The dragons! That silver hair! Those piercing eyes! And that pale, pale skin!
House Targaryen returns in House of the Dragon (HBO Sundays at 9pm ET/PT beginning Aug. 21), the eagerly awaited prequel story to Game of Thrones, which ran eight seasons on HBO from 2011 to 2019.
And along with the Targaryens come other familiar names — Stark, Baratheon — who pledge to be faithful to King Viserys Targaryen as he names his heir.
But some say men would sooner set the realm to a torch than see a woman — and in this case King Viserys’ daughter Rhaenyra — ascend to the most powerful seat of Westeros, that of the Iron Throne. Who will be in the inevitable fight for the throne is yet to be fully known, but expect an ugly battle.
The 10-episode prequel is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, and is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, telling the story of House Targaryen, the family that reigned for several centuries. As we know, history does not remember blood, it remembers names, so here we break down the key characters.
King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine)
Chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, who was Jaehaerys Targaryen. Viserys is a warm, kind and decent man, who only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings. HBO
Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith)
Younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air … HBO
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy)
The king’s firstborn child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything … but she was not born a man.
Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans)
The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king’s brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne. Credit: HBO
Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke)
The daughter of Otto Hightower and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen. Credit: HBO
Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake” (Steve Toussaint)
Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. As “The Sea Snake,” the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world. Credit: HBO
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best)
A dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Queen Who Never Was” was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male. HBO
Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel)
Of Dornish descent, the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. Cole has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword. Credit: HBO
Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno)
Came to Westeros with nothing, sold more times than she can recall. She could have wilted … but instead she rose to become the most trusted — and most unlikely — ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne. Credit: HBO
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