Battle of King's Landing


 * This article is about Daenerys Targaryen's attack. For other battles taking place at King's Landing, see the Battle of King's Landing (disambiguation).

"We'll rip her out root and stem."

- Daenerys Targaryen, referring to Cersei Lannister

The Battle of King's Landing is a major engagement during Daenerys Targaryen's war for Westeros fought for control over King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and seat of the Iron Throne.

The remaining Unsullied, Dothraki, and Northern-Vale armies from the Great War are positioned outside the gates of King's Landing, facing the Golden Company, but are able to charge through when Daenerys Targaryen, riding Drogon, burns down the city's gates and creates a breach, having previously burnt the Iron Fleet. The Lannister soldiers surrender, ringing the city's bells, but Daenerys instead goes on a rampage with Drogon and begins burning the city and its inhabitants, setting off the wildfire caches beneath it, while the Unsullied, Dothraki, and Northern troops begin to sack the city. The Red Keep begins collapsing, killing Cersei and Jaime Lannister, who previously killed Euron Greyjoy in a duel just outside the Red Keep. Jon Snow orders his forces to pull back while Daenerys and her armies seize control over the remnants of the ruined city.

Prelude
"We have won the Great War. Now we will win the last war."

- Daenerys Targaryen Daenerys Targaryen resumed hostilities with Queen Cersei Lannister after the Great War was won and the White Walkers were destroyed. Daenerys began her campaign to take the Iron Throne that her father, the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, sat upon before being overthrown in Robert's Rebellion by Robert Baratheon, crushing the Targaryen dynasty. After the War of the Five Kings, however, the Baratheon dynasty was also left in crumbles, and Cersei of House Lannister seized the Iron Throne with none left to oppose her after destroying her gathered enemies if the Great Sept of Baelor using leftover wildfire. Cersei had promised to send her armies north to fight alongside the Targaryen, Stark, and Arryn armies but instead held back her forces, restrengthening her position by hiring the Golden Company, which was ferried to Westeros by her prospective consort and ally, Euron Greyjoy, the commander of the Iron Fleet.

After the Battle of Ice and Fire, Daenerys and her forces sailed for Dragonstone but were ambushed by Euron and the Iron Fleet, using Qyburn's anti-dragon scorpions to kill one of her last dragons, Rhaegal and smash her fleet. The ironborn also took Missandei captive and delivered her to Cersei in King's Landing. Daenerys, Tyrion Lannister, and Grey Worm parleyed with Cersei outside the gates of King's Landing, but Cersei ultimately refused to surrender to Daenerys and ordered Ser Gregor Clegane to behead Missandei before them. Daenerys angrily walks away with her forces.

For coming to the aid of the North in the Great War, Jon Snow agrees to help Daenerys in her resumed campaign. He marches south on the Kingsroad with what remains of the Dothraki and the armies of the North and the Vale straight towards King's Landing. Under a new prince, Dorne has also declared for Daenerys Targaryen, but they do not send their forces to King's Landing. Daenerys also restored House Baratheon by legitimizing Gendry, a bastard son of Robert Baratheon, but he is unable to rally the Stormlands in time to participate in the battle. The Riverlands and the Reach also do not participate in the battle.

Tyrion reveals to Daenerys that Varys has betrayed her, and as a result, Daenerys has him burnt alive by Drogon on the beaches of Dragonstone in front of Tyrion and Jon. Tyrion later convinces Daenerys to not attack the city if the bells are rung, signaling surrender. He frees his brother Jaime, who was captured by the Targaryen forces while trying to cross their lines, telling him to convince their sister to surrender and escape to Pentos using a boat provided by Ser Davos Seaworth. Meanwhile, in King's Landing, Cersei rounds up as many smallfolk as she can to create a human shield against Daenerys, closing the gates to the Red Keep as it becomes filled up. Sandor Clegane and Arya Stark, having ridden south from Winterfell in hopes of killing Gregor and Cersei, make it through, but Jaime is unable to make it through and takes an alternate path to the Red Keep.

The battle
"Dracarys!"

- Missandei's last words Sailing from Dragonstone and marching from the Kingsroad, Jon Snow, Ser Davos Seaworth, and Lord Tyrion Lannister consolidate the Unsullied, Dothraki, and Northern-Vale forces outside the gates of King's Landing. Captain Harry Strickland leads the Golden Company outside the city walls to face off the combined Targaryen, Stark, and Arryn forces.

In Blackwater Bay, Daenerys Targaryen ambushes the Iron Fleet on Drogon who were still busy in preparation. The sun rays reflected from the clouds make it difficult for them to focus while targeting upwards. In addition, Drogon flying low also makes it difficult for them to target him. In the ensuing attack, the Iron Fleet is all but wiped out; the ironborn fire their scorpions, but the mighty dragon is far too fast for them. Euron manages to jump into the sea before his ship is destroyed.

While the Northern forces have a standoff with the Golden Company outside the city walls, Daenerys directs Drogon to the front gates, destroying them in a fiery blast that scatters the Golden Company and creates a breach that allows the Targaryen, Stark, and Arryn forces to charge through. Harry Strickland recovers, but is then killed by Grey Worm as he tries to retreat into the city. Meanwhile, Daenerys attacks the Golden Company directly, decimating their retreating forces as they try to flee.

Meanwhile, the Targaryen, Stark, and Arryn forces continue to slaughter the Lannister soldiers in their way while Daenerys and Drogon strafe the city walls, destroying the scorpions. Watching from the Red Keep, Cersei is in complete denial of her dire situation. In contrast, the Lannister soldiers realize the war is lost and surrender, ringing the city bells.

Daenerys stares at the Red Keep, knowing that her hated enemy who killed her child and close friend still holds it; in a terrifying turn of events, she becomes enraged and unleashes Drogon on a destructive rampage across the city, destroying countless buildings and killing thousands of smallfolk and surrendered Lannister soldiers as a horrified Tyrion watches on from beyond the city's burnt walls. Grey Worm hurls a spear at one of the Lannister soldiers, triggering the northern soldiers to sack the city, ignoring Jon Snow's orders to hold back. In the ensuing chaos, Jon and Davos are separated.

Across King's Landing, the wildfire caches placed beneath the city by the Mad King, begin to explode, triggered by the dragonfire, while buildings crumble, crushing those in their path. Seeing how dangerous the city has become, Jon orders the Northern and Arryn forces to retreat from the city.

Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane infiltrate the Red Keep, but Sandor convinces Arya to run, warning her that if she goes further down her path for murder and vengeance, she'll end up like him. Arya rushes out of the Red Keep, trying to save fleeing peasants, while Sandor confronts Cersei, Qyburn, and her Queensguard, among them his brother, Ser Gregor Clegane. Sandor's taunting of Gregor breaks Cersei and Qyburn's hold over him; the Mountain smashes Qyburn's skull while Cersei flees. Sandor kills the remaining Queensguard that survived from the falling stones and duels his brother, knocking off his armor and revealing his undead appearance. The Mountain is able to survive the Hound's attacks and pushes him against a wall, attempting to crush his eyes, but the Hound repels him and tackles him through a wall, and the two brothers fall hundreds of feet to their deaths into the flames below.

Ser Jaime Lannister goes around the Red Keep, but is confronted by Euron Greyjoy, and the two engage in a brutal melee; Euron stabs Jaime multiple times, but Jaime ultimately overpowers Euron and runs him through with his sword, killing him. Jaime then rushes to his sister, finding her in the Red Keep and comforting her. They rush down to the crypts beneath the Red Keep where the dragon skulls are kept, but their exit to the boat is blocked off by debris. Cersei pleads with her brother to save her and their child, but Jaime embraces her as they are crushed to death by the collapsing debris.

A stirring Arya Stark wakes up in rubble, covered in dust, blood, and debris, and having been unable to save anyone despite her attempts. She finds a horse and rides off from the ruined city.

Aftermath
Daenerys Targaryen seizes control over what little remains of King's Landing, which has been thoroughly burnt and turned into ashes from dragonfire and wildfire. The Unsullied stand guard by her while the Dothraki cheer her on. Jon Snow, Davos Seaworth, and Tyrion Lannister walk through the ruined city covered in ashes, seeing the Red Keep somewhat crumbled and parts of it burning but still largely in tact.