Created by George R. R. Martin Title Khal | Gender Male | |
 | ||
First appearance Novel:
A Game of Thrones (1996)
Television:
"Winter Is Coming" (2011) Last appearance Novel;
A Game of Thrones (1996)
Television;
"Valar Morghulis" (2012) Portrayed by Jason Momoa
(Game of Thrones) | ||
Khal Drogo is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.
Contents
Introduced in 1996's A Game of Thrones, Drogo is a khal, a leader of the Dothraki, a tribe of warriors who roam the continent of Essos.
Drogo is portrayed by Jason Momoa in the HBO television adaptation.
Storylines
Drogo is a powerful khal, or warlord, of the Dothraki people, a tribal nation of horse riders in the steppes beyond the Free Cities. He is an accomplished warrior and has never been defeated in battle. In A Game of Thrones, Viserys Targaryen and Illyrio Mopatis marry Daenerys Targaryen to Khal Drogo to get his support and warriors for the invasion of Westeros. He proves a kind, sensitive, and loving husband. After there is a failed attempt on Daenerys's life, he vows to invade Westeros, but is wounded in a subsequent battle. Daenerys unwittingly sacrifices their unborn son to save him with blood magic. While this saves his life, he is left in a catatonic state. Daenerys euthanizes him by smothering him with a pillow. At his funeral pyre, she walks with her dragon eggs into the flames and emerges unscathed with three baby dragons. He is the namesake of her favorite dragon, Drogon.
Khal Drogo is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of Daenerys Targaryen.
Television adaptation
Khal Drogo is played by the American actor Jason Momoa in the television adaption of the series of books. At his audition for the part of Drogo he performed the Ka Mate haka. Momoa related his experience in reading for the role:
When I read that Khal Drogo role, I was blown away. I couldn’t believe it was happening, I had to have that role. I was like, "Nobody is going to take that role from me." […] People say it’s easy [to play the role]—"You’re just sitting there!" But it’s extremely hard to be extremely intimidating, and say everything but not say anything.
Momoa received positive reviews for his portrayal of the character, and contributed his own ideas to his portrayal. For example, in one scene, Drogo cements his position as the lead khal by ripping out the tongue of a dissenter, Mago. The scene was not in the script, but was suggested by Momoa after he made the observation that Drogo, who is said to be a great warrior, had never been shown demonstrating his prowess as a warrior onscreen.
Remarking on the character's early exit:
I was reading it and I was like: "Holy s–t! F–k, I’m dead!" […] It's amazing what [George R. R. Martin] sets up. Here's your lead characters, you're supposed to think about them one way, and you hate them, then you love them, and then they're killed and it's a whirlwind of emotion. All the little kids and even the smallest of characters just grow and grow and grow. He built a beautiful world. I'm bummed I'm not going back. To play Khal Drogo was phenomenal and I wished there was more stuff he could have done, I'm going to miss that character.