It's been a few years since the medieval epic Game of Thrones ended on a controversial note, and now its prequel series House of The Dragon takes fans back hundreds of years into Westerosi history, beginning with the rise and all of House Targaryen. One of the most influential royal houses in Westeros, the Targaryens used their wealth and martial strength to keep their enemies at bay, along with the most powerful advantage of all - dragons. With their past so reverently storied, fans have been looking forward to witnessing the might of House Targaryen for some time, as well as seeing Westeros at a more enchanted time.
Given the complexity of George R. R. Martin's mythical world, longtime fans of its predecessor may find that they need a little refresher on the political conflicts, characters, and locations from Game of Thrones. In contrast, new fans may find that they want an adequate foundation of the lore from which to enjoy the new series on August 21, 2022.
The Fall Of Valyria & The Disappearance Of Valyrian Swords
Tyrion Lannister and Jorah Mormont sailed through the ruins of Valyria on the Smoking Sea, once known as the Valyrian Freehold until the apocalyptic event the Doom of Valyria left it in ruins. This empire was once the home of 40 dragonlords, whose magic was crippled by the fall of their magnificent city, forcing survivors to flee to Dragonstone.
Valyrian steel and Valyrian swords are mentioned in Game of Thrones as well, and the Targaryens had two of the fabled weapons; blackfyre and dark sister, the former passed on to the heir of the house, and the second to whomever the king deemed worthy of it.
The Dragonpit
It's established early on in Game of Thrones that dragons don't exist in Westeros anymore because of a complete global extinction. At the time of House of the Dragon, two hundred years before Dany ever holds a dragon egg, House Targaryen ruled in its prime, with dozens of dragons soaring through the skies (most tame, with a few wild).
It was citizens of King's Landing who stormed the infamous Dragonpit and risked their own lives to attack what remained of the Targaryen dragons. It was only by sheer strength of numbers that the raging mob was able to fell these giant beasts. When the dragons died in Westeros, so did the power of House Targaryen, leaving the Dragonpit the decrepit monument seen in Game of Thrones.
The Targaryens Ruled Westeros Before Jaime Lannister Killed The Mad King
The Targaryen line is full of heroes and villains, but only a handful who were considered "mad" during their reign. One of these, Aerys II, was killed by none other than Jaime Lannister, earning him the title of "King Slayer." Prior to Jaime's betrayal, House Targaryen still ruled Westeros, and the Mad King would have rather let the entire kingdom burn rather than abdicate the throne.
By storing caches of the highly flammable wildfire all around the keep, he would have incinerated everyone (including himself) if it meant taking the Iron Throne with him. Jaime ended up saving the entire population of King's Landing from the plot, only for his sister Cersei to make use of it later, and his ancestor Daenerys when Drogon's fire ignites what remains of the wildfire beneath King's Landing.
Robert's Rebellion Helped End House Targaryen
The Baratheons were a branch family of House Targaryen, but Robert's Rebellion helped end the house of the dragon by the time Game of Thrones took place in 297 AC. When Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen left his wife, Princess Elia Martell, to wed Robert's bertrothed Lyanna Stark in secret, a bloodbath for the Iron Throne began, and House Targaryen was deposed.
The child born of Lyanna Stark, Aegon Targaryen, would be raised as Jon Snow, with the secret of his lineage safeguarded for years by Robert's closest ally and Lyanna's brother, Ned Stark. Later, Ser Gregor Clegane was told to murder any known members of House Targaryen he could find, including Rhaegar's sister Rhaenys.
The Starks Were Loyal To House Targaryen At One Point
Though Ned Stark fought for Robert Baratheon against the Mad King, his ancestor Lord Cregan Stark, Lord of Winterfell at the time of House of the Dragon, was allied with House Targaryen.
Not every fan will remember mention of the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen Civil War, but it involved House Stark upholding its vows to supporting Rhaenyra Targaryen, ultimately securing the North and the Riverlands in her name.
While involved in direct opposition to her, King Aegon II Targaryen went mad during the Dance, having suffered broken bones and dragon burns, and requiring milk of the poppy to survive. His addiction to the powerful anesthetic gave him "poppy dreams" and contributed to being moribund. House Stark would contemplate greatly ever getting involved in a Targaryen family dispute ever again.
Aegon I United Westeros
The "AC" used in the chronological history of Westeros refers to "After Conquest," when Aegon I of House Targaryen conquered Westeros and brought the Seven Kingdoms together, an uneasy peace held together by bloodshed. In later years, Aegon softened and his reputation changed from empire builder to peaceful steward.
The history of Targaryens in Westeros begins with Aegon I, and House of the Dragon will show how influential they were in how the Seven Kingdoms united, and what noble alliances were formed (and reformed) over the decades of their rule.
Daenerys, Viserys, And Aemon Targaryen
The most important Targaryen in Game of Thrones is Daeneyrs Targaryen, so episodes focused on her are essential to remember, but there are a few others whose destinies begin during the time of House of the Dragon. She is the daughter of Rhaegar, and along with her brother Viserys, live in exile, never knowing that they also have a brother, Aegon, living secretly in Westeros.
Not only that, but their hidden brother lives with his great-great great uncle, Maester Aemon of Castle Black, the son of Maekar Targaryen. Aemon lived through seeing his brother's son Rhaegar, and his offspring killed during Robert's Rebellion, never knowing any progeny survived.
Targaryens Have A Special Way Of Controlling Their Dragons
It's mentioned briefly in Game of Thrones that Targaryen riders bond with their dragons, with one dragon and one rider flying together until either rider or dragon dies. Given the lifespan of dragons is significantly longer than humans by at least a hundred years, they tended to eventually carry many riders over the decades.
Daenerys only ever flew on the back of the dragon she bonded with, Drogon, but was able to hold sway over her other two dragons uniquely. Fans can expect to see a lot of epic dragon battle sequences in House of Dragon, possibly even the flying fight between the mighty dragons Arrax and Vhagar, ridden by Visenya Targaryen herself during Aegon's Conquest.
Children Of The Forest & White Walkers
In Game of Thrones, one member of the Children of the Forest mentions being present during the "time of dragons," so there's a chance that such beings will be seen in House of the Dragon, but fans shouldn't expect a great amount of the Seven Kingdoms more mythical residents to appear.
According to Martin himself, Aegon left Dragonstone and went to conquer Westeros in order to unite it against the looming threat of White Walkers, but given that the drama will mostly focus on Targaryens versus other Targaryens, White Walkers may not actually be seen.
The Source Material Is Complete
Unlike with Game of Thrones, it's important to remember that the source material for House of the Dragon, including Fire & Blood and other supplementary paraphernalia pertaining to the royal lineage of House Targaryen is fully completed and finished.
Fans won't have to worry that the series is going to deviate too drastically from what's already written. Showrunners won't have to come up with a way to end the series that differs from what Martin has written, which will hopefully lead to confidence among the fanbase and a satisfactorily epic conclusion.