Home of the Dragon revealed some of Game of Thrones’ most critical lore in its premiere episode

Dwelling of the Dragon, HBO’s new successor demonstrate to Activity of Thrones, is all about the Targaryen loved ones, so it’s no shock that it digs into their past. But in its initial period, the sequence now jumps over and above its supply materials, Fireplace & Blood, to expose beforehand not known facts about a single of A Tune of Ice and Fire’s most essential figures. And in accordance to the showrunners, the expose arrives straight from George R.R. Martin himself.

[Ed. note: This story contains spoilers for all eight seasons of Game of Thrones and the first eight episodes of House of the Dragon.]

Household of the Dragon’s initially episode revolves about King Viserys’ eventual option to name his daughter Rhaenyra as his successor for the Iron Throne of Westeros. This goes in opposition to the precedents of the realm, exclusively the Wonderful Council of 101 AC’s conclusion that solidified in the minds of most that male heirs took precedence for the crown over woman heirs. None of this is news to viewers common with the prequel series’ tale, but what King Viserys tells his teenage daughter really should be a welcome surprise to hardcore A Tune of Ice and Hearth lovers.

Picture: HBO

Inside the Purple Preserve, Viserys tells Rhaenyra a tiny little bit about Aegon the Conqueror, the first Targaryen king in Westeros and the male that united the seven warring kingdoms of the continent into 1 that he could rule. Most importantly, Viserys reveals that Aegon first sought to conquer Westeros because he experienced a eyesight of the finish of the environment:

And just as Daenys saw the close of Valyria, Aegon foresaw the conclusion of the entire world of males. It is to get started with a awful winter, gusting out of the distant north. Aegon saw absolute darkness driving on individuals winds, and whichever dwells within will demolish the environment of the dwelling. When this terrific winter comes, Rhaenyra, all of Westeros must stand against it. And if the earth of adult males is to endure then a Targaryen need to be seated on the Iron Throne. A king or queen, solid plenty of to unite the realm against the cold and the dim. Aegon referred to as his dream ‘A Track of Ice and Fire.’ This secret, it is been handed from king to heir considering the fact that Aegon’s time. And now you must guarantee to preserve it. And to carry it.

This prophecy is the two one of a kind and essential for its place in the collection. Whilst prophecies in contemporary fantasy stories, particularly A Music of Ice and Hearth, are generally employed ironically or as a misdirect, this 1 is handed to us as nearly unambiguously legitimate.

By currently being positioned subsequent to Daenys’ right prophecy of the end of Valyria, which saved the Targaryen dynasty from the Doom that ruined Valyria and very first despatched them to Dragonstone and Westeros, Aegon’s desire is supplied a bit of more trustworthiness. We also know that it’s (generally) true mainly because… we have previously noticed the ending. We know that a Targaryen’s return to Westeros, and her dragons, are crucial in the combat from the White Walkers and preserving adult males from the Long Evening. We even know that it’s a Targaryen named Aegon that does the preserving — given that that is Jon Snow’s serious identify. (As a fun tidbit, this also provides us our 2nd clarification of the A Track of Ice and Hearth series title, which most supporters typically suppose refers to Jon as the kid of a Stark and Targaryen — representing ice and fire.)

Although all of this appears like it could be convenient backfilling from showrunners Ryan J. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, that isn’t the circumstance. In an interview with Polygon in advance of Household of the Dragon’s premiere, Condal confirmed that this specific desire came straight from Martin.

Image: HBO

“That in fact arrived from [Martin], at least the origin of that place,” stated Condal. “He informed us very early on in the space — just as he does, just casually described the point that Aegon the Conqueror was a dreamer who observed a eyesight of the White Walkers coming throughout the wall and sweeping in excess of the land with cold and darkness. […] So with his permission, of program, we infused that into the story because it was these a fantastic way to make resonance with the unique show.”

This is previously a enormous expose about 1 of the most important characters in the A Tune of Ice and Fire universe, but with a very little speculation, it’s also straightforward to see how this could give us a clue about strategies that Martin’s reserve ending for the sequence could deviate from the a single we observed in HBO’s Game of Thrones.

According to Viserys, to preserve the entire world all of Westeros have to be united versus the risk from the north and a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne. Equally of people are form of vaguely gestured at by the HBO sequence, but aren’t seriously correct. Neither Dany nor Jon is actually on the throne by the time the Prolonged Night time comes, and the last fight at Winterfell truly only includes a smaller force relatively than all of Westeros.

Picture: Helen Sloan/HBO

While this prophecy played a substantial job in Household of the Dragon’s earliest times, it turned out to be essential later on too. In the first season’s eighth episode, we see that as Viserys’ reign comes to a near, the dilemma of the prophecy and uniting Westeros against an enemy to the north is a person that has been weighed on Rhaenyra’s mind all over her life.

Meanwhile, and significantly far more importantly, we also learn that Alicent’s son Aegon has experienced a recurring dream, not solely dissimilar to Aegon the Conqueror’s. This appears to suggest that perhaps a lot more Targaryen have had these visions than we may perhaps have believed. It also drives Viserys towards a past minute transform of heart to seemingly like Alicent’s Aegon for the throne than his only remaining daughter, Rhaenyra (nevertheless we’ll have to see what the exhibit in the end does with that).

If Aegon’s prophecy is suitable — and proves to be in the textbooks — then it’s doable that we could see Jon or Dany (discover Viserys says king or queen) acquire King’s Landing and the Iron Throne very long right before the Prolonged Night comes. It also usually means that we could see the military of the dead march substantially additional south, threatening far additional of Westeros than they do in the sequence.

A different lingering A Music of Ice and Fireplace concern that episode 8 appears to lose new light on is the motive at the rear of the insanity of King Aerys, the “last” of the Targaryen dynasty truly was. On the 1 hand, it is clear that he truly was a cruel human being with no true tackle on reality, significantly around the close of his lifestyle. On the other, it seems that the voices he heard are now considerably a lot more most likely to have been truly prophetic and a solution of his Targaryen heritage, probably even a warning of the coming risk. But either way, it looks that Aerys was poorly outfitted to acquire this warnings as the voices drove him to torture and struggling alternatively of the union and preparing of the 7 Kingdoms.

For now, nevertheless, like most A Music of Ice and Fireplace issues, we’ll just have to wait around for the guides to obtain out if any of this pans out. But at the pretty the very least, this tiny bit of dialogue proves that House of the Dragon has more new info to share with viewers and hardcore followers than its standing as a prequel and a Hearth & Blood adaptation could recommend.