This article contains spoilers for the series finale of “Game of Thrones.”

The Iron Throne, the literal seat of the Westeros monarchy, is finally gone, melted down in the “Game of Thrones” series finale on Sunday by dragon fire. No longer will it beckon to those who want to play the dangerous game of thrones, even if it corrupts or kills them.

Perhaps it was a good judge of character. Or at least a good judge of cruelty. A monstrosity of a chair, it was made of the twisted steel and jagged ends of swords of vanquished enemies. Historically, when a monarch sat on the throne and it sliced his or her flesh, that monarch was often believed to be unfit to rule.

[Read the recap of the “Game of Thrones” series finale.]

We never saw King Robert sitting on the Iron Throne. Ned did so only once, and seemed to squirm. Joffrey tried the throne a few times, and he seemed to enjoy it. Tommen, on the other hand, looked very ill at ease.

Cersei seemed right at home on the cruel chair. And Dany wanted it enough to kill thousands of innocent people for it (and she still believed in the fairy tale of Aegon’s Conquest and her family’s sordid history right up until the very end).