HBO aired House of the Dragon officially on Sunday, highlighting the events that occurred 200 years before Ser Jaime Lannister assassinated King Aerys Targaryen, on the Iron Throne that ended House Targaryen’s dominion.
Whether history repeats itself or not, Westeros’ history did. King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, was as turbulent and unpredictable as it had always been. Backstabbing, plotting, tactics, and killing remains rampant in House of the Dragon as they were in Game of Thrones.
“Killing and politics aren’t always the same thing,” Lord Tyrion Lannister properly observed to Queen Daenerys Targaryen when they met for the first time in S05E08. And it was elaborated in the first episode as Rhaenyra like Daenerys turned out to be an ambitious woman and wanted a new world order to live in peace if she isn’t obligated to react.
The first episode of House of the Dragon pushed fans to revisit the initial conflicts that transpired in Game of Thrones. Let’s take a quick look at the parallels between Game of Thrones and the House of the Dragon.
The Tragic Death of Queen Aemma
In the first episode of Game of Thrones, the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, was killed for the sake of the King. He was aware of the truth regarding Queen Cersei I of Lannister’s unnatural relationship with her brother and did not wish to conceal it from the King and it took his life. “The seed is strong,” said Jon Arryn.
In the House of the Dragon, Queen Aemma also died for the sake of the King as he wanted a son to continue the dynasty. Aemma was old and couldn’t handle the difficulties of pregnancy, but it was the King’s wish, and she lost her life in childbirth. Their son didn’t survive either.
Valyrian Steel Necklace
In the Game of Thrones, Viserys Targaryen gifted new clothes to his sister, Daenerys in order to present her to the Dothraki king. It was the bloody history of the Seven Kingdoms that no woman ascend the Iron Throne despite Daenerys being more capable than his brother.
In the House of the Dragon, Daemon, the king’s younger brother and Rhaenyra’s uncle, presented Rhaenyra with a Valyrian steel necklace. Whether it was Daenerys’ silky bright garments or Rhaenyra’s Valyrian steel necklace, it represented a man-dominated culture in which women had no right to adopt what the male is doing.
King’s Confusion About His Successor
In the game of thrones, King Robert was confused about his successor. He did not trust his brothers, Stannis and Renly Baratheon. He did not trust his son as King Joffrey was in complete control of his mother and Robert did not want to simply give the kingdoms to House Lannister.
“I’m surrounded by Lannisters,” Robert once said. “Every time I close my eyes I see their blonde hair and their smug, satisfied faces.”
In House of the Dragon, King Viserys is also old and now it is the time to name his successor but he is also confused, He does not like his brother Daemon and that’s why he asks the council, “My brother would murder me, take my crown?” And also, he does not trust his daughter because she is a woman and she can’t take those steps to the bloody Iron Throne.
In Game of Thrones, King Robert failed to disclose his successor’s name and it led the whole Westeros into unending war. On the other hand, King Viserys named his daughter as his successor and, of course, it will be a tough time for Rhaenyra.
Daenerys and Rhaenyra: Ambitious Women
It is one of the most striking parallels between Game of Thrones and its prequel. In Game of Thrones, Daenerys fled Westeros and reclaimed her ancestor’s crown, demonstrating her competence. She told Jon Snow when they first met in S07E03,
“I have been sold like a brood mare. I have been chained and betrayed. Raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing through all those years in exile? Faith. Not in any gods. Not in myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen.”
On the hand, Rhaenyra will wear the crown without any effort but Daemon will try his best as King Robert did to King Joffrey in S03E01. Rhaenyra will have the dragons, army, and seven kingdoms at her disposal, but she will be competing for the throne against her own blood.
Daenerys became concerned after Jon Snow disclosed the truth because Jon was also a Targaryen and she could not become queen in Jon Snow’s presence because of masculinity. She said to Jon “Far more people in Westeros love you more than love me. I don’t have love here. I only have fear.”
Rhaenyra, on the other hand, will be concerned about Daemon, who will always be a true threat to her reign due to his manhood. One of the councillors said to the king in a small council meeting “no queen ever sat the Iron Throne.”
Political Instability
The small council in GoT was unwilling to agree on the same choice. Robert and the rest of the council want Daenerys to die, but the king’s hand, Lord Stark, opposed the plan Robert Lord Stark told King Robert “You want to assassinate a girl because the Spider heard a rumor? I followed you into war. Twice. Without doubts, without second thoughts. But I will not follow you now. The Robert I grew up with didn’t tremble at the shadow of an unborn child.”
In HoD, the small council appears divided; half desire Daemon as a successor, while the King and his Hand are opposed to naming Daemon as a successor, highlighting another parallel between GoT and HoD.
