The Targaryens on House of the Dragon may flip a household dinner right into a constitutional disaster, and three seasons of household feuds, succession crises, and civil struggle have made deciding who deserves the crown nearly as harmful as sitting on it. This rating shouldn’t be about who owns the most important dragon or wins a straight combat. I’m weighing character writing, affect on the Dance, complexity, display screen presence, political significance, and the way a lot every Targaryen adjustments the course of HBO’s story. HBO’s prequel adapts George R. R. Martin’s Hearth & Blood and facilities on the succession disaster between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Aegon II.
12 Rhaena Nonetheless Waits for Her Defining Chapter
Rhaena Targaryen has spent a lot of Home of the Dragon dwelling beside louder personalities. As Daemon and Laena Velaryon’s daughter and Baela’s twin, she comes from some of the formidable branches of the household. The present additionally takes her dragon story in a unique path from Martin’s historical past, with Season 3 having Rhaena declare Sheepstealer. She stays twelfth as a result of her significance continues to be rising somewhat than totally realized.
11 Lucerys Leaves an Monumental Shadow
Lucerys Velaryon spends comparatively little time driving occasions himself, but his demise adjustments the whole lot. Rhaenyra’s second son reaches Storm’s Finish as an envoy and encounters Aemond, whose grudge over dropping a watch erupts into catastrophe. Vhagar kills Lucerys and Arrax, turning an already harmful succession wrestle into open bloodshed. His rating stays low as a result of he features extra strongly as a catalyst than as a deeply developed participant.
10 Daeron Arrives Late however Adjustments the Board
Daeron Targaryen spent two seasons off-screen earlier than House of the Dragon Season 3 lastly pulled Alicent and Viserys’ youngest son into the struggle. He’s bonded to Tessarion and marches with the Hightower host, giving the Greens one other priceless dragon asset. Martin’s historical past identifies Daeron because the youthful brother of Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond. Season 3 expands his function across the Hightower marketing campaign and Tumbleton, though the finale intentionally leaves his tv destiny unsure. He begins low as a result of he arrived late, however his ceiling is far larger.
9 Baela Refuses to Be Somebody’s Spare Inheritor
Baela has turn out to be one in all Workforce Black’s steadier youthful gamers. Daemon’s daughter rides Moondancer and carries loads of her father’s nerve with out inheriting all of his volatility. Her betrothal to Jacaerys as soon as positioned her near Rhaenyra’s supposed political future, whereas his demise on the Gullet leaves Baela dealing with a really completely different function. She ranks ninth as a result of the present nonetheless provides her much less house than a number of characters above her.
8 Helaena Turns into the Household’s Tragic Oracle
Helaena Targaryen stands out as the least suited member of this household for the cruelty surrounding her. She is Aegon’s sister-wife, mom of his kids, and rider of Dreamfyre. HBO additionally turns her right into a prophetic determine via fragmented dragon desires and warnings. Home of the Dragon Season 3 brings her story to a devastating shut, with Helaena’s demise changing into one of many finale’s largest turning factors. She ranks above Baela as a result of the present turns her lack of energy into the very factor that makes her tragic.
7 Jace Grows Into Rhaenyra’s Strongest Inheritor
Jacaerys Velaryon spends a lot of the collection attempting to turn out to be the prince everybody expects him to be. His diplomacy secures essential allies for Rhaenyra, whereas his place as her eldest son as soon as positioned him on the middle of the succession. His demise on the Battle of the Gullet then leaves a large gap in Workforce Black’s political future. His parentage had additionally been politically harmful, particularly as new dragonriders weakened the exclusivity that when protected his declare (by way of Business Insider). Jace ranks seventh as a result of his insecurity and obligation lastly had begun pulling in reverse instructions.
6 Rhaenys Is aware of the Crown’s Worth Higher Than Anybody
Rhaenys Targaryen spends her life dwelling beside a throne that may have been hers. Referred to as The Queen Who By no means Was, she was handed over throughout the succession that elevated Viserys. She later turns into one in all Rhaenyra’s most skilled supporters and rides Meleys, the Crimson Queen. Her demise at Rook’s Relaxation prices Workforce Black a veteran dragonrider and one in all its sharpest political minds (by way of Elle). Sixth feels proper as a result of Rhaenys understands the crown higher than most individuals who truly put on one.
5 Aegon Turns into Far Extra Than the Usurper
Aegon II begins as a spoiled prince who barely appears keen on governing, but the Greens crown him regardless of Viserys having maintained Rhaenyra as his chosen inheritor. Tom Glynn-Carney regularly turns him into one of many present’s messiest and most compelling characters. The lack of Jaehaerys, his accidents, his feud with Aemond, and his political awakening chip away on the smug prince we first met. By Season 3, Aegon’s survival and return turn out to be central to the finale’s political reset. He stays fifth as a result of development doesn’t erase what he has completed, but it surely does make him far tougher to dismiss.
4 Aemond Turns Resentment Right into a Weapon
Aemond Targaryen begins because the little one and not using a dragon and ultimately claims Vhagar, the biggest dwelling dragon of the period. Dropping a watch hardens him, whereas energy provides that resentment room to develop. Lucerys’ demise begins with intimidation that will get uncontrolled, and his rivalry with Aegon later turns into much more harmful. Season 3 continues that feud earlier than forcing each brothers again into the identical political orbit. Aemond ranks fourth as a result of nearly each main resolution he makes leaves injury behind.
3 Viserys Builds the Conflict He Desires to Keep away from
Viserys I by no means desires civil struggle, which makes his function in creating it painfully ironic. He names Rhaenyra inheritor, retains her in that place after fathering sons with Alicent, and spends years hoping affection can clear up a succession downside that demanded ruthless readability. Paddy Considine turns these failures into among the richest materials on the present. Viserys’ last stroll to the Iron Throne nonetheless ranks amongst Home of the Dragon’s defining sequences. He locations third as a result of the Dance exists partly due to the selections he makes and the selections he avoids.
2 Rhaenyra Carries the Crown and Its Curse
Rhaenyra stays the axis round which Home of the Dragon turns. Viserys names her inheritor, Westerosi lords swear loyalty to her, and Aegon’s coronation later tears that association aside (by way of PEOPLE). Season 3 pushes her towards a much more authoritarian model of herself, notably as prophecy turns into tied to her conviction that she alone has the fitting to rule. Showrunner Ryan Condal has described her finale transformation as a significant shift in her relationship with Westeros (by way of Entertainment Weekly). She ranks second as a result of each victory now appears to value her one other piece of the particular person she was.
1 Daemon Stays Home of the Dragon’s Wild Card
Daemon Targaryen takes first as a result of no one destabilizes Home of the Dragon fairly like Matt Smith’s Rogue Prince. He’s Viserys’ youthful brother, Rhaenyra’s uncle and husband, Caraxes’ rider, wielder of Darkish Sister, and some of the skilled warriors within the household. Daemon has spent the collection rescuing campaigns, damaging alliances, alienating kin, after which changing into indispensable once more. Season 3 pushes him additional into the struggle because the Dance expands, which retains his navy worth as excessive as his potential to create complications.
What retains him above Rhaenyra is unpredictability. Daemon’s loyalty has at all times been tangled with ego, love, ambition, and his perception that Targaryens reply to completely different guidelines. Three seasons later, I nonetheless by no means totally know which Daemon is about to stroll via the door. That’s the reason he owns this rating.
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All three seasons of Home of the Dragon can be found on HBO Max, and HBO has confirmed Season 4 would be the last season.
