House of the Dragon’smost famousGame of Thronesretcon is believed to have drastically altered the franchise’s scope, but that’s only because it’s widely misunderstood. SinceGame of Thrones’ending, WBD and HBO have been actively engaged in developing spin-offs to the prolific epic fantasy series.
With so many contemporary film and television franchises expanding into shared universes in the ilk of the MCU, it’s no wonder that any connections betweenGame of Thronesshows would be seen as such. The biggestGame of Thronesconnection so far was inHouse of the Dragonseason 1, with the introduction ofAegon’s Dream.
Aegon’s Dream suggests thatAegon the Conqueror united the Seven Kingdomsof Westeros after having a prophetic dream of the Long Night.Many have taken this to be supplementary material, suggesting that Daenerys or Jon Snow was Azor Ahai, or that the Mad King and Rhaegar may have eventually known about the Dream. In either case, that’s not the point.
Aegon’s Dream Was Never Meant To Outlive Rhaenyra
Rhaenyra’s Desire For Power Will Result In The Dream Being Lost
The reason thatHouse of the Dragon’sseries premiere introduced the idea of Aegon’s Dream isn’t because Warner Bros. simply wanted to bridge the gap between the prequel and the original show. While that was undoubtedly an added benefit,let’s keep in mind this was George R.R. Martin’s idea, so it’s thematically tied to the novels.
Crucially, this information wasknown by Viserys, and he passed it down to Rhaenyra, establishing additional motivation and stakesfor the subsequent succession crisis.House of the Dragoneven teases the idea that Rhaenyra is destined for something great withthe White Hart. In some forms of Arthurian legend, the white stag represents the beginning of King Arthur’s reign.
Neither the White Hart nor any of Rhaenyra’s other epic moments are in place to suggest that she’s the Chosen One; they’re misdirection for both her and the audience.
But this isn’t a series about prophesied heroes, and Rhaenyra isn’t Arthur. Neither the White Hart nor any of Rhaenyra’s other epic moments are in place to suggest that she’s the Chosen One; they’re misdirection for both her and the audience.They influence her expanding ego, crucially reinforcing her belief in her right to rule.
House of the Dragonis about the Dance of the Dragons,a civil war that marks the beginning of the Targaryen dynasty’s decline, ultimately leading to its fallduring the Mad King’s reign. Aegon’s Dream has to die with Rhaenyra. That’s a crucial element of what this series is about.
House Of The Dragon Is About The Realm’s Self-Destruction During The Dance
The Death Of Dragons Leaves The Realm Dangerously Unprepared For White Walkers
House of the Dragonhas prompted its audiences to root for either the Blacks or the Greens, but there really are no winners in war, as cliché as it sounds. The biggest loser isn’t the Targaryen who loses their chance to rule on the Iron Throne, it’s the smallfolk and the Realm as a whole, currently and in the future.
The Dance of the Dragons illustrates the dangers of prophecy and their propensity to incite violence.
The Realm suffers mass deaths, caught in the crossfire of two nobles who mean nothing to the vast majority of the population. Beyond that, the Realm loses its unification. When the White Walkers finally arrive inGame of Thrones,Westeros has lost its greatest protectors, the dragons, because of the Realm’s division during this conflict.
The Dance of the Dragonsillustrates the dangers of prophecy and their propensity to incite violence. The Targaryen royal family turns against each other, using prophecy as their reasoning. However, this is just an excuse.Egotism and the innate desire for power are the real motivations.
Aegon’s Dream Ties To GRRM’s Themes Of Prophecy & Monarchy
Fans ofA Song of Ice & Firehave spent decades trying to determinewho the Prince that was Promised is, but the answer is very likely that there isn’t one. In the Dance of the Dragons, Robert’s Rebellion, and the War of the Five Kings,this prophecy is primarily used to provide justification for violence.
Rhaenyra, Rhaegar, and Stannis all carry this prophecy as their campaign slogan, but again,this isn’t Arthurian Legend, where prophecies actually come true and divine heroes save the day. Martin’s books are much more likeDune, where prophecy leads to manipulation, pain, and destruction.
The purpose ofHouse of the Dragonis to show how Rhaenyra’s actions and Viserys’s inaction sacrifice this prophetic knowledge of existential warning for personal desire for power.
Sure, there is a hefty deal of romanticism inASOIAF,too, and it’s likely the case that the Realm will survive the Winter. A single, prophesied savior doesn’t seem like the reason why, especially not a Targaryen one.The Targaryens are self-righteous and egotisticalinASOIAF. They’re incredibly dangerous to the realm, even if they occasionally bring eras of prosperity.
George R.R. Martin’s perspective on monarchyexamines how rulers have the potential to be dangerously glorified and even more dangerously evil. There are no legendary noble hero kings, especially not Rhaenyra. The purpose ofHouse of the Dragonis to show how Rhaenyra’s actions and Viserys’s inaction sacrifice this prophetic knowledge of existential warning for personal desire for power.
Game Of Thrones Already Proved That Aegon’s Dream Is A Farce
The Realm Isn’t Directly Saved By A Targaryen Monarch
If what I’ve written isn’t convincing enough, just look atGame of Thrones. There is no Prince that was Promised. It’s not Jon. It’s not Daenerys. It’s not Arya. Mystical, magical properties do exist in this world, soit’s likely that Aegon did envision the Long Night, but if he foresaw a Targaryen savior, it was simply a projection of his own ego.
It may have been disappointing to see the Prince that was Promised prophecy unresolved after years of fan theories, but this was ultimately the right call.House of the Dragonis following suit, remaining true to the original show and to its source material.
