What Do Missandei’s Last Words of Dracarys Mean in Game of Thrones?

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Spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8, episode 4.

Uuuuuugh. With one, last, tremulous "Dracarys," we lost another friend and ally to Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones—Missandei, the beautiful, loyal translator and girlfriend to Grey Worm. We can almost see the Mad Queen Dany forming before our eyes—and in this context, Missandei's final words takes on a particularly important meaning that (I think) foreshadows Dany's fate.

So why is that word so important? Well, for those who have been following GoT from day one, Dracarys technically means "Dragonfire" in High Valyrian, but it's really the command that Dany speaks when she wants her dragons to breathe fire. What was once a really bad*ss, oh-sh*t, someone's about to die moment has now evolved into oh-sh*t, I really think Dany might be losing it because she's starting to burn people now.

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And then there's the fact that she lost another dragon, Rhaegal, tonight. (Break my heart in two, why don't you?) So Dany is murderously angry, for context.

Then poor, doomed Missandei comes in with one final message to her Queen—the Queen that she has served faithfully and tirelessly for seasons upon seasons. "Dracarys." Just like the Mad King's "Burn them all," Missandei's spurring Dany on to kill all her enemies and avenge her death. And it looks like Dany's absolutely going to take Missandei's advice and try to kill everyone.

It's not looking good for the Dragon Queen. And I had no idea Missandei would die when writing that post, but the point is even more true now: Dany's lost most of her friends and allies, and she's on the warpath to destruction. And she's lost the kindest person she's probably ever known.

Goodbye Missandei, true friend and confidante to Dany, and one of the most faithful friends she had left.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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