Back in 2016, George R.R. Martin discussed the history of House Targaryen in an interview with Random House. The interview was conducted to promote Fire & Blood. However, it touches on many aspects that are relevant to House of the Dragon, including Daemon Targaryen, who Martin says is his favorite Targaryen, Jaehaerys the Conciliator, who is seen briefly at the Great Council of 101 at Harrenhal at the start of House of the Dragon, and Balerion the Black Dread, whose last rider was Viserys I Targaryen, who rules the Seven Kingdoms at the beginning of House of the Dragon. Viserys told Rhaenyra the prophecy of Aegon’s dream—the Song of Ice and Fire— in front of Balerion’s skull. Let’s dive into Martin’s insights.
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Martin on why Daemon is his favourite Targaryen
Credits: HBO
In the interview, Martin said that he was notorious for his love of gray characters and described Daemon Targaryen as one of the greatest characters in all of Westeros. He explained that they took one of the sidebars and made a separate story out of it, The Rogue Prince. He stated that Daemon, the younger brother of King Viserys I, had been the heir to the throne when Viserys had no children. However, he noted that when Viserys started having children, Daemon lost his claim. Regarding the reason Daemon was his favourite, Martin said:
“He’s a notorious bad boy, a rogue in every sense of the word. He was a rival to Viserys, his sister, and his own niece, Rhaenyra. Later, he became Rhaenyra’s husband. He switched sides several times. You never know where he will land. He’s a very colorful and unpredictable character, and I think he ranks as one of my favorites. But the book is full of what I hope are interesting characters.”
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Martin on Balerion and Aegon
Credits: HBO
Martin also spoke about Balerion, one of the most famous dragons in the Targaryen dynasty, a creature mentioned many times in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. He said:
“Balerion the Black Dread is the oldest and largest of the Targaryen dragons. He is the only one born in Valyria before the Targaryens fled before the Doom. They brought, I believe, five dragons with them. One by one, the dragons died on Dragonstone. Only Balerion survived past Aegon’s Conquest to become the most powerful dragon of the age. He’s gigantic, old, and difficult to master. Balerion was Aegon the Conqueror’s dragon, the founder of the Targaryen dynasty. After Aegon’s death, various riders attempted to claim him, some more successfully than others. But he remains a legend among the Targaryen dragons.”
HBO has announced an Aegon’s Conquest prequel series that has already begun production, with writers working on it. We may see Balerion in his full glory, along with his rider, Aegon the Conqueror, and the real story behind Aegon’s life. Martin went on to talk about Aegon and his decision to conquer Westeros, a moment that is explored further in House of the Dragon through his prophecy, known as the Song of Ice and Fire. Martin said:
“Aegon was the Lord of Dragonstone, one in a succession of rulers after the Targaryens fled Valyria and settled on Dragonstone before the Doom. Many early Targaryen rulers kept their gaze eastward toward Essos, but as time passed, their interest shifted toward Westeros. Aegon finally decided to conquer Westeros and unify the Seven Kingdoms under a single ruler. There’s speculation that, in some sense, he saw what was coming 300 years later. He may have wanted to unify the Seven Kingdoms to prepare for the eventual threat from the North—the same threat we see in A Song of Ice and Fire.”
Aegon’s prophecy has the same name as Martin’s book series, which begins with A Game of Thrones, and the next book in the series isThe Winds of Winter, which has not been released yet. Originally, Fire & Blood did not contain the idea of the Catspaw dagger, which once belonged to Aegon and was passed through him to Viserys, then Rhaenyra, and eventually to Arya Stark, who used it to kill the Night King in the finale of Game of Thrones. This lore was added for the TV show version.
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Martin on Jaehaerys I
Credits: HBO
Martin also discussed Jaehaerys I, who was briefly shown at the beginning of House of the Dragon. He said:
“Jaehaerys the Conciliator, the Old King, had the longest reign of any Targaryen monarch. He took the crown at 14 years old and ruled for 55 years. His sister-wife, Alysanne, was his partner in governance and a key influence on his rule. While Jaehaerys ruled, Alysanne had immense influence. On multiple occasions, he took her advice and passed laws she urged. Their relationship was a great romance—if you accept that an incestuous relationship can be a great romance.”
Though Jaehaerys ruled over the realm and maintained peace and order for a long time, the matter of his succession was complicated, with many believing the person who should have ruled after him was Princess Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was. Instead, the throne passed to Viserys, who was technically lower down in line for the throne compared to Rhaenys. This indirectly contributed to the succession crisis after Viserys’s death, leading to the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
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Martin on Daenerys reading the history of her ancestors
Credits: HBO
House of the Dragon takes place 300 years before the birth of Daenerys, but Fire & Blood details the history of House Targaryen from their arrival in Westeros to a few generations before Daenerys’ birth. Daenerys’ actions at the end of Game of Thrones shocked many viewers, and she had a long and arduous journey ruling over Meereen and conquering Westeros. He suggested that the book Fire & Blood, which also exists in the world of Westeros as the writings of Archmaester Gyldayn, would have been useful to Daenerys. Martin said:
“Daenerys, of course, lives in a time when dragons have been extinct for hundreds of years. No one has seen a living dragon since the events chronicled in Fire & Blood. This is a book that Daenerys might benefit from reading, but she has no access to Archmaester Gyldayn’s crumbling manuscripts. She is operating on her own. Maybe if she understood more about dragons and her own history, her journey in Essos would have gone differently. But we shall see. Fans will have to decide for themselves.”
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