House Of The Dragon’s Biggest Game Of Thrones Retcon Needs To Become Book Canon In The Winds Of Winter

House of the Dragon delves further into House Targaryen’s history than Game of Thrones, adding new depth and re-contextualizing or even retconning certain events. That begins with simply showing more of the civil war, the Dance of the Dragons, which marked the beginning of the end of the dynasty. From there, it goes on to include things like visions of Daenerys Targaryen and the Three-Eyed Raven, adding to their own roles in the Targaryen tapestry.

Those latter two appeared in House of the Dragon season 2’s ending, and highlight the delicate balance the prequel has to achieve in its connectivity, as overdoing it is a risk (which showing Dany arguably was). But it’s been linking itself to Game of Thrones since the first episode – despite House of the Dragon‘s timeline being around 170 years earlier – and the biggest connection, which reshapes Westeros lore, is also its best, and something that could end up in George R.R. Martin’s books too.

House Of The Dragon Retconned Game Of Thrones In One Smart Way

It Made A Logical Change That Added To Its Own Story

House of the Dragon’s biggest retcon is its reveal that Aegon’s Conquest wasn’t solely about power, but was instead driven by a prophetic dream foretelling the coming of the White Walkers. Dubbed Aegon’s “Song of Ice and Fire,” the Conqueror’s dream, as recounted by King Viserys I Targaryen, was a vision of a winter, a coming darkness, which would “destroy the world of the living.” Only a unified realm, led by a Targaryen, could withstand the terrifying forces to come (though, as we know, Dany was not officially Westeros’ Queen when the White Walkers were defeated in season 8).

Our histories, they tell us that Aegon looked across the Blackwater from Dragonstone, and saw a rich land ripe for the capture. But ambition alone is not what drove him to conquest. It was a dream. And just as Daenys foresaw the end of Valyria, Aegon foresaw the end of the world of men. ‘Tis to begin with a terrible winter gusting out of the distant north. Aegon saw absolute darkness riding on those winds. And whatever dwells within will destroy the world of the living. When this Great Winter comes, Rhaenyra, all of Westeros must stand against it. And if the world of men is to survive, a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne. A king or queen, strong enough to unite the realm against the cold and the dark.

The prophecy has, crucially, not just been used to add to Westeros lore, but directly impacts the story at hand. Rhaenyra Targaryen’s belief in the dream, and Alicent Hightower’s misunderstanding of it, are key parts of the war. It highlights how being driven by one’s own destiny can lead to downfall, and even more so, how much of the civil war is because the warring factions cannot or will not communicate with one another. It’s great just for that, but it does go beyond it too.

This revelation reshapes House Targaryen’s history. It adds a new layer of depth to Aegon’s actions, re-framing him as a ruler with a sense of purpose far greater than mere conquest. While the Targaryens’ desire for power and their ambitions for greatness certainly played a huge part in the dynasty, it was founded on a more noble mission to protect humanity. While this prophecy was never mentioned in the original series or Martin’s books, its inclusion makes complete sense.

It allows a new interpretation as to why the Targaryens placed such importance on their bloodline and sought to maintain power at all costs – because the stakes were far higher than personal ambition (though, again, that clearly played a part for many of them, since only the heirs knew the dream). This single retcon ties the Targaryens’ past, present, and future together in a way that enhances the overarching narrative. Because of that, it now needs to make its way into George R.R. Martin’s The Winds of Winter.

Aegon’s Song Of Ice & Fire Makes Sense For The Books

The Prophecy Very Much Fits With GRRM’s Story

Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire isn’t just a compelling addition to the show – it’s a concept that feels at home in Martin’s world. Prophecy has always been a key element of A Song of Ice and Fire, from Azor Ahai and the Prince That Was Promised, to Maggy the Frog’s warnings to Cersei Lannister, and Daenerys’ visions in the House of the Undying.

Adding in Aegon’s dream would very much feel like a continuation of that, and neatly fit with things like the Prince That Was Promised, which the Conqueror’s own prophecy mentions and overlaps with. When Dany sees Rhaegar in the House of the Undying, he says his son will be named Aegon – “what better name for a king?” – and that “his will be the song of ice and fire.” It’s easy to see how Rhaegar himself could’ve taken the prophecy from the Conqueror’s dream, and the two are, if not as one, then two pieces of the same whole.

Beyond that, the Targaryens’ obsession with dragons and their resistance to intermarrying outside their family have long suggested they believed their bloodline carried some great importance. Additionally, the Doom of Valyria, which drove the Targaryens to Dragonstone, is steeped in mystery. The house’s escape itself came from a dream – that of Daenys Targaryen – and not only further shows how there’s room for it in book canon, but that they could even end up being connected in some way.

Introducing the prophecy into The Winds of Winter could add depth to history, but also benefit the story’s major heroes. Right now, Jon Snow and Daenerys are the two most likely people to be Azor Ahai and/or the Prince That Was Promised. Introducing the Song of Ice and Fire dream aligns with that, giving them even greater importance and being another case where the past informs the present and history is cyclical, themes Martin loves to explore.

How The Winds Of Winter Could Reveal Aegon’s Dream

There Are A Few Ways Martin Could Introduce It

Introducing Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire into The Winds of Winter isn’t entirely easy, if only because the narrative is already so complicated, but there are established methods for it to be revealed. One of the most obvious choices would be Daenerys, whose arc has already been steeped in visions and prophecy. As she comes closer to fulfilling her destiny, it would make sense for her to uncover this piece of her family’s history, further fueling her desire to take the Iron Throne and her belief that she alone has a divine right to rule the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

Alternatively, there could be other visions or flashback type sequences, or even from a historical account. The books’ rich lore can be revealed through the perspectives of characters like Samwell Tarly or Bran Stark. A discovery in the Citadel’s library or a vision of the past through Bran’s greenseer abilities, since he’s training with the Three-Eyed Crow, could bring Aegon’s dream to light, perhaps to add even greater weight to Jon Snow’s Targaryen parentage.

Supporting the potential for it to become book canon is that Martin himself came up with the idea. House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal revealed as much back in 2022, saying [via Business Insider]:

“That was the detail that George actually gave us early in the story break – the idea that Aegon the Conqueror was himself a dreamer and that’s what motivated the conquest. Which he mentioned casually in conversation, as he often does with huge pieces of information like that.”

Indeed, Martin was discussing this years before House of the Dragon, even touching on it in an interview with Random House [via YouTube] to promote Fire & Blood’s release back in 2018. With that, there’s a great chance for it to be woven into his own story when The Winds of Winter releases.