The Targaryens in House of the Dragon will have a major difference from those in Game of Thrones in regards to their reputations as dragonriders. House Targaryen’s family history in Westeros is closely associated with their relationship with dragons, where the creatures were the primary reason why they conquered the realm in the first place. The Targaryens may have brought the dragons with them to Westeros after the Doom of Valyria, but they aren’t the only great house with a proven ability to bond with them.
While dragons were a considerable wonder during Game of Thrones’ timeline, this won’t be the case in House of the Dragon. The HBO prequel series will see at least 17 dragons of various sizes and strengths during the Targaryen civil war, though will also see almost all perish by the time the fighting is done. Whereas Game of Thrones only featured three dragons as the miraculous “children” of Daenerys, the Targaryens’ powerful relationship with dragons will be seen in full force during House of the Dragon, though the creatures’ strength will be used against one another in the Dance of the Dragons.
Although dragons were still almost exclusively associated with House Targaryen, one major difference between the family in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones is that they’re not the only dragonriders in the prequel. In Game of Thrones, being able to ride a dragon was seen as a massive indicator of being a true Targaryen, but this wasn’t entirely accurate in House of the Dragon’s timeline. Alongside the Targaryens, House Velaryon will spawn some notable dragonriders. While many of the Velaryon dragonriders did have one Targaryen parent, such as Rhaenyra’s husband Laenor, the Dance of the Dragons’ Velaryon bastard Addam of Hull will prove that Targaryen blood is not required to tame dragons.
Why House Velaryon Can Ride Dragons
Most of those in House Velaryon who rode dragons could do so from their significant Targaryen blood, but Addam Velaryon was presumably able to ride one due to the family's origins in Old Valyria. This is why the Velaryons also share the silver hair of the Targaryens, with their shared Valyrian blood being what kept them as such close allies throughout Westerosi history. While the Targaryens were dragonlords in Valyria, the Velaryons were not, as ships and controlling the water had always been their forté. As such, it wasn’t expected that House Velaryon would spawn any dragonriders that weren’t also half-Targaryen.
Members of House Velaryon being able to ride dragons will become particularly important after many of the Targaryens and Velaryons die in the Dance of the Dragons. When Rhaenyra’s supporters, the “black” party, are in need of more riders for their dragons, they search for “dragonseed,” which was a term used primarily to describe Targaryen bastards, but also briefly Velaryon bastards. Alongside a few Targaryen bastards, this is how Alyn and the dragonrider Addam of Hull were found, with the two “officially” being sired by Laenor, although Corlys Velaryon is strongly implied to be their true father.
However, it isn’t just those with Velaryon or Targaryen blood who will be able to fly the creatures in House of the Dragon, as Nettles, Hugh Hammer, and Ulf the White, who aren’t suggested to have any Valyrian descent, also become skilled dragonriders. No matter whether it be members of House Velaryon or people without Valyrian blood, House of the Dragon’s Targaryens still have a huge difference from those in Game of Thrones by not being the only family with dragonriders. While the undead Night King was the only character outside of a Targaryen to ride a dragon in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will see several figures without the Targaryen name riding the creatures.