House of the Dragon spent the first season expanding on much of the lore that viewers were only introduced to in Game of Thrones, and the complex Targaryen family tree will only get more complicated as the show continues. House of The Dragon season 2 officially premiered with a bloody episode on June 16 to pick up on where the deadly Season 1 finale left off, after one HBO exec confirmed a June premiere. There's plenty of source material to draw on from George R.R Martin, so let’s look at the Targaryens of House of the Dragon, how they’re related in the lore, and how important their predecessors were with the dragons of House of the Dragon.
The main Targaryens of House of the Dragon in Season 1 were Viserys, Rhaenyra, Daemon, Rhaenys, and their various children, but the show picked up about a century into the dynasty’s hold on Westeros. Prince Aegon became a major player in one fell swoop after Viserys' death, and Aemond started a war with his actions in the first season finale before Daemon escalated the violence with Blood and Cheese to start Season 2. So, using lore from George R.R. Martin in his Fire & Blood and The World of Ice & Fire books as well as the HBO show, let’s start by going back to the beginning and the era of Aegon the Conqueror.
Note: all dates come from George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood (which has some great moments that need to be included in Season 2) and refer to years after Aegon's Conquest (AC). Spoilers ahead through the Season 2 premiere.
The Reign Of Aegon The Conqueror And His Sister Queens (1-37 AC)
The Targaryens survived the destruction of Valyria after Daenys the Dreamer foresaw what was going to happen. Nearly a century later, Aegon Targaryen set his sights on Westeros along with his two sister-wives. He was said to have married older warrior sister Visenya out of duty, and younger sister Rhaenys out of love. With their dragons, they conquered Westeros, brought the many nations together as the Seven Kingdoms, and guaranteed many future sons would be named "Aegon."
Aegon’s children:
- Aenys, son with Rhaenys
- Maegor, son with Visenya
Dragons controlled:
- Balerion the Black Dread, ridden by Aegon (dead by House of the Dragon)
- Vhagar, ridden by Visenya (claimed Aemond in HOTD)
- Meraxes, ridden by Rhaenys (dead by HOTD)
Aegon the Conqueror wielded the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre (carried by King Viserys and then his son Aegon in HOTD) and Visenya wielded Dark Sister (later carried by Daemon). Although Rhaenys died when she and Meraxes were shot down in Dorne, Aegon was survived by Visenya and his two sons from his two queens, which would create some major problems in the next generation.
Aenys I, The Second Targaryen King (37-42 AC)
As Aenys was Aegon’s firstborn son, he was crowned king following his father’s death, but his rule was challenged within his own family. Visenya argued her nephew was unfit, and Aenys rather unwisely gave the second of the family’s two Valyrian swords to his brother so that he'd wield both Blackfyre and Dark Sister. After Maegor scandalously took a second wife in a Valyrian ceremony on Dragonstone (similarly to what Rhaenyra and Daemon did on HOTD) and was exiled for it, Aenys married his own son to his daughter, and the Faith of the Seven rose up against the incest in a religious conflict that wouldn't be fully resolved for many years and another two kings.
King Aenys' children:
- Rhaena
- Aegon
- Viserys
- Jaehaerys
- Alysanne
- Vaella
Dragons controlled:
- Quicksilver, ridden by Aenys and later Aegon (dead by HOTD)
- Balerion the Black Dread, ridden by Maegor (dead by HOTD)
- Dreamfyre, ridden by Rhaena (dead by HOTD)
- Vermithor, ridden by Jaehaerys (cameo on Dragonstone in HOTD)
- Silverwing, ridden by Alysanne
Aenys did not live long after marrying Rhaena to Aegon and the Faith Uprising. He intended for son Aegon to become king after him, but his exiled brother Maegor returned with a different plan in mind… and would earn a famous nickname for it.
Maegor The Cruel And His Six Wives (42-48 AC)
Although Maegor was the second son of Aegon the Conqueror, he was by far the mightier warrior compared to Aenys, and came into possession of both Targaryen swords. He claimed the Iron Throne after returning from his exile, and earned his nickname after becoming a brutal tyrant and a kinslayer in murdering his nephew Aegon. Notably, he was so desperate for an heir that he married not just two wives, but a total of six, to no avail.
Maegor's wives:
- Ceryse Hightower
- Alys Harroway
- Tyanna of the Tower
- Elinor Costayne
- Rhaena Targaryen
- Jeyne Westerling
Dragon controlled:
- Balerion the Black Dread, ridden by Maegor (dead by HOTD)
Despite taking half a dozen wives, Maegor died without issue, and the Iron Throne passed to the oldest surviving son of his brother Aenys: Jaehaerys, which would usher in an era of prosperity... and plant the seeds for civil war a couple of generations later.
The Reign Of Jaehaerys I And Good Queen Alysanne (48-103)
Jaehaerys became king at the age of 14, with the realm ruled by regents until he came of age. He ran off to Dragonstone with younger sister Alysanne when plans were made to marry her off, and they wed in secret. He was eventually named “The Old King” after ruling for more than 50 years, and he fathered 13 children, but survived all of those who had been in line for the throne, leading to the Great Council (seen at the beginning of House of the Dragon) to name the next ruler.
Jaehaerys and Alysanne’s children:
- Aegon (died in infancy)
- Daenerys (died as a child)
- Aemon (died with one child, Rhaenys)
- Baelon (died with two sons, Viserys and Daemon, with sister-wife Alyssa)
- Alyssa (died with two sons, Viserys and Daemon, with brother-husband Baelon)
- Maegelle (became a septa)
- Vaegon (became an archmaester)
- Daella (died with one child, Aemma, with Rodrik Arryn)
- Saera (disinherited)
- Viserra (died with no children)
- Gaemon (died in infancy)
- Valerion (died in infancy)
- Gael (died with no living children)
Dragons controlled:
- Vermithor, ridden by Jaehaerys (cameo in HOTD)
- Silverwing, ridden by Alysanne
- Caraxes the Blood Wyrm, ridden by Aemon (claimed by Daemon by HOTD)
- Vhagar, ridden by Baelon (claimed by Laena and then Aemond in HOTD)
- Meleys the Red Queen, ridden by Alyssa (claimed by Rhaenys by HOTD)
Jaehaerys’ Great Council set his successors up for inevitable conflict. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the lords had to choose between two main male contenders: Laenor as the great-grandson of the Old King via Princess Rhaenys, and Viserys as his grandson via Baelor. In House of the Dragon, Rhaenys herself was a candidate for the throne. The Iron Throne ultimately went to Viserys. The book establishes that Viserys became king because his claim came from his father rather than via his mother like Laenor.
It's also worth noting that Viserys was the son of a Targaryen brother and sister, with Targaryen looks. Rhaenys was half Baratheon, with the black hair that was such a game-changer in the first season of Game of Thrones. Rhaenys was given the signature silver hair of the Targaryens for House of the Dragon, which meant that there was no way of claiming that the dark hair of Laenor's three sons with Rhaenyra could be traced back to Baratheon ancestry.
The Reign Of Viserys I And His Queens (103 - 129)
The Great Council is where House of the Dragon picks up, but the show doesn’t tell the full story of Viserys and Queen Aemma. The two were cousins, as Aemma Arryn was the daughter of Daella Targaryen. She was 11 when they married in George R.R. Martin’s source material, but – like Rhaenyra, who displaced her uncle Daemon in the line of succession – was aged up for HBO. She had only one child who survived to adulthood in Princess Rhaenyra, and died in childbirth. Viserys then married Alicent Hightower (who was aged down for House of the Dragon) and went on to have four children with her.
Viserys' surviving children:
- Rhaenyra, daughter and heir with Aemma
- Aegon, son with Alicent
- Helaena, daughter with Alicent
- Aemond, son with Alicent
- Daeron, son with Alicent (has not yet appeared on House of the Dragon)
Dragons controlled:
- Balerion the Black Dread, ridden by Viserys (dead by HOTD)
- Syrax, ridden by Rhaenyra
- Caraxes the Blood Wyrm, ridden by Daemon
- Meleys the Red Queen, ridden by Rhaenys
- Vhagar, ridden by Laena Velaryon and later Aemond
- Seasmoke, ridden by Laenor Velaryon (status unknown after Laenor's faked death)
Viserys finally died at the end of Episode 8 of House of the Dragon after seeming on death’s door for a while and sitting the Iron Throne one last time (which caused a real-life injury to actor Paddy Considine). Unfortunately, his confused final conversation with Alicent sowed the seeds for civil war. Thinking she was Rhaenyra, he spoke of Aegon and the "prince that was promised," leading her to believe that he wanted their son Aegon to inherit the Iron Throne instead of Rhaenyra.
The Contested Coronation Of King Aegon II (129-?)
The Greens – a.k.a. those loyal to the Hightower branch of the Targaryen family – changed the game completely in HOTD Episode 9, following the death of King Viserys in King’s Landing while Princess Rhaenyra was back on Dragonstone. Alicent learned that her father and the small council had been planning to usurp the throne for Aegon long before she made her claim about Viserys’ final words. Her son was crowned King Aegon, Second of His Name before his older sister even knew that their father was dead. It would have been a short reign if Rhaenys had unleashed Meleys on the Greens, but they survived and Aegon now holds the throne.
Episode 9 of Season 1 also introduced Aegon and Helaena's twin son and daughter, before young Prince Jaehaerys was murdered in the Season 2 premiere by assassins sent by Daemon after Aemond.
The “Green” Targaryens:
- King Aegon II
- Queen Helaena
- Prince Aemond
- Prince Daeron (has not yet appeared on House of the Dragon, presumed in Oldtown with the Hightowers)
- Princess Jaehaera (daughter of Aegon and Helaena)
- Prince Maelor (son of Aegon and Helaena, has not yet appeared)
Dragons controlled:
- Vhagar, now ridden by Aemond
- Dreamfyre, ridden by Helaena
- Sunfyre the Golden, ridden by Aegon (has not yet appeared on HOTD)
The Greens didn’t face too much opposition from major players in King's Landing in stealing the throne, aside from characters like Lord Caswell and Lord Beesbury, both of whom died for their defiance, and Ser Harrold refused to go to Dragonstone and murder Rhaenyra’s family. The people of King’s Landing cheered Aegon when he was crowned. Assuming Aemond doesn’t go rogue (beyond causing Prince Lucerys' death in the Season 1 finale, anyway) after the brothel incident in the third episode of Season, the prince should be a valuable asset for his brother with his combat skills and Vhagar.
Queen Rhaenyra, First Of Her Name (129 AC-?)
After getting the news that Viserys was dead and the Greens had crowned Aegon, Rhaenyra was crowned on Dragonstone as Queen Rhaenyra, First of Her Name. Although Aegon holds symbols of the Conqueror with the Blackfyre sword and Aegon I's crown, Rhaenyra holds the ancestral seat of House Targaryen and wears the crown of her late father that was smuggled out of King's Landing. Plus, her husband/uncle Daemon wields Dark Sister as the other Targaryen sword.
She doesn't have the advantage when it comes to manpower just yet (or a coronation in front of the population of King's Landing), but she has an advantage with the number of dragons even with Luke's death, and likely the support of some key Houses. Plus, she has Daemon, who previously proved that he'll obey his wife and queen even if he is still pretty chaotic. It remains to be seen how Blood and Cheese will affect Rhaenyra's claim and perception in the Seven Kingdoms, as well as her relationship with Daemon following his spooky arrival at Harrenhal.
The Surviving “Black” Targaryens:
- Queen Rhaenyra I
- Prince Jacaerys, Rhaenyra's son claimed by Laenor, heir to the throne via Rhaenyra
- Prince Joffrey, Rhaenyra's son claimed by Laenor
- Prince Aegon, Rhaenyra's son with Daemon
- Prince Viserys, Rhaenyra's son with Daemon
- Daemon Targaryen, prince consort
- Baela Targaryen, Daemon's daughter with Laena
- Rhaena Targaryen, Daemon's daughter with Laena
- Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, grandmother to Baela and Rhaena
Dragons controlled:
- Syrax, ridden by Rhaenyra
- Caraxes the Blood Wyrm, ridden by Daemon
- Meleys the Red Queen, ridden by Rhaenys
- Vermax, ridden by Prince Jacaerys
- Moondancer, ridden by Baela Targaryen (has not yet appeared on HOTD)
- Tyraxes, ridden by Prince Joffrey (has not yet appeared on HOTD)
Dragons available:
- Vermithor, formerly King Jaehaerys' and currently unclaimed on Dragonstone
- Silverwing, formerly Queen Alysanne's and currently unclaimed on Dragonstone
- Seasmoke, formerly Laenor Velaryon's and currently unclaimed on Driftmark
- Three wild dragons on Dragonstone
Queen Rhaenyra was originally set on keeping peace for as long as possible, following her father's example in the wake of losing him, suffering a miscarriage, and being usurped in the span of a day. The death of Luke knocked her off that peaceful path, however, and fire and blood will likely rain down on the Greens in Season 2. Rhaenyra's two remaining Velaryon sons (who were claimed by Laenor before his “death") are now first and second in line to the throne, with Joffrey moving up after his older brother was killed.
Check back with CinemaBlend for more updates as House of the Dragon Season 2 continues, since George R.R. Martin has already explained how the family gets away with so much incest in Westeros. You can find all episodes of the Game of Thrones spinoff so far streaming via Max subscription, as well as the original series' eight seasons. For more options, check out our picks for shows like Game of Thrones.
