10 Things To Know About The Targaryens Before Watching House Of The Dragon md20

It is said, “every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin, and the world holds its breath,” and this was made crystal clear as fans watched the “Mad King” gene shows itself in Daenerys Targaryen. The family’s history goes back farther than that of Westeros itself, and there are many things viewers of Game of Thrones have yet to learn about the legacy they lead.

10. The Targaryens Were Almost Wiped Out By Volcanoes

The Blood of Old Valyria carried on through the veins of the Targaryens, but that almost changed with the eruption of the Fourteen. The Fourteen Fires were a group of volcanoes based around Essos, where the dragons of Valyria had their lairs. This cataclysmic event, known as The Doom of Valyria, killed all the dragons and families nearby.

The only surviving dragons belonged to House Targaryen. It is said that the Targaryens knew the Doom was coming and fled preemptively to avoid an untimely demise.

9. There Are Over 16 Generations Of Targaryens

Game of Thrones shows a Targaryen on her journey to take back “what is hers.” While the notion of a queen forcing herself to take the throne seems treacherous, over seventeen separate Targaryen ruled Westeros and what would later become The Seven Kingdoms. During the time after the Doom of Valyria, Aegon Targaryen (the first) would form alliances and gain a thirst for power after becoming Lord of Dragonstone.

The Targaryen name did not hold as much power in Valyria as it does in this free world, and in an effort to keep this power, they made their family as large as possible. Aegon alone had two wives, all of who were dragon riders, and this custom would continue down until the last Targaryens in Westeros.

8. They Didn’t Always Marry Each Other

While Aegon conquered Westeros with his sister-wives, and the Targaryens kept the very real tradition of “keeping the bloodline pure,” not all Targaryens married one another. Many marriages between houses occurred to form alliances and uphold power between high-standing families.

While only three of the seventeen Targaryen kings that ruled Westeros held wives that weren’t of their blood, the House of The Dragon also married to the Martells, and house Velaryon. Although any time the Targaryens married outside their house, the other family shared some ancestral blood, except for in the case of Ileana Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen.

7. The Iron Throne Wasn’t Made For Everyone

Aegon the Conqueror forged the Iron Throne, and the size of the throne is vastly different from the books to TV; the meaning behind the throne and the emotions it evokes are the same. The throne was made of swords from those who opposed the Targaryen’s reign, showing the house’s true power.

The throne was deadly, and would often cut, slice, or even kill those who sat upon it. King Aerys II was also known as “The Scab King” due to his injuries from the throne, and Maegor The Cruel died on the throne with a sword impaling his neck. House of The Dragon follows Rhaenyra Targaryen, who was cut by the throne so much that many questioned whether she should sit on it.

6. Their Dance of Dragons is What Lead to Their Loss of Power

The Dance of the Dragons is a pivotal moment in Targaryen history. This four-year civil war was also called the “Dying of The Dragons” and is the focus of House of The Dragon, leading to the events in Game of Thrones. The civil war between Targaryens happened when Viserys I declared his daughter Rhaenyra, his heir. Rhaenyra was the only child of his first marriage to live until adulthood, and she was trained for the role of queen from an early age, but when the king remarried, his sons had more of a right than Rhaenyra.

This war ultimately split the seven kingdoms into those that stood by the Queen Regent and Daemon Targaryen, or Princess Rhaenyra, costing the lives of humans and the Targaryen dragons.

5. The Targaryens Weren’t a Big Deal In Valyria

While Daenerys was mocked as the “Beggar Queen” at the start of her journey in Game of Thrones, the Targaryens’ notoriety wouldn’t exist if Valyria didn’t fall. Valyria was ruled by dragonlords, making the Targaryens noble, but not any more special than the 40 families fighting for power within its walls. In addition, Valaryians used blood magic which is what some say led to the Doom.

The Targaryens began their rise to power after the free cities rebelled against Volantis, trying to capitalize on conquering the weakened nations. Aegon Targaryen took the largest Targaryen dragon, Balerion, and set the Volantis fleet on fire, confirming his allegiance with the free cities and flying to Dragonstone as the Targaryens would conquer the west.

4. Multiple Generations Fought Against The Faith

The High Sparrow and the faith play a key role in the later half of Game of Thrones. The Targaryens’ noble status protected them from condemnation from the church that they would’ve faced because of their incestuous culture. The Faith Militant was an army that opposed the nature of the Targaryen lineage and killed the High Septon that married the children to one another.

The Targaryens didn’t believe in the Faith of The Seven, but Aegon Targaryen agreed that the family would leave incest in the past, so long as they didn’t confront the family on it again.

3. There’s A Possibility of Magic In Their Blood

Daenerys and Jon Snow (or Aegon Targaryen) show inhuman abilities in Game of Thrones continuity. Those who worship the Lord of Light treat the two as special beings who serve to fulfill prophecies. While coming back to life and walking through flames are impressive feats, amongst the Targaryen rankings, it is par for the course.

Daenerys specifically serves as an exception, as the Targaryens weren’t ever known to be fire-proof, just fire-resistant. The Targaryens are commonly said to see into the future with prophetic dreams. No matter how powerful they might be, few things outweigh the trait of madness that runs within the Targaryen bloodline.

2. They Had Too Much Of a Good Thing

Like real-world empires, there are several contributing factors to the fall of the great Dragon House. Madness and too many enemies were merely two reasons, but the biggest fault of the Targaryen dynasty was the in-fighting. The Targaryens’ often delegated their responsibilities to other houses, making it easier for someone like Tywin Lannister to orchestrate the usurp of the throne. Still, the Targaryens have had fights amongst their own family as well.

The Blackfyre rebellion is what happens when a king has too many bastard sons, and doesn’t choose to legitimize their rights to the throne. The war divided those who stood with or against the true-born son of Aegon IV, weakening the power of the Targaryen name.

1. Targaryens Often Did Not Care For The Realm

The most undeniable trait about the Targaryens lies within the name of the book House Of The Dragon is based on and their house words, “Fire and Blood.” Mad or not, most Targaryens only care about their own personal gain, no matter who is at risk on the way to the top.

The family would offset the responsibilities of ruling onto other houses and hands, or they would kill anyone who opposed them, regardless of whether they were right. The Targaryens would toss their loved ones into the fire if it meant a shot at power.