From submissive warrior-eunuch slave to the master of war for the exiled queen of Westeros, Grey Worm, a man named after vermin, has been through quite a journey. Even before Daenerys Targaryen made her introduction, and certainly after. While fans don’t know much about the traumas Grey Worm experienced before his time with Daenerys, what they do know is that he was taken by the slave master of Astapor and turned into one of the most intelligent and fierce warriors among an army of fierce and intelligent warriors.
Grey Worm, captain of the unfeeling Unsullied, has suffered greatly for most of his life, and while Daenerys managed to set him free, freedom often brings a whole new kind of pain. Let’s dive into his journey throughout the Game Of Thrones and see what exactly we can piece together about the leader of the Unsullied and master of war to the fierce queen Daenerys, Grey Worm.
‘Grey Worm’ Gives This One Pride
As audiences are introduced to Grey Worm, not much is known about the mysterious, sullen, and often silent warrior who the Unsullied chose to be their commander. However, what little audiences do know is that he is an optimistic person and talented warrior. While Daenerys find his name and the practices behind it to be rather ghastly, Grey Worm chooses to keep the name given to him by the masters as it is a lucky name, the name he carried when he was freed from his chains by Daenerys Targaryen, the breaker of chains.
Throughout the third season, Grey Worm often struggles to speak up and make his voice heard unless asked, still reconciling the slave he was with the position of power he finds himself in after Daenerys frees him of his chains.
A Single Day Of Freedom Is Worth More Than A Lifetime In Chains
Having been freed from his chains Grey Worm, along with the rest of the Unsullied, continues to follow Daenerys on her path to breaking all the remaining chains in Slaver’s Bay. As Daenerys’ party reaches Yunkai, Grey Worm has been reconditioning his mind and leaving behind the rules of the masters.
Where he once remained silent unless asked a question, Grey Worm begins speaking up, sharing his thoughts, and volunteering to display his loyalty to Daenerys. While Daenerys has become the Breaker of Chains, she is not the only one who has found a new purpose in a just cause. It is Grey Worm who later inspires the slaves of Yunkai, his brothers and sisters in chains, to take up arms against the masters that have chained them down. He fights this fight not only for his queen but for himself, and for those still left in chains.
The Price Of True Freedom
As his relationship with Missandei grows, so do tensions in Meereen. With the constant threat of the Sons of the Harpy looming, there has never been a more dangerous time to be a free man fighting for Daenerys. As Grey Worm patrols the streets of Meereen, he and the Unsullied with him are led into a trap and overpowered by many members of the Sons of the Harpies. After killing the last remaining member of the Sons of the Harpy and collapsing near the dead Ser Barristan, Grey Worm awakens to Missandei. He tells her how guilty he feels for not being able to save Ser Barristan, and for failing Daenerys.
But mostly, what he feels guilty about is feeling fear when he thought he might die, something the Unsullied had trained and beaten out of them long before they join the ranks. However, it was not fear of death that took over the once unfeeling soldier, it was the fear of never seeing Missandei again. While his chains had been broken a long time ago, this is perhaps the moment where Grey is truly set free. In mind, body, and heart.
The Finer Points Of Freedom
With Daenerys still missing after the latest of the Sons of the Harpy’s attack, Grey Worm and Missandei are left to work with Tyrion in or to defend Meereen. While Tyrion begins trying to teach Grey Worm and Missandei the finer points of laughing, drinking (games), as well as diplomacy, his efforts go largely to waste. Especially when it comes to brokering a truce with the old masters of Slaver’s Bay. Having failed to broker peace, Tyrion admits that he has failed and leaves the cities defense to Grey Worm.
While Grey Worm and Missandei had publicly supported Tyrion, in private they had made it resoundingly clear to Tyrion that these efforts would be futile as the masters look upon them (Grey Worm, Missandei, and those like them) only as property. With Daenerys’ return, the masters are quickly defeated and as her armada sets sail to Westeros, Grey Worm can be seen commanding of one of her ships.
You Are My Weakness
As he enters a new land and prepares for a new war, Grey Worm has come very far. Not only in the distance he’s traveled from Essos, but from the unfeeling soldier he once was. Before leaving to storm the gates of Casterly Rock, Grey Worm struggles to say goodbye to Missandei. He struggles to vocalize how he feels. So he tells her the story of how all of the Unsullied have their fears removed from them.
While some boys fear dogs, heights, or the ocean, Grey Worm has never known fear. He has always been the bravest of the Unsullied. However, that all changed when he met Missandei from the Isle of Naath. While the masters have taught Grey Worm and Missandei that their bodies are only to be used in service of their masters, this is perhaps the first time the pair use their bodies for themselves. When they do, they choose to use them to express love.
The Loss Of Love, But Not Purpose
As the final season begins, Grey Worm and Missandei, despite the many reasons not to be, are filled with hope for their future. While everyone else is focused on the wars to come, Grey Worm and Missandei begin planning for what happens next. Missandei explains to Grey Worm how she misses her home and would love to see the beaches again. While her people are a peaceful people, unable to protect themselves, Grey Worm reminds her that his people are not peaceful.
He, along with the Unsullied, will protect her and her people. However, after Missandei is captured and beheaded on Cersei’s orders, Grey Worm has reached a point where he has nothing left to lose. Or so he thinks. With Jon’s betrayal of Daenerys, the Breaker of Chains, Grey Worm and his people are left in a foreign land with foreign rules. With his love and queen both taken from him in a very short period of time, Grey Worm decides to fulfill his promise to Missandei. While he was unable to protect Missandei, Grey Worm and his people will go on to fight for her people. Just as he said they would.
