The final episode of Game of Thrones left fans with a plethora of unanswered questions, one of the most debated being why Drogon didn't kill Jon Snow after the latter took Daenerys Targaryen's life.By the finale of the series, Drogon was Daenerys' only remaining dragon, and it was atop Drogon that she won the Iron Throne and completed her arc as the Mad Queen, burning much of King's Landing and its people to the ground.
It was because of this crime that Jon made the difficult decision to forgo his honor and kill his queen and lover in order to spare the kingdom from a murderous ruler.
As Daenerys lost allies as her time in Westeros went on, Drogon was her most loyal companion. It was shown many times that the largest of Daenerys' dragons would come to her aid and always follow her commands to kill her enemies.
However, upon flying to the throne room and finding his "mother" dead, Drogon ignores Jon and instead melts the Iron Throne with his dragonfire before picking up Daenerys' body and flying away. It is a surprising reaction from the vicious beast which has led to a number of theories about why Drogon doesn't kill Jon.
Theory: Drogon Understood Jon's Actions
One of the most interesting theories about why Drogon spared Daenerys' life was because he understood that Daenerys had become the Mad Queen.
Throughout the series, Drogon had been by Daenerys' side as she built her reputation as a conqueror, even playing a big role in achieving many of her victories. He was an instrument of destruction and a weapon to be used against her enemies, but that doesn't mean that he liked it.
Drogon obeyed Daenerys' commands, but it is possible he understood that she was changing in her view of who her enemies really were.
He helped her burn King's Landing, but Drogon might have known it was wrong and was doing it simply out of loyalty to his mother. It is clear that Drogon loved Daenerys, as seen by his anguish over her death, but it is also possible that he understood why Jon felt it was necessary to kill her to stop her from going further down this dark path.
Theory: Drogon Trusted Jon As A Targaryen
House of the Dragon's Dance of the Dragons has proven that nothing is stopping a dragon from killing another Targaryen.
However, there is a sense that these dragons understand where their loyalties are meant to lie and don't attack their kin without being commanded or provoked. This could possibly be another reason Jon is spared by Drogon after killing Daenerys. When Drogon meets Jon on Dragonstone, the dragon instantly has a connection to Jon.
It is possible that Drogon simply did not see Jon as a threat and therefore did not even consider that he was the one responsible for killing Daenerys.
Theory: Drogon Didn't Blame Jon
While it is up for debate whether Drogon understood that Jon killed Daenerys, even if he did know, it is possible he simply didn't blame Jon for what happened. Once again, this theory suggests that Drogon had a deep understanding of the journey Daenerys was on and was able to see a change that overtook her.
It is possible that Drogon saw the Iron Throne as the corrupting influence that led to Daenerys' demise which is why he focuses his wrath on it instead of Jon.
The script for the finale of Game of Thrones gives some clues to Drogon's mindset in the final moments. About Drogon, it notes that he "wants to burn the world, but he will not kill Jon." It is perhaps giving the dragon too much credit to suggest that it understands what the Iron Throne is and what it represents, however, in the DVD commentary for "The Iron Throne," showrunner David Benioff says about Drogon's burning of the throne: "If [Dany is] not going to sit on it, no one’s going to sit on it.
”Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have always held the theme that the fight for the Iron Throne is misguided and pointless, driving characters down dark and deadly paths despite the result not being worth it. For Drogon to understand this, while so many human characters did not, feels like a fitting end to that message.
