To many adoring fans, House of the Dragon has proven thus far to be a fitting reintroduction to the world of Westeros and Game of Thrones. As season 1 progresses, it continues to show itself as distinct from its predecessor. While there are obviously many similarities between the two shows, House of the Dragon has some essential differences that keep it fresh for many.
Whether it is to do with location, characters, the wider world of Westeros, or the fantasy elements, many prominent aspects of Game of Thrones are missing from House of the Dragon and vice-versa.
No White Walkers
The very first scene of Game of Thrones introduces fans to the White Walkers, one of the series' most fantastical elements, and the show's most built-up threat to humanity in Westeros. They are not present in House of the Dragon.
They simply have no role in the story, and that is OK. Generally, despite the dragons, House of the Dragon does not have as many fantasy elements thus far, with no Melisandre or blood magic as yet. Concepts like this and other pieces of magic may well pop up, but it is safe to say White Walkers will stay absent outside of mentions and prophecies. Given how upset fans were by their demise during the Battle of Winterfell and how generally underwhelming they were, it is for the best that they play no role in this story.
No Major House Stark Influence
It is easy to argue that House Stark is the main house of Game of Thrones, with the likes of Ned, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Jon all being crucial figures in the show's whole run. The Stark's, though, have no influence in this show.
The Starks, like all Great Houses, will have a role to play in the Dance of Dragons at some point. However, as of now, throughout season 1, there is no Stark influence outside the familiar Game of Thrones sigil appearing in episode 1 and an appearance from Lord Rickon Stark. Whereas Ned Stark is the central character of Game of Thrones' first season, season 1 of House of the Dragon has largely ignored not only House Stark, but the North in general.
More Digital Effects
As technology advances and things like the Volume become available to studios and filmmakers, more and more TV shows move towards this more digital way of shooting, and it has been noticeable in this show's first season.
It is not necessarily a criticism to say that it feels a bit more digital than Game of Thrones' early seasons, but it does definitely give it a slightly different atmosphere in some scenes, despite the similar narrative tones. Scenes such as the face-off at Dragonstone do feel like they were done via the volume rather than on location, and despite there being some truly remarkable effects in both shows, many have noticed this more digital direction
The Iron Throne
Along with all of the political intrigue and scheming born from the power that comes with the seat, the Iron Throne returns to screens in House of the Dragon, with a slightly updated look from what Game of Thrones shows.
House of the Dragon's Iron Throne is actually more accurate to the ominous, fear-inducing throne described in the books than Game of Thrones' is, even if neither are truly perfect adaptations. Not only does the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon have the swords fans are accustomed to, but also a ton of additional swords on the floor and steps surrounding the seat, making the walk up to it that bit more intimidating for characters.
Targaryens
In Game Of Thrones, fans only meet four Targaryen's properly, those being Daenerys, Viserys, Maester Aemon, and Aegon, better known as Jon Snow, with only two of them really flying the Targaryen banner, and only one of the two lasting in the series.
In House of the Dragon, there are not only more Targaryens, but they are more prominent, taking up far more screen time than they did in Game of Thrones. On top of this, House Targaryen is far more powerful and is in far better standing than they are in Game of Thrones, having more respect as a House and wielding more power as a unit. They are a dynasty, continuing a grand legacy, whereas in Game of Thrones, they are diminished, and their influence in Westeros is weak (for most of the series, at least).
The Amount Of Dragons
In Game of Thrones there is a lot of talk of dragons, and even some history given to those whose remains lie below the Red Keep, but there are only three dragons present; Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal. House of the Dragon has 17.
At the time of the show, Targaryens are at the peak of their powers, as are their dragons, over five times more than there is in Game of Thrones. They have been used sparingly but well thus far in the show, with the creatives not shoving them down the audience's throats but also not keeping them anonymous. As seasons progress, fans eagerly anticipate seeing their full destructive, wondrous potential.
Time Jumps
Game of Thrones is a pretty linear story, with everything moving forward at a steady pace, with only occassional flahsbacks breaking up the story time-wise. House of the Dragon, being such a sprawling tale, is utilizing big time jumps in its first season.
Some episodes skip months ahead, others skip years, something not done by Game of Thrones, with the biggest time jumps in that show coming between seasons, and never being years long. The only downside of these big time jumps is not getting more of Emily Carey and Milly Alcock who have been incredible as Alicent and Rhaenyra respectively.
The Nature Of The Sex Scenes
The gore and violence from Game of Thrones look to be carrying over into House of the Dragon, with both the Crab Feeder and an innocent animal already meeting nauseating fates at the hands of Targaryens. The sexual side of things, though, has been cut and changed around a bit.
There is still a lot of sex and nudity in this series, just look at episode 4, but whereas Game of Thrones' early episodes had scenes of assault and a barrage of graphic intercourse scenes that did little to further the plot, House of the Dragon has shown sex and nudity differently. Ultimately, this can only be good for the show's legacy, as the graphic and cruel nature of Game of Thrones' sex scenes are often uncomfortable, if not unnecessary, whereas a lot of this type of content in House of the Dragon has some significance to the characters and/or narrative and are, as seen in this latest episode, done very well.
Large Focus On One House/Group Of Characters
Given that it is the telling of the Targaryen dynasty and subsequent civil war, it is no surprise that House Targaryen is taking up the largest chunk of focus in House of the Dragon. Good or bad, this definitely differentiates it from Game of Thrones.
In Game of Thrones, House Stark and House Lannister were of pretty equal importance, with House Baratheon, House Targaryen (through Dany), House Greyjoy, and more getting their fair share of focus and narrative importance. There are other crucial houses to the story of House of the Dragon, but to this point, they are all playing clear second fiddle to House Targaryen, getting not even half the focus of the fire and blood-built house.
The New Houses
Even if they have yet to be explored to even half the length of House Targaryen thus far, House of the Dragon still introduces viewers to some wildly important houses who did not have a role or even get a mention in Game of Thrones.
Notably, House Hightower and House Velaryon have incredible roles to play in the show and in the Dance of Dragons, with the influence of House Hightower there for everyone to see through Alicent and Otto already in this first season. Other houses who will play key roles in the story who did not appear in Game of Thrones include House Strong, House Cole, and, to a lesser extent, House Westerling.