Heartbreaking News: Emilia Clarke, Shining Star of Game of Thrones, Suddenly Passes Away at 39 md20

While fans get attached to the characters, they become more intertwined with their stories because of how they exist in a greater history, lore and mythology. Knowing the backstory of House Stark and what it means to be a bastard in Westeros makes Jon Snow’s ascension to King of the North so powerful. There are a lot of details like this in the hit HBO series, but the greatest lore twist is still one that fans overlook.

Game of Thrones’ House Targaryen Is Introduced to Fans In the Best Way Possible

HBO

It’s hard to say for sure which characters fans will gravitate towards most when they first become invested in the story of A Song of Ice & Fire or Game of Thrones. While everyone will have their own preferences, it’s still safe to say that House Stark is established as a clear group of heroes with alluring protagonists. Their honor, loyalty and love shine through as they are explored constantly throughout the first few episodes of the series.

For audiences who never read the books, or for those who read the books when they were initially released. There’s something specific about the way the world is built and the characters are introduced. Elements of the lore attach fans to certain characters, which is why some fans easily gravitated towards Daenerys Targaryen and her initial Dothraki storyline. Learning about houses comes in the form of their status and history, as well as what they are most identified with.

The Lannisters’ wealth, as well as their golden blonde hair and lion sigil, stand out to audiences in the same way that the Starks are incredibly similar to their direwolf counterparts in the way they think and act. This is what makes the Targaryens so appealing as well, because they are immediately equated with power and fury just based on what is said and how other houses speak of them. Getting to know Daenerys Targaryen better and better makes her a heroic figure for fans.

Along with getting to know her as a person, her goals, past and legacy are all explored through her ultimate realizations about her destiny and her house’s strength. Key moments include when she takes control of her situation, obtaining dominance in her disturbing initial relationship with Khal Drogo or when she isn’t burned by fire like others would be. Most notably, the Targaryen house is mysterious and enthralling as everyone else discusses their centuries-long reign in Westeros many times throughout the first season/book.

Fans learn more and more that the Targaryens were the ruling power in Westeros for a very long time before King Robert Baratheon and his rebellion brought an end to their reign. This leads to wondering how a single house could have had so much power for so long. This makes every detail about Daenerys’ discoveries all the more interesting.

What becomes more real is what the story and the lore most hints at for multiple episodes. First and foremost, the Targaryen family was defined by conquerors and how Daenerys will likely have to do the same thing in order to obtain what she believes is rightfully hers.

The Dragon Lore Twist of Game of Thrones Is Developed By Misdirection and Tension

Image via HBO

What comes to most define House Targaryen and what makes them arguably more interesting than any other family is their supposed connection to a legendary mythological creature. Dragons are an essential part of the Game of Thrones lore, and they have become synonymous with the Targaryen name.

However, there is a very intricate way to how they are introduced into the series. Dragons, along with white walkers and other fantastical elements in the story, are constantly established as myths by the characters. At the same time, audiences quickly meet white walkers, establishing fantasy conventions early.

The same way that these mysterious creatures were slowly fleshed out, so are the dragons, and how their return to Westeros is just as mystifying as the return of the white walkers. For those who watched the show and didn’t read the books, this really affects a lot of the big moments in the series, especially concerning Daenerys Targaryen. It all starts with the actual revelation of dragons being real and expands from there.

What fans first point to in regard to Daenerys’ story is when she first brings dragons back into this world at the end of Season 1. However, that moment ultimately pales in comparison to some of the greatest moments of the series involving dragons. This is all because of an intricate storytelling approach and fleshing out of the lore.

Every key dragon or white walker moment is built with tension predicated on the fact that audiences want to know what fate befalls those who come into contact with these terrifying creatures. Tension and mystery surround these giant elements of the show’s plot. Still, fans seem to forget how well this was done with dragons, because dragon twists happen much faster and much sooner than the ultimate white walker moment. For the white walkers, it’s all about if, when or how they will invade Westeros.

For dragons, it’s all about whether Daenerys will conquer Westeros with the help of her winged “children,” something she does more consistently for a majority of seasons. However, for a little while, it’s actually unclear if dragons will actually return the way fans think, and this is the greatest aspect of their involvement in the series.

Through misdirection, the best dragon twist involves wondering if they will be dragons in the way they are described and the way fans would most want. Fans become attracted to Daenerys’ story in a big way when they think she might actually be able to take back Westeros with the use of dragons. For the entirety of season one and most of Season 2, there’s a lot of discussion about the Targaryens and how they used to ride dragons and that’s how they ended up conquering Westeros in the first place.

However, characters also talk about how the last dragons were born small and in some cases deformed. This information proves to be more crucial than it appears, as it plants the idea that maybe Daenerys’ small dragons won’t ever grow. This misdirection allows for incredibly visceral and shocking dragon moments to have an even greater impact. Realizing that Daenerys Targaryen will be the first dragon rider in centuries hits so much harder for the audience, and it’s all because of how this reveal was built to.

Game of Thrones’ Dragons Face Obstacles That Give Their Presence More Weight

Image via HBO

Building off of how dragons are introduced and then developed, Game of Thrones always does a good job knowing exactly when to give Daenerys her big hero moments that made fans love her. Since audiences don’t really know what to expect from her dragons for a little while, the story includes obstacles that continue to intentionally mislead.

For instance, another aspect of the dragons early on is wondering if they’ll survive, especially since they won’t seem to eat anything Daenerys tries to feed them. This connects to them also not breathing fire for some time, and how that is such a big part of who they are.

Game of Thrones has always done a good job adapting what George R.R. Martin created (except arguably at the end), and this plays into how the dragons are included in the story. Drogon, Viserion and Rhaegal are characters as much as Ghost is a character. They run into obstacles, and they overcome obstacles.

As it turns out, their earliest obstacles were perfectly designed to give their biggest moments more weight. Eventually, they do breathe fire, and they inflict their will on all of Daenerys’ enemies. To this day, Daenerys’ initial defeat of slaver Kraznys mo Nakloz by way of “Dracarys” is a defining moment in TV history, and it would be nothing without the moments that got her there.