Decoded

All the characters in House of the Dragon, explained

Published

2 months ago

February 27, 2024

The cast and characters of House of the Dragon as well as its predecessor show, Game of Thrones, has always been a huge ensemble of actors. It doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a veteran, remembering all the characters from HoD is a daunting task.

Here, we break down the characters based on their houses and learn about the actors who brought life to them. Let’s dive straight away into the world of House of the Dragon and explore the nitty-gritty of them all.

House Targaryen in House of the Dragon

Viserys I Targaryen

Credits: HBO

Paddy Considine played the character of an aging king to perfection. He is the descendant of the former king Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Viserys’s unwavering loyalty and trust toward her daughter Rhaenyra is something most characters from House of the Dragon cannot flex. However, his actions in the fight for his succession, do lead to major conflicts like the Dance of the Dragons.

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Credits: HBO

Arguably, the main character of the show, Rhaenyra Targaryen played sincerely by Milly Alcock (younger version), and Emma D’Arcy (elder version) is given more depth than any other characters in the show. Her father, Viserys’s unconventional choice of making her the princess of Dragonstone and eventually, the Queen of Westeros shows strong character in their relationship.

Daemon Targaryen

Credits: HBO

Charismatic would be the right word for both Daemon Targaryen as well as Matt Smith who portrayed his character to the teeth. He is the younger brother of Viserys, an uncle to Rhaenyra, and later on becomes her husband. He is a skilled warrior, probably the greatest of his time, as he fought the Triarchy and assumed the status of King of the Narrow Sea. The complexities of the nature of this character make it interesting for the viewers.

Aegon II Targaryen

Credits: HBO

Aegon II’s claim to the Iron Throne is one of the key factors leading to the Targaryen Civil War. He’s the firstborn son of Viserys and Alicent Hightower. The rivalry between his half-sister Rhaenyra and him for the rightful heir to the throne resulted in bloodshed and chaos. Ty Tennant and Tom Glynn-Carney were cast for Aegon II in the first season of House of the Dragon.

Other Characters in House Targaryen

Credits: HBO

Aemond Targaryen- The first season of House of the Dragon shows him as more of a supporting actor, however, his iconic eyepatch and fearlessness are something to marvel at. Aemond is the second son of Viserys and Alicent Hightower, and Rhaenyra’s half-brother. He is also a dragon rider with Vhagar, the largest living dragon in HoD. Ewan Mitchell plays the role of Aemond Targaryen.

Baela and Rhaena Targaryen- Both of them are the daughters of Daemon and Laena Velaryon. In George R.R. Martin’s, Fire and Blood, Baela and Rhaena are shown as twin sisters, whereas in the series, Baela is said to be the elder sister to Rhaena Targaryen. Bethany Antonia and Phoebe Campbell were roped in to play the role of Baela and Rhaena, respectively.

Helaena Targaryen- Phia Saban portrayed the character of Helaena. She is the daughter of Viserys and Alicent thus making her Aegon II and Aemond’s sister.

House Velaryon in House of the Dragon

Corlys Velaryon

Credits: HBO

Popularly known as “The Sea Snake” which refers to his ship of the same name. He is one of the most well-accomplished sea explorers and captains, infamous for going beyond the boundaries of Westeros, alongside being the head of the House Velaryon.

He is married to Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. Corlys felt contentious as his children, Laenor and Laena Velaryon, were often ruled out in the political race for power. Steve Toussaint played the role of Corlys to perfection.

Rhaenys Velaryon

Credits: HBO

Rhaenys was born a Targaryen before she married into House Velaryon, often termed the “Queen Who Never Was”. She is the daughter of Prince Aemon Targaryen and Lady Jocelyn Baratheon. Rhaenys was a thing of beauty and was also considered to be a very intellectual and fierce person. She is also a dragon rider whose dragon was Meleys. Eve Best played the part of Rhaenys in House of the Dragon.

Other Characters in House Velaryon

Laenor and Laena Velaryon – Savannah Steyn played the role of Laena and John Macmillian/Theo Nate played Laenor’s part. The siblings were dragon riders to Vhagar and Seasmoke.

Vaemond Velaryon – He is the younger brother of Corlys and the commander of the Valeryon navy. Wil Johnson played the role of Vaemond.

House Hightower in House of the Dragon

Credits: HBO

Alicent Hightower

She is the daughter of Otto Hightower, second wife of King Viserys I, and mother to Aegon II. Once a very dear friend of Rhaenyra, however, upon her wedding with Viserys I, the relationship between the two turned bitter. The rivalry between Alicent and Rhaenyra grew stronger as they got into the rat race for the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke nailed their respective parts.

Otto Hightower

Much like the character of Petyr Baelish from Game of Thrones, Otto has been the constant Hand of the King because of his knowledge, wisdom, and manipulative methods. He is the father of Alicent and controls her much, to the point of marrying Viserys, laying the plan to make his grandson, Aegon II the heir to the throne. Rhys Ifans played Otto and understood the assignment and how!

Other Important Characters in House of the Dragon

Credits: HBO

Ser Criston Cole

Fabien Frankel played the role of Criston Cole. Cole’s combat skills were extremely sharp and he served as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard for Viserys I. He is famously known as “The Kingmaker” for inciting Aegon II to take up the Iron throne after the death of Viserys, leading to the Targaryen civil war a.k.a Dance of the Dragons. Later, he also became the Hand of the King for Aegon II.

Lyonel Strong

He is the Lord of Harrenhal and eventually goes on to become the Hand of the King to Viserys I, replacing Otto Hightower. Lyonel was a trustworthy man but died in the mysterious fire that broke out at Harrenhal. Gavin Spoakes was cast in the respective part.

Harwin “Breakbones” Strong

Harwin is the eldest son of Lord Lyonel, heir to Harrenhal, and is believed to be the strongest knight in all of the Seven Kingdoms. He is also the father to Rhaenyra’s Valeryon sons, once a rumored lover but this season of House of the Dragon almost confirmed it. Ryan Corr played this massive part!

Jason and Tyland Lannister

Jefferson Hall played the role of the twin brothers Jason and Tyland Lannister. Unlike Game of Thrones, this season of House of the Dragon for Lannisters was not that great of a deal as they were merely shown as supporting parts. Though Tyland briefly served as the Master of Coin during Viserys I’s reign.

Upcoming characters in the second season of House of the Dragon

Here is a list of characters that will appear in the upcoming season of House of the Dragon:

Jeyne Arryn- Amanda Collin will portray the Lady of the Vale.
Alys River- Gayle Rankin is taking up the role of a captivating, mysterious witch from Harrenhal.
Gwayne Hightower- He is the eldest son of Otto Hightower, brother to Alicent, and a member of City Watch, played by Freddie Fox.
Alyn of Hull- Abubakar Salim will play the role of the bastard of House Velaryon.
Cregan Stark- He will solidify the role of the Stark clan in the story, played by Tom Taylor.
Hugh Hammer- Kieran Bew will be seen playing Hugh, the son of a blacksmith, aiding the Black’s campaign.

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If you’ve made up till here, you definitely are a true Game of Thrones fan. The characters in the first season of House of the Dragon are very meaty and complicated and are only going to get interesting, as we move forward with the many more seasons and shows that are lined up.