The much-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, is set to premiere on August 21st, focusing on the first Targaryen Civil War known as the Dance of the Dragons. The ending of Game of Thrones was one of the most controversial final seasons in television history, largely due to rushed storytelling, forgotten character arches, and poorly written dialogue that was unfitting for a show that seasons ago was praised for its outstanding writing. While many fans of Game of Thrones are skeptical about a prequel series, they should not fret, as unlike Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has finished the book that House of the Dragon is based on, Fire and Blood.
For fans of the books, it is a relief to hear Martin's recent praise for the prequel series, as well as it being considered a more than faithful adaption of the source material. Much to the dismay of the fans of the book series, many intriguing storylines had been left out of Game of Thrones, most notably the tale of the Blackfyre Targaryens. House of the Dragon focuses on the first Civil War, but the Blackfyre Targaryens would be responsible for the next five.
The turmoil caused by Targaryen infighting would be a significant factor in the fall of their dynasty, but what's fascinating is that the roots of the turmoil that would lead to the end of their reign was the Dance of the Dragons in the upcoming series. Without the Dance of the Dragons, the subsequent Civil Wars and loss of magical power for House Targaryen wouldn't have occurred. Their Dynasty may have reigned for another hundred years instead of being destroyed by Robert's Rebellion.
Who Are the Blackfyre Targaryens?
The Blackfyre Targaryen line began during the reign of Aegon IV Targaryen, a King that was also known as "Aegon the Unworthy." Aegon was a womanizer and a creature of pleasure. Decadence, gluttony, lust, corruption, and oppression were the constants of his rule. Aegon's small council was filled with loyalists and those who heaped praise, providing no opposition to his actions as King. In typical Targaryen fashion, Aegon married his sister, Naerys Targaryen, who would give birth to Aegon's trueborn heir, Daeron II Targaryen. Daeron was one of the many children of Aegon, who had more bastards than trueborn children, as the vicious King took whatever woman he wanted at any time. Naerys was the only woman Aegon did not enjoy being with, and subsequently, he loathed his heir, Daeron, favoring his bastards over him. Of all Aegon's bastards, it was Daemon Waters who the King most celebrated.
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Daemon was a great warrior, unlike Daeron, and when Aegon knighted Daemon, he gifted his bastard with the sword known as "Blackfyre," the same sword Aegon the Conquerer wielded during his conquest of Westeros. After being gifted the sword, Daemon took the name Blackfyre instead of Waters, which was his bastard name. After Naerys died during childbirth, Aegon began casting doubt on Daeron's legitimacy as an heir, suggesting he was a bastard who was the son of his brother, Aemon. The rumors birthed by Aegon, coupled with Daemon's traditional Targaryen look (blonde hair and purple eyes) and his being gifted the sword of the first ruler of the Targaryen dynasty, made many begin to support Daemon's claim to the throne over Daeron. On his deathbed, Aegon had grown so morbidly obese that he couldn't move, defecating where he sat. Before he passed, Aegon legitimized all his bastard children, placing them in the line of succession and giving them a claim to the throne.
When Daeron became King, he attempted to reform the crown, undoing his father's corruption and maintaining a peaceful relationship with Daemon. Daeron helped make Dorne a part of the Seven Kingdoms by marrying Myriah Martell. But by favoring the Dornish and having his heir, Baelor I Targaryen, resemble the classic Dornishman over a Targaryen, many Lords began to dislike Daeron's rule and favored Daemon over him. After years of being pushed to claim the Iron Throne by his councilors, specifically Aegor "Bittersteel," a fellow bastard fathered by Aegon IV, Daemon finally declared his intent to usurp the throne and reversed the colors of the Targaryen flag to make the black dragon on a red banner the sigil of House Blackfyre.
The Three-Eyed Raven
The only character from the first Blackfyre rebellion to appear in HBO's Game of Thrones was Bryden Rivers (Max Von Sydow), also known as "Bloodraven." Bloodraven was another of Aegon IV's bastards, but he refused to join Daemon in his attempt to take the throne, supporting Daeron II and the Targaryen dynasty. The rebellion lasted less than a year, and Bloodraven killed Daemon at the Battle of the Red Grass. Bloodraven killed Daemon's firstborn twin sons as well, Aegon and Aemon. Bittersteel dueled with Bloodraven, taking one of his eyes and fleeing Westeros with Daemon's remaining children and his wife, Rohanne of Tyrosh. Bloodraven became a mortal enemy of House Blackfyre by killing his half-brother and becoming a kinslayer or kingslayer to some. In addition to killing the first Blackfyre, Bloodraven was enemies with Daemon's trusted counselor, Bittersteel, in part due to Bloodraven's half-sister Shiera Seastar choosing Bloodraven over Bittersteel as her lover.
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Bloodraven was a sorcerer of sorts, practicing black magic with Shiera, using his powers to uncover secrets during his time as Hand of the King and Master of Whisperers under Aerys I Targaryen. It was the goal of Bloodraven to extinguish House Blackfyre for the good of the realm. However, it was this very stubbornness in refusing to show mercy to the Blackfyres that led to Bloodraven losing power. When a council convened to decide the next Targaryen successor, Bloodraven invited Aenys Blackfyre to come to Kings Landing and peacefully take part in choosing the next king. Instead, Bloodraven killed Aenys, and when Aegon V Targaryen came to power, Bloodraven was arrested for his dishonorable murder of Aenys and sent to the wall with Aemon Targaryen, Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) in HBO's Game of Thrones.
Bloodraven would become Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but would vanish beyond the wall where he would become The Three-Eyed Crow, a greenseer capable of seeing the past, present, and future. In the show, Bloodraven is called the Three-Eyed Raven, and just like in the books, he is seemingly training Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) to succeed him as the last greenseer
Blackfyre Targaryens and House of the Dragon
There would be a total of Five Blackfyre Rebellions, most of which were supported by Bittersteel and his mercenary organization known as the Golden Company. The Golden Company appeared in HBO's Game of Thrones but never mentioned Bittersteel. In the end, it seemed that Bloodraven succeeded as all the rebellions failed, and the male line of House Blackfyre was extinguished. In the books, House Blackfyre may make a return in George R.R. Martin's Winds of Winter. It's hinted that Young Griff, who Varys and Illyrio Mopatis claim to be Rhaegar Targaryen's son, Aegon, is actually a Blackfyre who is the son of Illyrio and his wife, Serra. Serra is thought to be part of the female line of House Blackfyre, with Varys being her brother. If Varys and Aegon are Blackfyres, then this would suggest that the former took the role as Master of Whisperers for Aerys II to decimate House Targaryen and make the throne right for the taking, being the first Blackfyre to try and take the throne via political manipulation over warfare alone.
Nevertheless, while this is a popular theory, it isn't confirmed yet. In the HBO adaption, Varys (Conleth Hill) supports Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), and Illyrio Mopatis and Young Griff are non-existent for the most part, with Aegon's name being given to Jon Snow (Kit Harington) over Griff.
How does this relate to HBO's upcoming House of the Dragon series? If House of the Dragon is to follow the books down to the letter, then Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D' Arcy) will win the Dance of the Dragons, and their son, Aegon III Targaryen, will inevitably take the throne. Aegon IV Targaryen is the grandson of Daemon and Rhaenyra, and thus Daemon Blackfyre (named after Daemon Targaryen) is their great-grandson. If House Hightower had succeeded in Dance of the Dragons, then Daemon Blackfyre's line would have likely not existed as in the Game of Thrones. If you don't win, you die. The Dance of the Dragons was the beginning of the end for House Targaryen as the war led to the extinction of dragons, eliminating the major source of Targaryen power. The ruling line that would birth the second Targaryen Civil War had won the Dance of the Dragons, leading to decades of Blackfyre rebellions that would weaken the crown, building up the alliances and houses that would come to overthrow House Targaryen.
House of the Dragon will have a bitter-sweet ending, as its protagonists, Daemon and Rhaenyra, will defeat the Hightowers and their claimant, Aegon II, taking back the Iron Throne. In the long term, it will cost them the source of their power and foster the internal division, eventually leading to their demise at the hands of Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) in Game of Thrones.
