House of the Dragon is the long-awaited prequel series to Game of Thrones; however, its main focus is on House Targaryen. House of the Dragon sees the Targaryens at their former glory, albeit at the cusp of an impending civil war over King Viserys’ rightful successor.
The Targaryen legacy is referred to in Game of Thrones, but mainly as a reason for why Daenerys believes she’s owed the Iron Throne. While fans may feel aggrieved with how Daenerys meets her end in Game of Thrones, they can now turn their attention to the Targaryen legacy. With House of the Dragon set less than 200 years before Game of Thrones, it’s interesting to see Daenerys’ ancestors in action.
Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon, both series and book. It also contains references to difficult topics, including miscarriage and death in childbirth.
8.Rhaenyra Is The Sixth Great-Grandmother Of Daenerys Targaryen
Despite all the familial complexities in House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra Targaryen is the mother who extends the true Targaryen line, which stretches to the events of A Game of Thrones. She’s named as Viserys’ heir due to the lack of a brother and to repel the claim of her uncle Daemon. Yet, this act of naming her as the successor is ultimately the catalyst for the Dance of the Dragons’ civil war.
Rhaenyra has several children, but her son Viserys III furthered the line with his children Aegon IV and Naerys, who went on to have Daeron II – the twelfth Targaryen to sit on the Iron Throne. Daeron’s son, Maekar, had several children, including Maester Aemon, but it was Aegon V who furthered the line with Jaehaerys. Jaehaerys had Aerys II, known as the Mad King, who’d have three children in turn – one of whom was Daenerys. This makes Rhaenyra Daenerys’ sixth great-grandmother.
7.Jaehaerys Is The Ninth Great-Grandfather Of Daenerys
King Jaehaerys is shown as the king at the start of House of the Dragon. He was the grandson of Aegon the Conqueror, being a tangible link to the beginning of the true Targaryen dynasty. He miraculously outlived all his children and thus had to name either Viserys or Rhaenys as his successor.
He decided to bestow his grandson, Viserys, with the crown, who’s Rhaenyra’s father. As he’s the great-grandfather of Rhaenyra, this makes him the ninth great-grandfather of Daenerys. This kind of generational gap in such a short space of time is unprecedented in the modern age given the extended life expectancies. Yet, in this world and in those times, living to the old age Jaehaerys did was a rare thing.
6.Viserys Is The Seventh Great-Grandfather Of Daenerys
Viserys is presented as the main king of House of the Dragon‘s first season after his appointment by his grandfather, Jaehaerys. The nature of his succession was bizarre due to his grandfather outliving the entirety of the generation between them both.
Viserys was unable to produce a male heir with his first wife, Aemma, so subsequently promised his succession to his daughter, Rhaenyra. This was before he remarried Alicent Hightower and had four more children. This development began the Targaryen civil war and the ultimate jostle for power. Given how Viserys was Rhaenyra’s father, he’s the seventh great-grandfather to Daenerys.
5.Aemma Is Both The Seventh Great-Grandmother & First Cousin Nine Times Removed Of Daenerys
Viserys’ first wife Aemma is the first story of tragedy from House of the Dragon. She dies after her husband makes the call to kill her in order to save the newborn baby boy. When Viserys ends up losing both his wife and his son, he loses all hope of furthering his line and rightful succession.
Aemma was an Arryn and a distant relative of Jon Arryn from Game of Thrones, but also the daughter of Daella Targaryen, Viserys’ aunt. Due to being Viserys’ spouse and cousin as well as Rhaenyra’s mother, Aemma was both the seventh great-grandmother of Daenerys and also her first cousin nine times removed.
4.Had Viserys & Aemma’s Other Children Survived, They’d Have Been Seventh Great-Aunts & Uncles Of Daenerys
Viserys and Aemma had a rough time of it when it came to having children. Viserys was desperate to have a son for the sake of his succession, but instead only had one healthy child in Rhaenyra. Unbeknownst to Viserys at the time, Rhaenyra was actually the one who furthered the family line in the long run.
The children he had with Alicent Hightower would ultimately fail to further the Targaryen legacy. While none of Viserys and Aemma’s other children survived, they’d have been considered seventh great-aunts and uncles to Daenerys.
3.Rhaenys Is The First Cousin Nine Times Removed Of Daenerys
Rhaenys Targaryen is unfortunately known as the “Queen That Never Was” due to being overlooked for royal succession on more than one occasion. Her father was Aemon Targaryen, but the third-born son of Jaehaerys died before his father and therefore inadvertently removed Rhaenys from the equation.
Not only was she snubbed in favor of her uncle Baelon, but her cousin Viserys was also chosen instead. Despite these setbacks, she married Corlys Velaryon and merged two powerful families. She’s considered the first cousin nine times removed of Daenerys Targaryen.
2.Daemon Is A Distant Great-Uncle Of Daenerys But Also Her Sixth Great-Grandfather
Daemon is the complicated character of the Targaryen family. He’s the brother of King Viserys and an uncle of Rhaenyra’s. Despite loving his family, he chooses to prioritize more of his own desires and ambitions. As the uncle of Rhaenyra, he’s therefore a distant uncle of Daenerys Targaryen, spanning multiple generations. However, it gets more complicated than that.
Readers of the Fire & Blood source material know that Daemon and Rhaenyra are the pair who further the Targaryen line together. They have two children: Aegon III and Viserys II, which also makes Daemon Daenerys’ sixth great-grandfather.
1.Aegon II & His Siblings Are The Half-Siblings Of Rhaenyra And Distant Great-Half-Uncles & Aunties Of Daenerys
When Viserys moved past his grief of Aemma Arryn’s death, he remarried. Going against his daughter’s wishes, he married her best friend Alicent Hightower and had four children together. The firstborn Aegon II is introduced in House of the Dragon‘s third episode as a baby, and he’s depicted as a potential threat to Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne.
All the children born to Viserys and Alicent are Rhaenyra’s half-brothers and sisters, making them distant great-half-uncles and aunties of Daenerys Targaryen. While Aegon II went on to have children of his own, their line came to an abrupt end, while Rhaenyra’s flourished and continued.
