Who is Lord Bloodraven, the Three Eyed Crow? Daemon’s Harrenhal vision explained

In the history of the Seven Kingdoms, many legendary characters crop up that have an effect on the fate of the land. Each of these characters usually plays a part in a specific event in the history of Westeros.

Yet some transcend the borders of history and become an integral part of the world itself. Such a character is Brynden Rivers, also known as Bloodraven. George R.R. Martin has mentioned his exploits in not only the Tales of Dunk and Egg but also the books that were the basis for Game of Thrones. He is one of the few characters in the series who seems to have moved beyond death through the use of what we can only assume is sorcery or magic.

House of the Dragon gives us the first appearance of a young Bloodraven in Daemon’s vision at Harrenhal. However, he has also appeared in Game of Thrones as an older version known as the Three-Eyed Raven. This article will tell us everything we need to know about Lord Bloodraven.

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09/09/2024 11:07 pm GMT

Who was Lord Bloodraven?

Credits: Amok

Brynden Rivers, known as Bloodraven, was the illegitimate child of King Aegon IV Targaryen and Lady Melissa Blackwood. His birth led to him becoming one of the Great Bastards, who were the sons and daughters of Aegon IV with noblewomen.

Aegon IV had two other bastard children with Lady Melissa, daughters named Mya and Gwenys. Brynden was born an albino with milk-white skin, long white hair, and red eyes. His most distinguishing feature was a red wine stain birthmark on the right side of his face, from his throat to his cheek.

Many believed that the birthmark resembled a raven drawn in blood, which earned the boy the name ‘Bloodraven.’ Brynden was thin and gaunt and stood at just under six feet tall.

People considered him as grim and forbidding, describing him to have sharp and vaguely sinister features. He usually dressed in the colors of scarlet and smoke.

Being an albino, Brynden’s skin was sensitive to light. Due to this, he often wore a cloak and hood to protect himself from the sunlight. When Brynden lost an eye during one of the Blackfyre Rebellions, he preferred to display the scar and empty socket rather than use an eyepatch.

His white hair was long and straight and he brushed it forward to cover his missing eye. Brynden wielded the Valyrian Steel sword Dark Sister, years after his ancestor Daemon Targaryen. Though he was an accomplished swordsman, Brynden’s preferred weapon of choice was a tall weirwood longbow.

Many believed that Brynden was a sorcerer and spymaster who was the true ruler of the kingdom, achieved through the use of spies and spells. A popular saying among the people of Westeros during his lifetime was, “How many eyes does Lord Bloodraven have? A thousand eyes and one.”

Lord Bloodraven’s early life

Credits: kethryn

Brynden Rivers was born in King’s Landing in 175 AC. His father was King Aegon IV Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Unworthy. Aegon IV was infamous for having multiple mistresses and numerous children.

In particular, Brynden was the son of Aegon IV’s sixth mistress. Brynden’s mother, Lady Melissa Blackwood, was eventually dismissed by the king in favor of yet another mistress. However, Lady Melissa remained popular at the Red Keep, which allowed Brynden to keep close relations with the royal court.

Aegon IV’s fifth mistress had been Lady Barba Bracken, who had a son named Aegor “Bittersteel” Rivers. The rivalry between Bittersteel and Bloodraven was as well known as the rivalry between the Brackens and Blackwoods.

Brynden became the lover of his half-sister, Shiera Seastar, whom Aegor desired as well. Brynden was a fierce admirer of Shiera throughout his life. King Aegon IV legitimized Brynden along with his other half-siblings on his deathbed.

Read More: Game of Thrones history summarised in 50 sentences

Lord Bloodraven during the First Blackfyre Rebellion

Credits: Rae Lavergne

The Blackfyre Rebellions began after King Aegon IV legitimized all his bastard children on his deathbed. Earlier in his life, he had bestowed Blackfyre, the sword of Aegon the Conqueror, on his bastard son Daemon. He later took on the name Daemon Blackfyre.

Meanwhile, Aegon IV’s legitimate son ascended the throne as Daeron II Targaryen. Over the years, Daemon’s supporters grew and he finally rebelled against Daeron II. During this time, Bloodraven stayed loyal to Daeron II and the crown.

This period saw the formation of Bloodraven’s personal guard, a group of longbowmen called the Raven’s Teeth. Bloodraven fought in the Battle of the Redgrass Field, where people said that he used sorcery to drive the arrows shot by the Raven’s Teeth.

The rain of arrows killed Daemon Blackfyre, as well as his twin sons, Aegon and Aemon. For this act, people named Bloodraven a kinslayer.

With Daemon Blackfyre dead, the rebels were in a state of confusion and were ready to retreat. However, Bittersteel, who had sided with the rebels, put out a rallying cry and led them in a mad charge. When the two sides clashed, Bloodraven and Bittersteel dueled each other in single combat.

This duel was where Bloodraven lost his eye, though Bittersteel was ultimately forced to retreat in the end. With the rebellion failing, Bittersteel fled to the Free Cities to live in exile along with the remaining members of Daemon’s family.

During the early stages of the war, Bloodraven had insisted on taking strict action against the rebels. This was in opposition to the opinion of Daeron II’s heir, Baelor Breakspear.

Baelor maintained his belief in the importance of leniency towards Daemon Blackfyre. However, Baelor, too, eventually agreed with his uncle and accepted the path towards war.

Lord Bloodraven during the Second and Third Blackfyre Rebellions

Credits: Mike S. Miller

The second Blackfyre Rebellion was short-lived. During this time, Bloodraven was the Hand of the King to King Aerys I, son of Daeron II. A tournament was being held at the castle of Whitewalls in the Riverlands to support Daemon Blackfyre’s third son.

Bloodraven was aware of the conspiracy, as he had spies planted at the wedding. Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Prince Aegon Targaryen, discovered the conspiracy at the wedding tournament.

Bloodraven marched on the gathered host with an army of over five thousand men. The leader of the rebellion, Daemon II, challenged Bloodraven to single combat, but he refused. Thus, the rebellion ended before it began.

The Third Blackfyre Rebellion began when Bittersteel crowned Daemon’s fourth son, Haegon I. The war saw Prince Maekar Targaryen take up leadership, with his sons Aegon and Aerion fighting in the battles that ensued.

For the second time, Bloodraven and Bittersteel fought each other in single combat. The battle ended after Haegon I surrendered and gave up his sword. The royal army took Bittersteel as a captive to King’s Landing.

Bloodraven insisted that King Aerys execute Bittersteel, but the king chose to send him to the Night’s Watch. Bittersteel’s ship was intercepted on the way to Eastwatch, but he managed to escape back to Essos.

Read More: Here’s everything you need to know about the Three-Eyed Raven

Lord Bloodraven beyond the Wall

Credits: Marc Simonetti

With the Blackfyre Rebellions completed, Bloodraven continued as the Hand of the King to Maekar I Targaryen. But when King Maekar passed, Aenys Blackfyre, one of Daemon’s surviving sons, requested to discuss his claim to the throne.

Bloodraven organized a meeting and invited Aenys to King’s Landing under the pretense of peace. However, he had the gold cloaks seize and behead Aenys. He presented the head of Aenys to the lords at the Great Council as a warning to any remaining Blackfyre sympathizers.

The Great Council called by Bloodraven chose the heir of the throne to be Maekar I’s son, Prince Aegon, who had once squired for Ser Duncan the Tall. When he ascended the throne as King Aegon V Targaryen, he arrested Bloodraven for murdering Aenys Blackfyre.

King Aegon V felt that Bloodraven had broken the sanctity of the Iron Throne’s word. He sent Bloodraven to the Night’s Watch.

Bloodraven traveled to the Wall accompanied by Ser Duncan the Tall and Maester Aemon Targaryen. Many members of his Raven’s Teeth order traveled along with him, and Bloodraven apparently carried his sword, Dark Sister.

Bloodraven was eventually elected the Commander of the Night’s Watch. In 252 AC, he disappeared while ranging beyond the Wall. Most people assumed that he died during the ranging, but he reemerged unexpectedly in the narrative of Westeros many years later.

After the War of Five Kings caused by King Robert Baratheon’s death, Brandon Stark discovered Bloodraven beyond the Wall. Bloodraven now lived alongside the children of the forest in a cave beyond the Wall as the last greenseer, known as the three-eyed crow. He then became Bran’s mentor in the art of greensight and skinchanging.

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