When a young Daenerys gets gifted to Khal Drogo, she gets maids to help her learn the Dothraki culture. Irri became her teacher as she showed her how to ride a horse in the Dothraki style while Jhiqui tutored her in the Dothraki language. Later, the maid follows Daenerys through the Red Waste up to Quarth, Astapor, and finally, Meereen. Irri continued serving as her handmaiden and even became sexually affiliated with Daenerys.
Irri Personal Details
- Name: Irri.
- Culture: Dothraki.
- Religion: Horse God.
- Year of Birth: 283 or 284 AC in the Dothraki Sea.
- Allegiances: Khal Drogo’s Khalasar, House Targaryen.
Appearance and Personality
Irri has the look of a young Dothraki woman. She is slim-framed, has skin the color of copper, almond-shaped eyes, and long black hair. She and Daenerys are of the same age, but she acts more mature than her fellow handmaiden.
Biography
Irri was born as the daughter of a Khal in the Dothraki Sea. When her father’s Khalasar got destroyed by Khal Drogo, she became a Dothraki slave to the mighty Drogo. Later, when Vierys Targaryen gifted his sister, Dany, to Drogo, Irri got chosen to teach the young Khaleesi Dothraki culture as she was the same age as her.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Game of Thrones
When Viserys Targaryen allows Magister Illyrio Mopatis to give his sister to Khal Drogo, he begins planning how to invade Westeros with Khal’s army. On the wedding night, Daenerys receives many gifts from people, and her brother, Viserys, gives her three handmaidens, Doreah, an expert in sexual arts; Jhiqui, an expert in Dothraki tongue and Irri, an expert in Dothraki culture.
With Irri assisting Daenerys in getting up to pace with her new culture, Viserys grows increasingly furious with the lifestyle of the Dothraki. Though the Westerosi knight, Jorah Mormont, stops him from committing foolish acts, he eventually dooms himself by pulling out a blade in Vaes Dothrak, the sacred home of the Dothraki; this leads to his death.
When Daenerys escapes an assassination attempt, he husband promises their unborn child the Iron throne. To fulfill his promise, he begins raiding and taking slaves from other Khalasars. When he fights Khla Ogo, a rival, he incurs an injury, leading to his death. When the Khalasar of Drogo learns of his death, they abandon Daenerys. However, Irri maintains her loyalty to her Khaleesi and remains with her.
A Clash of Kings
With a red comet shooting across the sky, Daenerys decides to take her little khalasar across the Red Waste to prevent other rivals from attacking. She and her people get to an abandoned city in the Red Waste, and Daenerys calls it Vaes Tolorro, meaning the city of bones.
Though Jhiqui tries to dissuade Dany from staying in the Tolorro, she rejects their suggestions and sends scouts to check for neighboring states. One of the scouts, Jhogo, returns bearing news of Quarth. He returns with three new companions, Pyat Pree, Quaithe, and Xaro Xhoan Daxos. Irri then accompanies her Khaleesi.
A Storm of Swords
After her encounter at the House of the Undying, Daenerys decides to leave Quarth. Magister Illyrio Mopatis sends some ships to bring her back, but along the way, she decides to travel to Astapor, on Jorah Mormont’s advice, to get herself an army. Irri, who accompanies her, falls sick as she has never traveled on a ship before. Daenerys begins feeling lonely and craves her husband, Khal Drogo; this makes her turn to her handmaiden, who becomes her paramour. However, Daenerys feels guilty for making her handmaiden pleasure her.
On getting to Astapor, Daenerys meets the owner of the Unsullied and gets him to sell his soldiers for her dragons. After the deal, Irri and Jhiqui free the dragons, and they burn the slavers. Daenerys then orders her army to sack Astapor, and slavery gets abolished in the city.
A Dance with Dragons
With Daenerys queen of Meereen, Irri develops a crush for Rakharo, one of their Khaleesi’s bloodriders. Meanwhile, Hizdahr zo Loraq convinces Dany to reopen the fighting pits of Meereen, and she does. As the noise gets loud, Daenerys’s dragon, who had escaped capture, Drogon, appears and causes mayhem. To prevent further carnage, Daenerys gets on him and flies away. Dany’s handmaidens accompany one of the search parties sent out to find Dany.
Appearance in Adaptations
In HBO’s hit tv series, Game of Thrones, Irri got portrayed by Amrita Acharia. She appeared in seasons 1 and 2 and starred in 13 episodes. She, Irri, and Doreah got given as wedding gifts to Daenerys. After Khal Drogo died, Daenerys traveled to Qarth under the hospitality of Xaro.
While in the city, the merchant sends her a lovely dress, and Doreah admires the gift stating that Xaro’s dress makes Daenerys look like a princess. Irri, jealous of Daenerys’s fondness for Doreah, says she is the Khaleesi, not a princess. During the special dinner organized by Xaro, Daenerys discovers that some members of her Khalasar got killed. She then runs to her chamber and discovers that Irri got strangled. Dany killed Doreah when she learned she was responsible for her beloved handmaiden’s death.
Irri: The Loyal Handmaid
Though she was once the daughter of a Khal and her father got killed by Khal Drogo, Irri remained loyal to Daenerys through thick and thin. She had every right to harm the young queen in revenge, but her decision of loyalty showed just how good of a person she was. Even as a minor character, Irri influenced Daenerys’s life. She became her close confidante and helped her through the toughest of times; this makes her one of the most good-hearted people in A Song of Ice and Fire.
FAQs
Did Irri love Daenerys?
She cared for Daenerys like a sister and even had sexual relations with her. Though she loved her Khaleesi, it is unsure whether the love was sexual. Later, she and Jhiqui jointly liked Rakkaro, Daenerys’s bloodrider.
What happened to Irri in Game of Thrones?
When Daenerys and her entourage arrive in Qarth, the Khaleesi becomes Xaro’s guest. The merchant invites Dany to a feast, and Daenerys discovers Xaro’s plot. She realizes that Irri got killed and later avenges her.
Does Irri die in the books?
No, she does not. Irri survives in the books. She travels with Daenerys to Meereen, and when Dany rides off on Drogon, she joins a search party and leaves the city to look for her Khaleesi.
Who is Irri?
Irri is a Dothraki slave girl who was the daughter of a Khal before her father’s Khalasar got destroyed by Khal Drogo. She got given to Danerys as a wedding gift.
