Predicting the Plot of the Game of Thrones Prequel House of the Dragon Based on These Clues

Despite the negative reaction to Game of Thrones’ conclusion, there are more shows set in the world of George R.R. Martin on the way. Today, HBO released the trailer for House of the Dragon, a prequel set about 200 years before the events of the hit series. Adapted from the book Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon chronicles the history of the “Dance of Dragons,” a Targaryen civil war mentioned extensively through Thrones. Veteran GoT director Miguel Sapochnik will serve as a co-showrunner with Colony’s Ryan Condal and will direct the pilot and a handful of other episodes throughout the first season. Among the cast are Doctor Who’s Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Sonoya Mizuno, Rhys Ifans, and Paddy Considine.

While you may be hesitant to return to the world of Thrones, we do have to say we’re cautiously excited about what’s on display in this admittedly sparse amount of footage. So saddle up on your dragon, grab your favorite Valyrian steel sword and join us as we break down this anticipated return to Westeros.

Here we get our first look at Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen alongside Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen. In typical Game of Thrones fashion, Rhaenyra is Daemon’s niece and also his wife. Daemon is the brother of King Viserys Targaryen (the two have a complicated relationship) and one of the best warriors in all of Westeros. Yet, in typical Targaryen fashion, Daemon is ill-tempered and rather violent. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra is hailed as one of the most beautiful women in the land and equally hot-headed.

It’s likely the two are on Dragonstone, as Rhaenyra is the ruler there. Dragonstone, as you might remember, is the ancestral home of the Targaryens where Danny planned the majority of her schemes in the last two seasons of Thrones. Rhaenyra and Daemon will get up to some plans of their own here as well.

When House of the Dragon was announced, fans were unsure of its exact placement in the timeline of Westeros history, but the trailer quickly confirms we’re “200 years before the fall of the throne.” Presumably, the fall referenced here is the ending of Thrones, when the throne itself was melted—but it could also refer to when the Mad King Aerys Targaryen was killed by Jamie Lannister.

And here’s a look at one of the Targaryen dragons. We’ll be seeing a lot more dragons in this series, since the “Dance of Dragons” is the event that ends up severely limiting the number of dragons left in the world—and makes their reappearance during the events of Game of Thrones such a critical plot point.

We get a few brief glimpses of other key figures in the series, including Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), and King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine). Otto and Daemon will eventually fall into conflict for reasons that will be made more apparent throughout the series. King Viserys, on the other hand, is seen as one of the great leaders of Westeros, a kind ruler whose reign is peaceful and prosperous for the world. Upon his death, all hell breaks loose.

But the screenshot here is that of Milly Alcock, who will play a younger version of Rhaenyra. House of the Dragon will span a considerable amount of time before Dance of Dragons, so it makes sense we’ll get a complete understanding of who Rhaenyra was before the chaos begins.

Here’s another look at Rhaenyra and Daemon, presumably scheming as they stare across the water from Dragonstone into King’s Landing. Afterwards, we see some quick sequences, including some sort of duel. This fight is likely a match between Daemon and Ser Criston Cole, one of the best knights in the land. This is part of a larger tournament honoring Viserys’ ascension to the throne. Cole will later become the Lord Commander of Viserys’ Kingsguard.

Here we see the introduction of House Velaryon, as they enter King’s Landing for a massive feast. House Velaryon includes Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint)—we get a tease of him before this shot—dubbed the Sea Snake. An expert sailor, his voyages are world-renowned and may even serve as the foundation for another GoT spinoff. Corlys will eventually team up with the Targaryens through marriage and will become a close aide to Daemon.

This is Lady Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno of Ex Machina and Devs fame), who will play a critical role in House of the Dragon. As Daemon’s mistress, she’s brought further into the fold by becoming a spy and gathering intel for the Targaryens. Think of her as the new Littlefinger, only the connection between her and the Targaryens is much stronger due to her love for Daemon.

Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) enters the picture, looking visibly upset about something. Her children will get caught in a rivalry with Rhaenyra’s, with her son Aemond eventually losing an eye to a dagger. She presumably carries that dagger here, which looks considerably like the catspaw dagger Arya wielded and used to slay the Night King.

This is a blink and you’ll miss it look, but during a big tournament—likely celebrating the fifth wedding anniversary of Alicent and Viserys—we see a Stark sigil emblazoned on one of the shields. Despite their critical involvement in Game of Thrones, the Starks take more of a backseat during the Dance of Dragons. The start of this war begins in earnest during this celebration as the entire kingdom is gathered together. There’s also another shot of a sword fight, likely the aforementioned battle between Aemond and a Targaryen child.

 Ah, yes, the Iron Throne. You’ll notice the throne is more expansive than when last we saw it, perhaps as a nod to its massive scale in George R.R. Martin’s text. As Rhaenyra looks upon it, we’re reminded that power and control rule supreme in all things Game of Thrones. Ending the trailer with this shot is a nice reminder of what’s really at stake and a way to tie the prequel series to the original series—but we’ll have to wait until next year to see all the chaos unfold.