A Tale of Two Thrones: How is the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon interconnected?

For many years, the story of Westeros has captivated the audience. From a magical kingdom to political instability, fans of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire have grown over time. This book series was adapted into Game of Thrones, a popular TV Show on HBO. Viewers loved the stories of different houses and the politics surrounding the main kingdom. But the story of the Iron Throne doesn’t end with this show. A new series on HBO called House of the Dragon explores the political realm and reign of one of the most popular houses, the Targaryen House. In this article, we will be exploring the connections between these two beloved shows, House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.

Both these shows have influenced a lot of things in popular culture. From fashion to music, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon’s fanbase continues to grow day by day. However, many people continue to confuse the timeline of these shows. House of the Dragon takes place almost 200 years before Game of Thrones. Both these shows are connected to each other via the Targaryen dynasty. The Targaryens ruled for over 300 years in Westeros, but due to their internal conflicts, they ultimately fell off!

Connection Between House of the Dragon & Game of Thrones

Westeros is a universe created by George R.R. Martin. Both these shows are based on this fictional universe. Although House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones, both of them tell the story of the Iron Throne. The Targaryen House forms the ultimate connection to this series. The show explores the lineage of this powerful house with silver hair and their ability to tame dragons. In House of the Dragon, the Iron Throne is ruled by the Targaryens. However, by the end of the series, due to their own internal war, their reign falls off.

Game of Thrones takes place from the time when the Targaryens lost a war to the Baratheons. Robert Baratheon becomes the next king of Westeros and sits on the almighty Iron Throne! Both series explore the same locations like Winterfell, King’s Landing, etc. House of the Dragon forms the basis for the complex political situation in Westeros during the Targaryen rule. On the other hand, Game of Thrones presents a deeper understanding of the political landscape of Westeros in the presence of other houses!

Timeline of HOTD & GOT

1. Reign of King Viserys I Targaryen

After the death of Baelon, the succession line of the Targaryen house became unclear. Jaehaerys’s first son had one child and his second son had two children. Since the Targaryen dynasty was young and new, it lacked rules of succession. Hence, the Great Council gathered together to elect one true king of Westeros. Viserys I was elected as the Prince of Dragonstone in 103 AC. During his reign, he had to produce a male child to succeed him. However, fate had other plans. He and his wife only had one child, their beloved daughter Rhaenyra.

2. Setting the Stage for Dance of the Dragons

King Viserys remarried Alicent Hightower. She was an old friend of Rhaenyra. Both the ladies had a severe dislike towards each other since they wanted to become the first lady! After Viserys’s death, Alicent became more and more rigid and ignorant towards Rhaenyra. Her sons also disliked Rhaenyra’s sons. In one incident, Alicent’s son killed Rhaenyra’s son! However, after Viserys’s death, Rhaenyra was crowned as the Queen. However, turbulence emerges when a few Targaryens start supporting her half-brother, Aegon II as the new ruler! This set the stage for the Dance of the Dragons. It is a civil war between the Targaryens who supported the Queen and those who supported Aegon II!

3. Targaryen Civil War

Dance of the Dragons is the civil war that happened between the Greens and Blacks of the Targaryen house. The Greens supported Aegon II and claimed him as their king. However, the Blacks were in support of Rhaenyra, the daughter of King Viserys I. The civil war weakened the entire bloodline of this powerful house. After grievous losses on both sides, the Blacks emerged as the winners of the war. As Rhaenyra rightfully said,

There is no war so hateful as the war between kin, and no war so bloody as the war between dragons.

4. The Reign of Aerys II Targaryen, The Mad King

King Aerys II was the final ruler of the Targaryen dynasty. This powerful house had a history of incest. To keep their bloodline pure, they married their own siblings and cousins. Due to this, Aerys succumbs to madness. He goes through a lot of paranoia and hence, becomes very cruel. His reign was short-lived and for his final words he said “Burn them all.” He was ultimately betrayed and killed by his Kingsguard Jaime Lannister!

5. Robert’s Rebellion and the Fall of The Targaryens

When Aerys II Targaryen was the King of Westeros, several other houses had complaints against him. This marked the first rebellion against the Iron Throne. When Prince Rhaegar allegedly abducted Lyanna Stark, many houses, including Baratheon and Stark rebelled against him. Lyanna belonged to the House of Stark. She was betrothed to Robert Baratheon. However, Prince Rhaegar allegedly abducted and raped her. This led to Robert starting a rebellion against Targaryen. He came out as a victor and became the next king to sit on the Iron Throne. It is later revealed in Game of Thrones by Brandon Stark that,

Robert’s Rebellion was built on a lie. Rhaegar neither abducted her nor raped her. He loved her and she loved him as well!

Fate of Different Houses in Game of Thrones

House Targaryen was one of the most powerful houses in Westeros. They had a history of incestuous relationships. Due to this, most of them suffered from illness. The final king of this dynasty was King Aerys, the Mad King. In Game of Thrones, we are introduced to his two children, Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys. Rhaegar gets killed due to his nonchalant behaviour. Daenerys raises a coup to take over her rightful throne. However, in the end even she gets betrayed and killed! One of the most honourable and respected houses in Game of Thrones is House Stark. Fans love all the members of this house. Starting with Ned Stark, his wife Catelyn and their children, Rob, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. After the death of Ned Stark, his eldest son, Robb Stark starts a war against the Lannisters. Unfortunately, this is short lived as both Robb and his mother get killed. By the end of the series, Sansa, Arya, and Bran survive and Bran becomes the new king of Westeros! Sansa, on the other hand, becomes the Queen of the North. Arya goes on a voyage as she always wanted to.

After Robert’s rebellion, House Baratheon became one of the most powerful houses. However, after his death, the fall of Baratheon was recognisable. Not much is given in details about this house, but in Game of Thrones, Gendry Baratheon is shown as the last living member of this house. He was the illegitimate child of Robert. Another important and well-known house is the Lannisters. They were the most scheming, clever, and cunning people of all time. Starting from Tywin Lannister, who brought down the reign of Aerys, his sons, Jaime and Tyrion, and his daughter Cersei, all of them played the political game very well. By the end of the show, only Tyrion survived from the House Lannister. Jaime was killed and he died serving his true queen, Cersei!

A few underrated houses are House Greyjoy, House Tully, and House Arryn. Greyjoys were very powerful and minded their own business. They believed in “What is dead may never die.” At the end of Game of Thrones, House Greyjoy remove themselves from the Seven Kingdoms. Initially, they supported Daenerys Targaryen, but their alliance changed with time. House Tully was an important house. It is the house of Catelyn Stark, wife of Ned Stark. Most of their members perish and die during the war. Catelyn Stark is one of the most well-known Tullys in Game of Thrones. House Arryn is another house that played a crucial role in Robert’s Rebellion. They remain loyal to the Starks because Catelyn’s sister was married to this house. Unfortunately, their well-built walls were not enough to protect them during the war. Most of their members also died during the Great War.