House of the Dragon: Targaryens to Lannisters, Meet The Prestigious Westeros Families of GoT Prequel

Fans of fantasy, fiction, dragons, and drama blend perfectly in the ongoing series, House of the Dragon. Airing on Disney+ Hotstar in India, the first of the many Game of Thrones prequels is shaping up to be one of the biggest series of the year. With the episodes halfway up to the Dance of the Dragon events, war looms closer in House of the Dragon, and the noble houses of Westeros are already beginning to choose sides in the rivalry for the Iron Throne between Princess Rhaenyra and Aegon Targaryen, the first-born son of King Viseryes.

While House Targaryen may be the ruling household, other houses like the Hightowers and Velaryons have demonstrated their power for political gain. Set 200 years before the events that captivated global audiences in Game of Thrones, the shifting political alliances and ever-expanding cast of characters can be hard to keep up with. So, here’s a guide to various noble houses that have appeared in the House of the Dragon and how they fit into the inevitable Targaryen civil war.

House Targaryen

The entire story of the House of the Dragon revolves around the House Targaryen, the rulers of the seven kingdoms. The story opens with the ailing King Jaehaerys Targaryen, who knows he is about to die, choosing one of his grandchildren, King Viserys as the next heir. However, following the death of Viserys’s wife and their newborn son, he names his daughter Rhaenyra as his heir, displacing his brother, Daemon Targaryen, from the line of succession. Viserys later chooses to marry Alicent Hightower, with whom he has a son Aegon, creating a crisis of succession that sets off the first Targaryen civil war.

House Hightower

This is one of the most important houses to keep an eye on. The house is headed up by Lord Hobert Hightower, whose younger brother Ser Otto was the Hand to King Viserys for much of his reign. Otto manifests his daughter Alicent and King’s wedding g to take over the Iron Throne politically.

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House Velaryon

One of the oldest houses in Westeros, with a Valyrian bloodline as ancient as House Targaryen, House Velaryon is headed by Corlys Velaryon, “the Sea Snake." Corlys is married to Viserys’ cousin, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, dubbed the Queen Who Never Was. Together, Corlys and Rhaenys have two children, Laena and Laenor. Ruling the Island of Driftmark, House Velaryon has positioned itself as a colossus house in the series with its wealth, power, forces, and ties to the Targaryens.

House Strong

House Strong is ruled over by Lord Lyonel Strong, who acts as Viserys’ Hand after previously serving as his Master of Laws. His youngest son is the quiet schemer Larys Strong, and the oldest is Ser Harwin Strong, who is often called Breakbones and known as the strongest man in the Seven Kingdoms.

House Lannister

This season, House of the Dragon has given us another set of Lannister twins: Tyland and Jason. Both men hold important roles in the kingdom as befitting members of one of Westeros’ Great Houses. After Corlys Velaryon left King’s Landing to fight in the War of the Stepstones, Ser Tyland took over as Master of Ships. His brother Jason serves as the Lord of Casterly Rock.

House Cole

Looked down upon in the noble society, House Cole may be a minor house in the series, but Ser Cristan Cole (Fabien Frankel) may still have a considerable part to play. Criston’s father is the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven, but despite technically being called a noble house, House Cole is largely looked down upon in noble society for their “low-born" status.

Tune into Disney+ Hotstar now and catch HBO’s House of the Dragon.

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