Every Major Event From Fire And Blood Fans Can Expect To See In House Of The Dragon
"House of the Dragon" Season 1 adapts some of the most pivotal moments from George R.R. Martin's "Fire and Blood," remaining faithful to the source material while throwing in a few show-only twists as a reward to viewers. Season 1 of the HBO prequel features the prelude to the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), the named heir of King Viserys (Paddy Considine), is forced to contend for the Iron Throne when her half-brother, led by her former friend and stepmother, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), usurps Rhaenyra's position as the sovereign ruler of Westeros.
The Season 1 finale includes several key scenes from "Fire and Blood" with a few differences. Aemond One-Eye's (Ewan Mitchell) murder of his nephew, Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), was shown to be accidental, with both princes losing control of their dragons. This revelation confirms what Martin has been telling fans all along about "Fire and Blood" — the Targaryen history novel is a biased account written by the Maesters of Westeros and not everything is as truthful as it seems.
With that in mind, future seasons of "House of the Dragon" look set to be full of surprises, even for book readers. However, there are still multiple major events from "Fire and Blood" that fans can expect to see in the series. Spoiler warning for future seasons of "House of the Dragon."
The Sowing of the Dragonseeds
Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) sets the stage for this infamous moment from "Fire and Blood" in the Season 1 finale ("The Black Queen"). While Queen Rhaenyra holds a council meeting at Dragonstone, her king-consort lays out the statistics regarding their dragons for the coming war against the Greens. Opposing them are three adult dragons — Vhagar, Sunfyre, and Dreamfyre. Rhaenyra's faction (potentially) boasts 13 dragons: Caraxes, Syrax, Meleys, Vermax, Arrax, Tyraxes, and Moondancer, all claimed and ridden, as well as the unclaimed Vermithor, Silverwing, and Seasmoke, and the wild dragons Sheepstealer, Grey Ghost and the Cannibal.
In terms of dragon warfare, the scales are seemingly in Rhaenyra's favor. But an unclaimed dragon can be more liability than an asset, something Daemon acknowledges in Episode 10 when he discusses finding new riders for the other dragons. "Fire and Blood" dubs this event "the Sowing of the Dragonseeds." Jacaerys Velaryon (played by Harry Collett in the series) scours Dragonstone for Targaryen bastards, searching for new dragonriders for his mother's army.
Many wannabe riders are maimed or murdered in their pursuit. Ser Steffon Darklyn and Lord Gormon Massey are burned to death by Seasmoke and Vermithor, while Sheepstealer tears off Silver Denys' arm. Eventually, however, four new dragonriders emerge — Addam of Hull and Seasmoke; Nettles, who bonds with Sheepstealer by enticing the dragon with its favorite food; Hugh Hammer, who claims Vermithor and his companion, Ulf the White, the second rider to mount Silverwing.
Aegon the Conqueror's destruction of Harrenhal
During the council meeting on Dragonstone, Daemon also mentions making a military base for Rhaenyra's forces at Harrenhal. Harrenhal holds great symbolic importance for House Targaryen. The castle's burned and twisted structure is testimony to the dragons' destructive capabilities. Aegon the Conqueror unleashed his legendary mount, Balerion the Black Dread, on Harrenhal during his conquest of Westeros, after its occupant at the time, King Harren Hoare, refused to bend the knee.
Harren Hoare — or Harren the Black, as he was also known — hid in his castle from Balerion's fire, but the stone structure did little to protect him or his family. Over time, Harrenhal has belonged to multiple liege lords. In "House of the Dragon," House Strong holds dominion over the castle. Rhaenyra's lover and the father of three of her sons, Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr), perishes in Harrenhal along with his father, Lyonel (Gavin Spokes), in Episode 6 ("The Princess and the Queen") after Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) orchestrates their fiery death.
With "House of the Dragon" set to return to Harrenhal in future seasons, it's possible fans could see a flashback to Aegon's fabled destruction of the castle. Harrenhal also features prominently in Season 2 of the original "Game of Thrones" series, with Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) forcibly taking a detour there on her way to Winterfell after being taken captive by Lannister soldiers.
The Pact of Ice and Fire
Another "Fire and Blood" sequence the Season 1 finale sets up includes young Prince Jacaerys Velaryon flying north on his dragon, Vermax, to establish an alliance with the Starks of Winterfell. Fans of the book will recognize this union as the Pact of Ice and Fire — an official agreement that tethers House Stark and House Targaryen together as allies.
The Pact of Ice and Fire was, officially, a betrothal agreement between Jacaerys and Cregan Stark: Jacaerys' firstborn daughter would marry Cregan's son and heir, Rickon. Although Jacaerys dies shortly after during the Battle of the Gullet, Cregan continues to honor his alliance with the Targaryen prince and champions Rhaenyra's cause long into the war.
In "Fire and Blood," Jacaerys not only secures an alliance with Lord Cregan but also (allegedly) marries Cregan's half-sister, Sara Snow, breaking his betrothal to Daemon's daughter, Lady Baela Targaryen. Whether Jacaerys does indeed break his vows will likely be explored in Season 2 of "House of the Dragon," as the prince arrives in Winterfell.
The Battle at Rook's Rest
One of the new Targaryens introduced in "House of the Dragon" Season 1 who makes a big impact is Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), cousin to King Viserys and the wife of Corlys Velaryon, aka the Sea Snake (Steve Toussaint). Rhaenys is a veteran dragonrider, and having been bonded to her dragon, Meleys, for over 30 years, Rhaenys' exceptional command of her dragon is exemplified in Episode 9 ("The Green Council") when she uses Meleys to send a deafening warning to Alicent Hightower and her family.
Unfortunately for Rhaenys, "Fire and Blood" spells a fiery end for the Targaryen princess known as the Queen Who Never Was. Ser Criston Cole replaces Otto Hightower as Aegon II's Hand of the King. The new Hand's first act? Luring Rhaenys and Meleys into a trap at Rook's Rest. After sacking Duskendale, Aegon II and Ser Criston march to Rook's Rest, whose liege lord sends a raven to Rhaenyra begging for help. Rhaenys arrives nine days later, flying straight into Ser Criston's trap.
Rhaenys and Meleys face Aegon II and his dragon, Sunfyre, in the air after burning Criston Cole's army. Meleys, a significantly larger dragon than Sunfyre, gains the upper hand ... until Aemond Targaryen emerges from the clouds on Vhagar. Vhagar and Sunfyre overwhelm Meleys. Rhaenys and her dragon both perish, but not before badly burning Aegon and wounding Sunfyre.
The Battle of the Gullet
Another battle with staggering losses for Rhaenyra takes place at sea in an area known as the Gullet beyond Blackwater Bay. House Velaryon, the most powerful naval force in the Seven Kingdoms, blockades Blackwater Bay during the Dance, denying resources from reaching King's Landing. Otto Hightower (played by Rhys Ifans in the HBO series) retaliates by reaching out to the Triarchy, the enemies from Essos who Daemon Targaryen battles throughout the War for the Stepstones. The Triarchy agree to a truce with the Greens and send a fleet of ships to break the Velaryons' naval barricade.
The Triarchy intercepts a ship carrying Rhaenyra's youngest sons, Aegon and Viserys, to sanctuary. Viserys is taken hostage, while Aegon flees on his young dragon, Stormcloud, who is gravely wounded by crossbows and dies shortly after delivering Aegon to Dragonstone.
Rhaenyra deploys dragonriders in response to the attack: Prince Jacaerys and Vermax, Addam of Hull and Seasmoke, Nettles and Sheepstealer, Hugh Hammer and Vermithor, and Ulf the White and Silverwing. The dragons decimate the warships from the Free Cities, but Jacaerys and Vermax are killed by crossbows when the dragon flies too low to the sea. The Battle of the Gullet is regarded as a loss for both sides of the civil war — Rhaenyra loses two sons, while the Free Cities sever all ties to the Greens.
Rhaenyra takes King's Landing
Shortly after the Battle of the Gullet in "Fire and Blood," Queen Rhaenyra dons her armor for the first time and takes flight on her dragon, Syrax. The queen meets Daemon Targaryen above King's Landing on his dragon, Caraxes, having lured away most of the city's defenses; Aemond and Vhagar remain in the riverlands, while Aegon and Sunfyre are still recovering from Rook's Rest, leaving only Queen Helaena and her dragon, Dreamfyre, to defend the city.
Helaena is in no fit state for dragon warfare, however. Syrax and Caraxes circle the skies while Corlys Velaryon brings his fleet to Blackwater Bay. Despite losing Jacaerys and Vermax in the Battle of the Gullet, Rhaenyra is still flanked by the dragonseeds: Nettles, Addam of Hull, Hugh Hammer, and Ulf the White. King's Landing falls easily to Rhaenyra's forces. The conquering queen ascends the Iron Throne.
But, as Rhaenyra's descendant Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) discovers during her conquest of Slaver's Bay in "Game of Thrones," conquering a city can be much easier than ruling it. Rhaenyra's reign lasts half a year before the city erupts into fire and blood, its inhabitants rebelling against their new queen.
The Storming of the Dragonpit
As the dragons dance throughout the war, the common people pay the price. King's Landing, in particular, suffers as its inhabitants slide further into poverty thanks to Rhaenyra's new tax policy. Living in fear of dragonfire, and unwillingly funding the war between Rhaenyra and Aegon II, the smallfolk turn to a new leader — the Shepherd, a religious fanatic similar to the High Sparrow from Seasons 5 and 6 of "Game of Thrones."
"Fire and Blood" chronicles the Shepherd's rise to power, as he preaches against the Targaryens and turns the city's smallfolk against the royal family. When Helaena Targaryen, beloved by the people (and played by Phia Saban in "House of the Dragon") commits suicide by throwing herself from the Red Keep, a match is struck on the smoldering kindling of King's Landing, and the city riots.
Led by the Shepherd, an enraged mob descends on the Dragonpit and, against all odds, kills the four dragons caged there: Dreamfyre, Morghul, Shrykos, and Tyraxes. Rhaenyra's son, Joffrey Velaryon, steals his mother's dragon, Syrax, and attempts to fly her to the Dragonpit. But a dragon can only accept one rider at a time. Syrax rejects Joffrey, throwing him to his death, before descending on the Dragonpit herself to fight "with tooth and claw." The golden dragon is eventually overrun by the mob, becoming the fifth dragon to die in the Storming of the Dragonpit, while Rhaenyra is forced to flee the city she formerly conquered.
Daemon fights Aemond above the God's Eye
The dinner scene in Episode 8 ("The Lord of the Tides") sets the stage for a Shakespearean-esque tragedy that tears House Targaryen apart throughout the Dance of the Dragons. Daemon Targaryen's stare-down with his nephew, Aemond, is no throwaway moment; it foreshadows one of the most devastating battles from "Fire and Blood," which pits family against family, and dragon against dragon.
Aemond is an invaluable asset for the Greens. His dragon's colossal size outmatches her peers — when it comes to brute strength, few dragons can beat Vhagar. Fans saw in the Season 1 finale how terrifying Vhagar can be, when the she-dragon ignored her rider's commands and made quick work of Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon, Arrax. Throughout "Fire and Blood," Aemond isn't afraid to deploy Vhagar against innocent people, as he terrorizes the riverlands after losing King's Landing to Rhaenyra.
Daemon takes Caraxes and, along with Nettles and Sheepstealer, searches the riverlands for his nephew to no avail. Daemon and Nettles then part ways, with Daemon flying to Harrenhal to wait for Aemond. The rogue prince eventually gets his wish. Vhagar appears in the sky and the dragons clash. Despite Vhagar's sheer mass, Caraxes manages to lock his jaws around her neck and sends them plummeting to the ground, killing them both, while Daemon leaps from his saddle to stab Aemond in the eye with his Valyrian steel sword, Dark Sister.
Tumbleton
Tumbleton — the battle so calamitous, it happened twice. A small market town located in the Reach near the Mander river, 50 leagues from King's Landing, Tumbleton becomes the scene of a devastating dragon attack during "Fire and Blood" (think Smaug destroying Lake-town in "The Hobbit").
In the First Battle of Tumbleton, the Dragonseeds, Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White, betray Rhaenyra in favor of Aegon II and unleash their dragons, Vermithor and Silverwing, on the innocent townspeople. Hugh and Ulf — known after as the Two Betrayers — destroy the town and lead the way for the Greens to install power. But the Betrayers prove too brutal even for Aegon's forces; the Greens conspire to overthrow them. Enter Addam of Hull and his dragon, Seasmoke.
Hugh and Ulf's betrayal causes Rhaenyra to turn on all of the Dragonseeds, demanding their arrest. While Nettles flees, Addam of Hull is determined to prove (in a very Jon Snow-reminiscent moment) that "not all bastards need be turn cloaks." He takes Seasmoke to the Second Battle of Tumbleton, first facing off against Tessarion, the dragon of Viserys and Alicent's youngest son Daeron, before teaming up with Tessarion to take on Vermithor and Silverwing. Silverwing is the only dragon to survive the carnage, while all of the dragonriders die.
Aegon II takes Dragonstone
Unfortunately for Team Black fans, Rhaenyra's luck goes from bad to worse after she flees from King's Landing to Dragonstone. Unbeknownst to her, her half-brother Aegon II (played by Tom Glynn-Carney in the series), has reunited with his dragon, Sunfyre, and a contingency of Team Green supporters to take House Targaryen's ancestral castle in Rhaenyra's absence, laying in wait for the fleeing queen.
Aegon's capture of Dragonstone is no easy feat in "Fire and Blood." Baela Targaryen (portrayed by Phoebe Campbell in "House of the Dragon") escapes the castle upon seeing the invaders, saddling her dragon, Moondancer, who clashes with Sunfyre. Despite being a small dragon barely large enough to ride, Moondancer is fast and fierce, while Sunfyre still sports wounds from fighting Meleys at Rook's Rest (and possibly the wild dragon, Grey Ghost). Although Sunfyre eventually blinds the smaller dragon, Moondancer sends them both hurtling to the ground; Aegon's legs are shattered when he jumps from his saddle, while a gravely wounded Sunfyre devours Moondancer on the ground.
Aegon II is a broken man with a broken dragon by the time Rhaenyra sails into his trap. Commanding his forces to capture his half-sister, Aegon II has Rhaenyra fed to Sunfyre while her son watches. The brutal moment is underscored by Sunfyre's subsequent death, as the gold dragon finally succumbs to its collective wounds days later.
The Hour of the Wolf
Aegon II's reign is, as described in the source material, short and sad. The injured king barely has time to celebrate his victory before returning to King's Landing to clean up the mess caused by the city riots. By this point, Aegon is a broken, bitter man. Reliant on the milk of the poppy to battle the pain from his copious burns and crushed legs, the king's reign is cut short when he is mysteriously poisoned to death in his palanquin.
In the wake of Aegon II's murder, Cregan Stark and his northern army finally arrive in King's Landing. The northmen remain loyal to Rhaenyra long after her death. In an era dubbed by the Maesters as the Hour of the Wolf, Cregan installs Rhaenyra's son, Aegon III, on the Iron Throne, organizing a council of regents to rule for the boy king until he comes of age, and correcting the chaos in King's Landing.
The Hour of the Wolf marks the end of the Dance of the Dragons. Cregan executes Larys Strong for his crimes, serving briefly as Hand of the King while passing judgment on the war's guilty parties. Aegon III marries Jaehaera Targaryen, daughter of Aegon II and Helaena, while Baela and Rhaena Targaryen convince him to reinstate Corlys Velaryon as the Lord of the Tides.
Rhaenyra and Daemon's son ascends the Iron Throne
In the end, neither Rhaenyra nor Aegon II sits on the Iron Throne of Westeros. Rhaenyra and Daemon's eldest son instead inherits the throne after witnessing the brutal execution of his mother, with the majority of his family dead from the in-fighting. Only four dragons survive — Silverwing, Sheepstealer, the Cannibal, and Rhaena Targaryen's hatchling, Morning.
His mother's dragon-related death causes a lifelong fear and resentment of House Targaryen's famed beasts for the traumatized King Aegon III. "Fire and Blood" Volume I ends with Rhaena taking flight on Morning for the first time, a triumphant moment but also bittersweet, as "Game of Thrones" viewers know that, by the time Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) are born, dragons have been extinct from Westeros for nearly 200 years.
Aegon III — or Aegon the Dragonsbane, as he is referred to in "A Song of Ice and Fire" — might contribute to the death of the last dragons during his reign, something "House of the Dragon" could reveal. With the HBO series exploring the downfall of House Targaryen, the loss of their iconic dragons, as well as Aegon III's tragic, unexpected reign, will likely make its way to the screen at some point in the upcoming seasons.