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It’s true that Daenerys’ Game of Thrones ending was ultimately a tragic one, as she was killed by Jon Snow in front of the Iron Throne. But that shouldn’t detract from her character arc – nor Emilia Clarke’s work as part of Game of Thrones‘ cast – and that’s reflected in HBO’s plans for the franchise. Dany herself may never be coming back, but her legacy is being keenly felt.
Game Of Thrones’ Spinoffs Are Obsessed With House Targaryen
There are several Game of Thrones spinoffs in the works, and many of them are about House Targaryen. There is already, of course, House of the Dragon, which takes its name and story from the family’s rich history in Westeros. That show will return for two more seasons, with season 3 expected sometime in 2026. This year will add another to the mix thanks to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which involves other notable members of House Targaryen, set around 90 years before Game of Thrones.
“We have other spinoffs that we’re working on right now, one of which – which I won’t get into – is very promising, and it is still the Targaryen line.”
That suggests it’s another Targaryen spinoff, separate from Aegon’s Conquest. There are certainly plenty of options – George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book covers part of their history in Westeros, and there are more stories besides. It could be the Blackfyre Rebellions (a series of uprisings by legitimized Targaryen bastards), or about the succession of Aegon the Conqueror and his sons, or even the Targs before they came to Westeros, centering on the Doom of Valyria. Whatever it may be, though, it connects to Daenerys.
Game Of Thrones’ Future Is Daenerys’ Legacy & Proves Her Ending Didn’t Ruin It
Dany has long been the show’s most defining character. After all, more parents were naming their kids Khaleesi than they were calling them Jon Snow; people are more likely to cosplay as her than anyone else. If you said the name Daenerys to someone who hasn’t watched the show, they’d probably still have at least some idea of who you meant. Her Valyrian looks and dragons were some of the show’s most important and recognizable elements in terms of iconography and marketing, and that’s what HBO is capitalizing on.
Hell, Daenerys is, so far, one of the only Game of Thrones characters to show-up in another spinoff, appearing in Daemon Targaryen’s vision in House of the Dragon‘s season 2 finale (the other was the Three-Eyed Raven, albeit unrecognizable from Thrones). The prequel even started by using Dany’s birth as a reference point for its timeline. She was, and remains, crucial to the whole franchise, and her controversial death cannot take that away.
Could Daenerys Herself Ever Return In A Game Of Thrones Spinoff?
Upcoming Game of Thrones Spinoffs | ||
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Title | Description | Status |
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms | An adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s The Tales of Dunk & Egg novellas | Season 1 releasing in 2025 on HBO and Max |
House of the Dragon | Ongoing Game of Thrones prequel, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war, the Dance of the Dragons | Season 3 expected in 2026; season 4 will be the last |
Aegon’s Conquest | The story of King Aegon I Targaryen and the conquest of Westeros with his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya | In-development |
10,000 Ships | A spinoff about Princess Nymeria, who led her people the Rhoynar to Dorne after a war with the Valyrian Freehold | In-development |
Nine Voyages | An animated show about Corlys Velaryon’s Great Voyages, where he sailed around the Known World | In-development |
The Golden Empire (unofficial) | An animated show set in empire of Yi Ti, which is in the far East of Essos | In-development |
TBC | Another live-action Game of Thrones spinoff | In-development |
TBC | Another animated Game of Thrones spinoff | In-development |
TBC | A Game of Thrones movie | In-development |