WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon.Daemon Targaryen wields the ancestral Targaryen sword Dark Sister in House of the Dragon, which has a future connection to the Game of Thrones character Bran Stark. Dark Sister is just one of the Valyrian steel weapons in possession of the Targaryen characters during House of the Dragon, with the family having brought over the weapons before the Doom of Valyria. Alongside King Viserys’ sword Blackfyre and his Valyrian steel dagger, Daemon Targaryen’s weapon Dark Sister holds a significant place in Targaryen history – both before and after House of the Dragon’s time.
House of the Dragon has already teased another major connection to Game of Thrones through House Targaryen’s collection of Valyrian steel weapons. King Viserys I Targaryen and, later, Alicent Hightower are shown to be in possession of the Valyran steel Catspaw Dagger that was used to try to kill Bran Stark in Game of Thrones season 1. The rare Valyrian steel dagger appeared on a few more occasions thereafter, most notably when Arya Stark uses it to kill the Night King and save the living – a storyline House of the Dragon retcons through the reveal of Aegon I Targaryen’s A Song of Ice and Fire dream. As each Valyrian steel weapon possessed by House Targaryen will seemingly play an important role, Daemon’s sword Dark Sister will later connect to King Bran Stark, a.k.a the Three-Eyed Raven.
Dark Sister was originally owned by Visenya Targaryen, the sister-wife of Aegon the Conqueror who played an enormous role in taking Westeros. Like Aegon’s blade Blackfyre, Dark Sister was passed down through House Targaryen’s generations, eventually landing in the possession of King Viserys I Targaryen’s younger brother Daemon. Several decades after Daemon’s death, Dark Sister ends up in the hands of the King Aegon IV Targaryen's bastard son Brynden Rivers, who is widely accepted in the Game of Thrones books to be the original Three-Eyed Crow, and thus is also considered to be the Three-Eyed Raven in the Game of Thrones show. It’s believed that Brynden brought Dark Sister with him when he went to the Night’s Watch, and later when he became Bran Stark’s predecessor as the Three-Eyed Raven.
How Daemon Got Dark Sister In House Of The Dragon
Dark Sister is only known to have had seven wielders since Aegon’s Conquest, beginning with Visenya. She then passed on the sword to her son Maegor the Cruel – who Daemon is compared to in House of the Dragon episode 1 – but he later chose to wield his father’s Blackfyre instead. Dark Sister then became the sword of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen after his captive mother stole it from Dragonstone, which his son Baelon later wielded to avenge the death of his brother Aemon (the father of House of the Dragon’s Rhaenys Targaryen). Daemon Targaryen then received Dark Sister from his grandfather King Jaehaerys Targaryen for his proven prowess in battle, which was thought to have occurred after the death of his father Baelon.
What Happened To Dark Sister In Game Of Thrones?
Dark Sister’s whereabouts are unknown in Game of Thrones. Brynden Rivers, a.k.a. Bloodraven, was sent to the Night’s Watch in 233 AC (over 60 years before Game of Thrones) and presumably brought Dark Sister with him. However, he went missing beyond the Wall in 252 AC, and it’s unconfirmed whether he had the blade in his possession at this time. If the original Three-Eyed Raven did bring Daemon’s Dark Sister sword with him beyond the Wall, then the sword may have still been kept in the cave where he dwelled. Bran Stark may have even seen Dark Sister in that area if it was brought with Brynden, but it was never mentioned in the books. However, since another Game of Thrones spinoff after House of the Dragon follows Jon Snow, he could perhaps finally recover Dark Sister from beyond the Wall.
New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO/HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET.