Everything We Know About HBO’s Targaryen Focused ‘House Of the Dragon’

House of the Dragon is coming,  and it’s going to be very Targaryen focused. HBO’s Game of Thrones, was a massive hit and cultural touchstone. Sadly, like many of the characters on it, the show met a bad end. Now several years later, HBO is back to try and get people excited again, with their prequel show, House of the Dragon. Dragon is the only one of five proposed prequels to make in this far, but with the show coming out in a few months, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at what we know about it.

Everything We Know About HBO’s Targaryen-Focused House Of the Dragon

So what do we know about the show? Well, basically everything. House of the Dragon is based on Gorge RR Martins Fire and Blood novel. Since it, unlike GoT, is based on a completed book, we basically know the whole story. Sure there will be some changes brought to a show, but we don’t know how much that will be. In fact if the show is more like GoT Season 1, and less like GoT’s later seasons, it could be very close to book. So rather than ruin the whole show, we will still with just a quick summation of the plot.

Dragon Time

Set some 200 years before Game of Thrones, the main story arc of House of the Dragon is based on Fire & Blood.  The relevant part of the novel covers the Valyrians and the Dance of the Dragons, plus the story of House Targaryen that’s filled with intrigue, incest, and insanity.

It starts when House Targaryen goes into an internal battle over who will take the Iron Throne after King Viserys dies – his daughter Rhaenyra or his son Aegon II. This blows up into an all-out war of the Houses of Westeros that will reposition power for generations.

While there are other houses in play, this story is very much Targaryen focused. Unlike in GoT they aren’t a small exiled faction. They are the established rules of the whole country. The war that breaks out is a civil war over which Targaryen sits the throne, not over which house. That makes the show a bit different from GoT, which focused a lot on the different houses. Another major difference? Dragons.

At this point in the story, the Targaryen’s still have a lot of dragons and dragon riders. This was a war often fought with them. We should expect to see some pretty epic dragon fights and clashes. The big girls, and boys, will be out to play.

No Outside Threat 

Another major difference from GoT is the lack of an outside threat. In Martin’s story at least (who knows what changes will be made) the conflict is focused on the Seven Kingdoms. There aren’t any White Walkers or outside invaders. This isn’t a story about the end of the world, or one with humanities fate on the line. Just about who sits on a throne. We should expect something much more like a historical political/military drama, but with dragons.

A Large Cast

The show, like GoT, promises to have a really massive cast. We’ve got a look at some of the important characters you’ll want to pay attention too.

Mysaria

Ser Criston Cole

Young Rhaenyra & Young Alicent

Lord Corlys Velaryon & Princess Rhaenys Targaryen

Otto Hightower

Alicent Hightower

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen

Prince Daemon Targaryen

King Viserys Targaryen

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.