WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 5 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based!

While the histories may say otherwise, House of the Dragon season 2 is admitting that one of the greatest claims about House Targaryen is actually a lie. Even in Game of Thrones, the Targaryens are seen as more special and distinct from the rest of Seven Kingdoms of Westeros given their silver hair, dragonriding abilities, and claims of magic and dragon blood running through their veins.

House Targaryen’s unique dragonriding capability is arguably the greatest source of their strength and superiority over the realm. The Targaryens are the only surviving dragonriding family after the Doom of Old Valyria, with their histories claiming that blood magic helped them bond with and master dragons. It’s consequently long been understood that only dragonlords and those with strong Valyrian blood are able to claim a dragon, with this dragon blood purity being a major reason for House Targaryen’s intermarriages. However, House of the Dragon season 2 is proving this claim isn’t exactly true.

House Of The Dragon Is Showing You Don’t Need To Be A Targaryen To Ride A Dragon

Dragons Don’t Only Submit To Dragonlord Targaryens

After Rhaenys Targaryen and Meleys’ deaths in House of the Dragon season 2, as well as Daemon’s absence at Harrenhal, Rhaenyra is in desperate need of more dragonriders. While there are a few unclaimed dragons in House of the Dragon that she could use on Dragonstone, including Vermithor, Silverwing, Seasmoke, Cannibal, Grey Ghost, and Sheepstealer, her problem is that there are seemingly no riders to claim them. Rhaena nearly lost her life the last time she tried to claim one of these dragons, so the Queen must look at those who do not bear the Targaryen name.

Rhaenyra is looking for those who may have great-grandparents or other ancestors who were born Targaryens, proving that strong Valyrian blood isn’t necessary to ride a dragon. Rather, it may just be a small trace of Valyrian blood required to tame a dragon – but even that may not be true. As Jace says in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 5’s ending, the Valyrian histories were written to glorify the Targaryens and their superiority, but there’s really little evidence for the claim that dragons will only submit to dragonlords.

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Which Non-Targaryens Ride Dragons In House Of The Dragon

Three Non-Targaryens Will Claim Dragons In House Of The Dragon

As George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book reveals, there are a few non-Targaryens who will successfully claim and ride dragons in the Dance. These characters include Addam of Hull (Corlys Velaryon’s bastard son), Hugh Hammer (the smith in King’s Landing), and Ulf White (the alleged bastard son of Baelon Targaryen). While the book also features the character of Nettles claiming a dragon, it seems she’s been cut from House of the Dragon’s story.

However, as the others have already been introduced, it looks like Addam will ride Seasmoke, Hugh will ride Vermithor, and Ulf will ride Silverwing in House of the Dragon. In Fire & Blood, these men do have small or even relatively large traces of Valyrian blood based on their claims, which may explain their dragonriding abilities despite not being proper Targaryens. As the son of Corlys Velaryon, Addam does have some Targaryen blood from several generations back. Meanwhile, Hugh is a blacksmith’s bastard claiming to have Targaryen blood, with Ulf having the most Valyrian blood if his claim about being Baelon’s son is true.

Targaryens Being The Only Dragonriders Was Important To Their Rule

The House’s Superiorty Came From Their Dragons

Targaryens being the only dragonriders isn’t just a needless lie or myth, but one that’s important to their entire rule in Westeros. Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, conquered Westeros with their dragons – Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes – but the creatures also helped establish the new rulers as more than mere mortals. As Rhaenyra Targaryen said in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 1:

“Everyone says
Targaryens are closer to gods than to men, but they say that because of our dragons
. Without them, we’re just like everyone else.”

Targaryens are put on a pedestal in Westeros, and have established different rules for themselves – hence why brothers can marry sisters – which comes from their great power, and that power comes from their dragons. They need people to believe they are the only dragonriders for that to hold weight, instilling fear, envy, and adoration in others. They might even believe it to be true themselves, given so few Old Valyrian families survived the Doom: the Velaryons were not dragonriders, and there’s no evidence the other family, House Celtigar, was either.

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That’s why parading Meleys’ head in King’s Landing was a real mistake from Criston Cole. It serves to diminish the Targaryens’ standing, seen as either an insult to the gods, or a sign that dragons – and thus the Targaryens – are not as close to gods as they like to have people believe.

Game Of Thrones Had Its Own Non-Targaryen Dragonrider

The Night King Was Able To Control & Ride Viserion

Technically, Game of Thrones had its own non-Targaryen dragonrider: the Night King. He killed one of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons in Game of Thrones season 7, episode 6, “Beyond the Wall,” and then reanimated him as part of his undead army. This did raise questions at the time about the Night King being a Targaryen, but it was much more simple: Viserion became a wight, which meant he was controlled by the Night King just like any other, regardless of being a dragon.

Still, there were persistent questions over whether the army of the dead’s leader belonged to the house of the dragon. In Game of Thrones season 8, episode 3, “The Long Night,” the Night King survived dragonfire, which has yet to be explained. Again, there were questions if this meant he was a Targaryen, because Daenerys had shown to be fireproof multiple times. However, this is a power that only applies to her, not others (and in the book, it was a one-off magical event that let her survive Khal Drogo’s funeral pyre).

There’s no real possibility of the Night King being a Targaryen, given he existed long before the age of Old Valyria and certain before any Targaryens came to Westeros. The Night King’s origin story showed he was created by the children of the forest in Game of Thrones. It’s more likely he was one of the First Men – he could be a Stark, but it’s almost impossible for him to have been a Targaryen. Nonetheless, he was able to ride a dragon, and even if Viserion was alive, there’s nothing to suggest a non-Targaryen couldn’t have flown him.

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It’s possible this is something George R.R. Martin’s books will show too, as one of the big theories about The Winds of Winter is that Euron Greyjoy will claim a dragon. That, certainly, is an intention of his, and he possesses a magical item called the dragon horn, an ancient object from Old Valyria that is said to bind a dragon to the person who uses it. Of course, there’s reason to be skeptical that’s what will happen, but it opens another avenue for a non-Targaryen to ride a dragon, just like House of the Dragon is about to do.

New episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 release Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

House of the Dragon

Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

Cast

Jefferson Hall , Paddy Considine , Fabien Frankel , Ryan Corr , Eve Best , Gavin Spokes , Graham McTavish , Steve Toussaint , Olivia Cooke , Sonoya Mizuno , Bill Paterson , Matthew Needham , Emma D’Arcy , Matt Smith , Rhys Ifans , David Horovitch

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Seasons

2

Directors

Miguel Sapochnik , Clare Kilner , Alan Taylor , Greg Yaitanes , Geeta Vasant Patel , Andrij Parekh

Showrunner

Ryan Condal

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