First came the dragons. Now comes the Dance. The Targaryen civil war is heating up in HBO's House of the Dragon as allegiances are declared and fire and blood rain.
We love the world of Westeros, but it can be tough keeping track of all the names and characters — even the fire-breathing ones. Fear not, smallfolk! We created an epic infographic to help you get the lay of the land for season three of the Game of Thrones prequel. In this infographic you'll find background info on the conflict known as the "Dance of the Dragons," a Targaryen family tree outlining the show's central characters, and illustrated tidbits about those terrifying titans of the sky: the dragons.
Dive deeper into the Dance of the Dragons (and download the infographic).
Here be dragons. As the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon ramps up with season three, the Targaryen civil war is ablaze in fire and blood.
Even fans of the source material (Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin) are on the edge of their seats to see how the show tackles adapting the conflicting, unreliable, and sometimes biased accounts from various sources in the book, which is presented as a historical account written by a fictional scholar.
One thing is certain: The dragons will make a big difference. Get to know the beasts on both sides of the Dance of the Dragons before you soar into season three.
Dance of the Dragons: Black vs. Green
This Targaryen civil war is called the Dance of the Dragons for a reason. Dragons are essentially weapons of mass destruction. Targaryens have used them to cement their power in Westeros for generations, and they’re sure to be a major factor in this war.
Team Black
Fighting dragons: 7
Supporting: Rhaenyra Targaryen
Justification:
King Viserys named Rhaenyra as his heir and raised her to rule after him.
This faction believes that the Hightowers — specifically Aegon's mother, Alicent, and grandfather, Otto — are attempting to use Aegon to seize power and erase the Targaryen legacy.
Team Green
Fighting dragons: 4
Supporting: Aegon II Targaryen
Justification:
In the tradition of the Seven Kingdoms, male children inherit titles and lands before female children, regardless of age — and Viserys didn’t have any sons when he chose Rhaenyra as his heir.
Many suspect Rhaenyra’s sons are illegitimate and don’t want them to have a chance at the throne.
Queen Alicent misunderstood Viserys’ deathbed reference to Aegon [the Conqueror] and believed he meant he wanted their eldest son Aegon as his heir.
How do riders get dragons?
All dragon riders have (at least suspected) Targaryen ancestry — the “blood of the dragon.”
The Targaryens are the only surviving dragon-riding family of Valyria, an ancient and advanced civilization steeped in magic.
The other dragonlord families — along with knowledge of the specific magic creating the bond between dragon and rider — were lost in the cataclysmic Doom of Valyria 230 years before the events of House of the Dragon.
There are two ways for riders to obtain a dragon:
Claiming an unclaimed dragon
Unclaimed dragons often have previous riders who have died, which means these dragons are larger and more experienced.
There are also several wild dragons who have never been claimed.
Having proximity to an egg and hoping it hatches
Targaryens traditionally put a dragon egg in every baby’s cradle to see if it will hatch as the child grows.
Many “cradle-hatched” dragons are smaller than claimed dragons during the Dance of the Dragons, which is a disadvantage.
House of the Dragon family tree
Name
Generation
Team
Parents
Spouse(s)
Children
Dragon
Viserys I Targaryen (deceased)
1
--
Baelon Targaryen, Alyssa Targaryen
Aemma Arryn (deceased); Alicent Hightower
Rhaenyra; Aegon II, Aemond, Helaena, Daeron
Balerion "The Black Dread" (deceased before House of the Dragon)
Jacaerys, Lucerys (deceased), Joffrey; Aegon III, Viserys II
Syrax
Laenor Velaryon (disappeared)
2
Black
Corlys Velaryon, Rhaenys Targaryen
Rhaenyra Targaryen
Jacaerys, Lucerys (deceased), Joffrey
Seasmoke
Laena Velaryon (deceased)
2
Black
Corlys Velaryon, Rhaenys Targaryen
Daemon Targaryen
Baela, Rhaena
Vhagar
Aegon II Targaryen (Aegon the Elder)
2
Green
Viserys I Targaryen, Alicent Hightower
Helaena Targaryen (sister)
Jaehaerys (deceased), Jaehaera
Sunfyre
Aemond Targaryen
2
Green
Viserys I Targaryen, Alicent Hightower
--
--
Vhagar
Helaena Targaryen
2
Green
Viserys I Targaryen, Alicent Hightower
Aegon II Targaryen (brother)
Jaehaerys (deceased), Jaehaera
Dreamfyre
Daeron Targaryn
2
Green
Viserys I Targaryen, Alicent Hightower
--
--
Tessarion "The Blue Queen"
Baela Targaryen
3
Black
Daemon Targaryen, Laena Velaryon
Jacaerys Targaryen (betrothed)
--
Moondancer
Rhaena Targaryen
3
Black
Daemon Targaryen, Laena Velaryon
--
--
--
Jacaerys Targaryen
3
Black
Rhaenyra Targaryen, Laenor Velaryon
Baela Targaryen (betrothed)
--
Vermax
Lucerys Targaryen (deceased)
3
Black
Rhaenyra Targaryen, Laenor Velaryon
--
--
Arrax (deceased)
Joffrey Targaryen
3
Black
Rhaenyra Targaryen, Laenor Velaryon
--
--
Tyraxes
Aegon III Targaryen (Aegon the Younger)
3
Black
Rhaenyra Targaryen, Laenor Velaryon
--
--
Stormcloud
Viserys II Targaryen
3
Black
Rhaenyra Targaryen, Laenor Velaryon
--
--
--
Jaehaerys Targaryen (deceased)
3
Green
Aegon II Targaryen, Helaena Targaryen
--
--
--
Jaehaera Targaryen
3
Green
Aegon II Targaryen, Helaena Targaryen
--
--
--
The Dragonseeds
These are individuals born out of wedlock with suspected Targaryen/Valyrian ancestry, which allowed them to claim dragons and join Team Black.
Hugh Hammer (Vermithor)
Ulf White (Silverwing)
Addam of Hull* (Seasmoke)
*Corlys Velaryon is understood to be Addam of Hull's biological father.
Meet the dragons
We could encounter up to 17 dragons throughout the run of the show. For now, get to know the claimed and battle-ready dragons on each side.
Note: Many dragons’ ages are approximate, as Fire & Blood focuses more on when a dragon bonds with a rider rather than when they hatch. The assumed sex of a dragon is usually based on whether or not the dragon has laid eggs.
Team Black dragons
Syrax
Rider: Rhaenyra Targaryen
Female
Claimed young
Age: 25–30 years old
Known for being pampered
Caraxes "The Blood Wyrm"
Rider: Daemon Targaryen
Male
Claimed
Age: Unknown, first claimed 57 years ago
Battle-tested: The Fourth Dornish War, War for the Stepstones
Meleys "The Red Queen" (deceased)
Rider: Rhaenys Targaryen, “The Queen Who Never Was” (deceased)
Female
Claimed
Age: Unknown, first claimed 54 years ago
Dragon and rider were killed by Vhagar in the Battle of Rook's Rest in season two
Seasmoke
Riders: Laenor Velaryon (disappeared), Addam of Hull
Male
Claimed
Age: 28–33 years old
Known for nimbleness
Battle-tested: War for the Stepstones
Vermax
Rider: Jacaerys Velaryon
Male
Cradle-hatched
Age: 9–15 years old
Arrax (deceased)
Rider: Lucerys Velaryon (deceased)
Male
Cradle-hatched
Age: 9–14 years old
Dragon and rider were killed by Vhagar above Shipbreaker Bay at the end of season one — the first casualties of the Dance of the Dragons.
Moondancer
Rider: Baela Targaryen
Female
Cradle-hatched
Age: 15–17 years old
Silverwing
Rider: Ulf White
Female
Cradle-hatched for the late Queen Alysanne, wife of Jaehaerys
Age: 93 years old
Known for being friendly and docile
Vermithor "The Bronze Fury"
Rider: Hugh Hammer
Male
Cradle-hatched for the late King Jaehaerys I who named King Viserys I as his heir at the Great Council shown in House of the Dragon's season one premiere
First rider was Queen Visenya Targaryen, sister-wife of Aegon the Conqueror
Age: 180+ years old
Battle-tested: Aegon’s Conquest of Westeros
Sunfyre “Sunfyre the Golden”
Rider: Aegon II Targaryen
Male
Claimed young
Age: 9–14 years old
Known for being beautiful
Dreamfyre
Rider: Helaena Targaryen
Female
Age: 97–100 years old
Known for laying eggs
Tessarion "The Blue Queen"
Rider: Daeron Targaryen
Female
Claimed young
9–15 years old
You’ve seen the dragons — now prepare for the Dance. Because when these beasts take to the sky, fire and blood are sure to follow. Watch House of the Dragon on HBO or streaming on HBO Max.
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