Daario Naharis

"All rulers are either butchers or meat."

- Daario to Daenerys

Daario Naharis is a major character in the fifth season. He initially appeared as a recurring character in the third and fourth seasons. He is played by starring cast member Michiel Huisman, taking over the role from guest star Ed Skrein, who briefly portrayed the character in Season 3.

Originally a lieutenant in the Second Sons, a sellsword company, he takes over the company after killing his superiors Mero and Prendahl na Ghezn and then aligns with Daenerys Targaryen. Daario serves Daenerys as her advisor and enforcer, he eventually also becomes her lover.

Background
Daario is a Tyroshi sellsword, employed as a lieutenant in the Second Sons. He is apparently held in high enough regard by the company's co-captains, Mero and Prendahl na Ghezn, that they allow him to join them in contract negotiations and discussions of the company's future.

According to Daario, his mother was a prostitute, and he comes from low beginnings. At the age of 12, Daario was sold by his mother to a slave master from Tolos and trained as a pit fighter, he had his first match in the pits when he was 16. Daario rose to fame within the fighting pits granting his master so much money that at the time of his master's death Daario was rewarded with freedom. Daario chose to fight as a sellword for the Second Sons sometime after that.

Besides being fluent in the Common Tongue, Daario is also fluent in High Valyrian considering he is of Tyroshi origin.

Daario has an unusual code for a sellsword: he won't sleep with prostitutes and only kills soldiers who are trying to kill him, not bystanders. He does this because he feels that otherwise there is no sport and it is not exciting. Daario has said that the gods gave men two things to entertain themselves with before they die: the thrill of having sex with a woman who earnestly wants it, and the thrill of killing a man who is trying to kill you first.

Daario is a highly skilled and extremely capable warrior. Being trained a pit fighter since the age of 12 and then fighting as a sellsword after that, mostly all of Daario's life has revolved around fighting. During his years as a pit fighter he learned to fight with several different fighting styles; like a Dothraki screamer, a Norvoshi priest and a Westerosi knight. Daario has over several different occasions proven his skills in combat: when he reveals to Daenerys that he single-handedly managed to kill both of the commanding officers of the Second Sons, when he along Ser Jorah and Grey Worm fight severly outnumbered against several guards in the streets of Yunkai or when he kills the Champion of Meereen in single combat with ease.

Daario's weapons-of-choice are a Dothraki arakh and a Myrish stiletto, both which have gold-plated custom-made hilts in the shape of beautiful, naked women.

Season 3
Daario Naharis joins the captains when they visit Daenerys Targaryen, who hopes to convince them to break their contract with Yunkai and fight for her instead. Daario sees through Daenerys' bluff that she has 10,000 Unsullied, reminding her that she has only 8,000. When the Second Sons depart with Daenerys' offer and a barrel of wine, Daario's gaze lingers on the young queen.

Back at their own camp, Daario, Mero and Prendahl discuss the situation, with Mero and Prendahl deciding to assassinate Daenerys. At Mero's behest, a bedslave hands out random coins – Daario draws the Braavosi coin that indicates he is the one to do the deed. His only response is "valar morghulis" - "all men must die". That night, Daario, wearing the armor of an Unsullied slips into Daenerys' tent and takes Missandei hostage. He then presents the heads of Mero and Prendahl and informs her he has taken command of the Second Sons. Intrigued, Daenerys demands that he swear fealty to her. Daario bends the knee and swears the Second Sons, his sword, his life, and his heart to Daenerys.

Daario later assists in planning the siege of Yunkai, and is selected, along with Ser Jorah Mormont and Grey Worm to infiltrate the city and open the gates from the inside. The plan succeeds brilliantly, and Jorah and Grey Worm return to their queen triumphant. Daenerys expresses concern over Daario's whereabouts, but he appears a moment later, presenting Yunkai's bloodstained flag to her.

Daario is present outside the walls of Yunkai when Daenerys is greeted by the former slaves who have been liberated. He witnesses as the crowd lifts Daenerys up in the air as they shout "Mhysa" to her.

Season 4
Ser Barristan and Missandei reveal that Grey Worm and Daario have been indulging in a bit of gambling; they have been at the contest since midnight and have missed a morning meeting with the queen as a result. Daenerys is very irritated to discover that their contest is a game of who can balance their sword for the longest, the prize being the honor of riding at her side when the march resumes. Daenerys assigns the pair to guard the livestock as punishment for their childish game. When they fail to move, she warns them that the "winner" of the contest must find a new queen, prompting them to drop their weapons instantly. Grey Worm's gaze lingers on Missandei, which Daario takes as a sign that he is interested in her, and points out that this problematic given Grey Worm's eunuch status. Grey Worm tells Daario that he is not a smart man for saying such things, to which Daario replies that he would rather have no brain and two balls. Later on, Daario slips away from his post to discuss "strategy" with Daenerys; he gives her flowers under the guise of a lesson in the botany of Slaver's Bay in which he points out that Daenerys must know the land she is to rule.

At the gate of Meereen, Daario volunteers to fight Meereen's champion in single combat after Daenerys rejects the rest of her inner circle from fighting. Daario declines the use of a horse, noting that they aren't as intelligent as humans. Daario ends the duel with ruthless efficiency, striking down the horse with his stiletto and decapitating the dazed champion with his arakh. After the Meereenese fire a volley of arrows in a symbol of displeasure, Daario urinates on the nearest one in a symbol of defiance.

After Daenerys takes control of Meereen, Daario announces at a council meeting that the Second Sons have captured the 93 ships of the Meereenese Navy on his orders. When asked by Daenerys why the Seconds Sons took the navy without being instructed to, he responds by saying that he heard she liked ships.

Later on, Daario comes to Daenerys' private quarters of the Great Pyramid and brings her flowers. As Dany refuses him, he tells he has only two talents in his life: war and women. Daenerys asks him about his loyalty and Daario swears his sword and life are hers and asks her to let him do what he can the best, so to send him to kill her enemies. Instead, Daenerys focuses on the other thing Daario claims to be good at and orders him to take off his clothes. When he leaves her bedchamber the following morning he runs into Jorah, cheekily telling him that it's a good time to talk to Daenerys, as she is in a very good mood. Daenerys tasks Daario and the Second Sons with retaking Yunkai and killing every Master who has taken control. However, Jorah convinces Daenerys to give the Masters an ultimatum: to accept her abolition of slavery or die. She tells Jorah to "catch Daario before he leaves", and to send Hizdahr zo Loraq with Daario and the Second Sons as her ambassador to Yunkai.

Season 5
Daario along with the Second Sons and Hizdahr zo Loraq returns from their successful mission in Yunkai and is present within in the Great Pyramid when Hizdahr suggests to Daenerys that she should reopen the fighting pits. Daario is later seen in Dany's bed explaining to her that he agrees with Hizdahr's suggestion to reopen the pits. He then goes on to telling her about his life growing up as a boy who became a pit fighter himself and how fighting in the pits made him the warrior he is today. He is the only one who will give her honest council. He also explains that a "dragon queen" is no queen without her dragons, which encourages her to visit Rhaegal and Viserion, who are chained in the catacombs.

Daario leads Grey Worm to a house where the alleged murderer of White Rat is hiding. He tells Grey Worm that his Second Sons overhear things that the Unsullied do not because they blend in with the local population. Daario is also able to deduce where a member of the Sons of the Harpy was hiding because he also understands fear, while the Unsullied do not. Later, he informs the Daenerys' council that the man they arrested has very little useful information since Daario had questioned him earlier. When Mossador murders the Son of the Harpy, Daenerys has Daario behead Mossador in public, causing a riot.

Daario brings Daenerys the news that Hizddahr zo Loraq, as well as many more supplicants are waiting for her. He states that it isn't neccesary for Ser Barristan to be present at Daenerys's side when she talks with Hizdahr, claiming that he is very much capable of protecting Daenerys against Hizdahr himself, which leads to Ser Barristan taking a walk in the streets instead. He is present when Hizdahr yet again tries to convince Daenerys that the fighting pits should be reopened.

Daario and Daenerys wake over the dead body of Ser Barristan. Hizdahr then enters to offer his condolences. Daario suggests to Daenerys that they could pull back to the pyramid district where they can set up a base of operation so that they can efficiently start working on catching the Sons of the Harpy. Daenerys chose to rather go with Daario's other suggestion, which involves apprehending the leaders of all the great families in Meereen and bringing them to her. Hizdahr states in shock of her decision that he is the leader of his family. Daario nods to the guards who then arrests Hizdahr. Daario is present alongside Daenerys in the catacombs when Daenerys threatens Hizdahr and the other apprehended leaders with the use of her dragons, Rhaegal and Viserion. Daario pushes one of the leaders before the dragons and watches as the master is burned alive then eaten. Later, while Daenerys is talking to Missandei she mentions that Daario thinks she should execute all the Great Masters and let the city of Meereen fend for itself. Daenerys chooses not listen to Daario this time and rather chooses to marry Hizdahr so that she can forge a bond with the people of Meereen.

Daario is bed with Daenerys after having sex, asking her if Hizdahr will soon take his place beside her in her bed. Daenerys notes a hint of jealousy in Daario, which she finds amusing and sweet. Daenerys says that her marriage to Hizdahr is purely for political reasons and is not because she loves him, assuring Daario that Hizdahr will not take his place as her lover. Daario asks Daenerys if she wants to marry him instead, even though it appears that Daenerys wants to, she says she can't. Daario goes on to tell her that she is a queen and queens can do what they like. Daenerys doesn't agree with this. Daario asks Daenerys to allow him to give her one more suggestion, which she allows. Daario suggests that on the opening day of the games in the fighting pits, she should apprehend all the Great Masters, Wise Masters and all other masters of note and execute them. Daenerys responds in horror of this suggestion that she is a queen and not a butcher, to which Daario replies that "All rulers are either butchers or meat".

Daario along with Daenerys, Tyrion, Missandei and Hizdahr are in the Great Pit of Daznak observing the first match with is set to take place. The match features two fighters: one large man versus one smaller man. Daario states to Daenerys that she would gamble on the smaller man because Daario thinks that speed defeats size in combat. Daario is refering to himself when he says this because when he was a pit fighter himself he was also small, but this never stopped him from winning the fights, even when he was fighting against men that were much larger than him. Daario goes on explaining why this is so while twirling his dagger around Hizdahr's head, which makes Hizdahr nervous. Hizdahr disagrees with Daario's opinion on this matter, saying that in his experience watching the games in the fighting pits the larger men win over the smaller men almost every time. Daenerys responds to Hizdahr by saying that he may not be the right man to speak considering Hizdahr has never fought himself. The fight eventually end resulting in the larger man winning after all, just as Hizdahr said, which leaves Daario with a sour look on his face because in this case he was wrong.

Daario along with the others are all shocked when Jorah shows up as the second match is about to commence. Daenerys allows Jorah to fight in the match, and even though Jorah is outmatched for most of the fight he does end up winning after all. Just after the match has ended, Jorah throws a spear towards the podium where Daenerys is sitting, Daario makes sure the spear doesn't hit Daenerys by pulling her to the side. The spear that Jorah threw was revealed to be targeted towards a member of the Sons of the Harpy who was sneaking up on Daenerys from the behind. Daario looks in to the audience to realize that the Sons of the Harpies are there. Daario manages to fight off and kill many of the Harpies that were trying to get to Daenerys. Daario witnesses as Hizdahr is stabbed repeatedly in the chest as they are trying to escape from the podium. Daario, Daenerys, Tyrion, Missandei, Jorah and a pack full of Unsullied all run toward the senter of the arena trying to escape, but they find themselves surrounded by a huge amount of Sons of the Harpy. Daario, Jorah and the Unsullied manage to kill several of them before they eventually realize that they are probably doing to die. Just as hope seems to fade away, Drogon appears in the arena scaring off most of the Harpies and killing the rest. Daenerys ends up mounting Drogon on the back and flying out of the arena. Daario, Tyrion, Missandei and Jorah all look up to the sky as Daenerys flies away on Drogon.

Quotes
"I only have two talents in this world: war and women...Send me to kill your enemies. Any enemy, anywhere. Let me do what I do best."

- Daario Naharis

"A Dragon Queen with no dragons, is not a Queen."

- Daario to Daenerys

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Daario Naharis is a Tyroshi sellsword and is one of the three leaders of the mercenary company known as the Stormcrows, who are active in the Slaver's Bay region of Essos.

In the TV series, Daario says that he was the son of a prostitute in Tyrosh, who later sold him into slavery when he was twelve years old, and he was bought by a many in Tolos and trained for combat in the fighting pits, where he did very well and was freed upon his master's death in reward. No information at all has been given about Daario's past in the novels, though that also means that his backstory in the TV series doesn't contradict anything, and it is entirely plausible.

In the books, he is described as having dyed blue long curly hair and a matching dyed blue beard with three prongs, though he dyed his mustachios gold. He also has a gold tooth. His loud physical appearance is typical of Tyroshi sellswords, who have a reputation for being flashy and flamboyant. He wears a Dothraki arakh on his left hip and a Myrish stiletto on his right hip, their golden hilts custom-made in the shape of naked wanton women.

Daario states that he "count[s] no day as lived unless I have loved a woman, slain a foeman, and eaten a fine meal".

As in the series, the Daario of the books is quite taken with Daenerys, and kills Prendahl so he can switch sides. He slays not Mero, but Sallor the Bald, the third captain of the Stormcrows. Mero is killed by Barristan Selmy when he attempts to kill Daenerys while she's hailed by the liberated Yunkish slaves.

In the show, Daario takes the role of Daenerys's champion against the champion of Meereen, instead of Strong Belwas. Also, Daario forms a friendly rivalry with Grey Worm, which is absent in the books.