Tensions are escalating between Team Green and Team Black in “House of the Dragon,” and as the threat of war looms over Westeros, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) is working against the hasty suggestions of the men on her council. She pushes back against her advisors’ proposals and prioritizes the safety of her children. In Episode 3, we see Rhaenyra sit down with her step-daughter Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) and task her with taking Rhaenyra’s three children to safety in Pentos. Initially, Rhaena feels that the task at hand is not as important as going into battle with her sister and the others, until she is told she’d also be traveling with four dragon eggs, which are described as “the hope for the future.”
The chest containing the dragon eggs is opened, revealing three eggs that “Game of Thrones” fans might recognize: a green one, a black one, and a gold one. The director of Episode 3, Geeta Vasant Patel, spoke to Mashable and confirmed that the eggs featured in the episode are indeed the ones gifted to Daenerys in the pilot episode of “Game of Thrones” by Master Illyrio Mopatis (Roger Allam) after she marries Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). “All of us who work on this show are big ‘Game of Thrones’ fans, so it was very exciting to shoot that scene,” she says.
The events that take place in “House of the Dragon” are different from the book it’s based on. In George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the eggs were stolen by a noblewoman named Elissa Farman during the reign of Jaehaerys I. Elissa, the lover of Princess Rhaena Targaryen (not to be confused with Rhaena from “House of the Dragon,” different generations), sailed to Braavos where she sold the eggs to pay for voyages. Per Mashable, the eggs’ journey to Illyrio Mopatis isn’t detailed in depth, but it’s theorized they were continuously sold until they made their way to him.
Now that Patel has confirmed this major plot point, viewers can begin to theorize about what happens to the fourth egg. One leading theory that has emerged is that it becomes Rhaena’s dragon.
George R.R. Martin’s world of Westeros from his “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels is one of the most sprawling fantasy universes ever created. There are countless complex characters (with confusing names) that lived across dozens of generations in which they fought, killed, allied, betrayed, and had children with one another. Martin’s world has been explored on the page in the main “A Song of Ice and Fire” books, plus their supplementary novellas and history books, and on screen in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon.”
For the majority of its known history, Westeros was ruled over by the Targaryens, a dynasty of powerful dragon riders that conquered the Seven Kingdoms and sat on the Iron Throne for hundreds of years. They were blonde-haired, oftentimes hot-tempered, and protected their bloodline by practicing incest. Their first king was Aegon the Conqueror, who united Westeros under Targaryen rule for the first time, and the modern era after his reign was known as “AC” for “After Conquest.”
The majority of the Targaryens died out before the events of “Game of Thrones,” and their lineage nearly ended after Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne with Robert’s Rebellion. For nearly the entire series, Daenerys Targaryen plotted to take back the crown and grew an army in the neighboring continent of Essos. However, in the series finale, Daenerys was killed by Jon Snow, who was revealed to be a long-lost Targaryen in a twist that fans of the novels had long predicted. As it stands, Jon is the only Targaryen left in Westeros.
“House of the Dragon,” a prequel to “Game of Thrones” set 200 years earlier, explores the infamous Dance of the Dragons in Targaryen history. It was a civil war that pitted Targaryens against each other and resulted in the deaths of many of the family’s dragons. It was a result of the murky line of succession after King Viserys Targaryen died and his rightful heir was heavily disputed. Two factions fought the Dance of Dragons: The blacks consisted of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen along with their children and allies; and the greens were led by King Aegon II Targaryen, his mother Queen Alicent Hightower, their family, and the High Council in King’s Landing.
Below, Variety has listed a family tree of every Targaryen that has so far appeared in “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” Season 1. There are no future spoilers for what could happen in “House of the Dragon” Season 2, though curious fans can read the novel “Fire & Blood” to find out.
Jaehaerys I Targaryen: Born 34 AC, Died 103 AC, Nickname: The Old King, Dragon: Vermithor, Family: Grandson of King Aegon the Conqueror; son of King Aenys; nephew of King Maegor; husband and brother of Queen Alysanne; grandfather of King Viserys, Played by: Michael Carter. Jaehaerys was the fourth Targaryen king of Westeros, and the longest-serving at 55 years on the Iron Throne. He’s the earliest monarch shown in “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” history. In the opening scene of “House of the Dragon,” he chooses his grandson Viserys to succeed him over his granddaughter Rhaenys, a decision that would eventually lead to the Dance of Dragons.
Viserys I Targaryen: Born 77 AC, Died 129 AC, Nickname: Viserys the Peaceful, Dragon: Balerion, Family: Cousin and husband to Queen Aemma; husband to Queen Alicent; brother to Daemon; cousin to Rhaenys; father to Rhaenyra, Aegon II, Aemond, Helaena, and Daeron, Played by: Paddy Considine. Viserys played a major role in “House of the Dragon” Season 1, where he ruled over Westeros as its fifth Targaryen king during a time of relative peace. However, the issue of choosing his heir would force his children to launch the Dance of Dragons civil war. Refusing to let his brother Daemon or his daughter Rhaenyra sit on the Iron Throne, Viserys was desperate for a male heir and remarried Alicent Hightower after the death of his first wife Aemma Arryn during childbirth. He later died of leprosy and the High Council named his son, Aegon II, as king.
Rhaenys Targaryen: Born 74 AC, Nickname: The Queen Who Never Was, Dragon: Meleys, Family: Cousin to King Viserys; wife of Lord Corlys Velaryon; mother of Laena and Laenor Velaryon; aunt of Rhaenyra, Played by: Eve Best. Passed over twice by her grandfather King Jaehaerys to rule Westeros, first in favor of her uncle Baelon and then her cousin Viserys, Rhaenys came to be known as the Queen Who Never Was. She married Lord Corlys Velaryon, the wealthiest man in the realm and a powerful sea captain, and clung to some power but harbored resentment toward King Viserys. During the Dance of Dragons, she supported Rhaenyra in her claim for the Iron Throne.
Daemon Targaryen: Born 81 AC, Nickname: The Rogue Prince, Dragon: Caraxes, Family: Brother of King Viserys; husband of Laena Velaryon; father of Rhaena, Baela, Aegon III, and Viserys II; uncle and husband to Rhaenyra, Played by: Matt Smith. Daemon was one of the strongest warriors in all of Westeros, deadly with his sword, Dark Sister, and incredibly unpredictable. As the younger brother to Viserys, he was passed over for the Iron Throne and embarked on a conquest of the Stepstones with the Velaryon fleet and his dragon. When he returned, he married his niece Rhaenyra and led their black council. Before Rhaenyra, he was first married to Rhea Royce, who mysteriously died after falling from her horse, and Laena Velaryon, who died in childbirth and with whom he shared daughters Rhaena and Baela. In addition to commanding King’s Landing’s City Watch, Daemon was also a fan of its brothels and took his lover Mysaria as his mistress of whispers.
Rhaenyra Targaryen: Born 97 AC, Nickname: The Realm’s Delight; The Whore of Dragonstone; The Pretender; King Meagor With Teats, Dragon: Syrax, Family: Daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma; stepdaughter of Queen Alicent; wife of Laenor Velaryon; lover of Criston Cole and Harwin Strong; niece and wife to Daemon; half-sister to Aegon II, Aemond, and Heleana; mother of Jacaerys, Lucerys, Joffrey, Aegon III, and Viserys II, Played by: Emma D’Arcy and Milly Alcock (younger). Even though Rhaenyra was the first-born child of Viserys, the king wanted a male heir, and soon the line of succession was muddied with the birth of Rhaenyra’s half-brother Aegon II. She led her black council against King Aegon II and Queen Alicent’s greens when Aegon was declared king after Viserys’ death. The true paternity of Rhaenyra’s three eldest children, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, was disputed. She was married to Laenor Velaryon, who was rumored to be gay, but Harwin Strong was thought by many to be the father of her eldest children, who shared his dark hair and common-born features. She and Daemon later had two children, Aegon III and Viserys II, and one stillborn daughter.
Aegon II Targaryen: Born 107 AC, Nickname: Aegon the Elder; Aegon the Usurper, Dragon: Sunfyre, Family: Son of King Viserys and Queen Alicent; brother of Aemond, Helaena, and Daeron; half-brother of Rhaenyra; uncle to Jacaerys and Lucerys; father of Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor, Played by: Tom Glynn-Carney and Ty Tennant (younger). Aegon II became the sixth Targaryen king of Westeros after the death of his father, Viserys. Named for his great-great-great-grandfather Aegon the Conqueror, Aegon II was lazy as a teen and allegedly raped one of his mother’s chambermaids. He was later named heir to the Iron Throne over his half-sister Rhaenyra, and the two were vehemently opposed during the Dance of Dragons. He was married to his sister Helaena and had three children, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor.
Aemond Targaryen: Born 110 AC, Nickname: Aemond One-Eye; Aemond the Kinslayer, Dragon: Vhagar, Family: Son of King Viserys and Queen Alicent; brother of King Aegon II, Helaena, and Daeron; half-brother of Rhaenyra; uncle to Jacaerys and Lucerys, Played by: Ewan Mitchell and Leo Ashton (younger). Aemond was the younger and more vicious son of King Viserys and Queen Alicent compared to his brother Aegon II, who would go on to be king. As a teen, Aemond snuck away to claim Vhagar, one of the oldest and biggest dragons in Westeros, after the death of its rider, Laena Velaryon. He was caught by his nephews Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon and got into a fight with them, which resulted in Lucerys slashing Aemond’s eye. Aemond put a sapphire in the eye socket and wore an eye patch from then on. He got his revenge on Lucerys when the two were flying above Storm’s End and Vhagar killed Lucerys and his smaller dragon Arrax.
Helaena Targaryen: Born 109 AC, Dragon: Dreamfyre, Family: Daughter of King Viserys and Queen Alicent; sister and wife to Aegon II; sister to Aemond and Daeron; mother of Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor, Played by: Phia Saban and Evie Allen (younger). Helaena was the only daughter of Viserys and Alicent, and she often spoke in peculiar phrases that somehow foretold the future. She predicted that her brother Aemond would lose an eye, and she spoke of a “beast beneath the boards” before Rhaenys burst through the floor of Dragonstone on her dragon during Aegon’s coronation. She was married to her brother Aegon and had three children, twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera and later Maelor.
Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor Targaryen: Born 123 AC and 127 AC, Family: Children of Aegon and Helaena. Twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera are seen briefly in Season 1 of “House of the Dragon,” and Maelor is their younger brother. They will have a larger significance in Season 2.
Jacaerys Velaryon: Born 114 AC, Nickname: Jace, Dragon: Vermax, Family: Son of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon or Harwin Strong; brother of Lucerys and Joffrey; nephew to King Aegon II and Aemond, Played by: Harry Collett and Leo Hart (younger). Many in King’s Landing suspected that Jacaerys and his brothers were actually the sons of Rhaenyra’s knight Ser Harwin Strong, instead of her husband Laenor Velaryon. Aemond mocked them as “strong boys,” which led to the fight where Lucerys slashed Aemond’s eye with his sword. Jacaerys fought on the side of his mother’s black faction and was betrothed to his cousin, Baela.
Lucerys Velaryon: Born 115 AC, Died 129 AC, Nickname: Luke, Dragon: Arrax, Family: Son of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon or Harwin Strong; brother of Jacaerys and Joffrey; nephew to King Aegon II and Aemond, Played by: Elliot Grihault and Harvey Sadler (younger). Lucerys was tasked with flying his dragon Arrax to Storm’s End to enlist Lord Borros Baratheon to Rhaenyra’s side of the Targaryen civil war. However, Aemond beat him there and offered to marry one of Borros’ daughters. Lucerys, already betrothed to his cousin Rhaena, couldn’t match Aemond’s offer, and the two battled high above Storm’s End on their dragons. Aemond’s dragon, the vicious Vhagar, made quick work of Lucerys and his smaller dragon Arrax, and both died.
Joffrey Velaryon: Born 126 AC, Nickname: Joff, Family: Son of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon or Harwin Strong; brother of Jacaerys and Lucerys; nephew to King Aegon II and Aemond. Despite sharing a name with a certain despised, future king of Westeros, this Joffrey has no relation to Joffrey Baratheon from “Game of Thrones.” He’s the thirdborn son of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon (or Harwin Strong, as many believe).
Aegon III and Viserys II Targaryen: Born 120 AC and 122 AC, Nicknames: Aegon the Younger, Family: Children of Rhaenyra and Daemon. Rhaenyra and Daemon’s children appear only briefly in Season 1 of “House of the Dragon,” but they will play larger roles in the future. They also had a stillborn daughter named Visenya, who was named after the powerful sister-wife of Aegon the Conqueror. Rhaenyra named her son Aegon in honor of the original Targaryen ruler, but also as a sleight to her half-brother King Aegon II. Her other son was named for King Viserys, her father and Daemon’s brother.
Rhaena and Baela Targaryen: Born 116 AC, Dragon: Moondancer (Baela), Nickname: Dragon Twins, Family: Daughters of Daemon and Laena; cousins of Jacaerys, Lucerys, Joffrey, Aegon II, Aemond, Helaena, and Daeron, Played by: Phoebe Campbell and Eva Ossei-Gerning (younger); Bethany Antonia and Shani Smethurst (younger). Rhaena and Baela are the twin daughters of Daemon and his second wife Laena Velaryon. They are betrothed to their cousins, Jacaerys and Lucerys.
Source: Mashable, Variety
