House of The Dragon showrunner says Viserys realized controlling dragons is an “illusion” after riding Balerion

The first season of Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon is finally over, and it was heartbreaking and shocking. The end of the episode, and season one, means we will officially be opening the door to the civil war ‘Dance of the Dragons’, an event from Fire & Blood that the show is based on. And the key to the lock was the brutal killing of young Prince Lucerys ‘Luke’ Velaryon and his dragon, Arrax, by Prince Aemond and his dragon, Vhagar. Eagle-eyed fans spotted it was prophesied by King Viserys way back in episode one about the nature of the dragons, and House of The Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal recently shed some light on it.

In an episode of the Official Game of Thrones podcast, Condal explained how Viserys realized they can’t actually control dragons, “I would say that the warning Viserys gave to Rhaenyra way back in episode 1, saying that dragons are power men should never have trifled with. The idea that we control them is an illusion.”

“Viserys rode Balerion. He never really talked about it, but the reason he climbed off that dragon and never rode another one again. In our mind in the backstory of this, was because he had ridden a nuclear bomb and had realized the awful power of it, and was afraid of it – Not in a cowardly way but in a way that person respects the power of a gun would respect it.”

He added, “And if you have read deeper in the history of Fire & Bood, there is a story where somebody climbed on that very same dragon, Balerion, and got taken on a ride that was horrifying, and probably, it’s hinted, to the ruins of Old Valyria. But Viserys is aware. He certainly knew that story when he got on Balerion, and maybe something similar happened, where he sensed that he was only in control to a degree. And I think that’s the thing we need to realize about dragons, is there is a sentience to them.”

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