HBO’s Great Council confirmation means House of the Dragon will feature the greatest Targaryen king that Westeros has ever known. House of the Dragon has revealed that it will include a flashback to the Great Council of 101 AC, which brought together the many houses of Westeros to elect the heir to the Iron Throne. While this event will likely only be shown briefly to contextualize when young Viserys I Targaryen – whose death kicks off the Dance of the Dragons – was chosen to be Westeros’ next king, the occurrences at the Great Council at Harrenhal will have a monumental impact on House of the Dragon’s civil war.

Fire & Blood, the book of the Targaryan family history that inspired House of the Dragon, documents many more poor kings than it does beloved rulers. The same can be said for Game of Thrones, which saw several kings and queens oversee Westeros, but didn’t necessarily include any great rulers on the Iron Throne. House of the Dragon’s prominently featured Targaryen kings and queens will similarly be hated or adored at varying levels by the people of Westeros, but none stack up to the greatest king Westeros has ever seen: Jaehaerys I Targaryen.

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While House of the Dragon’s death of King Viserys will split the realm in half as houses support the claims of his daughter Rhaenyra or son Aegon II, King Jaehaerys I’s death is what truly begins the prequel’s story. House of the Dragon's inclusion of the Great Council of 101 AC will take place two years before Jaehaerys dies of old age, with the participants deciding on Viserys I as his successor. Having ascended the throne at only 14 years old, Jaehaerys was described as a Targaryen who was born to be king. A wise, merciful, confident, and amiable man, the dragonrider Jaehaerys ruled on the menacing Iron Throne for a total of 55 years – longer than any other Targaryen. Jaehaerys I was a king that sought peace and justice, loved his people, and brought unusual stability to the realm throughout his reign. Jaehaerys was by no means a perfect king, but was certainly the best out of all that sat on the Iron Throne. While old Jaehaerys Targaryen will likely only appear briefly during the Great Council flashback in House of the Dragon, viewers will finally see the king that ruled the most prosperous period in Westerosi history.

Jaehaerys' Great Council Is What Bran Becoming King Should've Looked Like

Game of Thrones Finale Council

While Game of Thrones ended with a Great Council to elect the king, House of the Dragon begins with one. However, House of the Dragon’s Great Council is far more careful in how it chooses King Jaehaerys’ successor, with houses from all across the realm discussing the claims of heirs. Whereas Bran Stark became king by Tyrion saying he had the “best story” and the other 16 participants agreeing, Jaehaerys’ council saw over a thousand lords of varying ranks arrive to vote on no fewer than 14 claimants to the Iron Throne. Lords great and small were invited to Harrenhal for several weeks’ worth of deliberations to decide Jaehaerys’ replacement, seeing a far more grand and (relatively) inclusive political process than Bran’s election.

In comparison to how Jaehaerys’ succession was decided, Bran becoming king of Westeros was more of a necessity for lack of viable options than the right choice for the people. Bran was voted king by his two sisters, uncle, cousin, and people who had extremely close ties to his family members. If he was actually the favored king for Westeros, it should have been decided in a truly “great” council as decided by houses from all across the realm. Jaehaerys’ Great Council was one of the most momentous occasions in Westerosi history that showcased how the realm’s elective political system could work, with its depiction in House of the Dragon being certain to put Bran’s Game of Thrones council to shame.

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