Civil war has broken out in House of the Dragon. If these Game of Thrones characters were alive at the time, here’s who they would support.
With House of the Dragon split into two factions, it begs the question of which side the main Game of Thrones characters would choose. The prequel series’ first season covered the build-up toward the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war between Targaryen factions represented by Rhaenyra and Aegon II, with Westeros divided on who they believe to be the rightful heir. Rhaenyra represents the black faction, while Aegon II represents the greens. HBO’s marketing for House of the Dragon season 2 has utilized Team Black vs. Team Green in trailers to involve audiences in the immersion of the conflict.
The Dance of the Dragons isn’t too dissimilar from the War of Five Kings in Game of Thrones. It’s a war of succession, though in the case of House of the Dragon, there are only two monarchs to choose from. Of course, the events of House of the Dragon take place nearly two centuries prior to Game of Thrones, but it’s fascinating to hypothesize based on each character’s interests and motivations. If characters like Ned Stark or Stannis Baratheon had been lords during the Dance, they would’ve been forced to choose sides, just like the House of the Dragon characters in season 2.
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Ned Stark
Sides with Rhaenyra Targaryen
Lord Eddard Stark is commonly considered one of the moral compasses of Game of Thrones, willing to choose honor and doing what’s right over his own well-being. While Ned’s logic is flawed and debatable, he seems likely a likely candidate to support Rhaenyra. He may support a patriarchal society by tradition, but if King Viserys urged him to bend the knee and swear fealty to Rhaenyra as the heir to the Iron Throne, he would keep his word on it.
Ned Stark is a complicated character, as even though he’s considered noble and good, he passes judgment of his moral code on others to a fault; A key example is Jaime Lannister after stabbing the Mad King. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine Ned liking Daemon or characters like Criston Cole or Otto Hightower. However, the most essential aspect of Ned’s decision would be that he swore the oath to Viserys.
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Jon Snow
Sides with Rhaenyra Targaryen
Jon essentially takes after Ned more than any of the other Stark children, so it’s more than likely he will end up supporting Rhaenyra Targaryen for a similar reason. If Jon Snow swore an oath to Viserys Targaryen claiming that he would be loyal to Rhaenyra as the rightful heir, he would remain true to that oath even at the cost of his own life. Given Jon’s relationship with Daenerys Targaryen, it’s fair to say he takes no issue with having a Queen in power.
Jon may not fall in love with her like he did Daenerys, but duty will bind him to her side.
Jon Snow has values similar to those of Ned. On one hand, it’s easy to imagine Jon taking to Rhaenyra as he did with Daenerys, as he’s often characterized by a boyish romanticism, but Rhaenyra and Daenerys have distinct differences. Jon felt an affection for Daenerys as he saw her as a good-natured ruler and someone who cared about her people, as he did. While Rhaenyra isn’t quite as uncaring as Aegon II, she’s never really shown a passion for the lives of her people. Jon may not fall in love with her like he did Daenerys, but duty will bind him to her side.
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Daenerys Targaryen
Sides with Rhaenyra Targaryen
Daenerys Targaryen is sort of a chaotic, wildfire element to fall into another era, as in a Targaryen civil war, it’s hard to imagine her not making a claim for herself as Queen. If she was forced to pick a side, however, her ideals certainly align with Rhaenyra, who seeks to break tradition by becoming the first Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. There’s no world where Daenerys would take an interest in supporting Aegon, but the question is whether she would outshine Rhaenyra.
Daenerys and Rhaenyra have been fit into similar categories in their respective shows, as Rhaenrya hopes to “break the wheel,” much like Daenerys did. However, Daenerys is defined by much more accomplishment and capability, having essentially started from nothing and working her way toward an army of devout followers. Drogon isn’t as big as many of the House of the Dragon dragons, but he’s bigger than Syrax, giving Daenerys an element of power over her ancestor.
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Tywin Lannister
Sides with Aegon II Targaryen
Tywin Lannister has commonly been compared to Otto Hightower in House of the Dragon, but Tywin is far more tactical and fearsome. It’s no stretch to imagine the two filling similar roles in the Dance of the Dragons, as Tywin would definitely side with Aegon II if he had to choose, as Aegon holds King’s Landing and is the heir by tradition. However, with the freedom to dictate his own actions in the civil war, Robert’s Rebellion is an excellent example of how Tywin might involve himself.
Despite being the Hand of the King to Aerys Targaryen, the Mad King, for several years, Tywin scarcely involved himself in Robert Baratheon’s rebellion. That was, at least, until the very end, when he betrayed Aerys and sacked King’s Landing, securing victory for the rebels. Tywin will play the side that ensures victory for his house and personal legacy, and while his ideals align with Aegon II, he wouldn’t fit into their side with any guaranteed loyalty. Tywin will end up with whoever wins the Dance of the Dragons.
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Tyrion Lannister
Sides with Aegon II Targaryen
Tyrion Lannister is a toss-up because Game of Thrones essentially sees two sides of him: the complex version adapted from George R.R. Martin’s books in the first few seasons and then the dulled-down version that goes to become loyal to Daenerys. It may come as a surprise to see Tyrion supporting Aegon, as many audiences consider him one of the morality just characters in the series. Still, it’s vital to note that he followed Joffrey, Cersei, and Tywin, even defending King’s Landing against the rightful heir, Stannis, until he wasn’t allowed to anymore.
In the Dance of the Dragons, Tyrion would likely side with Aegon because House Lannister had chosen to side with Aegon. Tyrion may feel similarly to Aegon as he did to Joffrey, but he’s admittedly not a hero or a rebel leader and would instead try to establish peace from his position. He would urge caution from Aegon and potentially try to guide Rhaenyra and Alicent to negotiate peace, knowing their friendship.
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Cersei Lannister
Sides with Aegon II Targaryen
Cersei is tricky because much of her threat comes from having been Queen for over a decade before Game of Thrones starts. She’s in a position of power in the original series, which she wouldn’t have in House of the Dragon. Practically, as a Lannister daughter, she’d have been married off to another Lord and likely have little to do with the conflict. So, her side choice is based strictly on her ideals. Cersei’s ideal is power, and she’d support the side that indicates status and power, likely Aegon, as he holds the Iron Throne.
Cersei and Rhaenyra have some similarities that are hard to ignore, though Rhaenyra is painted in a much kinder light by the TV show.
In a sense, Cersei and Rhaenyra have some similarities that are hard to ignore, although Rhaenyra is painted in a much kinder light by the TV show. They’re both prone to making rash decisions without thinking about the consequences and have a sense of entitlement due to the privileged positions in which they were born. But that doesn’t mean Cersei would side with Rhaenyra out of any sense of sentimentality. Cersei would play her hand similarly to Tywin, waiting for the right moment to intervene and support the winning side, though she likely wouldn’t be as calculated with it.
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Stannis Baratheon
Sides with Aegon II Targaryen
Stannis Baratheon is one of the characters easier to imagine taking sides in the Dance of the Dragons. Stannis wholeheartedly believes in a code of law and oaths, and in Game of Thrones, he declares himself King and makes plenty of enemies on the high ground of being the rightful heir. Stannis declares that he has no desire to be King; he sees it as his duty as the heir and is willing to fight for it even though he initially has no chance of winning.
His motives are arguable, but they’re easier to fit into the situation in House of the Dragon. By laws of tradition, Aegon II is the rightful heir, and Stannis would fight for him if he were called to. Stannis is both a protagonist and antagonist in Game of Thrones, depending on the framing of the season, but his ideals align with Aegon’s right to rule.
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Jaime Lannister
Sides with Aegon II Targaryen
Again, Robert’s Rebellion can be used as an example of Jaime’s role in the Dance of the Dragons, although any time in his life would likely point to him siding with Aegon. Jaime serves on the Kingsguard to the Mad King, and if he’s willing to put up with that for so long, he could certainly handle Aegon. Jaime Lannister also has parallels to Criston Cole, which suggests he’d support the Greens.
Many audiences saw Jaime Lannister having an arc of redemption, at least until the Game of Thrones ending, which reversed all of his growth in the final episodes. There’s no point in his redemption, however, where he’d become such an idealist that he’d swap sides to support Rhaenyra. Jaime will be largely complacent in the Dance of the Dragons, doing his job as a member of the Kingsguard or a war commander.
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Arya Stark
Sides with Rhaenyra Targaryen
Arya Stark uniquely fits into the Dance of the Dragons, as she’d be more interested in hunting those she hates than the war’s outcome. Arya may not have particularly strong opinions about Rhaenyra or Aegon II, but her younger self especially could relate to Rhaenyra’s desire to break tradition, given the opportunity. The main focal point of Arya’s role in House of the Dragon is imagining who would be on her list.
Much of Arya’s list in Game of Thrones is composed of those who wronged her or her family, but there are a few characters who fill similar archetypes. It’s easy to imagine Arya having it out for Otto Hightower, Aegon II himself, and possibly even Alicent. They all fill similar roles to Tywin Lannister, Joffrey, and Cersei, all of whom Arya vows to kill in the original show.
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Robert Baratheon
Sides with Aegon II Targaryen
Much like Viserys Targaryen in House of the Dragon, Robert Baratheon was a fan favorite in Game of Thrones after just a short arc. One of Robert’s defining characteristics is that he absolutely hates the Targaryens, even willing to kill a child, Daenerys, to eliminate their bloodline. Either way, he’d be supporting a Targaryen, but his fundamental ideals align more with Aegon’s right to rule.
In House of the Dragon, Borros Baratheon supports Aegon II, and Robert would likely take a similar stance. Robert was a warrior, not an intelligent politician or visionary, and his only motive for rebellion was that he betrothed had run off with another man. Robert’s values align with the patriarchal society of Westeros, and he’d likely find himself supporting the male ruler with little regard for why.
