(HBO and CNN share parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.) “House of the Dragon” is a prequel series focusing on the Targaryen dynasty. those of myth, madness, incest and purple shampoo. In the original “Game of Thrones” show and the “Song of Ice And Fire” book series, the mighty House Targaryen has nearly died thanks to retrocide and a familial lack of impulse control from generations of inbreeding. Daenerys Targaryen is one of the few left in GoT-times, and even she is prematurely sent to the Shadow Lands by her nephew-lover, Jon Snow. (The Targaryen family tree is very narrow, but complex. The Targaryen Shillelagh family, if you will.) Anyway, HoD takes place 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” when the Targaryens are in full force and preparing to enter a very nasty, fiery succession war known as the “Dance of Dragons.” Keep in mind that, during the height of their power, the Targaryens were a dragon terror, hence their house motto: “Fire and Blood”. Their scaled horses brought the family from their original home of Valyria and helped them conquer all of Westeros. In the original GoT series, all of these dragons have been dead for a while. In HoD, they are (apparently) alive and well.
It’s a Full House (Targaryen)
Since this is right before the final fall of House Targaryen, there are a lot of Targs in the game. Too many Targs, one might argue. Some name tags would be nice.
King Viserys I is the current king of Westeros. He’s actually a really nice guy. To give an idea of the time frame here, Viserys I is Daenerys’ great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather. His children and loved ones are the ones fighting to inherit power when he finally kicks it. Princess Rhaenyra is Viserys’ daughter by his first wife. Her father favors her as his successor, but there are several other contenders in play. It looks like most of the action will be centered on her. Think of her as the Daenerys of this series. She wants to rule, she’s qualified, but a bunch of dudes keep getting in her way. Her dragon’s name is Syrax. Prince Aegon II is Viserys’ eldest son and Rhaenyra’s half-brother. He is another potential successor and a very big part of the war to come. The Daemon Prince is Viserys’ brother and Raenira’s uncle. He’s your typical “always a prince, never a king” Hamlet figure. He’s a bit of a rake, and there’s a lot of sexual tension between him and Rhaenyra, who, again, lives up to that reputation. Alicent Hightower is Viserys’ second wife and Rhaenyra’s stepmother. She is the mother of Aegon II and has plans to be the first queen of Westeros, so she does not get along well with her stepdaughter. An evil stepmother? Innovative. At this point, just assume everyone is corrupt and power hungry. (Very big Margaery Tyrell vibes too. RIP, queen.)
There are many more Targaryens and neighboring Targaryens to watch, but let’s brace ourselves. Another good thing to remember is that many people in Westeros believe that the Targaryens have a genetic tendency towards insanity. (Ser Barristan Selmy put it best: “Every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air and the world holds its breath.) So even the good are, in theory, a minor nuisance away from mass murder.
A lot of Westeros will look familiar
The Iron Throne is definitely around, having been built by the first Targaryen king, Aegon. You’ll recall that many GoT characters have spoken in wonder about Aegon and his two sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya, being the first generation of Targaryens to come to Westeros to (literally) kick things off. They became the first house of the Seven Kingdoms in Westeros. So at this point in the game, when HoD takes place, the current political system has only seen Targaryen rulers. The Red Keep was also Aegon’s work, so it’s there, as is the surrounding city of King’s Landing. You will recognize some houses! The Hightowers have representation, of course. There are a few Baratheons scattered about. The Lannisters at this point in Westeros history are merely minor, albeit very wealthy, players. We will learn more about House Velaryon, another house of Valyrian origin that has been mentioned from time to time in ‘Game of Thrones’. However, don’t expect to see any familiar faces from the original “Game of Thrones” series.
And finally, you’ll spend half your time remembering everyone’s names
Are your wheels all greased for a new season of “Game of Thrones?” Are you absolutely sure? Large! Here is a sample of real Targaryen names from the “Game of Thrones” universe.
Aegon Aegor Aemon Emond Aenys Rhaenys Rhaena Raela Rhaegar Rhaegel Rael Jaehaera Jaehaerys Viserys Demon Daeron Deliver Bael Maelor
No wonder everyone went crazy. Fortunately, only a small portion of these names will appear in “House of the Dragon,” but it makes one long for the good old days of GoT, when the main character just went by “Jon.”
