HBO Max is preparing to debut one of the most anticipated series for 2022. The platform will launch next Monday the 22nd with The House of the Dragon, a prequel set two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones and detailing the rise of House Targaryen. Adapted from George R. R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, the fiction features a stellar cast including Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, and Rhys Ifans. This piece examines the key players and the core cast of The House of the Dragon.
Viserys I Targaryen is elected by the lords of Westeros to succeed Old King Jaehaerys on the High Council of Harrenhal. He is portrayed as warm, kind, and well intentioned, seeking to preserve the legacy of his grandfather. Yet the realm quickly reveals that virtue alone does not guarantee effective kingship. This tension between benevolence and governance forms a central thread in the story and drives many of the crown’s difficult decisions.
Daemon Targaryen, Viserys’ younger brother and heir in the public imagination, is a formidable warrior and dragon rider. He embodies the Targaryen bloodline in its most volatile form, and the lore suggests that a coin is always tossed in the heavens when a Targaryen is born, signaling risk and destiny in equal measure.
In the Red Keep resides the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms, the daughter of Hand of the King Otto Hightower. Raised close to the king and those within his circle, she possesses a blend of grace and keen political insight that makes her a pivotal figure in the evolving court intrigues.
Rhaenyra Targaryen stands as Viserys’ firstborn child, pure Valyrian by blood and a dragon rider of rare promise. The world is quick to note that she might have all the advantages of birth and talent, yet she was not born a man, a theme that underscores the social constraints and the power politics of the era.
Corlys Velaryon, lord of a Valyrian lineage as old as the realm itself, is known as the Sea Serpent. His house sits upon a seat richer even than the Lannisters, boasting a navy unmatched in Westeros. His strategic mind and oceanic ambitions shape much of the realm’s maritime power and diplomatic calculations.
Rhaenys Velaryon, wife of Corlys Velaryon, is often referred to as the Queen Who Never Was. She stood with Viserys in the Great Council as a strong voice in support of her kin, yet the council’s decisions favored male succession, leading to a complicated dynamic that haunts the throne’s later chapters.
Coles, a Dornish-born figure of humble means, carries no land or title but bears a name tied to honor and a remarkable swordsmanship. His journey from nothing to trusted ally illustrates the series’ broader theme of merit and loyalty shaping power beyond lineage.
He arrives in Westeros with little beyond grit and personal integrity, yet he becomes a steady, indispensable ally to Prince Daemon, aligning with strategic needs and earning a pivotal place in the political chessboard surrounding the heir to the throne.
Otto Hightower serves as Hand of the King, a faithful steward to both king and kingdom. According to the narrative, his concern centers on the perceived threat posed by Daemon and the delicate balance of succession that Daemon represents as the king’s brother and potential heir.
Young princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Milly Alcock, is introduced as Viserys’ firstborn with pure Valyrian blood and dragon-riding prowess. The storytelling emphasizes that even with every advantage, the path she must walk is defined by the limitations placed on her gender in this era.
Baela Velaryon, the eldest daughter of Laena Velaryon and a bold dragon rider, emerges as a strong and spirited presence. Her role intertwines with the family’s maritime strength and the evolving power dynamics at court.
Rhaena Targaryen, Laena Velaryon’s second daughter, shares the dragonrider legacy and stands as part of the interwoven destinies that define the young generation on the throne frontlines.
Alicent Hightower, rendered by Bethany Antonia in the cast, is the Hand of the King’s daughter; she embodies beauty and intelligence, growing up near the king and the court while wielding influence through her graceful presence and political acuity.
Jacaerys Velaryon, the eldest son of Rhaenyra, appears as a central figure among the next generation, carrying the weight of family expectations and the ongoing conflict over succession.
Harwin Strong, affectionately known as Bonebreaker, is described as the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms. As the eldest son of Lyonel Strong, his loyalty to Harrenhal and to the crown places him at a crossroads of power and legitimacy.
Aegon Targaryen is introduced as Viserys’ firstborn son, a key part of the royal line and a future actor on the throne, with the narrative exploring how lineage shapes rulership and duty.
Tyland Lannister, the cunning politician and twin to Lord Jason Lannister, appears as a strategic player on the political stage. His clever moves and calculations add depth to the balance of power among the great houses.
Lord Jason Lannister, ruler of Casterly Rock and twin to Tyland, acts as another facet of the Lannister presence within the evolving royal landscape. His actions and alliances contribute to the broader web of courtly diplomacy.
Grand Maester Mellos serves as the voice of reason and trusted advisor to King Viserys. In times of upheaval, his counsel is sought to navigate the realm through dangerous political currents and alliances.
Ser Vaemond Velaryon, younger brother to Corlys Velaryon, commands the Velaryon fleet and lends his experience to the expanding maritime power that threads through the series’ geopolitical plotlines.
Ser Laenor Velaryon, son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen, represents the Velaryon line within the royal circle, adding another layer to the dynastic narrative and its many loyalties.
Harrold Westerling, a veteran member of the Kingsguard since the days of King Jaehaerys, embodies chivalry and steadfast honor as part of the order entrusted with protecting the crown.
Aemond Targaryen, Viserys’ second son and Daemon’s nephew, is introduced as a pivotal figure in the family saga. He stands at the crossroads of old loyalties and new ambitions within the Targaryen house.
Ser Laenor Velaryon, a continuing thread in the Velaryon saga, is the son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen, reinforcing the family’s enduring influence across generations.
Larys Strong, the youngest son of Lyonel Strong, navigates the courts with ambition and a shrewd sense of justice, often finding himself in the heart of legal and political contests that shape Harrenhal and beyond.
Lord Lyman Beesbury, master of the Honeyholt and Master of Coin on Viserys’ Small Council, represents the governance side of the realm, where finance and policy intersect in sustaining the crown’s ambitions.
Helaena Targaryen, the second daughter of Viserys, sister to Aegon and Aemond, grows up within a royal household that is constantly testing its own loyalties and family bonds as the crown’s future is debated.
Lord Lyonel Strong, who holds the laws and Harrenhal fortifications, is a dominant legal mind and power broker, shaping the rules that guide the realm’s governance and the enforcement of royal authority.
Lady Laena Velaryon, daughter of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen, continues the Velaryon line’s influence, reinforcing the family’s role in both the sea and the political stage of Westeros.
Cited from Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin. This expansive work inspires the series by detailing the dynastic conflicts, the intricate alliances, and the dramatic family legacies that define The House of the Dragon.