Upon its much-anticipated launch final yr, Home of the Dragon shortly established itself as an unequivocal smash hit. Within the weeks following its debut on HBO, the collection broke viewing information with a fresh-faced story that takes place about 200 years earlier than the unique Sport of Thrones. It’s additionally simply as bloody, twisted, and violent as its predecessor.
The primary lynchpin of the narrative entails a bloody civil warfare between the Targaryens to determine who will sit on the Iron Throne. This battle is called the Dance of the Dragons, and it’s a narrative with plenty of loss of life and destruction. Though, relating to the narrative of Sport of Thrones, that ought to hardly come as a serious shock.
However, the bloody battle claimed numerous lives on each side and likewise noticed the extinction of dragons. So, who gained the Dance of the Dragons? Nicely, the reply is definitely fairly difficult. There’s a technical winner, in fact, however so many individuals died on each side that probably everybody misplaced. So, let’s dive in and discover some context as to what precisely went down.
Who’re the principle gamers within the Dance of the Dragons? (Greens Vs. Blacks)
Some key figures within the Dance of the Dragons are Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, her father King Viserys I, her former childhood good friend (and stepmother) Queen Alicent Hightower, and Prince Daemon Targaryen, who’s King Viserys’ brother.
The Targaryens cut up into two teams for the Dance of the Dragons – the Greens and the Blacks, named for the completely different coloured clothes Alicent and Rhaenyra wore throughout a event in Hightower. For context, Queen Alicent wore inexperienced and Rhaenyra wore Black.
The Blacks
Queen Rhaenyra (we’ll get to that in a second) and her husband Prince Daemon Targaryen are the leaders of the Black faction. They’ve each the energy of the Velaryon fleet, and quite a few dragons behind them as nicely.
Rhaenyra’s youngsters Lucerys, Jacaerys, and child Joffrey are additionally included, in addition to Daemon’s twin ladies Baela and Rhaena from his earlier spouse Laena Velaryon. Elder Velaryons Corlys and Rhaena, who’re the dual’s grandparents, are additionally within the Blacks.
The Blacks even have six dragons: Syrax, Caraxes, Vermax, Arrax, Meleys, Moondancer, and Seasmoke.
The Greens
Alicent and her youngsters Helaena, Aegon II, and Aemon are the nuclei of the Greens. They battle to maintain Aegon II because the king. The argument is that Aegon II is the true inheritor since he’s the king’s firstborn son. Plenty of the lords of Westeros additionally assist this and are on the aspect of the Greens.
Different allies of the Greens embody Alicent’s father Ser Otto Hightower (the brand new Hand of the King), Ser Criston Cole and Ser Larys Sturdy (who killed his personal brother and father to develop into Lord of Harrenhal).
The Greens have three fundamental dragons: Sunfyre, Dreamfyre, and Vhagar. Whereas they’ve fewer dragons, Vhagar is big – double the scale of the Black’s largest dragon Caraxes. Since they’re in Kings Touchdown, additionally they have entry to the Dragonpit and the wild dragons that reside there.
Unaffiliated With Both Facet (So Far)
Some individuals have but to select a aspect within the warfare. Grasp of Ships Ser Tyland Lannister and Grand Maester Mellos fall into this camp. There are a variety of homes that might go both manner like Home Wylde, Home Arryn, Home Greyjoy, and Home Stark.
How did the Dance of the Dragons start?
Home of the Dragon begins in a second of prosperity. King Viserys I Targaryen has ascended the throne and dominated Westeros. He’s the successor of the universally beloved King Jaehaerys I. Issues are typically peaceable, however as a result of that will make for a fairly boring present, issues go off the rails pretty shortly.
When Viserys first spouse handed away the King names his solely baby Princess Rhaenyra as his inheritor. That is uncommon as a result of ladies aren’t alleged to be included in succession strains. This may be the tip of it if not for Queen Alicent, who marries Viserys and turns into his second spouse.
Queen Alicent has 4 youngsters, one in every of which is a boy named Aegon II – a purported male inheritor. See how this will get difficult? When Viserys dies, his final phrases are a reference to a prophecy about “the Prince who was promised” that doesn’t come to fruition till Sport of Thrones.
As he lay within the throes of loss of life, Viserys thinks he’s speaking to his daughter Princess Rhaenyra when he’s really speaking to his spouse. He mouths that “Prince Aegon” is the prince of prophecy (he means Jon Snow), however his spouse understandably thinks he means their son Aegon II. That is the spark that begins the warfare.
As quickly as they’ll, Alicent and the Westeros lords put Aegon II on the Rhaenyra’s throne, and Otto helps this as he believes a girl shouldn’t be on the throne, ever. He believed that if Rhaenyra grew to become queen that there could be an enormous warfare and the Seven Kingdoms would break aside.
The princess was in Dragonstone giving delivery whereas all this occurred, so she wasn’t there to bodily declare the throne. When she finds out concerning the coup, she provides delivery to a stillborn woman and shortly has a coronation of her personal. It’s her husband Daemon that crowns her.
How did the Dance of the Dragons play out?
When the Dance of the Dragons begins, Rhaenyra has a bonus with a greater military and many Dragons. She takes King’s Touchdown and the individuals welcome her again, having by no means taken to Aegon II and Aemond.
Issues go nicely for the brand new Queen, at first. Plenty of lords and girls pledge their allegiance to her and she or he even hunts down the folks that helped Aegon II escape. As is the case with all Sport of Thrones associated narratives, issues get dangerous shortly.
Earlier than Queen Rhaenyra took King’s Touchdown, the Greens made positive to do away with all of the gold. This meant that the Queen didn’t have any cash and was compelled to lift taxes. Unsurprisingly, this turns the city people in opposition to her. They begin calling her King Maegor with teats – a reference to an earlier chief who the townsfolk hated.
Additionally, there have been some defections, and this made the Queen paranoid. She believed that Addam Velaryon, the son of the Hand, was going to betray her. Addam bought wind of this and escaped with the assistance of Corlys, which led to his imprisonment and alienated her strongest all – the Velaryons.
Issues got here to a head when Helaena Targaryen, a prisoner of the Blacks, killed herself. The townspeople beloved Halaena and rioted once they heard the information as a result of they thought she was murdered. The individuals stormed King’s Touchdown and the Dragonpit in retaliation.
This led to the loss of life of 4 dragons (they have been chained and couldn’t escape). Rhaenyra’s private dragon Syrax was additionally murdered, though he went down in a battle. Additionally, all of Rhaenyra’s youngsters died apart from Aegon III.
As a result of she was broke, she had no selection however to promote her crown in change for passage to Dragonstone. She makes it there however is double-crossed by Ser Alfred Broome. Broome takes the Queen to Aegon II.
He has her killed by Dragon, extra particularly, she is fed to Sunfyre. This meant that Aegon was now the King and he put forth a decree that Rhaenyra was by no means a queen and solely a princess.
What occurred to Aegon II earlier than Rhaenyra took King’s Touchdown?
Aegon II was anxious to ascend to the throne whilst Otto and others have been making an attempt to persuade the opposite homes that he was a official king. This fissure led to the strengthening of the Blacks.
Throughout his reign, he was merciless and impulsive. For instance, His son Jaehaerys was killed by enemies posing as ratcatchers, so he had all of the ratcatchers killed, which turned the townsfolk in opposition to him.
He additionally took away Otto’s title as Hand to the King and gave it Ser Criston Cole, regardless that Otto was actively making an attempt to strengthen the Greens. They get a lift when a lure is then set for Princess Rhaenys (Queen Rhaenyra’s daughter) on the battlefield, and she or he is killed and so is her dragon Meleys.
Aegon was mortally wounded in the course of the battle and was unable to even bodily rise up, so Aemond took over rule as Prince Regent. Then got here the large battle Aemond and his dragon Vhagar fought with Daemon and his dragon Caraxes. All of them died.
Earlier than Rhaenyra took King’s Touchdown, Larys Sturdy snuck out Aegon II and his youngsters. Alicent then shortly organized a wedding between Aegon II and Cassandra Baratheon within the midst of the Black armies preventing for King’s touchdown.
Aegon II was extra anxious about his new marriage than he was concerning the warfare, and he was poisoned. Nobody is aware of who poisoned him however plenty of males have been murdered in suspicion. After he died Corlys and Aegon III went out to fulfill the armies and Aegon III was topped the brand new king.
Who gained the Dance of the Dragons?
There are two methods to take a look at this. One is that King Aegon II gained as a result of he killed Queen Rhaenyra and fed her to a dragon. Nonetheless, when Aegon II died Queen Rhaenyra’s son Aegon III was placed on the throne, so she sort of gained.
Truthfully, everybody misplaced because of the huge quantities of loss of life and destruction, together with killing all of the dragons.
The primary season of Home of the Dragon is at the moment obtainable to stream on Max.