Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the fifth Song of Ice and Fire book, “A Dance With Dragons”
One of the most enigmatic creatures in all of George R.R. Martin’s fictional world is the Three-Eyed Raven, the seer that stands watch over history and guides Brandon Stark, the main protagonist, through the process of becoming a Warg. Now, with House of the Dragon picking up the Westerosi saga again — some 200 years before the War of the Five Kings, at that — fans are wondering if we’ll get to see the Three-Eyed Raven again as well, especially since the show has already referenced the Long Night and the creature is related to the Targaryens in a very compelling way.
The tale of the Seven Kingdoms mostly involves political rivals vying for the Iron Throne, with backstabbing, treachery, warmongering, and greed all finding abstract manifestations in this brutal game of chess. What remains of the fantastical elements that give Martin’s creation its “high fantasy” name are few; dragons, the Lord of Light, White Walkers, and perhaps most importantly to the story, the Three-Eyed Raven, whom Bran the Broken has to succeed in order to fulfill his destiny and save the realm from another Long Night.
The identity of the three-eyed crow is not something that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss ever revealed in Game of Thrones, but Martin’s books heavily imply that the seer is none other than Brynden Rivers, also known as Lord Bloodraven, who was the bastard son of King Aegon IV Targaryen.
Who was Lord Bloodraven?
Since House of the Dragon chronicles the history of the Targaryen dynasty from the reign of King Viserys I onwards, is it possible that we might eventually see Brynden Rivers in the show? Well, that entirely depends on how long the show will run, and whether Ryan Condal and Martin will move beyond the Dance of Dragons and get into the infamous Blackfyre Rebellions. If that turns out to be the case, then it’s highly likely for Brynden Rivers, as one of the most prominent characters in all of history, to make an appearance as well. He might even take over from Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen or Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra Targaryen as the main lead, and here’s the reason why.
By all accounts — at least the few that could estimate what happened to Brynden after his time serving as Hand of the King — the character lived a heroically tragic life. Brynden was born in 175 AC at King’s Landing. As the bastard son of Aegon IV, he had many step-siblings, but when the king decided to legitimize them all in 184 AC, the realm erupted into a period of chaotic conflict, resulting in the five Blackfyre Rebellions between loyalists to the Targaryen crown and the their step-siblings, the Blackfyres.
During the first Blackfyre Rebellion, Brynden decided to remain loyal to his step-brother King Daeron II Targaryen instead of joining with Daemon I Blackfyre, his other half brother. It could be argued that Brynden single-handedly routed the rebels in the Battle of Redgrass Field with his company of longbowmen called Raven’s Teeth. Brynden rained arrows on the opposing side from a safe distance away, not only killing Daemon’s son Aegon, but also Daemon himself. His other half brother Aegor Rivers, who had allied with the rebels, rallied his troops for one last charge, even getting close enough to personally duel Brynden. In this duel, Aegor managed to blind Brynden in one eye before retreating from the field and escaping to the Free Cities. After that eventful day, Brynden never used a patch to cover his gouged-out eye, though he did use his long flowing silvery hair to cover it up.
When his nephew, King Aerys I Targaryen, ascended the Iron Throne, Brynden became Hand of the King and served the realm through many hardships. Brynden also nipped the Second Blackfyre Rebellion in the bud by marching to Whitewalls in 212 AC and bringing Daemon II Targaryen to heel. After the Third Blackfyre Rebellion, led by Aegor Rivers and his brother Haegon I Blackfyre, Brynden counseled King Aerys to kill Aegor, but the Protector of the Realm decided instead that Aegor should take the black and join the Night’s Watch.
After Aerys I was succeeded by his brother Maekar I, Brynden continued to serve as Hand of the King, though after Maekar’s death, he called a meeting of the Great Council in King’s Landing to settle the matter of succession. Aenys Blackfyre, the fifth son of Daemon I Blackfyre, wanted to peacefully participate in the council, which Brynden agreed to. Upon arriving at King’s Landing, however, Brynden ordered the gold cloaks to arrest and behead Aenys, thus ensuring that another Blackfyre uprising would never occur. The council ultimately decided to hail Maekar’s youngest son, Aegon, as Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms under the moniker of Aegon V Targaryen. When Aegon became king, though, he arrested Brynden for killing Aenys Blackfyre.
Aegon gave Brynden the choice to join the Night’s Watch or suffer the headsman’s axe. Brynden chose the former and arrived at Castle Black with Master Aemon in 233 AC. Due to his leadership skills and legendary renown, Brynden quickly rose through the ranks and became Lord Commander of the Watch in 239 AC. But more than a decade later, when scouting beyond the Wall, Brynden disappeared without leaving a trace, never to return.
During the events of A Song of Ice and Fire books, Brandon Stark travels beyond the Wall to seek out the three-eyed raven, the creature that haunts his dreams. In A Dance With Dragons, Bran finally finds him in a cave within the haunted forest. He then learns that the three-eyed crow is not a crow at all, but a man with a withered face and silvery hair who calls himself Brynden. He is also missing an eye socket, all but confirming that this is indeed the legendary Hand of the King who dispelled several Blackfyre Rebellions and other disasters from rippling through the Seven Kingdoms.
Brynden teaches Bran how to control his warging abilities in the course of the fifth book, though how he came to be the three-eyed raven is still a mystery. In the HBO show, the Night King kills the three-eyed raven when assaulting the ancient tree, and Hodor sacrifices himself to allow Bran and Meera to escape. Whether Martin’s books will follow the same chain of events is something that we’ll have to find out for ourselves when they release, if they ever do.
As for Brynden’s appearance in House of the Dragon, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see the character since the show takes place 60 years before his birth. That being said, if Martin or the powers that be at HBO decide to continue the series beyond the Targaryen civil war or even develop an independent spinoff centering solely around Brynden and the Blackfyre Rebellions, then fans will finally savor the opportunity to learn more about the mysterious greenseer who might just turn out to be one of the greatest heroes this fictional world has ever seen.