House of the Dragon: A Complete Guide to the Dragonriders in the GOT Prequel
House of the Dragon is dropping on HBO Go in just a few days, introducing viewers to a whole new (or old) generation of players of the game for the Iron Throne. A century before the events of season one of Game of Thrones, another war took place—a civil war that divided the Targaryens and marked the beginning of the end of the old Valyrian family. If you’ve read Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, then you know that the new show has the potential to be even bigger, better, and bloodier than Game of Thrones.
After the way season eight ended, some viewers are—justifiably—skeptical of another GOT series, but hear us out. GRRM’s fictional history of the Dance of Dragons is ten times more fun and more tragic than the War of Five Kings. It has all the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy, only with a touch of fire, blood, and of course, dragons.
Viewers will recognize familiar houses but also meet a whole new slew of characters and their beastly mounts. To keep up with this particular game of thrones, here’s a complete guide to the main players in the bloody GOT prequel, House of the Dragon.
(Note: We’ve omitted their colors—black and green—so as to not spoil the upcoming episodes. We've also only mentioned the characters expected to appear in season one. Blood and Cheese will have to wait.)
Read more about House of the Dragon:
House of the Dragon Episode 1: A Traumatic Start to an Explosive Show
House of the Dragon: The Real History That Inspired the Dragon Civil War
House of the Dragon Characters
The Targaryens
Viserys I - King. Viserys is the father Rhaenyra at the start of the series. As a widow, he’s encouraged to remarry but he holds firm that Rhaenyra will succeed him as ruler. By all accounts, Viserys is a good man, but good men rarely survive in King’s Landing. Viserys was Balerion the Black Dread’s last dragonrider before the dragon died of old age. He never bonded with a dragon again. Played by Paddy Considine.
Rhaenyra - Heir to the Iron Throne. Called the “Realm’s Delight,” Rhaenyra was groomed for the throne. Intelligent, diplomatic, and energetic, she has all the makings of a perfect heir. But being a woman, her place in the line of succession is always doubted. She rides the bronze dragon Syrax. Played by Milly Alcock (young) and Emma D'Arcy.
Daemon - Prince. Younger brother to Viserys, Daemon is close to his brother, but his erratic personality makes him a wildcard in King’s Landing. Viserys assigns him a number of tasks to keep him busy, but he always finds a way to start trouble. Called the Rogue Prince, he rides the red dragon Caraxes. Played by Matt Smith.
Aegon - Prince. Firstborn son to Viserys, Aegon was born after Rhaenyra had been named heir. His mother’s family’s machinations push him to contest his half-sister’s right to the throne. He’s expected to play a bigger role later in the upcoming seasons. He rides the gold dragon Sunfire. Played by Tom Glynn-Carney (young).
Aemond - Prince. Second son to Viserys, Aemond acts as his brother’s righthand man, defending the interests of his mother’s family over his father’s wishes. As volatile and cunning as Daemon, Aemond is also a dragonrider. But to prevent spoilers, we’ll keep his dragon under wraps for now. Played by Ewan Mitchell (young).
Helaena - Princess. Second daughter to Viserys, Helaena is not as politically-minded as her siblings. She’s a pawn in the game and is later married off to her brother Aegon. (Yeah, we know. Yikes). She rides the dragon Dreamfire. Played by Phia Saban (young).
The Velaryons
Rhaenys - The Queen Who Never Was. Cousin to Viserys and the first grandchild of the late King Jaeherys and the firstborn child of his firstborn child, Rhaenys was first in the line of succession. She was born to be queen, but because of her gender, she was bypassed in favor of Viserys, a man. Rhaenys rides the fierce she-dragon Meleys, the Red Queen. Played by Eve Best.
Corlys - Lord Velaryon. Husband to Rhaenys, Corlys is the unofficial king of the seas and leads the biggest navy in the world. Although Velaryons are descended from Old Valyria, Corlys is not a dragonrider. The Lord of Driftmark, Corlys is the closest Targaryen ally outside of the family. Played by Steve Toussaint.
Laena - Lady. Daughter of Rhaenys and Corlys, Laena is a dragonrider like her mother. She rides the biggest and oldest dragon in Westeros, Vhagar, one of the three dragons that conquered Westeros for the Targaryens. Played by Nova Foueillis-Mose (young) and Nanna Blondell.
Laenor - Heir to Driftmark. Twin to Laena, Laenor is the dragonrider of Seasmoke. Played by Theo Nate (young) and John Macmillan.
The Hightowers
Otto Hightower - Hand of the King. The scheming lord from the Reach, Otto is the closest thing the show has to a villain. Otto is highly intelligent and analytical, but his ambitions make for unwise decisions. He is the main rival of Prince Daemon, and despite his position as Hand of the King, he has a tense relationship with Viserys. Played by Rhys Ifans.
Alicent Hightower - Lady. Daughter of Otto, Alicent starts as a pawn in her father’s scheming but soon becomes a player in her own right (whether she wants it or not). At the start of the show, Alicent is close friends with Rhaenyra and is perhaps her only confidant. This eventually changes when political plotting gets in their way. Played by Emily Carey (young) and Olivia Cooke.
The Outsiders
Criston Cole - Kingsguard. A lowly knight from the Dornish Marches, he quickly climbs the social ladder by impressing the royals with his fighting skills. He’s eventually elevated to the Kingsguard, where he grows closer to Rhaenyra, Alicent, and Otto. He will become one of the most important figures in the show. Played by Fabian Frankel.
Mysaria - Mistress. Also known as Lady Misery, Mysaria was a former slave girl from Lys who becomes mistress to Daemon. The two share a genuine friendship and relationship, and she later becomes his unofficial mistress of whisperers. Played by Sonoya Mizuno.
Harwin Strong - Knight. Another knight, Strong’s father is the Master of Laws. He finds himself dragged into the civil war by his own, ah, personal relations. Played by Ryan Corr.
The Small Council
Tyland Lannister - Master of Ships. His twin brother, Jason, is the Lord of Casterly Rock. Scheming seems to be a Lannister trait as Tyland makes his own plays in the civil war. Played by Jefferson Hall.
Mellos - Grand Maester. A level-headed man, Mellos serves as the voice of reason in Viserys’ small council. Played by David Horovitch.
Lyman Beesbury - Master of Coin. An old man who’s served two Targaryen kings, Beesbury is another wise voice on the council. Played by Bill Paterson.
Lyonel Strong - Master of Laws. Strong’s character has been adjusted for the show and his position on the council no doubt strengthens his family’s ties to the Targaryens through his son, Harwin’s, actions. Played by Gavin Spokes.
Larys Strong - Master of Whisperers. Son of Lyonel and brother to Harwin, Larys’ loyalties are never certain. He might be the master of whisperers, but unlike Varys, even his loyalty to the Seven Kingdoms is doubtful. Played by Matthew Needham.
Harrold Westerling - Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Tasked with the protection of Princess Rhaenyra, Westerling has been by the Targaryens’ side the longest. He’s the most loyal member of the small council, but as we know, noble actions rarely serve people well in King's Landing. Played by Graham McTavish.
Read more about House of the Dragon:
House of the Dragon: The Best Quotes From George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood
Here’s When Each Episode of House of the Dragon Will Be on HBO Go
