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Daenerys Targaryen's loyalists describe her, among many things as "the Unburnt." The title is an ode to her fire immunity; she is completely resistant to fire, no matter the intensity. Game of Thrones' canon gradually builds up this aspect of her character through subtle hints from the beginning of season 1.
Daenerys rises like a phoenix from the ashes of Drogo's pyre with three dragon hatchlings and survives the megafire at the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen in Game of Thrones. The show's canon makes it clear that her fire immunity is intrinsic, and not a one-time thing. Not all Targaryens are immune to fire, as seen in the case of Aegon V and Viserys the beggar king. Daenerys' fire immunity strays away from the descriptions laid out in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Game Of Thrones: How Did Daenerys Hatch Dragon Eggs?
Daenerys Targaryen received three dragon eggs as a wedding present in Game of Thrones, but how did she hatch them into living dragons?
Daenerys Targaryen Emerges Unscathed
Daenerys is first seen across the Narrow Sea at Magister Illyrio Mopatis' stronghold, known as Illyrio's manse. Her older, abusive brother, Viserys, calls her "bride-to-be" and tells her to look her best for a suitor is coming to assess her. Unable to move, or say a word of protest, Daenerys calmly steps into a hot bath that's been drawn for her. Her handmaiden exclaims:
It's too hot my lady!
Daenerys isn't scalded by hot water, as anyone in her place would have, but then again, she is no ordinary woman. In another instance, as Khal Drogo's wife in Game of Thrones season 1, episode 6 "A Golden Crown," Daenerys places a petrified dragon egg in a brazier, wondering if it can be hatched. She lifts the egg for a brief moment, Irri snatches it from her hands and drops it hurriedly into the brazier. Daenerys' hands are unharmed, while her handmaiden suffers burns.
You are hurt.
Daenerys slowly begins to comprehend that fire cannot kill a dragon (the Targaryens metaphorically referred to themselves as Dragons), especially after Khal Drogo pours molten gold over Viserys' head. Finally, in Game of Thrones season 1, episode 10 "Fire and Blood," she has Rakharo place her three dragon eggs on Drogo's pyre, beside his corpse and decides to walk into the flames. She tells Ser Jorah:
I must. You don't understand.
Daenerys walks into the inferno and hatches the dragon eggs that have turned stone over centuries into living dragons. Her clothes are gone, but her hair and skin remain undamaged. She is in the same state as before, except soot-faced, and rises in a godforsaken wasteland as "the Mother of Dragons" at the end of season 1. In Game of Thrones season 6, episode 4 "Book of the Stranger," she sets fire to the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen and walks out naked but unharmed and more confident than ever before.
Are All Targaryens Immune To Fire?
Not all Targaryens are fireproof, and the Tragedy at Summerhall in lore, and the beggar king, Viserys, succumbing to extreme molten gold burns in Game of Thrones are proof enough. The Tragedy at Summerhall occurred before Daenerys' birth. It was simultaneous with Daenerys' mother, Princess Rhaella giving birth to Rhaegar, and it marked the end of key members of the House. The tragedy, which took place in the summer castle of House Targaryen, was born out of Aegon V's desire to bring back Dragons to the world and let the realm remember the ancient strength of House Targaryen. It took place during King Aegon V's troublesome reign. He was a patron of the smallfolk but faced opposition from the lords of Westeros and uprisings. He knew that the nobility in Westeros was previously bound to the dragons, and without them, House Targaryen wouldn't hold the same prestige and authority in political dynamics.
Aegon V played with fire in an attempt to hatch petrified dragon eggs in Summerhall in 259 AC. The intense heat of the inferno took him, Prince Duncan, Lord Commander Ser Duncan the Tall, and Maester Corso. The pregnant Princess Rhaella survived and gave birth to the Mad King's son, and heir, Rhaegar Targaryen, as fire raged in Summerhall.
As for Rhaegar and Daenerys' brother, Viserys, he dies back in Game of Thrones season 1 after arriving in Vaes Dothrak and stumbling drunk into Khal Drogo's tent. He demands "the crown" that Khal promised him in exchange for Daenerys. When he threatens his pregnant sister with a sword, Khal Drogo has his Bloodriders restrain him, while he upends molten gold on his head. Viserys falls dead and at that moment, Daenerys remarks:
"He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon."
Daenerys Targaryen's Fire Immunity In Books
Daenerys' fire immunity isn't active in Martin's works like it is on the show. In the source novels, she loses her hair in the process of hatching dragons but does emerge naked and unburnt. She goes bald and has to wait a while before her beautiful silver tresses regrow. Martin himself cleared in a Q&A back in 1999 (per Time):
The birth of Dany's dragons was unique, magical, wonderous, a miracle. She is called The Unburnt because she walked into the flames and lived. But her brother sure as hell wasn't immune to that molten gold.
Daenerys' complete fire-immunity in the HBO show marks a significant departure from A Song of Ice and Fire series. It is obvious that Game of Thrones kept her hair in and after season 1's "Fire and Blood" to enhance her physical attractiveness. Daenerys, a quintessential Targaryen, was known for her strong Valyrian features, mainly her silver hair, and unlike Cersei Lannister, she retained the length of her tresses throughout.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones, based on the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Martin, tells the sprawling story of warring families in Westeros. This includes the Starks, the Lannisters, the Baratheons, and the Targaryens. Along with human conflicts, Westeros is also threatened by the re-emergence of dragons, and an undead enemy from beyond the Wall.
Game Of Thrones: The Relationship Between Starks And Targaryens, Explained
The Stark-Targaryen relationship has its ups and downs in Game of Thrones lore, and here is what makes it fascinating.
