How Daenerys’s Coat Foreshadowed a Certain Event on ‘Game of Thrones’

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for the latest episode of Game of Thrones! Continue reading at your own risk…

The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones this past Sunday was one that served a boatload of action.

But when audiences weren’t biting their nails over the tense battle scene North of the Wall or mourning over the loss of Daenerys’s dragon, Viserion, they were charmed by that scene-stealing coat worn by the “Mother of Dragons.”

In the episode, “Beyond the Wall,” Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) decides to fly north of the wall to save Jon (Kit Harington) and his crew. But when she arrives, she is wearing quite a stunning white fur jacket to brave the cold temperatures.

However, it’s been reported that the (faux) fur jacket wasn’t just some wardrobe wonder. In an interview with InStyle, the HBO show’s costume designer, Michele Clapton reveals there are numerous meanings behind the coat’s cut, color and materials.

Naturally, the color is a smart scheme to go with as it makes Daenerys blend in easily with the snow, making her less of a target for the Olympic-contending, javelin-throwing Night King. But according to Clapton, the texture and materials on the coat were a hint at the evolving relationship with Jon.

“I really wanted there to be a definite shift in her look as she embraces aiding Jon’s team trapped north of the wall,” Clapton told InStyle by email. “I also wanted a sense of great beauty and drama. Dany is elevating her look to that of Warrior Queen, with the beautiful silver Mother of Dragons chain worn across her chest in military style, completing the look.”

With a nod to Jon and his infamous “winter-is-coming” wardrobe, her coat’s shape also reflected some other important players in her life, including a slight foreshadow of events to come.

“I knew the silhouette that I wanted: It had to mirror the Unsullied and also her brother Viserys’s costume,” Clapton said.

If audiences recall, her dragon Viserion is named after Daenerys’s older brother, Viserys, who used his sister as a pawn in order to spark his attempt to retake the Iron Throne. But as she became more confident in her journey to reclaim her family’s throne, Viserys turned on her before dying at the hands of her husband, Khal Drogo. For months, fans have been speculating that Viserion, like Viserys would turn on her.

Emilia Clarke commented on how Viserion was the one to “betray” her character, telling Entertainment Weekly, “Of course it’s the rotten egg, of course you’d turn.”

The season finale of Game of Thrones airs Sunday, Aug. 28 at 9/8 CST.