We may see a Targaryen set on fire on this season of House of the Dragon

After a two-year break, HBO’s House of the Dragon, the highly anticipated spin-off of Game of Thrones, is finally back on Sunday night. Set around 200 years before Game of Thrones, the series focuses on the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.

In Game of Thrones, Daenerys walks through fire and emerges unscathed, earning her the title ‘ the Unburnt’. Something similar will happen to a Targaryen or two this season, but will they survive the flames?

Read More: New House of the Dragon season 2 poster hints towards a massive dragon fight

The Battle at Rook’s Rest

In the upcoming House of the Dragon season, a major battle called the Battle of Rook’s Rest will occur, as revealed by the book Fire and Blood and recent trailers. This battle will be fought between the Black and Green armies, with Criston Cole leading the Greens against the Black stronghold of Rook’s Rest. Dragons will join the fight: King Aegon II with Sunfyre, Aemond with Vhagar on the Greens’ side, and Meleys with Rhaenys on the Blacks’ side.

According to Fire and Blood, only Vhagar and Aemond emerged unscathed when the dragons clashed. Meleys died, and Rhaenys was burned to death. Sunfyre was injured, and Aegon suffered severe burns that would pain him for the rest of his life. Baela and Moondancer, who appear in the battle in the series, were not part of this battle in the book. This battle highlights that other Targaryens do not share the fireproof ability that Daenerys had in “Game of Thrones.”

Read More: What book is House of the Dragon based on? Here’s what the Game of Thrones prequel is adapted from

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Targaryens and fire immunity

Credits: HBO

In Game of Thrones, Daenerys shows signs of heat resistance early on. She steps into a scalding bath and holds a scorching dragon egg without getting burned, suggesting she might be immune to fire.

A key scene that solidifies this belief occurs when her brother, Viserys, is killed by molten gold poured over his head. Daenerys watches without emotion, saying, “He was not a true dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.” This moment leads fans to think true Targaryens are fireproof, seeing Viserys as an exception due to his weakness.

Daenerys further proves her fire immunity by stepping into a massive pyre and emerging unscathed with three baby dragons, earning her the title “the Unburnt.”

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06/25/2024 11:42 pm GMT

Contrarily, despite his Targaryen blood, Jon Snow burns his hand on a fiery lantern. In “House of the Dragon,” none of the Targaryens display fire immunity. Laena Velaryon is burned alive by her dragon during childbirth complications, and a flaming arrow burns Prince Daemon Targaryen.

George R.R. Martin’s books, including Fire and Blood, don’t support the idea that Targaryens are fireproof. King Aegon V died in a massive fire at Summerhall, indicating he was not immune to fire. Targaryens are described as having more heat resistance than normal people but not fire immunity.

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06/25/2024 11:22 pm GMT

In the book A Dance with Dragons, Daenerys worries about Drogon’s flames and suffers minor burns, showing she is not fireproof in the books. Game of Thrones enhanced Daenerys’s character by giving her fire immunity, which added to her god-like image. Martin has stated that Daenerys’s survival of the funeral pyre was a unique, miraculous event. In a 1999 interview, he said:

“The birth of Dany’s dragons was unique, magical, wondrous, a miracle. She is called The Unburnt because she walked into the flames and lived.”

All of that being said, it’ll be interesting to see if House of the Dragon makes any changes to the burning Targaryens as we have seen them in the books.

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