Everything You Need to Know About the Dothraki People on Game of Thrones

By Justin Sloan
HBO
HBO

While some viewers may have thought the days of Daenerys Targaryen riding with a Dothraki khalasar died with her moon and stars, Khal Drogo, what we saw in episode four of season six shows that not only will Daenerys likely be riding with a khalasar or leading a khalasar, but she will also be leading the largest Dothraki khalasar ever. Her latest actions may have given her the edge she needs to stop the slave trade and return to take back Westeros. To understand this, you need to understand the Dothraki culture and what the fiery ending of the episode means for these people.

What You Need to Know About the Dothraki

  • The khals, or Dothraki warlords, command tribes, known as khalasars, of large numbers — Khal Drogo's was on the larger side, at around 40,000.
  • When someone kills a khal, he takes command of the khalasar.
  • If there is no strong leader after a khal dies, the khalasar breaks up into smaller tribes, led by his captains, or kos.
  • If one khalasar defeats another, they absorb the surviving warriors.
  • No weapons or bloodshed are permitted within Vaes Dothrak, the place Dany goes.
  • Wives of khals are sent to Vaes Dothrak when widowed, and some join the Dosh Khaleen, where they serve as religious leaders and therefore hold a powerful leadership role.
  • Rape and public displays of intercourse are common in Dothraki culture, as are threats of sexual acts, as seen when Daenerys upsets the khals before burning them.
  • Women do not have a history of being khals.

What This Means For Daenerys

  • While there is the rule against bloodshed in Vaes Dothrak, Daenerys technically doesn't use weapons or spill blood — she just burns everyone to death.
  • Given the way she walks out of the burning building alive and unhurt, there's no question about it — she now controls all of the khalasars that belonged to the khals she burned alive. There are five such khals credited in the episode, though there are more men in the room (some may have been uncredited, others could have been kos). We can therefore assume that Daenerys will have somewhere between 150,000 to 200,000 Dothraki followers.
  • Jorah Mormont is back with her, it would seem. This could mean a return to Meereen, and so we might finally get to see Tyrion and Daenerys again.
  • Since Daenerys cares so much about stopping the slave trade, she will likely use her new warriors to help her in this cause.

What This Means For Westeros

  • If Daenerys can figure out how to get the Dothraki across the Narrow Sea to Westeros, we're going to see the last of the Targaryens (depending on which theories you believe) returning home with a massive force. Though, since the ships in Meereen are burned, this could prove to be a challenge.
  • With Daenerys, her dragons, and her Dothraki followers, the Seven Kingdoms might have a chance against the White Walkers — especially since Jon Snow is back and still has his sword, Longclaw.