A brand new cast of characters debuted in the premier episode of House of the Dragon, and viewers are already struggling to keep all of the new names straight.
Plenty of familiar surnames — and first names, for that matter — cropped up in the debut episode of HBO Max’s Game of Thrones spin-off, with a slew of fresh Targaryens littering the first episode. A number of other known names, including Stark and Baratheon, also cropped up, but these characters are far removed from the beloved Game of Thrones regulars fans came to love over eight seasons of the gripping series.
House of the Dragon takes place nearly two centuries before Game of Thrones, but the powerful families that populated the 2010s series have dominated Westeros for generations. The characters in House of the Dragon may share names with their distant relatives, but they’ll likely share little in common with the characters fans know.
Instead, viewers now have the opportunity to fall in love with a brand new generation of Starks, Baratheons, and Targaryens, as new characters enter the prequel series and help to lay the groundwork for Game of Thrones. Characters like Boremund Baratheon—played by Julian Lewis Jones—are all but guaranteed to help create the legacy that allowed their future progeny to shine.
Who is Boremund Baratheon?
Longtime Game of Thrones viewers are well familiar with the Baratheon family, but this new addition is far removed from Stannis, Renly, and Robert. The Baratheon who debuted in the first episode of House of the Dragon is a distant ancestor to the eventual Iron Throne contenders, and helped lay the groundwork for their continued dominance in Westeros.
Born in 52 AC to Lord Rogar Baratheon and Queen Alyssa Velaryon, Boremund served as Lord of Storm’s End during Jaehaerys I and Viserys I Targaryen’s stints on the Iron Throne. He doesn’t stand out as one of the most interesting Baratheon rulers, but seems to sport plenty of the honor that made Ned Stark such a favorite among viewers.
A generally stereotypical man from this era of Westeros, Boremund is a hard and stern man overall, one whose strength makes him an easy ally to many of Westeros’ most prominent households. His role in House of the Dragon will likely be relatively significant — but not as significant as that of his son, Borros. We won’t spoil how Borros is wound into the Dance of Dragons storyline, but it’s safe to say that people will probably walk away from House of the Dragon with Borros, rather than Boremund, on their minds.