Warning: The following article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon.
The final episode of House of the Dragon’s first season is here, and with it, the Dance of the Dragons has finally arrived. HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series has been following in the footsteps of its predecessor, drawing lines in the sand between honorable houses. However, the Dance of the Dragons splits those same houses more than any event in Game of Thrones ever did.
The Targaryen civil war is a result of the crowning of Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) as the Hightowers usurped the crown from Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), heir to the Seven Kingdoms and the Iron Throne. After King Viserys (Paddy Considine) died, the crown should have passed to Princess Rhaenyra, so the Hightowers’ actions were treason. And in the final moments of the last episode, the Dance of the Dragons kicked off with the death of Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault), Rhaenyra’s son.
The sides of the Targaryen civil war are split into two factions, the Greens and the Blacks. The Greens are those who support King Aegon II Targaryen, while the Blacks support Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. Let’s take a look at who in House of the Dragon is aligned with each faction.
Who is aligned with the Greens?
The Greens are made up of those who support the claim of King Aegon II Targaryen. They consist of
- King Aegon II Targaryen.
- His mother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), the Dowager Queen.
- Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), the Hand of the King, and Aegon’s grandfather.
- Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), Aegon’s wife, and sister.
- Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), Aegon’s brother.
- Prince Daeron Targaryen, Aegon’s other brother, who is currently in Oldtown and has not yet appeared in House of the Dragon.
- Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen, son of King Aegon II and Queen Helaena.
- Prince Maelor Targaryen, son of King Aegon II and Queen Helaena.
- Princess Jaehaera Targaryen, daughter of King Aegon II and Queen Helaena.
- Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
- Lord Larys ‘the Clubfoot’ Strong (Matthew Needham), Lord of Harrenhall, and Master of Whisperers.
- Lord Jasper Wyles (Paul Kennedy), also called ‘Ironrod’, Master of Laws.
- Ser Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall), Master of Coin.
- Lord Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall), Lord of Casterly Rock.
- Grand Maester Orwyle
- Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor), knight of the Kingsguard and brother of Erryk Cargyll.
- Lord Borros Baratheon (Roger Evans), Lord of Storm’s End, and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands who was convinced to join the Greens after Prince Aemond promised to marry one of his daughters.
In addition to these numbers, the Greens are also in possession of a number of dragons. These include
- Sunfyre, ridden by King Aegon II Targaryen.
- Dreamfyre, ridden by Queen Helaena Targaryen.
- Vhagar, ridden by Prince Aemond Targaryen.
- Tessarion, ridden by Prince Daeron Targaryen.
At the end of the first season, these are all the people and dragons who are currently aligned with the Greens. There will undoubtedly be shifting loyalties and more noble houses added to each side as the series progresses, but these are the numbers that make up the Greens for now.
Who is aligned with the Blacks?
Those who are aligned with the Blacks support the claim of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, and they consist of
- Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.
- Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), Queen Rhaenyra’s husband, and uncle.
- Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), son of Queen Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon, Prince of Dragonstone, and heir to Rhaenyra’s claim.
- Prince Joffrey Velaryon, son of Queen Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon.
- Prince Aegon Targaryen, son of Queen Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen.
- Prince Viserys Targaryen, son of Queen Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen.
- Lord Corlys ‘the Sea Snake’ Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), Lord of the Tides and Master of Tides.
- Princess Rhaenys ‘The Queen Who Never Was’ Targaryen (Eve Best), Lady of Driftmark.
- Lady Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia), daughter of Laena Velaryon and Daemon Targaryen, betrothed to Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.
- Lady Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell), daughter of Laena Velaryon and Daemon Targaryen, formerly betrothed to Prince Lucerys Velaryon before his death.
- Ser Erryk Cargyll (Elliot Tittensor), knight of the Kingsguard and brother of Arryk Cargyll.
- Ser Lorent Marband (Max Wrottesley), knight of the Kingsguard.
- Ser Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan), knight of the Kingsguard.
- Lord Bartimos Celtigar (Nicholas Jones), Lord of Claw Isle.
- Lord Simon Staunton (Michael Elwyn), Lord of Rook’s Rest.
- Maester Gerardys (Phil Daniels).
In the final episode of the series, Lord Corlys Velaryon proclaimed that before he was bedridden, he managed to conquer the Stepstones. By doing this, the Blacks will presumably be able to cut off King’s Landing and the Greens from trading via Blackwater Bay. Again, in addition to the sheer numbers supporting the Blacks, they are also in possession of a number of dragons. These include
- Syrax, ridden by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.
- Caraxes, ridden by Prince Daemon Targaryen.
- Vermax, ridden by Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.
- Meleys, ridden by Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.
- Tyraxes, ridden by Prince Joffrey Targaryen.
- Moondancer, ridden by Lady Baela Targaryen.
Although it is worth noting that some of these dragons are smaller, and most of them are not practiced in battle.
So there you have it, the lines as they stand for both the Greens and the Blacks. Although this will not be the final lineup for the war to come, as already Prince Jacaerys Velaryon has gone to the Vale to treat with Lady Jeyne Arryn, to secure the support of the Vale. After the Vale, Jacaerys will then presumably go to Winterfell, where he will try and convince Lord Cregan Stark to join their cause, uniting the North against the Greens. There is also the matter of the unclaimed dragons, who may be claimed by either side.
In addition to those characters mentioned to be courted, there are also other allegiances currently under question. For example, it is very likely that Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), “the White Worm,” will show allegiance to the Blacks because the Greens set fire to her dwellings in the ninth episode of the series. There are also a number of larger and smaller houses not mentioned who most likely will be featured in the second season of the series when the factions call their bannermen to arms.
But unfortunately, it will be quite the wait for the second season of House of the Dragon as it does not look like it will be airing until at least late 2023, but most likely in 2024. Of course, if the story has intrigued you, there is always the source material Fire and Blood, by George R. R. Martin, which might be able to bridge the gap during the wait.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on HBO Max.