The VIPeen Of Westeros: How Varys’ Castration Set Off Important Events

Varys is the reason Daenerys is gearing up to fight for the Iron Throne because of one major event in his life: his castration.

We’ve seen Varys speak of the day he became a eunuch only once in the series. It happened in Game of Thrones Season 3 episode 4, while Varys was opening a freight box in front of Tyrion. Varys told the story of his master selling him to a man as a young boy. He thought the man wanted to rape him, but it turns out what he had planned was even worse.

The man who bought Varys was a Sorcerer. The Sorcerer gave Varys a paralysis poison that made him unable to move, but he was still aware of everything that was going on around him. The poison didn’t numb his senses, so he felt everything that happened next. The Sorcerer cut Varys from “root to stem” as he puts it, leaving him a eunuch. The Sorcerer tossed Varys’ penis into the flames and a “voice” called out from the fire.

Varys never said what the voice said, only that it frightened him deeply.

It’s an easy scene to forget as the show goes on. Since the Varys-Tyrion scene, there have been many deaths, battles, betrayals and shifts in power. You would think it’s just a piece of Varys backstory and nothing more. But Game of Thrones Season 6 proved this event is important to the story.

While in Meeren, Varys and Tyrion receive a visit from a Red Priestess named Kinvara. Tyrion asks her to spread word about Daenerys Targaryen to gain loyalty to the Queen. Kinvara reveals she’s already working on it, because she believes Daenerys is the one who was promised. Of course, Varys can’t help himself and makes a snarky comment. Kinvara then plays her hand.

Kinvara cuts off Varys and starts recounting details of what happened to him as a boy. She knows about the Sorcerer, the ceremony he performed and what Varys heard in the flames. Kinvara also knows WHO spoke in the flames. She believes it's the Red God who sent him a message.

Varys’ motivations for the things he does have always been “for the good of the realm.” But why? Why does Varys want to see the Targaryens back on the Iron Throne? After all, the last Targaryen he worked with went mad. Well, there’s one YouTuber who might’ve hit the nail on the head.

YouTuber SmokeScreen breaks down the contextual clues to piece together an interesting theory. He believes Varys heard one thing, and one thing only in the flames: the name Daenerys Targaryen. Varys was obviously a child and Daenerys wasn’t even born yet. He had no way of knowing the context of that name, which likely made him curious. Soon after, he became a eunuch, Varys met Illyrio Mopatis and thus began his journey to become the master of whispers.

As a kid, Varys stole from wealthy lords. These lords would go to Illyrio to help them recover their items, which he knew Varys had stolen in the first place. Soon, all the lords knew to go to Illyrio to recover their goods for a price, of course. Varys helped Illyrio build his wealth, while Illyrio helped Varys grow a network of little birds. Varys would train other orphans on how to sneak around without getting caught. He taught this kids how to read and would help them survive.

The reading part became important here. Once Varys learned information was more valuable than gold, his curiosity for the Targaryens began to grow. The Targaryens were in power when Varys was a kid, so he probably would’ve searched information on the name he may’ve heard in the flames: Daenerys. Again, just a theory, but a pretty good one.

What if Varys manipulating his way into the good graces of the Mad King set off a chain of events? If he believed Daenerys was important to “the good of the realm,” then he would want to do everything he could to save make sure nothing happens to her.

Therefore, Varys’ castration may’ve been the first event to set the rest of the Game of Thrones story in motion. Had Varys never been cut, he likely wouldn’t have had his thirst for knowledge. He would’ve been a great thief, but unlikely to want anything to do with the politics of the Iron Throne. Whatever Varys heard in the flame changed his life.

What do you think Varys heard in the flames? He’s hiding something, but what? Let us know in the comments below. Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, July 16 on HBO.