones Season 8. Despite her loyalty, Missandei was hardly an advisor.

Missandei served as a translator and friend whom Daenerys trusted enough to confide in. As the only other woman in Daenerys’ inner circle, Missandei gave Daenerys the emotional support she lacked as a child. As a young woman with no experience in politics, she never felt able to give advice. The only time she did was when Daenerys asked her if she should reopen the fighting pits in Meereen, to which Missandei adamantly replied that Daenerys should listen to her heart.

4 Grey Worm was tasked with making combat decisions

The Grey Worm thrived in battle, but never challenged Daenerys

Grey Worm’s role was similar to Missandei’s in that he wasn’t involved in politics, but he had his own role to play. Grey Worm rose from elected commander of the Unsullied to Daenerys’s warmaster during her short-lived reign in Westeros. During this time, Grey Worm worked with his allies to win battles without first resorting to vicious violence, as Daenerys desired.

Grey Worm showed his true strengths as an advisor when Daenerys was kidnapped by the Dothraki in Season 6, and had to protect the city with Tyrion and Missandei. Grey Worm’s outspoken objections to Tyrion’s loose proposals on slavery showed his commitment to Daenerys’ ideals. The only reason Grey Worm isn’t a better advisor is because he’s always agreed with Daenerys, even when she needed to be humiliated.

3 Daario Naharis helped Daenerys see different perspectives

Daario Naharis knew the life of a slave very well.

Daario Naharis was no political genius, but his Essosi background proved useful to Daenerys. Growing up as a young slave trained to become a pit fighter gave him perspective on the lives Daenerys wanted to save. He was more to her than a warm bed and a skilled killer.

One of the best pieces of advice Daario gives Daenerys is actually one of the first after the city of Essosi is rebuilt. As he attempts to seduce her with a bouquet of flowers, he tells her that she must know the fauna, flora, and ways of life of a city in order to conquer its inhabitants. Later, she trusts him enough to negotiate with the Yunkish and rule Meereen in his absence.

2 Barristan Selmy had experience with Westeros politics

Barristan Selmy was a former member of the Royal Guard

Barristan Selmy was one of Daenerys’ first advisors after she was forced to leave Joffrey Baratheon’s Kingsguard. Although Jorah did well as Daenerys’ sole advisor, Barristan’s military expertise and knowledge of the current situation in Westeros made his advice invaluable. He fought in two major battles, was Lord Commander of the Kingsguard for 16 years, and sat on the minor councils of other kings.

Barristan’s only flaw as an advisor was that his advice was limited. Barristan was perfect for preparing Daenerys for Westeros, but lacked the tools to help her with Essosi politics. His expertise lay in protecting Meereen from the Sons of the Harpy with a keen military instinct.

1 Jorah Mormont was a worldly, just and fair man

Jorah Mormont has known Daenerys the longest and has been her greatest advisor

Daenerys and Jorah Mormont had a rocky start, with the latter spying on her for Robert Baratheon. But once he saw her potential as a queen, he devoted himself to her. Jorah has lived a thousand lives across the world, which came in handy as Daenerys traveled through Essos. He handled her naivety with realism and helped her adapt to cultures she was unfamiliar with.

Jorah’s success as an advisor comes primarily from watching Daenerys grow from a young girl to a woman. His understanding of her flaws and strengths formulated the kind of advice she needed and wanted to hear. He wasn’t an expert in any particular field, but he had enough skills in all the areas Daenerys needed to thrive in politics, warfare, economics, culture, and diplomacy.

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