Who’s who in House Of The Dragon?

Polish those Valyrian steel daggers and cure that boiled leather, because HBO is heading back to Westeros. Three years after the finale of Game Of Thrones,
the network is once again diving into George R.R. Martin’s world of kings, queens, bastards, dragons, and Machiavellian power plays with the prequel series House Of The Dragon.

Set 200 years before Ned Stark lost his head, the new show centers on the Targaryens, the bottle-blond family of incestuous dragon riders who ruled the Seven Kingdoms for 283 years. And like its progenitor, House Of The Dragon follows the fight for who will be the next to sit on a certain pointy metal chair.

The series is based on a section of Fire & Blood, Martin’s 2018 book that traces the turbulent history of the Targaryen dynasty. The family’s descendants, you may recall, include Game Of Thrones protagonists Daenerys Targaryen (aka Mother of Dragons, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, etc.), and Jon Snow (aka Aegon Targaryen, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, broody boy, etc.).

Unlike his character-driven A Song Of Ice And Fire series, Martin’s 786-page novel is written in the dry style of a history book (think J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion), so you’d be forgiven for not wanting to make that kind of reading commitment. But never fear: We’ve got you covered with this rundown of the main players in House Of The Dragon before it premieres on August 21, from embattled princesses to dashing pirates to scheming bureaucrats.

HOUSE TARGARYEN

Viserys I Targaryen

Title: King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men; Lord of the Seven Kingdoms

Nickname: The Young King

Played by: Paddy Considine

The grandson and heir of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Viserys I is the ruler on the Iron Throne at the start of House Of The Dragon. Unlike most Westerosi rulers we’ve seen, he’s actually a pretty good guy, with a gentle disposition and an aversion to war and conflict. At the outset of the series, Viserys is aging out of his time as king, and the fight is on for who his successor will be. He’s named his daughter Rhaenyra as his heir, but his brother Daemon has other ideas. (Game Of Thrones fans will recognize the king’s name: He shares it with his descendant Viserys III, Daenerys’ crappy big brother who got his head melted.)

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Title: Princess

Nickname: The Realm’s Delight

Played by: Emma D’Arcy (adult) and Milly Alcock (young)

Princess Rhaenyra is the only living child from Viserys’ first marriage to Aemma Arryn, who died young. Breaking tradition, Viserys has appointed her his heir, which would make her the first queen of Westeros. Considering she’s a woman forced to prove her worth in a man’s (man’s) world, Rhaenyra has a major chip on her shoulder—and really, who could blame her? She’s also got a brood of half-siblings from her father’s second marriage to Alicent Hightower, which could throw a wrench into her ambitions.

Daemon Targaryen

Title: Prince

Nickname: Prince of the City

Played by: Matt Smith

Unlike his peace-loving older brother, Daemon is a vicious, calculating dude. He’s such a hothead, in fact, that Viserys is willing to upend centuries of patriarchal custom to ensure that his daughter succeeds him to power instead. Daemon has established himself as the greatest warrior of his generation, wielding “Dark Sister,” a wicked Valyrian-steel blade, and riding a massive red dragon named Caraxes. He believes he has the more legitimate claim to the Iron Throne, setting him up for a bloody reckoning with his niece Rhaenyra.

HOUSE HIGHTOWER

Alicent Hightower

Title: Queen

Nickname: The Queen in Chains

Played by: Olivia Cooke (adult) and Emily Carey (young)

Viserys shared a loving bond with his first wife Aemma; the same can’t be said for his second marriage to Alicent Hightower. The daughter of Otto Hightower, the current Hand of the King, Alicent grew up in the Red Keep and wedded Viserys I when she was only 18. She wasn’t a popular choice, however; the hot goss in King’s Landing is that she once had an affair with Daemon. Given that she’s birthed several male heirs, Alicent is none too happy that her husband has named Rhaenyra as his successor. The evil stepmother vibes are strong.

Otto Hightower

Title: Hand of the King

Played by: Rhys Ifans

Meanwhile, Alicent’s dad, Otto Hightower, is cooking up his own schemes. Having served as the Hand of the King (a high-ranking position later held by Ned Stark and Tyrion Lannister) to both Jaehaerys I and Viserys I, Otto wields serious power. He’s the Littlefinger of his time, supporting whichever successor will give him the cushiest position in court. He’s a fierce opposer of Daemon, whom Otto sees as a dangerous loose cannon.

HOUSE VELARYON

Lord Corlys Velaryon

Title: Lord of the Tides and Master of Driftmark

Nickname: The Sea Snake

Played by: Steve Toussaint

The seafaring House Velayron is the closest ally to House Targaryen—which means its leader, Lord Corlys Velaryon, holds considerable sway in the doings of the Seven Kingdoms. He’s married to Rhaenys, a Targaryen princess who’s got her own beef with King Viserys. Like Game Of Thrones’ Yara Greyjoy, Corlys is a renowned ship’s captain and adventurer, earning the moniker “the Sea Snake,” and his journeys have taken him as far south as the Summer Isles and as far north as Hardhome, beyond the Wall.

Rhaenys Velaryon

Title: Princess; Lady of Driftmark

Nickname: The Queen Who Never Was

Played by: Eve Best

Princess Rhaenys Targaryen became a Velaryon when she married Lord Corlys at age 16, arriving to the wedding on dragonback—a very boss move, in our opinion. And here’s where things get (even more) complicated. Back in the day, there was another dispute over succession: Rhaenys was one of a staggering 14 people who claimed the right to succeed King Jaehaerys to the Iron Throne; she was ultimately passed over in favor of her cousin Viserys because of—you guessed it—her gender. Will she support Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne, as a fellow woman beset on all sides? Only time will tell.

OTHERS

Mysaria

Title: Mistress of Whisperers (unofficial)

Nickname: Lady Misery

Played by: Sonoya Mizuno

Think of Mysaria as House Of The Dragon’s version of Lord Varys. Like Game Of Thrones’ master tactician, she’s a commoner who emigrated from the Free Cities and rose to power on the strength of her wits—and a few clutch connections. While working as a dancer and sex worker in King’s Landing, she caught the eye of Prince Daemon and became his lover. After that, she quickly (and secretively) rose through the ranks at the Red Keep. Though, like Varys, she acts as Mistress of Whisperers, Mysaria’s title is an unsanctioned one.

Ser Criston Cole

Title: Lord Commander of the Kingsguard

Nickname: The Kingmaker

Played by: Fabien Frankel

A dashing knight with roots in Dorne (the birthplace of Game Of Thrones fan fave Oberyn Martell), Ser Criston Cole is the head of the Kingsguard, a position later held by fellow smokeshow Jaime Lannister. Though he serves under King Viserys, Criston finds himself torn over which horse to back as the next ruler of Westeros. Rumor has it that the knight once professed his love to Princess Rhaenyra, who rebuffed him. Spicy!

Tyland Lannister

Titles: Master of Ships

Nickname: The Hooded Hand

Played by: Jefferson Hall

Remember the Lannisters? Like the Starks, they don’t have much of a role to play in House Of The Dragon; but that doesn’t mean those Casterly Rockers aren’t scheming on the sidelines. Jefferson Hall plays both Tyland Lannister and his twin brother Jason, a pair of knights who find ways to serve their own interests amid the Targaryen family squabbles. Tyland is a member of Viserys’ small council, acting as the king’s Master of Ships (Davos Seaworth’s position at the end of Game Of Thrones). All we can say is: beware the Rains of Castamere.