7 Things To Know Before Watching The 'Game Of Thrones' Prequel — 'House Of The Dragon'

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Game of Thrones fans, unite!

If you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you probably wouldn't have recognised these otherworldly humans who sport glistening platinum hair and striking blue/purple eyes. After the immense success of fantasy drama Game of Thrones (2011-2019), a number of the same people behind it are returning for a prequel of epic proportions: House of the Dragon (2022).

Exploring the tales of a house we've all come to recognise as a fan favourite of the series, not everything in this version of Westeros is as it seems. Officially reaching our screens tomorrow, 22 August, we may need to brush up on some GoT knowledge before diving into this series.

Here are seven things to keep in mind before watching House of the Dragon (2022).

Die-hard Game of Thrones fans will recognise that Daenerys' death in the season finale of the series marked the end of House Targaryen, so how can there be a series after their entire dynasty? That's because it's dated in the past.

Set in a timeline that preexists the events in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon (2022) will take us through the inner struggles within House Targaryen to choose a successor for the throne. However, will this tale add some context to their eventual downfall, and the inevitable fight for the Iron Throne? Only time will tell.

In the very first episode of Game of Thrones, Daenerys learns that dragons have been gone from the world for over 100 years, seemingly aligning with the time and events which take place in House of the Dragon (2022). As the timeline in the prequel is set to begin in 129 AC (171 years before the events of Game of Thrones), we can expect to see a sky full of dragons in King's Landing.

Avid fans, however, will be able to pick out key details that may also make a return with the dragons. Some of these include the Dragon Pit potentially not being in ruin, and instead housing all the dragons possessed by House Targaryen.

Making mostly well-respected along their reign, House Targaryen wouldn't have been as revered as it was if not for their excellent leadership. That is, according to the books at least. Conquering all of Westeros, the entire family was beloved for years.

Nonetheless, their glossy exterior will be met by internal conflict that'll eventually cause the house to crumble before our very eyes. As stated earlier, the series tells the tale of a bloodbath for succession. Pulling family members apart left, right, and centre, all we can count on is that this once respected and admired house won't hold that reputation much longer.

With a new series comes a plethora of new houses thrown into the mix of Westeros. Brought in at the very beginning, House Velaryon will be making a big contribution to the show, as one of the biggest allies to House Targaryen at the time.

Another established house will be House Hightower, that ingrains themselves into the Targaryen's lives similar to how the Tyrell's became intertwined with the Lannisters (what makes this more eery is the fact that the Tyrells are related to the Hightowers). With all houses having their own vendettas on their mind, it'll be interesting to see how everything shapes out in the end.

"These are the kinds of characters I love the most," said George R R Martin in reference to House of the Dragon (2022). Elaborating on his role, the author stated that he was very much involved in the production process, following the events of the book which the series is based on, Fire and Blood.

Show-runners for the series, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, stated that the show would nonetheless differ in certain ways. "It communicates with the history book," said Condal in an interview with IGN. "In a sense some things will line up. But the idea is that, in the end, the events are the same."

From royal intermarriages for diplomacy and harmony between neighbouring nations to uncles marrying their nieces to ensure a 'pure' bloodline, intertwined relationships are hardly a contemporary idea in Westeros. Nonetheless, it seems as though these blue and purple-eyed beauties will see a more complicated family line than anticipated.

We've found a decent family tree of House Targaryen, courtesy of Vox. If we can go by anything, we'd throw out watching Jaehaerys I Targaryen's succession onwards, but don't let us stop you from learning the whole map! It is only one family's map after all.

While the culture for certain houses allow for women to sit on the throne for their kingdom, such as House Martell, such a rule doesn't seem to be the case for House Targaryen. King Viserys I Targaryen will have to make a choice between his brother, Prince Daemon Targaryen, or his only daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.

In the trailer, we see Viserys' cousin, Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, tell Rhaenyra that a woman will not inherit the Iron Throne because that is the order of things. Nonetheless, Rhaenyra's response is that she will create a new order once she becomes queen. Tossing this highlight back and forth, fans can expect progressive and forward-thinking storylines from a time that may seem backwards in nature.

Watch the trailer below: