What Did Missandei Mean When She Said Dracarys on 'Game of Thrones'?

With one, last, tremulous "Dracarys," we lost another friend and ally to Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones—Missandei, the beautiful, loyal translator. We can almost see the Mad Queen 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.

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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.

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 J. Igoe
Contributor

Katherine’s a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle—from “Clueless” to Everlane to news about Lizzo. She’s been a freelancer for 11 years and has had roles with Cosmopolitan and Bustle, with bylines in Parents, Seventeen, and elsewhere. It’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.