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Who’s Who in Westeros: A House of the Dragon Character Guide

Seven kingdoms, one Iron Throne, and a whole lot of people with odd names to keep track of: That was the formula for Game of Thrones . Now House of the Dragon , HBO’s blockbuster prequel to its most successful series of all time, is following suit.

The good news for fans of the world created by novelist George R.R. Martin is that Dragon features way fewer houses to keep track of; it tells the tale of a budding conflict and eventual civil war within the ruling family of House Targaryen itself. The bad news is that everyone is someone else’s aunt or uncle or brother or cousin or spouse — often more than one at once — and most of them share the same surname. It’s a lot for even a maester to keep track of.

But don’t worry! With the help of the show’s source material, Martin’s faux -historical novel Fire & Blood , we’ve got your quick-and-easy guide to all of Dragon ’s major players. Sit back, relax, and keep up with the Targaryens.

This article contains spoilers up through and including episode ten, “ The Black Queen . ”

In the Latest Episode

Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen (Milly Alcock as a youth, Emma D’Arcy as an adult)

King Viserys’s sole surviving child at the time the series starts. Known as “the Realm’s Delight,” Princess Rhaenyra is a popular figure among both the nobility and the smallfolk … or was, until Viserys and his new wife, Rhaenyra’s former friend Alicent Hightower, had a son, Prince Aegon.

Viserys named Rhaenyra heir to the throne over his unpredictable brother , Prince Daemon, despite the fact that she’s a woman. Viserys entrusts her with with the secret of “The Song of Ice and Fire,” a prophetic dream in which the Targaryen dynasty’s founder, Aegon the Conqueror, foretold the conflict with the White Walkers that drove  Game of Thrones .

After a wild night out on the town with her estranged uncle Daemon that nearly ends with the two having sex in a brothel, Rhaenyra seeks the sexual companionship of Ser Criston Cole , her sworn Kingsguard shield. Confronted about her deeds by the king, who received word of her adventures from his Hand, Ser Otto Hightower, she denies the charges and agrees to marry Laenor Velaryon in order to unite the Seven Kingdoms’ two major Valyrian houses. Despite working out an arrangement with her semi-closeted husband, she can’t account for her lover, Ser Criston, who beats Laenor’s boyfriend, Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, to death.

While married to Laenor, Rhaenyra gives birth to three sons: Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey. Their real father, fairly obviously, is Ser Harwin Strong, Prince Daemon’s successor as Lord Commander of the City Watch. When rumors of the children’s true parentage, spread in part by Queen Alicent and Ser Criston, make life in King’s Landing unbearable, the family retreats to the ancestral Targaryen fortress of Dragonstone. But when they reunite with the family to attend the funeral of Daemon’s wife, Laena Velaryon, all hell breaks loose. In a late-night fight among the children over Aemond Targaryen claiming Laena’s dragon Vhagar, Aemond loses an eye and the legitimacy of Rhaenyra’s children is questioned in front of the family and courtiers assembled. Rhaenyra herself is wounded when Alicent tries to stab Lucerys out of vengeance.

Amid all this, Rhaenyra and Daemon become sexually and romantically involved. Rhaenyra proposes to Daemon, and together they remove Laenor from the picture by faking his death .

Six years later, Rhaenyra returns to King’s Landing to defend her son Lucerys’s claim to the Driftwood Throne of House Velaryon. To garner support, Rhaenyra promises Rhaenys Targaryen , her cousin and the mistress of Driftmark, that she’ll betroth her sons Jacaerys and Lucerys to Rhaenys’s grandchildren Baela and Rhaena.

After Viserys and Daemon settle the matter — by proclaiming Lucerys the heir and killing his rival claimant, Vaemond Velaryon — Rhaenyra attends a dinner for the royal family. Despite the conflict between the younger generation that breaks out, Rhaenyra reconciles with Alicent and escorts her children home to Dragonstone, with plans to return to King’s Landing as soon as she can.

But Rhaenyra’s plan is thwarted when Alicent and her father crown Viserys’s son Aegon II as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. The news causes Rhaenyra to miscarry her third child with Daemon.

Reluctant to start a civil war, both because of her knowledge of the Song of Ice and Fire and her lingering affection for Alicent, Rhaenyra dispatches her sons Jacaerys and Lucerys to visit various powerful lords to ensure their support. Luke is accidentally killed by Alicent’s son Prince Aemond and his dragon, Vhagar, triggering the conflict Rhaenyra had sought to avoid.

Once an enthusiastic dragon rider, Rhaenyra is bonded with a creature called Syrax.

Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith)

Viserys’s younger brother, a rogue prince who doesn’t much care what anyone thinks of him. As lord commander of the City Watch of King’s Landing, Daemon whipped the proto-police force into brutal military shape; it took the name “the Gold Cloaks” from the new uniforms he issued.

Banished from the capital for making light of the death of Viserys’s son, Daemon fled to the ancestral Targaryen fortress of Dragonstone with his paramour, the sex worker Mysaria. After a series of moves designed to provoke his brother failed to produce any political gains, Daemon forged an alliance with Lord Corlys Velaryon to wage war against the eastern alliance called the Triarchy and its admiral, the vicious Crabfeeder. The war dragged on for years until Daemon, spurning a long-delayed offer of aid from his brother, ended it, picking a fight with the Crabfeeder directly and chopping him in half with his Valyrian steel longsword, Dark Sister.

Returning to King’s Landing, Daemon reconciled with his brother, offering him the crown he won by conquering the Stepstones, but a risqué night out with his niece Rhaenyra caused Viserys to banish him once again. Daemon returned for her wedding celebrations after killing his wife, Lady Rhea Royce of the Vale, and flirted heavily with Lady Laena Velaryon, whom he subsequently married.

Living abroad in the Free City of Pentos, Daemon and Laena have twin daughters, Rhaena (a dragon-rider bonded with a young beast called Moondancer) and Baela. Laena commits suicide-by-dragon while suffering from lethal complications during her third childbirth; unlike his brother Viserys, Daemon refused to order a fatal Cesarean section, allowing his wife to choose her own fate.

At Laena’s funeral, Daemon and Rhaenyra rekindle their abortive romance from years earlier. The pair concoct a plot to get Rhaenyra’s husband Laenor out of the picture by faking his death. (Daemon facilitates this by personally murdering the man whose corpse they use in Laenor’s place.) He and Rhaenyra marry in a traditional Valyrian ceremony with their nervous children looking on.

In the six years that follow, Daemon and Rhaenyra have two sons, Aegon (known as Aegon the Younger, in reference to his uncle, Alicent’s son Aegon) and Viserys (named after his grandfather the king). Daemon kills Vaemond Velaryon for questioning the legitimacy of Rhaenyra’s children Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey.

When news of Aegon II’s coronation reaches him, Daemon leads the charge in rallying support for Rhaenyra; when she proves to be more cautious than him, he assaults her. Having already distanced himself from Rhaenyra during the stillbirth of their third child, Daemon abandons the Black Council to seek more dragons to aid in the war effort. It is he who tells Rhaenyra that her son Lucerys has been killed by Prince Aemond.

Daemon’s dragon is a sinuous red beast called Caraxes.

Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best)

Cousin to King Viserys and wife to Lord Corlys. Rhaenys was one of the two leading candidates for heir to the Old King Jahaerys at the Great Council, but she was passed over in favor of her younger, male relative Viserys in order to maintain Westeros’s patriarchal tradition. This earned her the nickname “the Queen Who Never Was.”

An astute political observer, she is loyal to her legendary husband — who pushes for her to be named heir when the new succession crisis emerges — and rides a dragon called Meleys. She and Corlys have two children, a daughter named Laena, whom Corlys advances as a potential queen for King Viserys, and Laenor, a son. Rhaenys is an enthusiastic backer of Laenor’s marriage to Rhaenyra, though she warns her daughter-in-law that the men of the realm would sooner burn the Iron Throne than seat a woman upon it.

When it becomes clear that Rhaenyra’s children are not Laenor’s at all, Rhaenys asks her husband to declare   Baela,   the   elder daughter of the late Laena Velaryon, heir to the throne of Driftmark, the family stronghold.   Corlys argues that this will only reinforce the damaging rumors about Rhaenyra’s sons, whom he still considers the best shot at preserving the Velaryon legacy despite their true paternity. Rhaenys is also no fan of Daemon Targaryen, whom she blames for Laena’s death; she claims the medical experts in the couple’s adopted home of Pentos failed where her own maester, Kelvyn, would have succeeded.

When Corlys is gravely wounded during the new war for control of the Stepstones, his brother Vaemond tries to persuade Rhaenys to support his claim to House Velaryon’s Driftwood Throne. Despite believing that Rhaenyra and Daemon conspired to kill her son Laenor, she instead backs the claim of Lucerys Targaryen, whom Rhaenyra has offered as husband to Rhaenys’s granddaughter Rhaena.

Following the death of King Viserys, Rhaenys’s support is courted by Queen Alicent, who acknowledges that Rhaenys would have made a better monarch than Viserys. Spirited out of the Red Keep by Ser Erryk Cargyll, Rhaenys breaks up the coronation of Alicent’s son Aegon II by escaping on the back of Meleys and flying away.

Rhaenys flies to Dragonstone and relates the news of Viserys’s death and Aegon II’s coronation to Rhaenyra. Impressed with the younger woman’s restraint over launching a civil war, Rhaenys successfully urges Corlys to back the Blacks against the Greens.

Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans)

Viserys’s Hand and his most powerful — and ambitious — adviser. Otto is a scion of House Hightower, one of the Seven Kingdoms’ richest and most influential families. Historically, the Hightowers have close ties with both the scholarly order of maesters and the religious institution called the Faith, as all three entities are based in the same city, Oldtown. Otto’s daughter, Alicent, was Princess Rhaenyra’s best friend; after the death of Viserys’s wife, Otto encouraged Alicent to comfort the grieving king, eventually resulting in their betrothal.

Despite his influence at court, Otto is still under pressure from his even more powerful older brother, Lord Hobert Hightower. When he reports tales of Rhaenyra and Daemon’s public dalliance to King Viserys, he is stripped of his office and ordered to return to Oldtown. On his way, he warns Alicent that a future Queen Rhaenyra will put Alicent’s children to death in order to secure her hold on the throne.

After Larys Strong kills his own father, Lyonel Strong (who replaced Otto as Hand), to curry favor with Alicent, Otto returns to his old job. Following the debacle at Laena’s funeral, he tells Alicent he’s proud of her for showing some moxie by attacking Rhaenyra on Aemond’s behalf.

Otto is prepared to back Ser Vaemond Velaryon’s claim to House Velaryon’s Driftwood Throne until Vaemond’s sharp tongue and Daemon’s sharper sword put an end to the matter.

After the death of Viserys, Otto’s long-laid plans to crown his grandson Aegon king in place of Rhaenyra take effect. Though he is unable to persuade Alicent and Aegon to order the execution of Rhaenyra and her children, he does see Aegon ascend the throne. The escape of Rhaenys, however, puts something of a damper on the proceedings.

Otto leads a diplomatic mission to Rhaenyra at Dragonstone, offering terms of clemency that would retain Aegon II as monarch. She does not acquiesce, but she also avoids making any immediate moves against the Greens. Otto also presents Rhaenyra with a torn-out page from a history book she and Alicent studied together as children — a token of Alicent’s love for her old friend.

Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint)

Lord of the Tides, former adviser to King Viserys, and commander of the realm’s largest navy. Corlys Velaryon is the head of a great and noble house which, like the Targaryens, traces its ancestry directly to Valyria. The most skilled seafarer in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, he embarked on a series of famous journeys to distant lands dubbed the Nine Voyages. These earned him the nickname “the Sea Snake” (also the name of his flagship vessel) and made the Velaryons the richest house in Westeros. (Yes, even richer than the Lannisters.) He is married to Viserys’s older cousin Rhaenys, who was outvoted for heir to the Iron Throne.

King Viserys refuses to aid the Sea Snake in his battles with an alliance of major Essosi cities called the Triarchy — led by Craghas “The Crabfeeder” Drahar — for control of the Stepstones; he also rejects Corlys’s offer of marriage to his daughter Laena. Corlys quits the Council entirely and seeks out a new alliance with Prince Daemon. Together, the two men defy the odds and defeat the Crabfeeder’s forces.

Corlys brokers a union between House Velaryon and House Targaryen by agreeing to the betrothal of his son, Laenor, to Princess Rhaenyra. He is in denial about his son’s homosexuality.

Some six years after his daughter’s funeral, he is gravely wounded in the latest war for control of the Stepstones. This leads to a succession crisis for control of House Velaryon, the Driftwood Throne, and the stronghold of Driftmark. Corlys’s brother, Ser Vaemond, ultimately loses the contest — and his head — in favor of Corlys’s nominal grandchild, Prince Lucerys Velaryon.

After recovering from his wounds, Corlys joins Rhaenyra’s cause at the urging of his wife, Princess Rhaenys. He announces that he has won the war for the Stepstones, controls the Narrow Sea, and is prepared to blockade King’s Landing on Rhaenyra’s behalf.

Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Leo Hart as a child, Harry Collett as a teen)

A.k.a. Jace. The eldest of Rhaenyra and Laenor’s three children. He is the first of the kids to realize his biological father is Harwin Strong.

In an attempt to reconcile with Queen Alicent’s side of the family, Princess Rhaenyra proposes marrying Jace to Alicent’s daughter Helaena; Helaena’s parents instead engage her to her brother Aegon. Jace participates in the vicious fight against Aemond after Aemond “steals” the dragon Vhagar.

Six years later, he is betrothed to Baela Targaryen in a last-ditch but successful effort by Rhaenyra to retain control of Driftmark on her family’s behalf.F

Following the news of Aegon II’s coronation, Jace’s mother entrusts him to relay her commands to Prince Daemon and the rest of her council when she goes into labor. It’s Jace’s idea to use dragons to rally the realm’s major houses to the Black’s cause; he is tasked with flying to the Eyrie and Winterfell on his dragon, Vermax, to recruit House Arryn and House Stark.

Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Harvey Sadler as a child, Elliot Grihault as a teen)

A.k.a. Luke. Rhaenyra and Laenor’s middle child. Luke participates in the hazing of Aemond with his older brother Jace and Aemond’s elder brother, Aegon. It is he who puts out   Aemond’s eye during the children’s fight at Laena’s funeral, leading Queen Alicent to call for one of his eyes to be put out as well. Both Ser Criston Cole and Alicent herself attempt to carry out this act before they are thwarted.

Six years later, Luke is betrothed to Rhaena Targaryen in a successful effort to unite House Velaryon and Rhaenyra’s branch of House Targaryen. It’s Luke’s prank on Prince Aemond that precipitates one last tussle among the younger generation.

While Luke’s brother Jace is ordered to broker agreements with the Great Houses to Dragonstone’s north, Luke is dispatched on a shorter and ostensibly safer route to Storm’s End to ask for the aid of House Baratheon. He arrives to find Aemond already there, having successfully wooed Lord Borros Baratheon to the side of the Greens.

When he takes off on his small dragon, Arrax, he is pursued by Aemond aboard the massive beast Vhagar. The dragons fight and Vhagar kills Luke and Arrax with a snap of its jaws.

Prince Joffrey Velaryon

The youngest child of Rhaenyra Targaryen and, officially, Laenor Velaryon. Joffrey’s birth father, like that of his older brothers Jace and Luke, is actually Ser Harwyn Strong.

He is named after Laenor’s slain lover, Ser Joffrey Lonmouth.

Joffrey is bonded with a dragon named Tyraxes.

Prince Aemond Targaryen (Leo Ashton as a youth, Ewan Mitchell as an adult)

King Viserys and Queen Alicent’s younger son. A target of bullying not only by Princess Rhaenyra’s children Jacaerys and Lucerys but also his own older brother, Aemond is relentlessly teased for his failure to bond with a dragon.

He rectifies this in spectacular fashion by seizing the oldest, biggest dragon alive, Vhagar, at Laena Velaryon’s funeral.   The resulting physical altercation between him and his cousins costs him an eye — but since he gained a dragon, he calls this “a fair exchange.”

Six years later, an eye patch–wearing Aemond is taller, stronger, and a more formidable warrior than his older brother, Aegon. Taunted by his young nephews with a roast pig, a reference to the pig they once dressed as a dragon and dubbed “the Pink Dread” to mock him, he provokes a fight by not so subtly referencing the Velaryon boys’ “Strong” heritage. Only a face-off with Daemon backs him down.

Following the death of his father Viserys, Aemond aid Ser Criston Cole in the search for his brother Aegon.

Following Viserys’s death and Aegon II’s coronation, Aemond beats Lucerys Targaryen to Storm’s End, seat of House Baratheon. Aemond’s offer of a marriage pact between the two houses leads Lord Borros Baratheon to favor the Greens over the Blacks. He dismisses Luke, and Aemond follows the younger aboard his massive dragon, chasing Luke and his smaller steed through the storm clouds. A fight between the dragons that seems beyond Aemond’s control ensues, and Luke and his dragon are both killed by Vhagar.

Lady Baela Targaryen (Shani Smethurst as a child, Bethany Antonia as a teen)

The older of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon’s twin daughters. Her grandmother Rhaenys wants her named heir to Driftmark, the Velaryon castle, because she’s of true Velaryon blood — unlike her cousin Jacaerys,.

Baela participates in the bloody fight against Prince Aemond over the dragon Vhagar, siding with her sister Rhaena and her cousins Jacaerys and Lucerys in the tussle.

Six years after her mother’s funeral, she is betrothed to Jacaerys Targaryen, future heir to the Iron Throne, in a ploy to unite Rhaenyra’s branch of House Targaryen with House Velaryon.

Following Viserys’s death and Aegon II’s coronation, Queen Rhaenyra includes both Baela and her sister Rhaena in her strategy meetings. This seems to help earn the queen the respect of the influential Princess Rhaenys, Baela and Rhaena’s grandmother.

She is bonded with a dragon called Moondancer.

Lady Rhaena Targaryen (Eva Ossei-Gerning as a child, Phoebe Campbell as a teen)

The younger of Daemon and Laena’s twin daughters. Rhaena’s dragon egg failed to hatch at her birth and she is presently dragonless. She feels neglected by her father.

After her mother’s funeral,   Rhaena is dismayed to discover Aemond making off with Vhagar, Laena’s enormous dragon. The fight among the children that follows costs Aemond an eye and causes a possibly irreparable rift between Alicent, Rhaenyra, and their respective allies.

Six years later, Rhaena is betrothed to Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys, heir to Driftmark and future Lord of the Tides, as part of the plan to unite Rhaenyra’s branch of House Targaryen with House Velaryon.

Queen Rhaenyra encourages Baela, like her sister Rhaena, to be a part of her war council after the coronation of Aegon II. The dragonless Baela seems particularly intrigued by Daemon’s description of all the dragons currently without riders.

Maester Gerardys (Phil Daniels)

A maester in service to Princess Rhaenyra. He helps instruct Prince Jacaerys in the High Valyrian language.

Gerardys seems a likely candidate for Grand Maester should the Blacks succeed. He is a crucial and vocal component of Rhaenyra’s war council.

Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor)

One-half of a pair of twin brothers sworn to service in the Kingsguard, he is virtually indistinguishable from his twin brother, Ser Erryk. Arryk remains loyal to the Greens during the hunt for Aegon II.

Arryk is part of the Green contingent that travels to Dragonstone to offer Rhaenyra terms of surrender.

Ser Erryk Cargyll (Elliot Tittensor)

The other half of a pair of twin brothers sworn to service in the Kingsguard, he is virtually indistinguishable from his brother, Ser Arryk.

As Aegon II’s sworn protector, he is aware of the prince’s sinister proclivities and has no wish to see him crowned. He argues with his brother as they attempt to retrieve Aegon on Ser Otto’s behalf, then helps Princess Rhaenys with her escape from the Red Keep.

Though he is separated from Rhaenys as the people of King’s Landing are shepherded to the Dragonpit to witness Aegon II’s coronation, both manage to escape and make their way to Rhaenyra’s headquarters on Dragonstone. Ser Erryk brings her the golden crown of her father, King Viserys, and swears his fealty to her as part of her Queensguard.

Lord Borros Baratheon (Roger Evans)

Lord of Storm’s End and head of House Baratheon following the death of his father, Lord Boremund. Despite Boremond’s allegiance to Rhaenyra, the proud and illiterate Borros is more than willing to entertain the marriage offer presented to him by the Greens. While he will not permit the visiting Prince Aemond to stab out the eye of Prince Lucerys when both arrive to court his support, he does not stop Aemond from pursuing the younger boy on dragonback once Luke departs.

Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egiyawan)

Chosen to be the successor of the late Grand Maester Mellos on Viserys’s Small Council, Orwyle’s medical methods are significantly more modern than his predecessor’s, though was not able to prevent the king’s declining health.

Orwyle appears to have been a part of Ser Otto’s conspiracy to crown Aegon II in Rhaenyra’s stead; he joins Ser Otto and Ser Erryk in their mission to Dragonstone to broker a peace with Rhaenyra.

Lord Bartimos Celtigar (Nicholas Jones)

Ruler of Claw Isle and close ally of House Targaryen.

Lord Bartimos stays loyal to Queen Rhaenyra in the split between the Blacks and Greens and becomes a vocal part of her council.

Lord Simon Staunton (Michael Elwyn)

Another of Queen Rhaenyra’s loyal bannermen.

Staunton rules from a castle called Rook’s Rest in the Crownlands, the area surrounding King’s Landing. It is under direct control of the ruling monarch.

Ser Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan)

One of the Kingsguard knights assigned to protect Rhaenyra as princess.

With some encouragement from Prince Daemon and his dragon Caraxes, Ser Steffon declares his loyalty to Rhaenyra and becomes part of her Queensguard.

Ser Lorent Marbrand (Maxim Wrottesley)

Like Ser Steffon, Ser Lorent is a Kingsguard knight assigned to Rhaenyra. He chooses to take her side in the conflict with the Greens.

Previously on  House of the Dragon

Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey as a youth, Olivia Cooke as an adult)

Daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King. Having lived in the Red Keep most of her life, she is a fixture at court, making her a natural companion for Princess Rhaenyra.

Acting on Ser Otto’s orders, Alicent comforts King Viserys after the deaths of his wife and newborn. Under pressure to remarry, Viserys passes over a more politically advantageous union in favor of Alicent, a woman he actually trusts and cares about. Together the couple have two sons, Aegon and Aemond, and a daughter, Helaena. Their union alienates both Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenyra while furthering the political ambitions of Ser Otto. It’s Alicent who successfully convinces Viserys to send aid to his brother Daemon and former ally Corlys to help them win their war against the Crabfeeder. She also convinces her husband Rhaenyra would not lie about sleeping with her uncle, Daemon — which, ironically, leads to the firing of her father, Ser Otto Hightower, as Hand of the King.

After learning from Ser Criston Cole that Rhaenyra lied about her “virtue,” Alicent turns on Rhaenyra, recruiting Cole to her side and rolling up to Rhaenyra’s wedding welcome feast in the green color of her own family, House Hightower, rather than the black and red of House Targaryen. As the years pass, Alicent remains a steadfast foe of her former friend, constantly arguing that Rhaenyra’s children are bastards, that her father Ser Otto should be restored to his position as Hand of the King and that her son Aegon should be named heir to the Iron Throne.

At the funeral for Laena Velaryon, Alicent seizes Viserys’s legendary dagger and tries to stab out the eye of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys after he stabs out the eye of her own son Aemond. Instead, she wounds Rhaenyra and disgraces herself before the assembled aristocracy. Her father the Hand, however, is proud of the fire she showed — and prouder still of Aemond for winning over the massive dragon Vhagar to their side.

Alicent is prepared to back Ser Vaemond Velaryon’s claim to the Driftwood Throne until Daemon Targaryen’s sword put an end to the matter. At the royal gathering that follows, Alicent reconciles with her old friend Rhaenyra. But Alicent misinterprets the dying words of the senile Viserys to mean that her son Aegon is meant to unite the realm as king.

In the immediate aftermath of Viserys’s death, Alicent reluctantly joins the preexisting conspiracy, led by Otto, to crown Aegon II. She attempts to do so on terms that will be acceptable to Rhaenyra; she tasks Ser Criston Cole and her younger son, Aemond, with tracking down the missing Aegon before her father persuades him to order Rhaenyra’s execution. Successful, she sees Aegon crowned but also witnesses the escape on dragonback of Rhaenys Velaryon, whose support she’d hoped to gain.

In a last-ditch effort to keep the peace, Alicent extends generous terms of clemency to Rhaenyra, and has her father, Ser Otto, present her old friend with a torn-out page from a history book they’d studied together. She hopes this reminds Rhaenyra of their former closeness and continued love.

Alicent appears to suffer from severe anxiety that causes her to pick at her cuticles until she draws blood.

Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel)

One of the most formidable young knights in the Seven Kingdoms. Of Dornish descent (though he seems to have fought against the Dornish on behalf of the lord he serves), he is of common birth and has little power beyond the fast-rising fame he acquires via his prowess as a swordsman. He emerges as a major figure — and heartthrob — in the king’s tourney when he defeats Prince Daemon in hand-to-hand combat.

When a slot in the elite royal bodyguard unit called the Kingsguard opens up, Cole is hand-selected by Princess Rhaenyra to join the order as her sworn shield. Of all the candidates, he is the only one with true combat experience. The two become friends, and he helps Rhaenyra defend herself when a wild boar attacks her during a hunt held in honor of her little brother.

When Rhaenyra is spurned by her uncle Daemon at a local pleasure house, she seduces Ser Criston in her own bedchambers. Cole is so smitten with the princess that he proposes they run away together. When she rejects this offer, he turns on her and beats the lover of her fiancé Laenor Velaryon to death. He also confesses his affair with Rhaenyra to Queen Alicent, who keeps his secret and thus spares his life. As time passes, he becomes the fiercest ally of Queen Alicent and her contingent, known as “the Greens,” and Rhaenyra’s most implacable enemy.

Cole’s devotion to Alicent and hatred for Rhaenyra is so total that he nearly stabs out the eye of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys on Alicent’s orders. He is thwarted by the king and Ser Harrold Westerling, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

When the death of King Viserys is revealed to the Small Council, Cole bashes in the head of Lord Beesbury, who objects to the Council’s plan to crown Aegon II instead of Rhaenyra, drawing first blood in the conflict. Cole subsequently hunts down Aegon, who had gone missing, and personally sets the crown on the new king’s head.

Kings Aegon II Targaryen (Ty Tennant as a youth, Tom Glynn-Carney as an adult)

King Viserys and Queen Alicent’s eldest child. When we meet him as a teenager, he’s into teenage-boy things, like pranking his younger siblings and jerking off. He seems reluctant to follow his mother’s advice and prepare for a life on the Iron Throne in place of his half-sister Rhaenyra.

At Laena’s funeral, we learn that Aegon and his sister Helaena are betrothed and that Aegon is something of a drinker. By the time we see him again six years later, it’s clear he’s a habitual sex criminal.

On the night of the death of his father King Viserys, Aegon is MIA, out drinking and participating in lethal fight clubs involving literal children. He is captured and secured by Mysaria, the White Worm, and retrieved by Erryk and Arryk Cargyll, Kingsguard knights in service of his grandfather Otto Hightower. He is kidnapped once again by Ser Criston Cole and brought to his mother, who browbeats the reluctant prince into accepting his new role as king, granting him the iron crown of Aegon the Conqueror as well as the ancestral Valyrian steel blade Blackfyre. Just as he’s warming up to the idea, Rhaenys Targaryen rains on his parade by busting up the coronation ceremony with her dragon.

His dragon is Sunfyre the Golden.

Queen Helaena Targaryen (Evie Allen as a youth, Phia Saban as an adult)

King Viserys and Queen Alicent’s middle child. She seems more interested in hobbies like studying insects than matters of the royal court.

Though Princess Rhaenyra had proposed to Queen Alicent that Helaena marry her eldest child, Prince Jacaerys, the king and queen instead betroth Helaena to her elder brother, Aegon. When we meet her again six years later, she appears more lucid and counsels her cousin Baela that her fiancé, Jacaerys, won’t demand too much of her sexually unless he’s drunk.

Helaena is prone to mysterious, prophetic utterances; she appears to have inadvertently predicted the loss of her brother Aemond’s eye and the escape of Rhaenys from beneath the floor of the Dragonpit. She witnesses the latter at the coronation of her brother-husband Aegon II.

Her dragon is named Dreamfyre.

Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham)

Nicknamed “the Clubfoot” after the deformity that’s left him with a limp, Larys is the son of influential Lord Lyonel Strong. He informs Alicent that Princess Rhaenyra received a dose of moon tea the night she was accused of fornicating with Prince Daemon, eventually leading to Ser Criston Cole’s confession of inappropriate relations with the princess.

Having ingratiated himself with the queen, Larys acts on her desire that his father, Lord Lyonel, be replaced by her own father Ser Otto as Hand of the King. He has Lyonel and his own brother Harwin  assassinated by arsonists . This makes him the new Lord of Harrenhal.

After returning to King’s Landing following Laena’s funeral, Larys once again offers his services to Alicent. He’s prepared to cut out the eye of Lucerys on her behalf, but Alicent tells him this kind of action isn’t necessary … yet.

After King Viserys’s death, we learn how and why Larys relates his intel to Alicent: He exchanges information for glimpses of the queen’s feet, to which he masturbates. During one such exchange, he reveals the role of Daemon’s former lover Mysaria, the White Worm, in relaying information to Ser Otto. His minions set fire to Mysaria’s compound in hopes of killing her on Alicent’s behalf.

Larys is an enthusiastic torturer who personally cuts the tongues out of criminals’ mouths.

Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno)

A relative newcomer to the Seven Kingdoms who has lived the difficult life of a sex worker. One of the few characters on the show not directly descended from either Westeros or Valyria, Mysaria rises to become one of the star attractions at a chief King’s Landing “pleasure house.” She counts Prince Daemon Targaryen not just as a client but a confidante and becomes arguably his most trusted adviser. When he is banished by Viserys, she joins him in exile on Dragonstone. After learning that Daemon has (falsely) announced their marriage and pregnancy as a ploy to provoke his brother, King Viserys, she reprimands him for putting her at risk.

After returning to King’s Landing, Mysaria becomes a source of intelligence for the Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower, using the nickname “the White Worm.” In the 16 years that follow, she remains a formidable spymaster in King’s Landing, counting even Queen Alicent’s own handmaidens among her informants.

Thanks to her network of informants, Mysaria is well aware of the death of King Viserys, which his close circle had hoped to keep secret. She kidnaps and transports Aegon II to a safe location and relays this information to Otto Hightower’s minions Ser Erryk and Arryk Cargyll for a price. When her role is found out, Lord Larys Strong attempts to murder her via arson on behalf of Queen Alicent. Her fate is currently unknown.

Talya (Alexis Raben)

Queen Alicent’s handmaiden and an informant in Mysaria’s spy network.

She is imprisoned along with many of the Red Keep’s other servants in order to keep Viserys’s death a secret until Aegon can be crowned.

Larys Strong, Alicent’s advisor and Mysaria’s rival, outs Talya as a spy to a Alicent. Her current fate is unknown.

Ser Harrold Westerling (Graham McTavish)

A member of the Kingsguard. This small, elite order of knights is sworn to protect the King and the royal family; in Ser Harrold’s case, this means serving as sworn shield and friend to Princess Rhaenyra, which he does in stalwart, loyal, and good-natured fashion. Ser Harrold takes over as the Kingsguard’s lord commander after the death of the order’s previous leader, Ser Ryam Redwyne.

At the disastrous funeral for Laena Targaryen, it falls to Ser Harrold to stand between Ser Criston Cole and Princess Rhaenyra’s children.

Westerling quits the Kingsguard after being ordered to kill Rhaenyra and her children. He vows to return to service only when a new ruler is crowned.

Ser Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall)

Tyland is the first member of the Small Council to admit that plans to crown Aegon II in Rhaenyra’s place have long been in effect.

In Prince Daemon’s eyes, Tyland’s long service with Ser Otto on the Small Council ensures House Lannister’s loyalty to the Greens.

Lord Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall)

The young, rich, and obnoxious head of House Lannister and Lord of Casterly Rock.

Jason desperately wants to marry Rhaenyra, even though he believes her half-brother, Aegon, should be crowned in her place. His open ambition alienates both Rhaenyra and Viserys.

Prince Daemon assumes that, due to Jason’s brother Tyland’s close ties to Ser Otto Hightower, the Lannisters will back the Greens against the Blacks.

Lord Jasper Wylde (Paul Kennedy)

The successor to Lord Lyonel Strong as Master of Laws on the Small Council. Strong was promoted to Hand of the King after King Viserys banished Otto Hightower from court in the wake of allegations of fornication between Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon.

Wylde returned to Master of Laws after King Viserys re-appointed Otto as hand, and the two men have become allies on the Council.

It falls to Wylde to explain to Queen Alicent that her father’s plan to name Aegon II heir in place of Rhaenyra was best maintained without her knowledge.

Prince Aegon Targaryen the Younger

The first of Rhaenyra’s children with her uncle Daemon.

He is named after the dynasty’s founder, Aegon the Conqueror, despite the fact that Alicent and Viserys had already named their own first son Aegon.

Prince Viserys Targaryen

Rhaenyra and Daemon’s second son.

He is named after Rhaenyra’s father, the king.

Maester Kelvyn (Haqi Ali)

House Velaryon’s maester.

He attends to the wound incurred by Aemond Targaryen during the fight with Lucerys Velaryon and the other children. He’s the person who informs Alicent that her son permanently lost his left eye.

Ser Laenor Velaryon ( Theo Nate as a youth, John Macmillan as an adult)

Son of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. Of Valyrian descent on both sides of his family, he’s a prime candidate to become Rhaenyra Targryen’s husband and, eventually, her king. Laenor is a firm supporter of Daemon Targaryen during the war for the Stepstones and helps win the final battle atop his dragon, Seasmoke.

After her wild night out with Daemon, Rhaenyra marries Laenor to please her father. The two nobles agree to maintain their extracurricular relationships, but Ser Criston Cole explodes at this arrangement and beats Laenor’s lover, Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, to death.

As the years pass, Laenor “fathers” Rhaenyra’s three princely sons, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, the last of whom is named after Laenor’s slain lover. But he is quite obviously not the boys’ biological father, a fact he’s well aware of. And though he’s supportive of his wife, he seems to prefer the life of a sailor and soldier, as well as the company of Ser Qarl Correy, his most recent boyfriend.

Devastated by his sister Laena’s death, Laenor seeks comfort in Qarl’s arms and is thus absent from the fracas after the funeral. Feeling guilty that he wasn’t there to support his wife and sons, he rededicates himself to his marriage — just as Rhaenyra plots a new wedding to her uncle Daemon.

But instead of killing Laenor, Daemon murders a Velaryon servant and burns his face off, making it look like Laenor was killed and set ablaze by a jealous Qarl. In truth, Laenor shaves off his unmistakable white locks and escapes to Essos with Qarl, the man he loves, in hopes of living a freer life .

Ser Qarl Correy (Arty Froushan)

Laenor Velaryon’s sparring partner, friend, and lover. Ser Correy accompanies Rhaenyra and Laenor’s family, at Rhaenyra’s own invitation, when they travel to Dragonstone to avoid the drama at King’s Landing.

After the funeral for   Laena Velaryon, Rhaenyra and her new lover, her uncle Daemon, engineer Qarl and Laenor’s escape from Westeros. Using Qarl to publicly pick a fight with Laenor, they kill a Velaryon servant and use his burned corpse to fake Laenor’s death. Laenor and Qarl sail off for a new life together in Essos.

Prince Reggio Haratis (Dean Nolan)

The largely ceremonial ruler of the Free City of Pentos on the western shore of the continent of Essos. Prince Reggio is the benefactor of Daemon and Laena during their stay in the city; he entreats Daemon to go to war on Pentos’s behalf against the rival alliance called the Triarchy.

Lord Hobert Hightower (Stefan Rhodri)

Head of one of the oldest, richest, and most influential families in Westeros. As lord of the city of Oldtown, he exerts influence on both the maesters and the Faith, both of which are headquartered in the city (at the Citadel and the Starry Sept, respectively). He is also the power behind his younger brother, Ser Otto, and by extension Otto’s daughter, Queen Alicent.

Valar Morghulis

King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine)

The First of His Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm — the ruler of the continent of Westeros.

Selected as heir  to the throne over his older female cousin, Rhaenys, after a dispute over the line of succession, this kind but weak monarch faced a similar crisis even as the Targaryen dynasty reached the height of its power. After losing his wife and newborn son and falling out with his younger brother, Daemon, Viserys named his sole surviving child, his teenage daughter Rhaenyra, the future queen of Westeros. His decision flew in the face of centuries of patrilineal tradition within House Targaryen and across the majority of the Seven Kingdoms, including the dispute that led to Viserys becoming king in the first place.

Encouraged by his advisers  to remarry in order to strengthen his line, Viserys spurned 12-year-old  Laena Velaryon , daughter of proud and powerful naval commander Lord Corlys Velaryon, in favor of his teenage confidante Alicent Hightower — the daughter of the Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower, and friend of his own daughter, Rhaenyra.  Alicent gives birth  to Viserys’s first surviving son (and potential male heir), Prince Aegon, as well as a baby girl, Princess Helaena, and a second son, Prince Aemond. Aegon’s birth complicates Viserys’s plans for Rhaenyra to succeed him; he is also tormented by a potentially prophetic dream about his son wearing the crown of Aegon the Conqueror, founder of the Targaryen dynasty.

Beset by pressures on all sides —  complicated when Otto  reports to him that Rhaenyra and Daemon have been seen fornicating, a report for which Viserys fires Otto — Viserys banishes Daemon a second time and orders Rhaenyra to marry  Laenor Velaryon , heir to Lord Corlys Velaryon and the Driftwood Throne. The increasingly ailing king presides over  a rushed wedding  between Rhaenyra and Laenor after their lovers,  Ser Criston Cole  and Ser Joffrey Lonmouth,  interrupt the celebrations  with a lethal fight.

Ten years pass , during which time the royal family grows ever larger. Rhaenyra bears three sons to Laenor, though the identity of their real father, Ser Harwin Strong,   is a matter of court gossip. Viserys refuses to hear any challenges to his grandsons’ legitimacy and insists the two sides of the family and their supporters remain close despite obvious fractures.

Those fractures widen before Viserys’s eyes  at the funeral  for Daemon’s wife, Laena Velaryon. Daemon and   Laena’s daughters team up with   Rhaenyra’s sons to fight   Alicent’s son Aemond after he seizes Vhagar, the massive dragon that belonged to Laena, for himself. The fight costs Aemond an eye after he calls Rhaenyra’s sons “bastards” and prompts a physical altercation between Rhaenyra and Alicent themselves. As a result, Viserys declares that anyone who questions the boys’ parentage will have their tongue cut out.

Six years after the funeral, Viserys is a shell of his former self. The infectious wounds he incurred from the Iron Throne have cost him an arm, an eye, and any hope of living free of pain. Nevertheless, he adjudicates a dispute over which of his relatives should inherit the throne of House Velaryon — ultimately resolved when Daemon Targaryen slices half of Ser Vaemond Velaryon’s head off — and presides over a forced family dinner with all sides. The tension gives way to celebration until a fight between his children and grandchildren resume the hostilities.

That night, the ailing king confuses his wife, Alicent, for his daughter Rhaenyra. His garbled words about “Aegon’s dream,” referring to the prophecy foretold by Aegon the Conqueror, convince Alicent that their  son  Aegon is meant to rule the Seven Kingdoms, not Rhaenyra.

Sometime that night, he dies.

Lord Boremund Baratheon (Julian Jones)

The head of an important house of partial Valyrian descent. He accompanied Rhaenyra on part of her tour of the Seven Kingdoms in search of a suitable king consort.

Lord Boremund dies at some point prior to Viserys’s death and Aegon II’s coronation, leaving his proud and illiterate son Lord Borros in charge of House Baratheon.

Lord Allun Caswell (Paul Hickey)

The Lord of Bitterbridge in the Reach.

Lord Caswell welcomes Princess Rhaenyra and her family — including her husband/uncle Prince Daemon, her three children with Laenor Valeryon, and her two children with Daemon — home to King’s Landing.

After Viserys’s death is revealed and the conspiracy to crown Aegon II takes effect, Caswell is caught attempting to escape the Red Keep in order to warn her. He is hanged in the courtyard as a warning to others of dubious loyalty.

Lord Lyman Beesbury (Bill Paterson)

The aging Master of Coin on King Viserys’s Small Council. Lord Beesbury has grown so old he can barely keep track of the Council’s discussions.

Not included in Ser Otto’s long-held scheme to crown Aegon II in Rhaenyra’s place, Beesbury is outraged to hear the idea put forth and announces plans to alert the princess. In response, Ser Criston Cole bashes in his head, killing him.

Ser Vaemond Velaryon (Wil Johnson)

The younger brother and close ally of Lord Corlys Velaryon. Vaemond participates in the war for the   Stepstones,   though he is dubious of the tactics embraced by the Velaryons’ ally in the conflict, Daemon Targaryen.

Vaemond’s distaste for Daemon deepens following the death of his niece Laena, for which he appears to blame the Prince.

When his brother Lord Corlys is gravely wounded during the most recent war in the Stepstones, Vaemond advances his claim as heir to the Driftwood Throne, arguing — first implicitly, then explicitly — that Rhaenyra’s children with his nephew Laenor are, in fact, bastards. For this, King Viserys demands his tongue; Viserys’s brother Daemon sort of obliges by cutting off most of his head.

Lady Laena Velaryon (Nova Foueillis-Mosé as a child, Savannah Steyn as a teen, and Nanna Blondell as an adult)

Daughter of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. Her full-blooded Valyrian heritage and connection to her powerful parents led many on King Viserys’s Small Council to urge the monarch to marry her despite her young age. He rejected the proposal in favor of Alicent Hightower, infuriating Laena’s father.

During Rhaenyra and Laenor’s wedding celebration, Prince Daemon flirted heavily with Laena. The pair marry, move abroad, and have twin daughters, Rhaena and Baela. Laena dies while giving birth to their third child, opting to order her massive and ancient dragon Vhagar to burn her to death rather than succumb to complications.

Her funeral, as evidenced in many of the above entries, is a shitshow, with massive ramifications for the future of the realm.

Lord Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes)

A member of King Viserys’s Small Council. Serving as Master of Laws, he is a forceful opponent of Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne, noting that it would break years of precedent and potentially destabilize the realm. He also scoffs at Lord Corlys’s suggestion of wife Rhaenys as a potential alternative.

Later, however, he advises Viserys to marry Corlys’s young daughter, Laena, in order to bridge the gap between the two powerful Valyrian houses, advice Viserys ignores. He goes on to urge the king to marry Rhaenyra to Laena’s brother Laenor, once again hoping to end the strife. In doing so, he deliberately rejects her possible marriage to his own son, a powerful knight named Ser Harwin Breakbones, which King Viserys had cynically assumed was Strong’s goal. Lyonel’s other son, Larys, has a deformity that earned him the nickname the Clubfoot.

Lyonel seems to be the only member of the Small Council whose advice does not directly benefit himself or his family. This earns him the position of Hand of the King after Ser Otto Hightower’s dismissal, but it does not save him from scandal as his son Harwin not-so-secretly fathers Princess Rhaenyra’s three sons. After King Viserys refuses his resignation, Lyonel asks permission to escort Harwin back to their home, the infamous castle of Harrenhal; there, they are killed by assassins deployed by Lyonel’s other son, Larys.

Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr)

Son of Lord Lyonel and brother of Larys, Harwin is nicknamed “Breakbones” due to his incredible strength. He personally rescues Princess Rhaenyra from the chaos that breaks out when Ser Criston Cole and Ser Joffrey Lonmouth fight during the welcome feast for Rhaenyra and Laenor’s wedding. He subsequently becomes her enthusiastic guardian and, uh, companion.

Harwin is the biological father of Rhaenyra’s children Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, an inescapable fact that all at court except King Viserys seem to acknowledge. After trying and failing to resign his post as Hand of the King over the scandal, Harwin’s father Lord Lyonel personally escorts Harwin back to their sprawling castle, Harrenhal. There, they are killed by assassins sent by Larys Strong, Harwin’s own brother.

Lady Rhea Royce (Rachel Redford)

Heir to one of the oldest and most powerful houses in the region called the Vale. Rhea was married to Daemon Targaryen, but the arranged marriage pleased neither party and was never consummated. After murdering Rhea to free himself from the marriage, Daemon claims he is the new heir to the Royce stronghold, Runestone, and its riches, though the fact that his marriage was unconsummated makes this legally dubious; Rhea’s cousin Gerold (Owen Oakeshott) angrily accuses Daemon of murder, though the prince brushes off the accusation.

Ser Joffrey Lonmouth (Solly McLeod)

A handsome young knight nicknamed “the Knight of Kisses” and romantically linked to Laenor Velaryon.

After trying to forge a pact with Princess Rhaenyra’s lover, Ser Criston Cole, he is beaten to death by the Kingsguard knight, leaving Laenor bereft.

Grand Maester Mellos (David Horovitch)

Scholar, healer, and member of King Viserys’s advisory Small Council. Mellos frequently finds himself refereeing the power struggles between the other members of the Council, and offers the king harsh advice when he finds it necessary to do so. It’s Mellos who suggests the C-section that costs Queen Aemma her life. After the baby’s death, he firmly opposes the prospect of Daemon as heir.

Mellos is one of the voices in favor of a marriage between Viserys and Laena Velaryon. He also oversees the gruesome treatments for Viserys’s nonhealing wounds and offers Rhaenyra “moon tea,” a sort of Plan B pill, after her liaison with Daemon (alleged) and Ser Criston (factual). Mellos dies at some point during the show’s ten-year time jump.

Craghas “the Crabfeeder” Drahar (Daniel Scott-Smith)

The masked, heavily scarred admiral of a massive fleet assembled by the Triarchy, an alliance of three of the continent of Essos’s powerful Free Cities. Earning his nickname from his penchant for feeding his wounded enemies to swarms of crabs, he commands the string of islands called the Stepstones and has dealt severe damage to the fleet and fortune of Lord Corlys Velaryon. An alliance between Corlys and Prince Daemon Targaryen puts an end to the vicious naval commander, who is killed by Daemon in single combat.

Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke)

Viserys’s wife and Rhaenyra’s mother. A descendent of both House Arryn — the Lords of the Vale — and House Targaryen, she married her cousin Viserys in keeping with the Targaryen tradition of incestuous intermarriage to keep the royal bloodline pure.

After enduring several difficult pregnancies that ended in tragedy, she dies during a c-section ordered by Viserys and the royal physician Grand Maester Mellos in order to save the life of their unborn son. The child does not long survive his mother, and the events leave Viserys devastated and the realm without a queen — until Alicent comes along.

King Jaehaerys I Targaryen (Michael Carter)

Grandfather and predecessor to King Viserys. Known as both the Good King for his many works in improving the realm and the Old King for his eventual advanced age, he is considered the greatest monarch in the Targaryen dynasty, with the possible exception of Aegon the Conqueror himself. No king ruled longer or had more of an effect on the lives and laws of the Seven Kingdoms. Faced with a difficult question of succession after the deaths of his sons, he convened the Great Council of Westeros lords to settle the matter in a vote held at the massive castle of Harrenhal. It was there that his grandson Viserys was selected over his granddaughter Rhaenys.

Though he appears in the premiere’s opening sequence, he is long dead by the time the core events of the series begin.

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‘House of the Dragon’: Everything to Know from George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire & Blood’

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Dragons are coming. HBO ‘s “ Game of Thrones ” prequel, “ House of the Dragon ” draws nearer and nearer, like the Night King north of the wall as he marched for Westeros.

But this isn’t about him.

“House of the Dragon” takes place nearly 200 years before “Game of Thrones,” with an entirely new cast of characters , different battles (personal and physical), and an unfamiliar Westeros that viewers will soon get to know. The series recounts events laid out in George R.R. Martin ‘s “Fire & Blood,” but for those unable to catch up on centuries of fantasy folklore ahead of the August 21 HBO premiere, here’s what you need to know.

Source Material (and a Grain of Salt)

“House of the Dragon” has what later seasons of “Game of Thrones” didn’t: Source material. Martin outlines the basic events of Targaryen history in “Fire & Blood” — but this isn’t your average adaptation.

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Unlike the novels behind “Game of Thrones,” “Fire & Blood” has an omniscient narrator: Martin himself. He documents the histories based on various accounts from maesters, septons, other literature, and a guy literally called Mushroom. During the years covered in “House of the Dragon,” a lot of these histories conflict (Mushroom’s is particularly colorful). Showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan J. Condal have multiple versions to choose from, and the option create a new one entirely — using Martin’s work, as “Thrones” eventually did, as a template but not an exact blueprint.

The Targaryen Lineage

“Fire & Blood” and “House of the Dragon” are chock-full of dragon-blooded Targaryens, but not to the point where viewers will get lost. The premiere introduces King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), wife Aemma (Sian Brooke), daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), brother Daemon (Matt Smith), and cousin Rhaenys (Eve Best). They’re easy enough to keep straight, but early episodes also drop the names of some previous Targaryen heavy hitters that provide further context.

The Targaryen rule of Westeros started with Aegon I, who conquered the seven kingdoms with his dragons and his sister-wives. “House of the Dragon” name-drops Aegon, crediting him for uniting the kingdoms and bringing his family to power. It also mentions Aegon’s wife Visenya, who outlived both her siblings and was known for her prowess on dragonback and in battle. Her sword, Dark Sister, is the Valyrian steel blade wielded by Daemon Targaryen, and Viserys wields Blackfyre, Aegon’s own blade.

It’s worth noting that Visenya’s son Maegor, who did not have the strongest claim to the throne, eventually forced his way onto it and was so bloodthirsty as a ruler that he became known as Maegor the Cruel. “House of the Dragon” mentions Maegor strategically, in a comparison that chills the characters who hear it and should warn the audience as well, for Maegor set the bar for Targaryen-on-Targaryen warfare.

Hello Incest My Old Friend

“Game of Thrones” fans will recall the incest, but during one of its early acknowledgements in Season 1, Cersei tells Ned Stark that the Targaryens wed brother to sister for generations in order to keep their bloodlines pure. This is true and very much thriving in the era of “House of the Dragon” with all kinds of relatives either married or giving off disconcertingly flirty vibes.

When they first took the throne, the Targaryens faced resistance to this practice from the Faith, the religion sect of most Westerosi. Numerous Septons and their followers have declared Targaryen marriages invalid and abominable, leading to escalating conflicts, wars, and unstable regimes — but that was before Exceptionalism, an actual doctrine that basically just declares Targaryens exempt from the same norms as other humans because they are allegedly closer to the gods. They can ride dragons! Let them have a little incest, as a treat.

A Family Affair

Prominent “Game of Thrones” families like houses Baratheon, Stark, Lannister, and others are very much alive and well in the age of “House of the Dragon,” but don’t expect to see much of them. Instead, the Targaryens keep close company with houses like Velaryon and Hightower, bloodlines which were less involved in rule and court by the time Robert Baratheon became king ahead of “Game of Thrones” (for reasons that may or may not be revealed).

The Velaryon family, like the Targaryens, are descended from Old Valyria, an Eastern city destroyed by a volcano long before this series takes place. Key players include Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint), Rhaenys’s husband and commander of powerful ships and fleets. The Velaryons are tied closely to the Targaryens — not least by this marriage — but they’re deeply bitter about being so close to the Throne and still denied rule. Rhaenys’s father was older than Viserys’ father, but a High Council determined that right of rule would not pass through the female bloodline. This will come back to haunt everyone involved when Viserys names Rhaenyra as his heir.

Another major family in “House of the Dragon” is the Hightowers, starting with Lady Alicent (Emily Carey; Olivia Cooke) and her father Otto (Rhys Ifans), Hand of the King. Otto Hightower has been Hand since before Viserys took the throne, and he makes his grander plans all but explicit in Episode 1. And as the trailers show, Alicent is about to find herself going toe-to-toe with Viserys’ daughter Rhaenyra, heir to the Throne.

The Dance of Dragons

Viserys’ rule ultimately sets up the Dance of Dragons, a major Targaryen civil war, and tensions are simmering from the outset. House Targaryen is a ticking time bomb (dragon egg?), and this series will ignite it sooner or later.

“The Dance was a war unlike any other ever fought in the long history of the Seven Kingdoms,” Martin writes. “Though armies marched and met in savage battle, much of the slaughter took place on water, and…especially…in the air, as dragon fought dragon with tooth and claw and flame. It was a war marked by stealth, murder, and betrayal as well, a war fought in shadows and stairwells, council chambers and castle yards with knives and lies and poison.”

“House of the Dragon” premieres August 21 on HBO.

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House of the Dragon

An internal succession war within House Targaryen at the height of its power, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. An internal succession war within House Targaryen at the height of its power, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. An internal succession war within House Targaryen at the height of its power, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.

• Ryan J. Condal
• George R.R. Martin
• Emma D'Arcy
• Olivia Cooke
• 1.9K User reviews
• 64 Critic reviews
• 13 wins & 69 nominations total

Episodes 20

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• Prince Daemon Targaryen

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• Trivia The Iron Throne has been greatly redesigned from Game of Thrones (2011) . It is larger and more asymmetrical to more closely match the description in George R.R. Martin 's novels, although it is still nowhere near that big: the throne in the books is a 40-foot, immovable, asymmetrical behemoth made from 1000 swords welded together, with the seat 20 feet above the ground, and only accessible by a flight of stairs; the person sitting on it addresses people down below from 40 feet away.
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Where Does House of the Dragon Sit in George R.R. Martin’s Book Series?

Last night, the first season of House of the Dragon ended in dire straits, with the realm of Westeros sitting on the verge of war. Unfortunately, we won’t find out what will happen following that cliffhanger until sometime in 2024. But, if you read the book it’s based on, you can get a sneak peek of all the action to come.

For those who’ve yet to jump on the House of the Dragon bandwagon, HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off centres on the Targaryen family and is filled with fire, bloodshed, politics, a dash of incest, and of course, some dragons.

While most know that Game of Thrones is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Martin, some fans weren’t aware that House of the Dragon is based on a “history book” about the exhaustive legacy of the Targaryen dynasty.

So, if you’re wondering how House of the Dragon fits into George R.R. Martin’s Westerosi dream, then you better read on.

So, which books did House of the Dragon’s story come from?

House of the Dragon is based on the prequel to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, Fire and Blood . First released back in 2018, Fire and Blood was written in between the publication of A Dance With Dragons and Winds of Winter .

Fire and Blood is a recount of the Targaryen dynasty, from the arrival of Aegon the Conqueror to the reign of King Aegon III. Set centuries before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, you’ll learn all about her family’s complex and bloody history as they all tussle for the Iron Throne.

The book is divided into six volumes, each chronicling the reign of a different Targaryen successor. From what we’ve seen so far, HBO’s House of the Dragon covers the fourth part in the book, “Heirs of the Dragon” and will likely delve into its fifth part, “The Dying of the Dragons”, in future seasons (if we’re lucky). So far, it’s a pretty faithful adaptation of the book but reimagines the context of certain events to add more depth and drama to the show.

The series follows the volume containing the rule of King Viserys (Paddy Considine), who chooses to name his daughter, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), as his successor over his brother, Prince Daemon (Matt Smith). You can find a recap for the turbulent first episode here .

There are a few notable differences between the characters in the book and in the show. For instance, King Viserys was aged up in House of the Dragon while Alicent was aged down. But if you want to find out all of the differences between the book and the TV show, you’ll have to read Fire and Blood for yourself.

Where to buy the book that inspired House of the Dragon

You can buy a copy of the book behind House of the Dragon from any of the retailers below:

Amazon ($14.95) | Big W ($12) | Booktopia ($14.95) | eBay ($19.99)

How to read the Game of Thrones books in order

In case you didn’t know, George R.R. Martin’s books aren’t referred to as the Game of Thrones series. In fact, they’re actually known as the A Song of Ice and Fire series. The HBO show takes its name from the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones.

Just like the TV series, the books follow a multiperspective structure, which means that we often jump from the POV of one character to another in a chapter-by-chapter fashion. This is why we would often switch between the perspective of characters such as Jon, Tyrion and Daenerys in the show, since it’s following the way the story unfolds in the books. Of course, this can make reading rather difficult, especially if you’re not particularly engaged in one character’s story arc.

Here’s how you should read books that inspired the Game of Thrones series in order:

• A Game of Thrones (1996)
• A Clash of Kings (1998)
• A Storm of Swords (2000)
• A Feast for Crows (2005)
• A Dance with Dragons (2011)

If you don’t want any spoilers , we recommend skipping the new few paragraphs, but if you want some context behind what each book is about, then keep scrolling.

A Game of Thrones follows Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark’s appointment as Hand of the King, a dangerous position that’ll put him by his best friend, Robert Baratheon’s side. Leaving behind his wife and children, he moves to the South with his two daughters and attempts to navigate court politics and intrigue. Meanwhile, his bastard son Jon Snow joins the Night’s Watch, a brotherhood of thieves, rapists and murderers. On The Wall, he protects the Seven Kingdoms from otherworldly threats that lie beyond. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen, the teenaged daughter of the deposed Mad King, has come of age and is married off to a barbarian warlord. Together with her older brother, Viserys, Daenerys hopes to raise an army so they can take back the kingdom that is rightfully theirs.

In the second book, A Clash of Kings , a new king sits on The Iron Throne. However, two newcomers – Stannis Baratheon, brother of the former king and Robb Stark, heir of the North – challenge his legitimacy by throwing their hats into the ring for the crown. Meanwhile, Winterfell is betrayed by its young ward, Theon Greyjoy, who captures the fortress, and forces the youngest Stark brothers to flee for their lives. In the East, Daenerys goes in search of new allies, carting her three new baby dragons with her.

In A Storm of Swords , tensions increase as the three leaders still grapple for the Iron Throne. Over at the Wall, undead wights wage war on the Watch while Jon infiltrates the Wildling clans in the north. Daenerys, Mother of Dragons, heads to Slaver’s Bay to cultivate her new army.

Following their victory in the War of Five Kings, the Lannisters are sitting pretty at the beginning of A Feast For Crows . A young king sits on the Iron Throne under the watchful eye of his mother Cersei. In the fall out, other characters have seen their fortunes turn: Jon has become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, Tyrion has fled the Capital after murdering his father and Sansa Stark has escaped the city under the protection of Petyr Baelish and her aunt.

Told simultaneously with A Feast For Crows , A Dance With Dragons continues with Jon navigating his enemies both outside and inside of The Wall. Tyrion Lannister reveals he is onboard a ship to Pentos, where his fate remains unknown. Daenerys, relishing in her victory over Meereen, decides to stick around and hone her leadership skills. But unfortunately, her power and influence reaches the ears of Westeros , which causes many emissaries to sail and attempt to manipulate the young queen.

There are expected to be a total of seven books in the series but old mate George hasn’t gotten around to finishing them yet. The upcoming books are meant to be titled Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring respectively.

If you were paying close enough attention to the publish dates, you’ll notice that the last book Martin wrote for us was published 11 years ago . Given that the TV show wrapped up in 2019, the final season of Game of Thrones isn’t actually “canon” if we’re following the books. This also means that its ending could’ve been wildly different to the one we got, but we won’t know until Martin sits down to finish it.

Whether you choose to read the A Song of Ice and Fire series before Fire and Blood is completely up to you. Since Fire and Blood was written as a prequel, you won’t run into any spoilers on the following books or the Game of Thrones show. However, we highly encourage you to tackle the A Song of Ice and Fire books first, since you’ll develop a better appreciation for the Targaryens, and George R. R. Martin’s easter eggs, when you go back and read Fire and Blood .

Where to buy the Game of Thrones books to read in order

You can buy an individual copy of the A Song of Ice and Fire series from any of the retailers below:

•  A Game of Thrones: Amazon ($18.85) | Booktopia ($17.50) | eBay ($14) | QBD ($19.99)
• A Clash of Kings: Amazon ($9.99) | Booktopia ($17.50) | eBay ($9.99) | QBD ($19.99)
• A Storm of Swords (Part 1): Amazon ($9.99) | Booktopia ($27.75) | eBay ($8) | QBD ($19.99)
• A Storm of Swords (Part 2): Amazon ($7.99) | Booktopia ($27.25) | eBay ($23.12) | QBD ($19.99)
• A Feast for Crows: Amazon ($20.69) | Booktopia ($17.50) | eBay ($18) | QBD ($19.99)
• A Dance with Dragons (Part 1) : Amazon ($9.99) | Booktopia ($17.50) | QBD ($19.99)
• A Dance with Dragons (Part 2) : Amazon ($18.62) | Booktopia ($23.25) | QBD ($22.99)

You can also read the Game of Thrones books in order through the boxed set below:

Amazon ($59.95) | Booktopia ($68.90) | eBay ($62.99)

Please note: Due to demand, some copies in the A Song of Ice and Fire series are out of stock, but keep checking back if you want to secure your next read. At this point in time, we highly recommend grabbing the boxed set which will save you more in the long run. 

Breaking News

‘House of the Dragon,’ explained: An episode-by-episode guide

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With “House of the Dragon,” TV critic Lorraine Ali writes in her review , HBO has produced a worthy heir to “Game of Thrones” — which means that tongues will once again be wagging every Sunday at whatever bloody weddings, trials by combat, naval battles and sept bombings the writers can come up with.

Not to fear. The Times TV team will be with you — and 10 or so million of your closest friends — every step of the way with episode-by-episode recaps, explainers and deep dives into the world of Westeros, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen . We’ll let you know which characters and houses to keep an eye on as the new prequel unfurls, analyze key scenes, offer context on a complicated fictional universe and speak to the talent behind the show about how it all came together. The only thing we can’t promise is that your favorites will make it to the end of the season. When you play the game of thrones, after all, you win or you die. And with the series already renewed for Season 2, no one is winning outright anytime soon.

Who’s who in ‘House of the Dragon’? Our guide to the key characters

Which characters matter? Which Houses are a factor? Why are their names so hard to spell? Here’s who you should keep an eye on.

Oct. 17, 2022

Episode 1: Inside the ‘extreme’ childbirth scene in ‘Heirs of the Dragon’

‘We wanted it to be difficult to watch’: Co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik and actor Sian Brooke break down a key sequence in the series premiere.

Aug. 21, 2022

Episode 2: What the Dragonstone showdown means

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel continues to soar in its second episode, “The Rogue Prince,” thanks to a teen girl’s quick thinking.

Aug. 28, 2022

Episode 3: What to know about the Crabfeeder’s war on Westeros

Who is Craghas Drahar a.k.a. the Crabfeeder? What is the Triarchy? Where are the Stepstones? Your ‘House of the Dragon’ questions, answered.

Sept. 4, 2022

Episode 4: How ‘House of the Dragon’ is fixing the mistakes of ‘Game of Thrones’

To compare Daenerys’ end to Rhaenyra Targaryen’s beginnings is to understand why HBO’s prequel series is off to such a strong start.

Sept. 11, 2022

Episode 5: ‘House of the Dragon’ has the same homophobia problem as ‘Game of Thrones’

Incest is common. Dragons rule the skies. But gay men are unacceptable? Here’s a look at the franchise’s problematic history with LGBTQ representation.

Sept. 18, 2022

Episode 6: Why that 10-year flash forward could be a major misstep

In a risky move, ‘The Princess and the Queen’ sees the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel leap far ahead — and replace several main cast members.

Sept. 25, 2022

Episode 7: A history of Targaryen incest

A brief history of why the Targaryens can’t seem to stop marrying each other — and a refresher on why it didn’t turn out well for them in the end.

Oct. 2, 2022

Episode 8: ‘House of the Dragon’ may have just solved its pacing problem

In ‘The Lord of the Tides,’ a drama that’s often felt rushed finally appeared to settle in for the long haul.

Oct. 9, 2022

Episode 9: A brief biography of Rhaenys Targaryen, ‘the Queen Who Never Was’

Everything you need to know about ‘House of the Dragon’s’ Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), known in the realm as ‘the Queen Who Never Was.’

Episode 10: How ‘House of the Dragon’ fumbled its Season 1 finale to set up Season 2

‘The Black Queen’ sets up a tantalizing showdown — next season. But the episode’s weaknesses reflected shortcuts the writers have taken in this one.

Oct. 23, 2022

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8 Ways "House of the Dragon" Puts a Spin on Plot Points From the Book

Published on 10/18/2022 at 3:00 PM

Adapting a book into a TV series always comes with plenty of changes to the plot and characters — some small, some enormous. For HBO's " House of the Dragon ," however, the adaptation style is a little bit different. " Fire & Blood ," the book by George R.R. Martin that serves as inspiration for the TV series, is told as a fictional "history" book, compiled from the historians of Westeros and, therefore, colored by the winners of those in-universe conflicts, just like real-world history is.

As a result, "House of the Dragon" takes a different tactic when it comes to book-vs.-TV differences. In many cases, these "differences" are more like "behind-the-scenes" peeks at what really happened, in contrast with what the "history books" will later report having happened. The first season alone has already seen some notable changes in perspective — here are just a few of the most memorable changes "House of the Dragon" has made.

Sign up for HBO Max now to watch "House of the Dragon."

Rhaenyra and Criston's Relationship

In the book, the exact nature of Rhaenyra and Criston's relationship is gossiped about but never confirmed. Different sources report different things: some say she tried to seduce him but he rejected her, while others say she was the one doing the rejecting.

The TV adaptation creates a version where all of those stories are a little bit true. Rhaenyra and Criston seem to like one another, and she first has a crush on him. She does seduce him, and he's initially reluctant because of his Kingsguard vows. Later, however, he begs her to elope with him, and she turns him down to fulfill her royal duty, and an angry Criston becomes one of her nastiest enemies.

Rhaenyra and Alicent's Friendship

One of the more devastating alterations from the book to the TV show is the depiction of the relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent. In the book, they are acquainted with each other, but they don't have much of a relationship until after Alicent marries Rhaenyra's father, King Viserys.

The TV version of their relationship makes their later deadly rivalry more tragic. When we first meet them, they're teenage girls and best friends, closer to each other than anyone else . The scheming of others pushes them — often powerless, as even the wealthiest women are shown to be — into positions where they lose trust in each other and become enemies.

Rhea Royce's Death

Daemon Targaryen is married three times , each with its own set of complications. In both the book and the TV show, he's very unhappily married to his first wife, Rhea Royce, who likewise is not particularly thrilled with their marriage. The book depicts her sudden death as a riding accident, after which Daemon returns to the Vale to give her funeral rites and claim her inheritance as his own.

The TV version, however, adds a wrinkle to this. While Rhea's riding accident is still the story told publicly, we see the truth. Daemon encounters her while riding and frightens her horse, causing it to throw her off and fatally injuring her. Daemon ensures her quick death by bludgeoning her with a rock and then passing off her death as a terrible fall on the rocks while riding.

Rhaenyra's Night Out With Daemon

As with her early relationship with Criston, Rhaenyra's initial relationship with her uncle, Daemon, is speculated about by the fictional historians in "Fire & Blood" but never confirmed. The book suggests she once asks him for "lessons" so that she can seduce Criston, while other sources claim Daemon himself slept with Rhaenyra.

Once again, the TV version shows us how all of these rumors have a kernel of truth but aren't quite the actual story. Daemon flirts with Rhaenyra and whisks her away to see the seedy underbelly of the city. He takes her to a brothel and seemingly has no problem if anyone sees them, and they share a passionate kiss. When they begin to undress, however, Daemon finds himself physically unable to go through with it and storms off, leaving Rhaenyra there. When Viserys later confronts him about the rumors, he offers to marry Rhaenyra; meanwhile, she winds up sleeping with Criston. It's not until many years later, just before their marriage, that Rhaenyra and Daemon actually sleep together.

Laena Velaryon's Death

Childbirth is dangerous in Westeros, and in both the book and the TV show, Laena Velaryon is one of the victims. Both versions of her story depict it ending mostly the same way: as she tries to give birth to her and Daemon's son, the labor goes wrong. Her son doesn't survive, and after a few days, she dies, too, unable to reach her dragon, Vhagar, for one last ride.

"House of the Dragon" adds a slightly different layer to her death. This time, Laena does reach Vhagar, knowing that she is dying. Instead of dying in childbirth, she fulfills her wish to die a "dragon rider's death" and orders Vhagar to kill her with dragon fire.

Laenor Velaryon's Fate

"Fire & Blood" depicts Laenor Velaryon's life as rather tragic. He's heavily implied to be gay, sees his "favorite" (aka his boyfriend) die at his wedding celebration , and is stuck married to Rhaenyra while they both have affairs. Ultimately, he dies when his latest lover, Ser Qarl, kills him in the marketplace, reportedly paid off by Daemon or someone else.

While Laenor in the TV show does go through some of these tragedies, the show "reveals" that his tragic ending is actually just a cover story for history. Daemon does pay Qarl to get Laenor out of the way so that he and Rhaenyra can marry, but the plot is to fake Laenor's death , not actually kill him. Laenor is last seen sailing east with Qarl to live out his life far from the scheming of Westeros.

The Parentage of Rhaenyra's Sons

This particular storyline is more a case of "House of the Dragon" making explicit what "Fire & Blood" merely implies. In the book, Rhaenyra's sons Jacerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are heavily rumored to be the illegitimate offspring of her ongoing affair with Ser Harwin Strong , particularly since they are dark haired and do not have Targaryen coloring. However, since Laenor's mother, Rhaenys Velaryon (previously Targaryen), has dark hair due to having a Baratheon mother herself, the possibility remains that the boys could be Laenor's.

"House of the Dragon" pretty much confirms that Rhaenyra's three Velaryon sons are actually Harwin's. He is clearly very close with the boys, and since Rhaenys is a Targaryen blonde in this adaptation, there's no other plausible source for the boys' dark hair.

Princess Helaena's Prophecies

In "Fire & Blood," Princess Helaena is a deeply tragic minor character. Married off to her brother Aegon , her most notable role comes later into the civil war when she is forced to make an impossible choice and winds up meeting a devastating fate herself.

"House of the Dragon" weaves Helaena into the story earlier. Throughout her appearances, she seems strange and mutters apparent nonsense, but that nonsense almost invariably turns out to be prophetic . So far, she has predicted her brother Aemond losing an eye, the appearance of the dragon Meleys from underground, and the civil war between factions of her family.

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‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 1 Breakdown: Dreams and Prophecies

A spoiler-free deep dive into the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel’s premiere, which included a major lore reveal from the mind of George R.R. Martin

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We’re back! After more than three years, Westeros has returned to the screen in House of the Dragon , a prequel series set some two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones . The premiere episode was full of new lore, references, callbacks, and Easter eggs, and I’m here to help guide you through it all in this spoiler-free column. This week, I’ll dive into Aegon’s prophetic dream, which Viserys detailed at the end of the episode—plus hit on additional tidbits and takeaways.

Deep Dive of the Week: The Targaryen Prophecy

The ending of the House of the Dragon premiere contained a bombshell for Thrones lore: Aegon the Conqueror didn’t just set his sights on Westeros because it was a fertile continent ripe for the taking. He did so because he dreamed of the great White Walker threat to come, as “a terrible winter, gusting out of the distant north.” Now, that vision is passed down from each Targaryen ruler to the next, and Rhaenyra is the latest to hold the secret.

This is a big reveal for the A Song of Ice and Fire series as a whole, one that recontextualizes much of what we know about the Targaryens and recent Westerosi history. And as showrunner Ryan Condal told Vanity Fair , it came straight from author George R.R. Martin .

But this reveal also raises some questions. One big one: Why would Viserys (and his ancestors) treat Aegon’s dream as an ironclad vision of what’s to come? “I dreamed of a cold winter” doesn’t seem like a particularly strong basis for conquering a continent and establishing dominion over all of its inhabitants.

Let’s dig into that question by winding the clock back to 114 BC—that is, 114 years before Aegon’s Conquest and more than 200 years before the events of Dragon . Back then, there were dozens of houses of dragonlords like the Targaryens. Only, these dragonlords weren’t in Westeros, but in a city-state called Valyria, located on a peninsula in Essos, far to the south and east of Westeros. The Valyrians had, over the preceding couple of centuries, carved out a large empire in Essos that they called the Valyrian Freehold, on account of them having no king but rather a system of government in which every land-holding citizen had a voice. The Freehold was the wealthiest and most powerful kingdom in the known world, the center of civilization and a land of splendor. It was a golden age.

In Valyria, the Targaryens were not royalty. They were just one of the many dragonlords—no more special than any of the others. Then, a young Targaryen maiden named Daenys had a dream. Daenys saw the destruction of Valyria by fire. Her father, Aenar Targaryen, decided to heed his daughter’s dream as a warning, and uprooted the family to the westernmost point of the Valyrian empire—the island of Dragonstone, just off the coast of Westeros in Blackwater Bay. The other dragonlords thought the Targaryens were fools … and then the Doom came to Valyria 12 years later.

Little is known about the Doom, except that within hours the most powerful city in the history of the known world had fallen, and all the dragonlords therein were destroyed. In this episode of Dragon , Viserys implied that the Doom had something to do with the dragons. But the truth is lost to history, and even the archaeological record is impossible to examine, as the peninsula was reduced to a series of shattered, smoking islands inhabited by greyscale-plagued monsters. Tyrion and Jorah got a first-hand view of the wreckage of Old Valyria in Season 5 of Thrones :

The Targaryen family were the only surviving dragonlords, and they spent the next century entangled in affairs in the east—in the old Valyrian Freehold—before Aegon finally had his own dream of an apocalypse and turned his eyes west to become the Conqueror.

Daenys and Aegon are not the only Targaryens known to have prophetic dreams. Daenerys has many such dreams, especially in A Game of Thrones when she is married to Khal Drogo. She frequently dreams of a black dragon—one that eventually bathes her in a fire that does not harm her but rather makes her feel “strong and new and fierce.” And that’s, well, pretty much what happened .

Maester Aemon, the elderly maester at the Wall when Jon Snow arrives there, also dreams of dragons and fire, though the way he describes his dreams seems more scrambled and less prophetic. At one point, as Aemon is nearing his death, he tells Sam Tarly that “It must be you. Tell them. The prophecy ... my brother’s dream ... Lady Melisandre has misread the signs. Stannis ... Stannis has some of the dragon blood in him, yes. His brothers did as well.”

This comes as part of a longer, delirious monologue from Aemon, and Sam has no idea what to make of it. But Aemon’s emphasis on Stannis having “dragon blood” is interesting. It’s true that the Baratheons have Valyrian blood in them. The first Baratheon, Orys Baratheon, was widely believed to be a bastard half-brother of Aegon the Conqueror, and the Baratheons long had close ties to the Targaryens (until a young Baratheon named Robert overthrew the entire dynasty). In fact, Robert Baratheon’s grandmother was Rhaelle Targaryen, who was Aemon’s niece. Aemon’s focus on “dragon blood” here could line up with King Viserys emphasizing that a Targaryen must sit the Iron Throne … only Aemon is too far gone at that point to really explain what he means.

Still other Targaryens had prophetic dreams, most notably Daeron the Drunken, who was born in 190 AC (so about 80 years after the events of Dragon and a century before Thrones ) and appears in the Dunk and Egg novellas. Daeron’s dreams terrified him so greatly that he became an alcoholic. In the novellas, he tells the hedge knight Duncan the Tall that a dragon would die and fall on him. Later, in a tournament melee, prince Baelor Targaryen was dealt a mortal blow and died in Duncan’s arms. In another of the Dunk and Egg novellas, Daemon Blackfyre (the Blackfyres are a Targaryen offshoot branch) tells Duncan that he had a dream of Duncan in all-white armor, and Duncan later becomes a knight in Aegon V’s Kingsguard. Daemon II also dreams of dragons, which went extinct before he was born, hatching from stone eggs.

So, Targaryens have dreams that often come true, and we now know that one of these was Aegon the Conqueror’s dream of the White Walker threat. This knowledge could also help explain some of the more mysterious but consequential events in Targaryen history.

Let’s start with the Tragedy at Summerhall. In 259 AC, King Aegon V Targaryen—the Egg of the Dunk and Egg novellas—convened with several of his closest advisors at the castle of Summerhall, in the Dornish Marches. Aegon desperately wanted to restore dragons to the Targaryen dynasty. No one knows exactly what happened at Summerhall, but a fire broke out, killing Aegon, his eldest son Duncan, and Ser Duncan the Tall, now the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. It’s easy to connect the dots: Aegon V and Co. thought some kind of ritual involving fire would hatch dragons in some way, or bring them out by magic. But readers know Aegon V through the Dunk and Egg novellas, and while only a child in those texts, he doesn’t seem like one of the Targaryens whose coin landed on the wrong side . What made him so obsessed with saving dragons from extinction? Of course, the explanation could be as simple as, “They’re dragons! They’re freaking awesome!” But it could also be, “We need them to save the world from impending doom.”

The Tragedy at Summerhall isn’t just a story of death, though; it is also one of life. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was born there in 259 AC, the same year of the tragedy. Rhaegar was obsessed with the “prince that was promised” prophecy, which states that a savior would be “born amidst salt and smoke, beneath a bleeding star.” In his youth, Rhaegar thought he might be the prince that was promised—with the fire of Summerhall representing the smoke and the tears of those who died representing the salt. Later, though, Rhaegar became convinced that his son would be the prince. First, he thought that prince was his son Aegon, whom he had with Elia Martell. But then Rhaegar left Elia for Lyanna Stark—perhaps focusing on the “song of ice and fire” part of the prophecy.

An interest in this prophecy alone is enough to explain Rhaegar’s actions. But the added pressure of a vision of apocalypse from Aegon could help shed some light on why Rhaegar was so obsessed with it. It could also explain why Rhaegar ditched his first wife when she was no longer able to have children, something that seems somewhat out of character for him based on how those who knew Rhaegar described him. (We also know that Rhaegar ran away with Lyanna at the end of the year of the false spring, when “winter returned to Westeros with a vengeance,” per The World of Ice & Fire . Perhaps Rhaegar thought that the terrible winter Aegon had dreamed of was beginning.)

We could continue to go in circles about prophecy in this series and how different characters interpret it. Aemon ends up becoming convinced that Daenerys is the prince that was promised, noting that in Valyrian, the word “prince” has no gender. And Targaryens aren’t the only characters who have prophetic dreams—remember Jojen Reed and his green dreams? Or Maggy the Frog and her prophecy for Cersei? Or Daenerys’s visions at the House of the Undying? Or Quaithe?

Additionally, while Viserys’s revelation about Aegon provides for some exciting new examinations of past events, it also prompts plenty of questions: Why keep Aegon’s dream a secret? Why didn’t the Targaryens do more to garrison the North? When was this dream lost to history? How was the secret passed from Aenys to Maegor and from Maegor to Jaehaerys, when both of those successions were less than amicable? If the dragons were supposed to be essential in warding off this threat, why in Thrones did they become arguably a net negative in the fight against the Night King? And why were the White Walkers ultimately destroyed by Arya, someone with no Targaryen blood whatsoever? The more you think about it, the more this bombshell starts to feel like a retcon.

Daenerys said it best in A Dance With Dragons : “Dreams and prophecies. Why must they always be in riddles? I hate this.”

Saying goodbye to Aemma Arryn

This week we said hello and goodbye to Aemma Arryn, the wife of Viserys, mother of Rhaenyra, and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms for nine years. As she tells her daughter in this episode, “You will lie in this bed soon enough, Rhaenyra. This discomfort is how we serve the realm.” Her life—and death—offers a look at the role most royal women in Westeros are forced to play.

If you couldn’t tell from her silver locks, Aemma had Targaryen blood. Her mother was Daella Targaryen, making her a cousin to her husband Viserys. That would make their marriage almost normal by Westerosi standards, except that she was married when she was 11 years old. ( Fire & Blood assures us that the marriage wasn’t consummated until Aemma had “flowered” … a whole two years later. It appears the show has aged her up significantly, as she is supposed to be in her 20s when she dies but Sian Brooke, the actress playing her, is 42.)

As this episode detailed, Aemma suffered many miscarriages and had a previous son who died in the cradle before finally birthing Rhaenyra, her only healthy child. Aemma’s death during childbirth is all too indicative of the violence that women cannot escape in Westeros, even during times of peace. Aemma’s mother also died after a difficult labor, as did Viserys’s. When Aemma calls childbirth a battlefield, she’s not kidding around—it seems to be by far the most common way for women of the realm to die.

Aemma’s death—as well as the death of her son, Prince Baelon—spurs Viserys to rethink his line of succession and name Rhaenyra his heir. And as Viserys tells his daughter, the Iron Throne is the most dangerous seat in the realm. Maybe even more dangerous than a birthing bed.

The meaning behind Viserys cutting himself on the throne

Early in the episode, some attendants are examining a festering wound on Viserys’s back, one which is growing and won’t seem to heal. Viserys brushes it off as just a cut he got from sitting on the Iron Throne. Otto Hightower, the king’s hand, remarks to Maester Mellos that “whatever it is, it needs to be kept quiet.” Whether that wound is from the throne or not, Viserys clearly cuts himself on the throne when he is exiling his brother Daemon near the conclusion of the episode. And here Otto is right—this is bad news.

Aegon the Conqueror forged the Iron Throne out of the blades of his enemies not just to create a symbol of power over his subjects, but also to establish a throne that isn’t comfortable to sit on, because “a king should never sit easy.” Getting cut by the throne is widely seen as a sign that the king isn’t fit to rule. King Maegor the Cruel, who ruled from 42 to 48 AC (roughly 60 years before the events of this episode), was known as an exceptionally terrible, violent, and downright evil ruler. Maegor fought a bloody war to claim the throne, took multiple wives, and placed bounties on the members of the Faith who opposed him. He killed his nephew in combat, brought entire great houses to extinction, and tortured those at court who opposed him.

When the realm rebelled and the walls were closing in on Maegor, the king who was called by some “The Abomination on the Iron Throne” was, one morning, simply found dead on the Iron Throne. His wrists had been cut open, and one of the blades from the throne itself was sticking through his neck. No one knows who killed Maegor, but many in Westeros believe it was the Iron Throne itself that rejected his tyrannical rule. (Knowing this context, it’s pretty bizarre that Viserys threw out the Iron Throne as an explanation for the wound on his back. That’d make most in Westeros worry more, not less.)

Fast-forward to the Thrones timeline, and we find more figures who cut themselves on the throne. The mad king Aerys—the one Robert rebelled against—was known for cutting himself on the throne so frequently that he was nicknamed “King Scab.” In A Clash of Kings , Joffrey cuts himself on the throne when he orders a man’s execution. “The throne denies him!” the man yells before the gold cloaks take him away to die. “He is no king!”

Viserys is certainly no second Maegor. Nor is he a precursor to Aerys or Joffrey. But he may not be fit to rule all the same.

A couple of Thrones references sneak into a pivotal scene

When Viserys asks Rhaenyra to keep the secret of the White Walker threat, he asks her to “promise me, Rhaenyra. Promise me.” This is a direct callback (or callforward?) to Lyanna asking Ned to “promise me, Ned. Promise me” to keep the secret of Jon Snow’s parentage from the rest of the realm. And it’s not the only Thrones reference in this scene.

As Viserys is telling Rhaenyra about the long-held Targaryen secret, he clutches at the dagger he’s been wearing at his hip in the episode. It’s the same dagger that will become known as the catspaw dagger, named by fans because it’s used by a catspaw in the assassination attempt on Bran Stark in Season 1 . It’s also the same dagger that Arya ultimately uses to kill the Night King and end the White Walker threat in Season 8 . That makes this scene a true full-circle moment for both shows (and, yeah, it’s probably a little too on the nose).

The importance of Princess Nymeria

When Rhaenyra and Alicent are in the godswood, Alicent reads aloud from a book about Princess Nymeria, who led the Rhoynar people to Dorne hundreds of years before the events of Dragon . Rhaenyra at first isn’t too interested—but the subject of their study and the rest of this scene reveal something important.

The Rhoynar are named after the long river in Essos along which they lived, and among the Rhoynar, men and women live as equals. Nymeria and the Rhoynar were, however, forced out of their homes as the Valyrian Freehold expanded under the dragonlords. The story of Nymeria is more legend than history, but the legends tell us that she commanded 10,000 ships and took her people from island to island searching for a place beyond the reach of the dragons. She first landed at the Basilisk Isles, then the Isle of Toads, then the mysterious southern continent of Sothoryos, then Naath, then the Summer Isles. Everywhere, Nymeria and the Rhoynar found violence, disease, or devastation. It wasn’t until she brought her people to Dorne, then a thinly populated and desolate region, that she found a permanent home. She took Mors Martell, the lord of House Martell, as her husband and burned her ships, showing the Rhoynar that they were done running.

In Dorne, Nymeria continued to fight wars for supremacy, assuming command of armies in battle as the Martells fought with the other houses in the region. Her reign lasted for 27 years, and by the time she was done, Dorne was under the control of House Martell and the Dornish people had adopted the laws and customs of the Rhoynar—including allowing women to rule. Nymeria remains an inspiration to many women in Westeros; in Thrones , Arya names her direwolf after the warrior princess.

In this scene in the godswood, Rhaenyra says that she doesn’t want to rule. She just wants to fly, explore, and eat cake. She even professes to want her father Viserys to have the son he’s always dreamed of. But other moments in this episode—like the little pauses she gives when Viserys talks about his “heir” or the way she shows Alicent that actually, yes, she has studied Nymeria—reveal the truth. Rhaenyra wishes to rule. Knowing all she can about Nymeria may help her in that.

So … who is Criston Cole?

You may have picked up on the idea that Criston Cole, the knight who unhorses Daemon at the tournament and catches Rhaenyra’s eye, is an important character. Harrold Westerling, the commander of the Kingsguard, tells Rhaenyra that Criston is a common-born son of a steward of House Dondarrion (you may remember Beric Dondarrion from Thrones ). And as Alicent remarks, Criston is Dornish, as the Dondarrions rule over the region called the Dornish Marches, which separates Dorne from the Stormlands.

As can be seen from his performance in the tourney, Criston is an exceptionally skilled fighter, especially with his weapon of choice, the morning star. There’s little else to say about Criston at this point, but many knights in Westeros have improved their station with strong performances at important tournaments. Criston certainly got noticed at this one.

What was up with the Baratheons at the tourney?

The vote at the Great Council of 101 AC that we see in the opening scenes of this episode was not close. Though the exact count was never revealed, the rumor is that Viserys won by a margin of 20-to-1. The lords of Westeros really, really didn’t want the Iron Throne to pass through Jaehaerys’s female line.

Still, Rhaenys had some strong support on her side. (And, just to be technically correct, on her 7-year-old son Laenor Velaryon’s side. In Fire & Blood , she’s pushing his claim to be king through herself, not her own claim to be queen.) That included Corlys Velaryon, her husband and the wealthiest and arguably most powerful man in the realm at this time, outside of the Targaryen dynasty. It also included the Baratheons.

As previously noted, the Baratheons have strong ties to the Targaryens. They also, at this point in history, have strong ties to the Velaryons. Boremund Baratheon was the lord of House Baratheon at the time of the Great Council, and his mother was Alyssa Velaryon, who was probably an aunt or grand aunt of Corlys (Corlys’s parents are never named, so the Velaryon family tree is a bit murky). But the family connection goes even further, because Rhaenys isn’t just connected to the Baratheons on account of her marriage to Corlys. Her mother was Jocelyn Baratheon, the daughter of Alyssa and Boremund’s sister. That makes Rhaenys Boremund’s niece, and accordingly he threw his weight behind her at the Great Council. It wasn’t close to enough, but clearly the house’s support of Rhaenys hasn’t diminished nine years later.

That’s why Rhaenys calls Borros Baratheon (Boremund’s son, and the guy who asked for Rhaenys’s favor in the tourney) her cousin. Otto remarks to Viserys that he could have Borros’s tongue out for calling Rhaenys “the queen who never was” in public, while Viserys shrugs it off. “Tongues will not change the succession,” he says. “Let them wag.” Viserys is right—and Otto is kind of unhinged in jumping straight to dismemberment—but Otto’s wariness isn’t totally out of left field. The Velaryons are already a powerful family in the realm, and the Baratheons are strong allies.

What happened to the opening title sequence?

Don’t worry. It’s coming back next week .

Meanwhile, the cold open ended with a dragon sigil splashing onto the screen:

Only, this sigil isn’t the red dragon on a black field that represents House Targaryen. It’s a gold one.

Audiences should understand at this point that House of the Dragon tells the story of a civil war. Sigils are important in Westerosi warfare, because they let combatants know who is on whose side. But what do armies do when the war is between two sides of the same house, and both sides carry the same sigil? The answer is: Someone makes a change to avoid confusion. Without saying any more, let’s just say viewers should keep an eye out for this gold dragon making a return later in the series.

What the hell is up with this tapestry behind Aemma when she’s in labor??

I noticed this ( as did some of the actors), so now you all have to, as well. This is the artwork Viserys and Aemma want to look at when their son is born???? THERE ARE DRAGONS IN THERE WITH THE HUMANS OH MY GOD.

Family Tree Watch

Welcome to the space where we’ll keep track of the tangle of branches this royal family calls a “tree.” In the opening of the premiere, we met King Jaehaerys, who ruled over Westeros for 55 years before succumbing to old age in 103 AC. He and his wife Alysanne (who, you guessed it, was also his sister) had a total of 13 children … yet somehow managed to produce no obvious heirs. That’s because Jaehaerys outlived 11 of those children. The only two still alive at the time of the Great Council were Vaegon, who had long ago set aside any royal ambitions to pursue a maester’s chain, and Saera, who was estranged from the family and lived across the Narrow Sea.

That makes many of the characters in Dragon Jaehaerys’s grandchildren, including Viserys, Daemon, and Rhaenys. If you’re wondering about the connections in more detail, here’s what it looks like on paper:

We didn’t really meet Laena and Laenor in this episode, but they are seen sitting in the royal box at the tournament and will become more central to the story later, so don’t forget about them. Rhea Royce, meanwhile, is the wife whom Daemon speaks so fondly of and is being forced to return to. Perhaps we’ll see her soon.

Next Time On …

Here’s your preview for “the weeks ahead”:

They are really leaning into Aegon’s prophecy. But my guess is that soon enough, that dream won’t be front of mind for even Rhaenyra. As Daemon says in this trailer, “Dreams didn’t make us kings.” The Long Night is nearly 200 years away. The war for the Iron Throne is about to begin.

Next Up In House of the Dragon

• The 2024 Spring Mailbag
• ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Dueling Trailer Breakdown: The Green Trailer and the Black Trailer
• The ‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘Acolyte’ Trailers, ‘3 Body Problem,’ ‘Shogun’ Episode 5, and the Next Era of ‘Top Chef’
• The ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Trailers Show Greens Vs. Blacks—and a Forthcoming War
• 2024 Summer Preview
• ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Teaser Trailer Breakdown

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How to Read the Game of Thrones Books in Order

With so many books in George R. R. Martin's unfinished A Song of Ice and Fire book series, it can be truly challenging to know where to begin.

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Where to start reading a song of ice and fire, what to read after the main books, don't read the side books before the game of thrones books.

The success of the Game of Thrones franchise has only been elevated by the unprecedented rise of House of the Dragon . The shows have become mainstays for HBO and Max, despite the controversial Game of Thrones ending. Multiple spin-offs are currently in various stages of development, including The Sea Snake , The Hedge Knight , and The Golden Empire . The various shows have secured a place among the most successful TV franchises.

The franchise did not start with the shows, however. George R. R. Martin's books were the basis for the beloved TV universe. It all began with the A Song of Ice and Fire series, which begins with Game of Thrones and eventually splits into spin-off books about Westeros' history. The first five books have a relatively simple order, but figuring out how to read the rest of A Song of Ice and Fire can be a challenge.

The First Five Books are Completely Linear

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The reading order for the original five books is fairly simple. Readers should start with the first book in A Song of Ice and Fire's publication order. It can be identified by the title that made the TV show famous: A Game of Thrones . After that title, A Clash of Kings follows, then A Storm of Swords . A Feast for Crows is the fourth book in the series. A Dance with Dragons followed as the final published A Song of Ice and Fire Book . Martin plans to write two more for the main series, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring .

A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons have a fairly unique reading order, compared to the rest of the series. Instead of including every Point of View character, Martin instead elected to include only characters from specific geographic areas in each book. Tyrion and Jon Snow's perspectives, for instance, are presented in A Dance with Dragons , rather than A Feast for Crows . Despite the scattered POVs, it is best to read those books in release order, as it provides more context for many of the events on the Wall. In essence, all A Song of Ice and Fire books should be read in the same order that they were published.

The next book, The Winds of Winter is still in development . Martin has been working on the book for about 13 years. He has not been open about any potential upcoming release date. He has released and read some sample chapters from The Winds of Winter , but the official book remains unpublished. There is no way to know in which order the sample chapters should be read, and readers should understand that they will be changed before publication. For those who have finished reading the sample chapters, and who are still waiting for The Winds of Winter , there are companion books and novellas that fill in key elements of Westeros' backstory.

The Books That Inspired House of the Dragon Aren't Officially Mainline Westeros

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Anyone waiting for The Winds of Winter can still read more from the A Song of Ice and Fire universe. The companion novels generally explore the lives of the people of Westeros long before the fall of House Targaryen. While they do cover Westerosi history before Aegon's Conquest , pre-Targaryen history is sparse and lacks much detail. The majority of Martin's pre- A Game of Thrones work centers around the choice of Targaryen kings and queens. The rise and fall of the dragons is central to his storytelling.

The first novella, The Princess and the Queen released in 2013 and should be followed by The Rogue Prince and The Sons of the Dragon , which breaks the release order. After all, Sons of the Dragon was released after another book and collection that explores Westerosi history. Generally, those three stories are optional, however, as they are expanded upon in Fire & Blood and The World of Ice & Fire . The others inform the rest of the universe and flesh out the slim novellas into full stories and arcs.

The best reading order for the pre- A Song of Ice and Fire books is to read The World of Ice & Fire , followed by Fire & Blood , then A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . The other novellas can be read afterward or prior, but they should be viewed as a supplemental aspect of the storytelling and not entirely necessary for understanding much of the narrative. The World of Ice & Fire and Fire & Blood inform House of the Dragon , while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms refers to Ser Dunk the Tall , who will be a deuteragonist in The Hedge Knight .

The Books Need To Be Read in Order

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The side books are important, but they are not quite essential to understanding the world of A Song of Ice and Fire . The World of Ice and Fire is meant to be an in-universe exploration of Westerosi history, told by Maester Yandel. As a Maester hoping to capture the favor of the kings — both King Robert and King Joffrey, as Yandel lived through Robert's death — the entire storyline is flooded with a biased narrative provided by an unreliable narrator. To read the book without context can spoil the effect that Martin was hoping to achieve.

Fire & Blood is similarly structured, though it is written by Archmaester Gyldayn, rather than Maester Yandel. It features similar levels of bias, and it also provides hints at the future of the series. Attempting to understand it without much-needed context about Robert's Rebellion can strip the text of its impact. Much like A Song of Ice and Fire , Fire & Blood is not a complete story, as it is both waiting for the conclusion of the mainline series and for the follow-up volume, which Martin is calling Blood & Fire . It will follow the slow decline of the Targaryen dynasty, while Fire & Blood largely focused on the rise, maintenance, and the Dance of the Dragons .

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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is especially informed by prior books, but it is the one exception to any reading order. The story follows Ser Duncan and a young and uncrowned Aegon V, while they engage in various antics around the realm. It has a much lighter tone than the rest of the franchise, but understanding the events of A Song of Ice and Fire provides more insight into the characters and their motivations. It provides a dark and dreary tone underlying the storyline, and it makes for a much more interesting conflict when the characters' endings are both horrible and set in stone.

House Targaryen is known for conquest and a harsh, brutal nature. The companion books provide insight into what the Targaryens were like before Daenerys Targaryen became the last official member of her House, but they also inform the themes of A Song of Ice and Fire . Their actions are proof that one family cannot have such a long and unquestionable rule. To fully understand their story, readers must first look at the main series before picking up side novels. It will also help readers learn more about the fates of every character in House of the Dragon .

House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16 on HBO and Max.

Game Of Thrones

Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for a millennia.

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Recap / House of the Dragon

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House of the Dragon episode recaps. Official policy states that no spoiler tags should exist on recap pages. Read at your own risk .     open/close all folders 

Season One (August 21, 2022 through October 23, 2022)

"The only thing that could tear down the House of the Dragon was itself." — Rhaenyra Targaryen

• "The Heirs of the Dragon" (August 21, 2022)
• "The Rogue Prince" (August 28, 2022)
• "Second of His Name" (September 4, 2022)
• "King of the Narrow Sea" (September 11, 2022)
• "We Light the Way" (September 18, 2022)
• "The Princess and the Queen" (September 25, 2022)
• "Driftmark" (October 2, 2022)
• "The Lord of the Tides" (October 9, 2022)
• "The Green Council" (October 16, 2022)
• "The Black Queen" (October 23, 2022)

Season Two (June 16, 2024 -)

"There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin, and so no war so bloody as a war between dragons." — Rhaenys Targaryen

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Cast & Characters

See the updated list of House of the Dragon cast and characters below. To explore how each character and house is connected – plus find out details about their dragons, personal items like swords and armor, and more – check out the Character Guide .

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House of the Dragon recap: King Viserys names his new queen — and no one is happy about it

King Viserys shocks his small council when he decides to marry Alicent Hightower.

It's been half a year since the events of the first episode and exposition unfolds swiftly in the opening minutes of tonight's outing. Here are the takeaways:

• Lord Corlys Velaryon ( Steve Toussaint ) is concerned about violent attacks on maritime shipping lanes from the Stepstones, a chain of islands populated by bloodthirsty pirates and sellswords. Four ships have been lost, including one flying his own banner.
• Leading these charges is Craghas Crabfeeder, a real piece of work with a penchant for feeding his enemies to, you guessed it, crabs.
• Corlys believes Viserys' ( Paddy Considine ) perceived weakness is partly responsible for Crabfeeder's brazen attacks.
• As an example, he says that Daemon ( Matt Smith ), banished from King's Landing, has seized Dragonstone with his army of Gold Cloaks and that Viserys has made no efforts to reclaim it. "It will be done in time," Viserys promises.
• Finally, a member of the King's Guard has died and a replacement is needed.

Viserys tasks Rhaenyra ( Milly Alcock ) with choosing the replacement, but she finds herself unimpressed by the candidates' lack of combat experience. She chooses Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), who both charmed her and bested Daemon during last week's tournament, due to his actual experience fighting against Dornish incursions. This doesn't please Otto Hightower ( Rhys Ifans ), who'd rather she choose a soldier whose family are stronger allies to the crown.

Rhaenyra is aware she's not being taken seriously. She's still serving the small council drinks, and she's chided after suggesting the use of the kingdom's dragons to drive Daemon from Dragonstone. "It would be a show of force," she says. Later, she shares her discontent with Alicent (Emily Carey), saying she wishes her father would see her "as more than his little girl." She's also aware of the council's efforts to get Viserys remarried, thus granting him another shot at bearing a male heir.

Corlys and his wife, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), are among those with succession in mind. They propose that Viserys marry their pre-teen daughter Laena (Savannah Steyn) to unify the Targaryen and Valyrian houses, which share centuries of history. Targaryen dragons linked up with Valyrian fleets? That's the "show of strength" Viserys' combat-avoidant kingdom needs.

Despite these efforts, Rhaenyra remains confident that she'll someday be queen. When she's queen, she tells Rhaenys, a " new order " will be created in which women are more readily accepted in power. Rhaenys is disdainful of Rhaenyra's optimism — she is the Queen Who Never Was, after all — telling her that "men would rather put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne."

But Viserys' "date" with Laena makes him uncomfortable. There's her age, obviously, but he can also sense her own ambivalence when she rattles off promises about uniting the houses of Old Valyria and giving him children with pure Valyrian blood. Still, most of the small council approves of the courtship. It's Hightower who expresses reluctance, a reminder that he's the one behind Alicent's quiet visits to Viserys' chambers. His efforts aren't in vain, either: Viserys clearly cherishes the conversations he's been having with Alicent, and she even gifts him a stone dragon for his model of Old Valyria after he shatters one in front of her. Viserys is clearly developing feelings for her.

Viserys is forced to care about Daemon's occupation of Dragonstone after a dragon's egg is stolen from King's Landing. Daemon leaves behind a note inviting Viserys to his wedding to Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), who he claims to have impregnated. It's tradition for Targaryen children to share their cradle with a dragon's egg, and the egg Daemon stole was initially chosen for Viserys' late son, Prince Baelon. This infuriates Viserys, and Hightower brings a battalion of soldiers to Dragonstone with the intention of relinquishing it from Daemon's rule and retrieving the egg.

Alas, Hightower's scolding makes no impact on Daemon, who flexes his power with the help of Caraxes' mighty roar. Swords are drawn and bloodshed is imminent when Syrax rises through the fog with Rhaenyra at the wheel (or is it the scale?). As we've seen, Rhaenyra is the only one in the royal circle able to pierce Daemon's sneering exterior , and her appeals to him soften his countenance. She says the only way he'll be restored to heir is if he kills her, which she knows he'd never do. It also appears he's incapable of lying to her, as he implies Mysaria isn't pregnant, after all. Later, Mysaria bucks against Daemon weaving her into his personal game of thrones, saying she's with him not for the crown but for the liberation that comes with knowing she will no longer be traded as property.

Rhaenyra brings the egg back to King's Landing and, after a brief chiding, reconnects with Viserys over their shared grief of Aemma's death. "I do not wish to make us estranged," he says, referring to the possibility of him marrying another woman. Though she tells him she understands, she's as blindsided as everyone else when he reveals who he's chosen for his bride. It's not Laena, but Alicent.

Corlys, as you might expect, is furious. He's so furious that he seeks out Daemon, who he likens to himself. They're both men, he says, "who have had to cut our own way through the world." His proposition is this: Since Viserys won't do anything about the Stepstone pirates and the sadistic Crabfeeder, perhaps Daemon can put his Gold Cloaks to good use.

Crabfeeder, Corlys says, is more than just a pirate. He's backed by "powerful entities" in the autonomous Free Cities that neighbor the Stepstones. They want to see Westeros weakened, and Corlys can't bear to see the shipping lanes fall under their control. Crushing them, he tells Daemon, should "prove worth to any who might doubt it."

Should Daemon succeed, that will leave Viserys, who has already alienated his daughter by marrying her best friend, with even fewer allies. It will also ensure a key member of his small council will have a vested interest in placing the king's spurned brother on the throne.

"It was never my brother's strongest trait, being king," Daemon intones.

Thinking back to the scene of Viserys sinking his hand into a bath of maggots, desperate to save the rotting finger he pricked on the Iron Throne, it's hard to disagree.

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House Of The Dragon: Every Dragon That Takes Part In The Sowing

The Sowing of the Seeds is a major event of House of the Dragon - Season 2, but which unclaimed dragons will be a part of it?

The Sowing, also known as the Red Sowing or the Sowing of the Seeds, is an upcoming event in House of the Dragon Season 2. In this event, the Blacks of Dragonstone call upon the baseborn Dragonseeds living in and around the island to claim a riderless dragon on their behalf. Prince Jacaerys Velaryon is in command of the Sowing according to the lore, and he wants more Dragonriders to fight for his mother's faction in the war. He lures them in with promises of knighthood and riches.

Notable characters in Game of Thrones lore who lay down their lives in the Sowing of the Seeds include Queen Rhaenyra's Queensguard, Ser Steffon Darklyn; and the Lord of Stonedance, Gormon Massey. Addam of Hull, Nettles, Hugh Hammer, and Ulf White are successful candidates. Four of the six riderless dragons take part in the Sowing, while one beast remains hidden in the clouds and another is completely avoided. The question remains as to which dragons will be a part of the Sowing of the Seeds in House of the Dragon .

House Of The Dragon: Who Was The Last Dragon?

Laenor Velaryon's mount, Seasmoke, is rendered riderless on Driftmark after Laenor bails out to live far away with his lover, Qarl Correy. Seasmoke was born at the turn of the century, in or before 101 AC, and Laenor took him to war in House of the Dragon season 1 . As seen in the show, Seasmoke plays a crucial role in the war for the Stepstones , particularly in the climactic battle known as the Siege of Bloodstone. Seasmoke remains unclaimed following the Blacks' elaborate ruse that involved Laenor faking his death to row away with Correy, leaving Rhaenyra eligible to remarry.

How Does Seasmoke Take Part In The Sowing Of The Seeds?

At the outset of the Sowing, Seasmoke rejects Ser Steffon Darklyn as a rider and kills him. Finally, the baseborn fifteen-year-old Dragonseed, Addam of Hull, claims the dragon in the Dance. Addam is widely believed to be a Velaryon bastard , and thus of Valyrian heritage. He uses Seasmoke to protect his younger brother Alyn from a wild dragon named Sheepstealer, and flies the beast valiantly into the Battle of the Gullet.

Addam and Alyn are of doubtful paternity. A few claim the brothers were sired by the late Laenor, while others say they are Corlys' sons. Whichever is the case, Addam shares blood with Laenor, which explains why Seasmoke accepts him as his rider.

King Jaehaerys Targaryen's Bronze Fury, Vermithor , lairs riderless in one of the smoking caverns of the Dragonmont at Dragonstone. He makes thunderous roars in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 10 "The Black Queen," as Daemon Targaryen seeks him out by serenading him in High Valyrian. Vermithor's introduction includes an important detail from the books: that he is more tolerant of humans and willing to let a new rider claim him.

How Does Vermithor Take Part In The Sowing Of The Seeds?

Vermithor is one of the largest dragons in the Seven Kingdoms and is touted to be next to Vhagar. He burns Lord Gormon Massey on the approach, but bends his neck to the Dragonseed and a blacksmith's bastard from Dragonstone named Hugh Hammer. Hugh takes Vermithor to the Gullet, where the duo proves to be the greatest asset to the Blacks. Unfortunately, Vermithor's record is tainted by Hugh's betrayal. Hugh defects from the Blacks at Tumbleton and uses Vermithor to sack the town in a dishonorable manner.

Vermithor's companion, and previously Queen Alysanne's mount, Silverwing is a docile she-dragon on Dragonstone . She remains riderless until the man-at-arms named Ulf the White masters her. Silverwing is also one of the four surviving dragons of the Dance.

How Does Silverwing Take Part In The Sowing Of The Seeds?

Silverwing is friendlier than other riderless dragons and does not harm any potential Dragonriders who try to approach her. That being said, the Testimony of Mushroom (Mushroom being the court fool) claims that his attempt to tame Silverwing ends with the dragon setting his pantaloons on fire. Vermithor, Seasmoke, and Sheepstealer kill countless men-at-arms, household knights, squires, scullions, sailors, mummers, and two of Rhaenyra's maids in the Red Sowing, but Silverwing is the only dragon who spares lives.

Sheepstealer

The second of the three wild dragons of Dragonstone , Sheepstealer, is the last of the four dragons that people approach during the Sowing of the Seeds. It's next to impossible to win the said dragon's affection, but eventually, a young girl named Nettles succeeds.

How Does Sheepstealer Take Part In The Sowing Of The Seeds?

As stated before, Sheepstealer is a wild dragon and therefore accustomed to not having a rider. Nettles claims him by exploiting his weakness for mutton. She brings him freshly slaughtered lamb every morning, and he accepts her as a rider. Because he is a wild dragon, Sheepstealer kills more prospective dragonriders than Vermithor and Seasmoke combined. Silver Denys, who claims to be King Maegor's descendant , loses an arm to Sheepstealer. Addam's brother, Alyn, is burned on the approach.

The Cannibal & The Grey Ghost: The Wild Dragons That Remain Unclaimed

The remaining wild dragons of Dragonstone, i.e., the Cannibal, and the Grey Ghost, go about their daily activities like before. The Cannibal eats Silver Denys and his sons , and no one else dares to approach him. The Grey Ghost, meanwhile, remains hidden from the populace of Dragonstone.

House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16 at 9/8c on HBO and Max.

House of the Dragon

House of the dragon: every character that survives the dance of the dragons (and how).