House of The Dragon: 10 Things We Know So Far

“History does not remember blood. It remembers names,” goes the best quote that summarizes HBO’s next big show after Game of Thrones. House of the Dragon based on George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood is scheduled for release on August 21 on HBO Max and the expectation for the show is just overwhelming. The show has already revealed some big names in the cast including Paddy Considine as King Visery I Targaryen and Emma D`Arcy as princess Rhaenyra. With the huge budget and big names coming on board, there is every reason to watch another story of the series come to life and here are the 10 sneaky details we already have about the show.

The Script and Production

Season 8 of Game of Thrones didn’t impress and most fans thought it was because the writes went off George R. R. Martin’s script too much because the show went way ahead of The Song of Ice & Fire Series. Ryan J. Condal who directed Colony is the showrunner helped by Miguel Sapochnik who directed some of the battle scenes in Game of Thrones. The duo rely on a scrip developed and overseen by George R. R. Martin himself aided by the Watchmen scriptwriter Claire Kiechel. With these teams in charge, you can expect to see a little bit of Colony and a little bit of Game of Thrones in the plot meaning every episode will probably end with a cliffhanger and the next episode will be nearly unpredictable. The action will also be intense when you consider Sapochnik’s GOT action scenes.

Release Structure and Date

HBO has already confirmed that the first episode of the show will be released on the 21st of August, 2022. There will be 10 episodes in the first season which will be a little similar to what Game of Thrones had so you can expect one-hour long episodes. The show is bound to be a long one considering the number of years being covered which is why you find characters like Rhaenyra starting at a young age and proceeding to their adult versions with each of them having significant screen time in the trailers. Daemon Targaryen’s egg is also hatched and at one point, seems mature enough. The long story is a good thing because it means each episode will cover a longer time period which means lots of content.

The Dragons

The teaser showed dragons that are just as large as what we saw in Game of Thrones so you can expect dragon riders to be super-brave people. The best Dragon rider is of course Daemon Targaryen with his dragon Caraxes. Now, there are about 20 dragons in the books but you can’t give all of them screentime so many will be introduced in different battle scenes.

There is no battle that involves more than three dragons either. The most important dragons to remember are Vhagar, the last conquest dragon owned by the Greens, as well as Sunfyre, Dreamfyre and Tessarion. As for the Blacks, most of their dragons are hatchlings or untamed, so the most war-able ones they have are Caraxes, Syrax and Meleys. Not all the dragons will be capable of war as was the case in Game of Thrones though.

The Iron Throne

In the TV Show Game of Thrones, the throne used was way smaller than what is described in the books which was a little bit of a disappointment. In House of The Dragon, the throne is very big and high, nearly like what you hear of in the books. The swords actually line the high staircase leading up to the throne itself and there are more swords used on the throne than what you find in Game of Thrones.

The Big Houses

In the show Game of Thrones, the biggest houses in Westeros are Starks, Targaryens, Baratheons, Lannisters, Tyrells and Greyjoys. However, in House of The Dragon, house Velaryon led by Corlyn Velaryon aka The Sea Snake plays the biggest role of any house in the politics of King’s Landing. House Stark represented by Rickard Stark and House Baratheon by Boremund Baratheon are also major houses that play major roles in the Dance of the Dragon. House Hightower will be a major part of the first season because Alicent Hightower is the daughter of Otto Hightower who was Hand of The King to Viserys I.

The Key Characters

The main characters in the first season are obviously Rhaenyra Targaryen, Daemon Targaryen, Viserys I Targaryen, Otto Hightower, Rhaenys, Corlys Velarion and Allicent Hightower. These will be introduced in the first season with Viserys I still sitting on the throne. The teaser shows Allicent kissing Viserys on the cheek which shows that the season may also show their wedding. The teaser follows Rhaenyra until she is sworn in as queen of the Seven Kingdoms followed by Daemon Targaryen beating up a regular looking man in King’s Landing which could be his time as Commander of the City Watch.

Key Events

The most important event in the show will be the swearing-in of Rhaenyra Targaryen as queen because that starts the events that led to the dance of the Dragons. The teaser also shows Rhaenyra dancing with what looks like Leanor Velaryon which means it will show her wedding to him but he is obviously gay as the books depict so it will be a difficult marriage. There is also an exchange in which Daemon and his mistress Mysaria exchange their baby for a dragon egg with Otto Hightower. Daemon is obviously in charge of Dragonstone in the clip meaning the Dance of the Dragons may start early on in the show.

The Dance of The Dragons

This is what everyone is looking forward to because it effectively marked the beginning of the end for House Targaryen. One thing you should remember is that the dance started when the Targaryens had more dragons than enough riders to ride them because there hadn’t been in need of dragon fire in so many years. The teaser starts with a lonely looking Rhaenyra on the shores of King’s Landing and since it is the older version of her, it is almost clear that the war has already started. Rhaenys also tells Rhaenyra that most men would rather burn down the kingdom than see a woman take the throne. There are many twists in the Dance of The Dragon so it won’t be played in one season but it will be the most important part of the show.

Dameon Targaryen vs Rhaenyra Targaryen

The fighting among the Targaryens is the reason why things go south and while Rhaenyra and Daemon will later get married, they do not start off as friends. In the beginning, when Rhaenyra is names heir, Daemon feels denied because he should inherit the throne. Daemon is therefore a hater of Otto Hightower the hand of the king and their enmity dominate most of the first season. It all gets dirty when Otto gets Viserys I to marry his daughter. Rhaenyra later gets to understand that her uncle is not her true enemy but that won’t happen in the first season from what is visible in the teasers.

Familiar Locations and objects

It was unclear whether the show would bring back some of the locations and objects in Game of Thrones and some have been restored. The most important one is the painted table that Daenerys uses to plan war in Game of Thrones which is clearly seen being used by Rhaenyra to plan his own battles. The ruins of Harrenhall as well as the full view of Dragonstone are also restored. The King’s Landing in House of The Dragon is better aligned to what you see in the books but an aerial view shows the key structures including the Red Keep and the Sept of Baelor. The Valarian Steel dagger that was almost used to assassinate Bran Stark who later killed the Night King in Game of Thrones is also present in House of The Dragon.

Are you looking forward to this fantasy drama show? If you are why not let us know in the comments below.