House of the Dragon is done, but there are still some lingering questions. The finale, “The Queen Who Ever Was,” has many mysterious moments, including a short appearance by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and her three dragons. It happens during Daemon’s (Matt Smith) vision in Harrenhal, a moment supposed to make the rogue prince realize that his role in the war is to support Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), because it has major implications for the future of Westeros. It did leave some fans confused, though; why Daenerys and not, for example, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), who is also a descendant of Daemon and Rhaenyra? Is this confirmation that she is the Prince That Was Promised, not him? This is the ultimate Game of Thrones question, and now more questions are being raised around it, so let’s look at the candidates.
What Is the Prophecy of ‘The Prince That Was Promised’ About?
The prophecy is mentioned by King Viserys (Paddy Considine) to young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) in Season 1 of House of the Dragon, making the interconnectivity between this show and Game of Thrones clearer. He shows her the catspaw dagger from Game of Thrones, saying it’s passed on from one Targaryen monarch to the next, and that its Valyrian steel blade mentions a prophecy made by Aegon the Conqueror himself: “From my blood will come the Prince That Was Promised, and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire.” Aegon had a dream about the Long Night, and this prophesied individual would save the world when the time comes.
This is as clear a text as it’s ever given, even in the books, although Melisandre (Carice Van Houten) is always talking about it. She is the person who has the most details about it, often calling the person from the prophecy “Azor Ahai,” too. The parts that are mentioned say that the coming of this person will be heralded by “a bleeding star,” that they will “be born amid salt and smoke,” “wake dragons from stone,” and pull a sword called Lightbringer from the flames, which they will use to stop the coming of the Long Night. The legend of Azor Ahai also mentions that, when the Long Night first came in the Age of Heroes, he forged Lightbringer and tempered it on his loved one’s heart, a woman called Nissa Nissa, making a sacrifice for the future of the world.
Is Daenerys the Prince That Was Promised?
Daemon seeing Daenerys in his vision seems to heavily imply it, but it could be that he simply saw what he needed to see: a descendant of his and Rhaenyra who would bring back dragons after all of them die in the war. There are many signs pointing to Dany being the Prince That Was Promised in both the series and the books, the most obvious being that she wakes “dragons from stone” when her dragons hatch from petrified eggs in the Season 1 finale of Game of Thrones. It may also be argued that she is “born amid salt and smoke” in that very scene, since it’s a funeral pyre for Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). Also, the “bleeding star” seems to be a reference to the comet that appears in early Season 2. At that time, Daenerys had already “been reborn”, and she and her khalasar are wandering the desert, until they eventually find their way to Qarth.
Daenerys is perfectly fit to be the Prince That Was Promised, especially because, as Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) mentions in the books, the High Valyrian word for “prince” is gender-neutral. Her dragons may also be a stand-in for Lightbringer, since prophecies are often metaphorical. The problem with her being this person is that she eventually succumbs to madness after the defeat of the Others, committing mass murder in King’s Landing. She had already played her key role in that fight, but it doesn’t seem “heroic” of her to burn the world she helped save.
Is Jon Snow the Prince That Was Promised?
The words “ice and fire” are mentioned a lot throughout the franchise. Being the son of Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding) and Lyanna Stark (Aisling Franciosi), Jon Snow is literally the combination of both elements, being the product of the only recorded pairing of Targaryens and Starks. He is the one who unites the Realm (minus the Lannisters) in the fight against the Others and is killed for this, his wounds smoking in the cold amid the tears of his betrayers, providing the salt and smoke. He miraculously comes back to life afterward, also being reborn. He wields the Valyrian steel sword Longclaw, and, given how rare the steel is and its magical properties (including killing White Walkers), it’s believed that the weapon may be a stand-in for Lightbringer. Melisandre also mentions that she always prays for a glimpse of Azor Ahai in her visions, but is shown only snow.
In the books, when Daenerys is in the House of the Undying in Qarth, she has a vision of a couple, whom she believes to be Rhaegar and Elia Martell, nursing a baby together. Rhaegar says that the baby’s name is Aegon, that he is the Prince That Was Promised, and that his is the Song of Ice and Fire. Although Rhaegar indeed has a son named Aegon with Elia, in Game of Thrones this child is dead, his marriage to Elia is annulled, and he marries Lyanna Stark afterward. When young Ned Stark (Robert Aramayo) finds her on her deathbed after giving birth, she tells him that the child’s name is Aegon. Ned promises to keep the child safe and renames him Jon Snow. Ned also has Dawn, the ancestral sword of House Dayne, which was forged from a fallen star in ancient times, and the blade is bloodied from the battle at the Tower of Joy, making for the “bleeding star” of the prophecy.
Daenerys Being in Daemon’s Vision Serves a Specific Purpose in ‘House of the Dragon’
In the end, though, it’s actually Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) who kills the Night King (Vladimir Furdik) and destroys the White Walkers, and the only thing connecting her to the prophecy is the fact that she does it holding the catspaw dagger of Aegon the Conqueror. So it may be that the Prince That Was Promised isn’t something that has an actual answer, since those three characters — Daenerys, Jon, and even Arya, all of whom play a direct part in the literal fight against the Others — all share individual traits mentioned in the prophecy.
Daenerys showing up in Daemon’s vision isn’t supposed to answer this ultimate Game of Thrones question, as House of the Dragon creator Ryan Condal explained after the finale. “We’re more interested in playing with the character drama that lives in and around that imagery,” he says, admitting that his series is not trying to answer any questions. “That is George’s world and George’s space to tell that story.” Daemon sees what he needs to see to finally accept his role in securing the Iron Throne for Rhaenyra, and that’s the purpose of the vision, and that’s why it had to be Daenerys in it since she brings back dragons after the Dance kills all of them. The question of who is the Prince That Was Promised is still very much open, and only George R.R. Martin can properly answer it.
Season 2 of House of the Dragon is streaming on Max.
