The Targaryen lineage is a long and complicated one in the Game of Thrones universe. In the flagship show, the family tree was quite simple considering there were so few Targaryens left in Westeros. But things got a little lost in translation when the Targaryen-centric House of the Dragon came about in 2022. Despite the time difference of nearly 200 years before each series, one thing stayed true: the Targaryens are the most powerful family in Westeros, but don’t recognize the strength of its own women.
As of Season 1 in House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra Targaryen is currently struggling to maintain her hold over Westeros as the rightful queen, while her half-brother Aegon II usurped the throne with the help of the Hightowers. Centuries later, Daenerys falls victim to the “Targaryen madness” that curses her family’s name, ending her reign before it even started. As the most popular Targaryens of their respective shows, some people may be wondering how exactly Rhaenyra and Daenerys are related to each other. Through a long line of incestuous kings and queens, they share the blood of the dragon.
It All Starts With Rhaenyra and Daemon’s Marriage
The link between Rhaenyra and Daenerys starts with Rhaenyra’s relationship with her uncle Daemon Targaryen, who is King Viserys I’s brother. The two had a flirtatious relationship while Rhaenyra was still a teenager, angering Viserys and Rhaenyra’s best friend Alicent Hightower. Rhaenyra and Daemon married years later after both of their spouses died, and had three children, the last being stillborn. Their second son, Viserys II, is Daenerys’ direct connection to Rhaenyra. During the Dance of the Dragons, Rhaenyra sent Viserys II and his older brother Aegon III to Essos for protection, and it was believed he had died in the Battle of the Gullet.
However, Viserys II was under the custody of the wealthy Rogare family in Lys, in which he married their youngest daughter Larra. They had three children: Aegon IV, Aemon and Naerys. Like many Targaryens before them, Aegon IV and Naerys married and had two children: Daenerys (not the beloved Game of Thrones anti-hero) and Daeron II. It’s through Daeron II that the Game of Thrones’ Daenerys comes in, as the first Daenerys continues the Martell family line.
Daeron II Targaryen’s Descendants Led to the House’s Downfall
With Myriah Martell, Daeron II had four children and lived through quite a difficult time for the Targaryens. The First Blackfyre Rebellion took place during his reign and his youngest son Maekar accidentally killed his eldest Baelor. But while Maekar appears to be the rash and unforgiving traitor of the family, he does provide the pathway to Daenerys’ birth. Maekar and his wife Dyanna Dayne had six children: Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, Daella, Rhae and Aegon V. The youngest son, Aegon V, was commonly known as Egg in his day and will be one of the central characters in the upcoming spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. He only became king after his oldest brother Aemon — Castle Black’s wise and esteemed Maester in Game of Thrones — refused the throne.
At this point in time in Westeros, the Targaryens were thinning out. They didn’t partake in incestuous relations as they once did, leading to the amount of silver-blonde dragons to fade away. Aligning with more traditional Westerosi standards, Aegon V married Betha Blackwood and had five children. Two of these children, Shaera and Jaehaerys II, likely recognized the severity of the Targaryens’ extinction and married each other, to Aegon V’s dismay. Shaera birthed two children: Aerys II and Rhaella.
Aerys II and Daenerys Were the Last Hope for the Targaryens
Fans may recognize the names this far into the family tree. Aerys II was commonly known as the “Mad King” who grew out his fingernails and refused to cut his hair. While his reign started out promising, it soon delved into a state of chaos when his paranoia grew and the continuation of the Targaryen lineage weighed heavy on his shoulders. Rhaella suffered from several miscarriages and stillbirths, and three of their sons died not long after they were born. The only three that lived to adulthood were Rhaegar, Viserys and Daenerys. From there, it became a Game of Thrones for the remaining Targaryens.
Technically, this would mean Rhaenyra is Daenerys’ sixth great-grandmother. They may be distantly related, but it’s telling how history tends to repeat itself for the Targaryen women. Both Rhaenyra and Daenerys fought for their birthright in ages when they were laughed at, and both failed to succeed in their ambitions. The Targaryen name may be buried in the snow beyond the wall, but its history is inked forever in the books.
