WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1 and George R.R. Martin's book, Fire & Blood!Jon Snow’s Game of Thrones sequel series could finally solve a mystery regarding his ancestor Daemon Targaryen’s Dark Sister sword following House of the Dragon. House Targaryen now has three known ancestral Valyrian weapons, including Aegon the Conqueror’s sword Blackfyre, the Valyrian steel dagger engraved with Aegon's Song of Ice and Fire dream, and Queen Visenya’s sword Dark Sister. While Daemon Targaryen possesses Dark Sister in House of the Dragon, the sword’s whereabouts become a significant mystery after the disappearance of its last owner. With Jon Snow’s sequel series allowing him to answer leftover questions regarding Targaryen history, the mystery could finally be solved.
Dark Sister was last seen at the Wall approximately 50 years before Game of Thrones’ ending, as it last belonged to King Aegon IV Targaryen’s bastard son Brynden Rivers, A.K.A. Bloodraven. Brynden took the black after murdering Aenys Blackfyre, soon becoming Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. When Bloodraven went missing beyond the Wall in 252 AC, he was assumed to have brought Dark Sister with him. Following Bloodraven’s disappearance, Dark Sister was lost but presumed to still be in the North. Since Jon Snow’s Game of Thrones spinoff will likely see him travel beyond the Wall and grapple with his Targaryen identity, the iconic character could finally recover his ancestral Valyrian sword.
What Happens To Dark Sister After Daemon’s HOTD Death
While still wielded by Prince Daemon Targaryen, Dark Sister will be featured in several iconic moments of House of the Dragon. Dark Sister was already used by Daemon to behead the Crabfeeder and Vaemond Velaryon, but these moments won’t come close to the shocking way the Rogue Prince uses the Valyrian steel sword for the last time. Daemon dies in House of the Dragon at the Battle Above the Gods Eye, which occurs toward the very end of the Dance of the Dragons. After evading one another for some time, Daemon and his nephew Aemond “One-Eye” Targaryen finally meet over the lake at Harrenhal and duel with their dragons.
Just before the dragons crash into the water, Daemon jumps from Caraxes onto Vhagar, where he plunges Dark Sister into Aemond Targaryen’s blind eye. The dragons and men then plummet into the lake, with all four assumed to die in the fall. George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood book reveals that Aemond’s corpse is found with Dark Sister still “thrust hilt-deep through his eye socket.” After Dark Sister is retrieved, it passes to Aemon the Dragonknight, Daemon’s grandson by King Viserys II Targaryen. Upon Aemon Targaryen’s death, his nephew Brynden Rivers is deemed worthy of Dark Sister. Several decades later, the Valyrian steel sword goes missing with Bloodraven.
Dark Sister’s Disappearance Could Link The Three-Eyed Raven & Aegon’s Dream
Brynden Rivers’ disappearance in the North could be a perfect link between House of the Dragon’s prophecy and Jon Snow’s fulfillment of Aegon’s dream in Game of Thrones. Bloodraven is implied to be the original Three-Eyed Raven in Game of Thrones’ books, having been a greenseer who passed the identity to Bran Stark. As a baseborn Targaryen, Bloodraven is also likely a dragon dreamer, which may explain why he disappeared beyond the Wall. Brynden might have dreamed of the White Walkers and learned that they were created by the Children of the Forest, suggesting he also discovered their secret connection to Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire prophecy.
Since Brynden disappeared while ranging beyond the Wall, the Targaryen sword could be near the tree where he lived as the Three-Eyed Raven. Bloodraven likely foresaw the White Walkers attacking soon, so he may have stayed North in order to defend the living and use magic to keep the White Walkers at bay. If Brynden knew that Valyrian steel could kill White Walkers, he may have brought Dark Sister with him to help fulfill Aegon’s prophecy. Perhaps Bloodraven saw an additional threat in the North that requires Aegon’s prophesied Prince That Was Promised, A.K.A. Jon Snow, to wield Dark Sister and destroy it in Game of Thrones' sequel series.
What Jon Finding Dark Sister Would Mean For His Targaryen Heritage
As the last living Targaryen, Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen is rightfully owed the inheritances of his family, which includes Daemon’s sword Dark Sister. Considering Brynden Rivers was most likely a dragon dreamer, Jon finding Dark Sister would be yet another connection to his role in the prophecies of House Targaryen. Jon being the Prince That Was Promised wasn’t fully reckoned with in Game of Thrones’ ending, so his sequel series could dive deeper into how he continues to carry on House Targaryen’s legacy and Aegon the Conqueror's dream.
Finding Dark Sister would not only augment Jon’s prophetic legitimacy as a Targaryen, but would also give him a deeper connection to House of the Dragon’s Daemon Targaryen and the original Three-Eyed Raven. Perhaps Jon Snow finds that he has also inherited the Targaryen ability of dragon dreams and is led north to the location of Dark Sister. Dragon dreams have been one of the defining traits of House Targaryen’s presence in Westeros, so it would be fitting for the last Targaryen to inherit this gift in order to recover Daemon's missing Valyrian steel sword after Game of Thrones.