Once upon a time in the fantasy land of Westeros, a clan of fireproof, dragon-riding blondes took over the Seven Kingdoms and committed a shocking amount of direct sibling incest. They were House Targaryen, and they ruled for centuries until one of their descendants fumbled the bag and let Robert Baratheon usurp the throne. Then came the story of Game of Thrones… and we all know how that turned out.
House of the Dragon turns back the clock to the weird old days of Targaryen rule — more specifically, the period before and during a civil war called the Dance of the Dragons. Needless to say, there are a lot more Targaryens around in this time than there were during Thrones, and remembering who’s related to who is a lot harder in this show. Don’t worry though, we got you. Not only do we have what the Targaryen family tree looked like at the start of Season 1, but also we've got the update to keep things straight after the Episode 6 time jump.
This is the family tree as it exists at the start of House of the Dragon. Only the most relevant children in each generation are included, since fully outlining the dozens of rogue cousins, usurpers, minor monarchs, and temporary heirs would literally take longer than just watching the first episode.
The Targaryen family tree in all its incestuous branches. Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable
Aegon “The Conqueror” Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen
If there’s one dead Targaryen the people on Game of Thrones mentioned most (besides the Mad King and Rhaegar), it’s Aegon “The Conqueror.” He founded the royal line by taking over the majority of the Seven Kingdoms and uniting them under his rule. Aegon also married both of his sisters, Rhaenys and Visenya, according to the extremely nasty family tradition of keeping their bloodline “pure” — a word which here means “dragon-riding and potentially insane.”
Incest: Siblings.
Relevant children: Aenys Targaryen
Aenys Targaryen and Alyssa Velaryon
First of all, it’s pronounced “Ennis.” Be nice. His wife Alyssa was a Velaryon, so the Velaryon family has had skin in the game (of thrones) since the foundation of the Targaryen dynasty.
Incest: First cousins, which is the genetic equivalent of a rando off the street for this family.
Relevant children: Jaehaerys Targaryen and Alysanne Targaryen
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Jaehaerys “The Old King” Targaryen and Alysanne Targaryen
Jaehaerys Targaryen (center) with Viserys Targaryen, Aemma Arryn, Rhaenys Targaryen, and Corlys Velaryon. Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
As far as sibling incest goes, these two are actually…kind of sweet? They were supposed to be married off to other families but ran away to elope together because they loved each other from childhood. (Yeah, nope. Still bad.)
Jaehaerys and Alysanne ruled well together and their reign was a golden age for the Targaryens. They also had tons of kids but only four of them really mattered in the long term.
Incest: Siblings.
Relevant children: Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa, and Daella — in that birth order.
Aemon Targaryen and Jocelyn Baratheon (not pictured)
Aemon was the firstborn surviving son and heir of Jaehaerys I Targaryen. He married a Baratheon, which seems like it would be not super incest-y, but that Baratheon was also his aunt. Aemon died before his father, passing the role of heir down to his younger brother Baelon.
Incest: Whatever a guy marrying his parents’ shared half-sister is.
Relevant children: Rhaenys Targaryen
SEE ALSO:
How 'House of the Dragon' is different from George R.R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood'Baelon Targaryen and Alyssa Targaryen
Ah, so we’re back to marrying our siblings. Baelon had two sons with his sister Alyssa and became the new heir after his brother Aemon died. Then he died, leaving Jaehaerys and Alysanne with exactly zero eligible sons to inherit the throne directly.
Incest: Siblings. Again.
Relevant children: Viserys and Daemon Targaryen
Daella Targaryen and Roderick Arryn (not pictured)
Daella Targaryen married young and unfortunately died giving birth to her first and only daughter, Aemma.
Incest: Absolutely none, which is quite a shock.
Relevant children: Aemma Arryn
Rhaenys Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon
Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Rhaenys is the firstborn child of Aemon Targaryen and eldest granddaughter of Jaehaerys and Alysanne. She’s married to Corlys “The Sea Snake” Velaryon in a love match that consolidates a ton of the realm’s wealth and power into one badass mega-family.
However, her claim to the Iron Throne (as well as the claim of her son Laenor) was passed over in favor of her younger cousin Viserys. Was that a bad move? Tune in to find out!
Incest: Super distant cousins, to the point where it’s a wash.
Relevant children: Laenor and Laena Velaryon (not pictured, they’re important later)
Viserys Targaryen and Aemma Arryn
Paddy Considine and Sian Brooke as Viserys Targaryen and Aemma Arryn in "House of the Dragon."Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
The king and queen at the start of House of the Dragon are Viserys and Aemma, the children of Baelon and Daella Targaryen, respectively. They have one daughter, Rhaenyra, and hope to have a son, mainly because in the absence of a son the throne might pass to Viserys’ brother Daemon.
Now, to bring this full circle: Remember the part about Targaryen blood purity meaning “dragon-riding and potentially insane?” That’s Daemon to a T. And the T is for Targaryen.
Incest: First cousins.
Relevant children: Rhaenyra Targaryen
SEE ALSO:
'House of the Dragon' time jump: Here's what the characters look like now
The Targaryen Family Tree from Episode 6 onward
How’s it going? Everybody having fun? Is everyone keeping the dragon names straight? Are we agreed on who the MVPs are of each episode? Good.
Of course, the moment everyone gets comfortable with how things work in the Red Keep, House of the Dragon throws a curveball and jumps ahead 10-ish years to when Rhaenyra, Alicent, and Daemon all have children of their own. Just to make sure everyone’s caught up on all the new Targaryens, Velaryons, and other strong (ahem) contenders for our attention, here’s what the family tree looks like as of Episode 6 of House of the Dragon.
Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable
And here's how the Targaryen's branches are faring:
King Viserys Targaryen and Aemma Arryn [DECEASED]
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
King Viserys and Aemma Arryn were a lovely match —up until the point he allowed his maesters to perform a C-section without her consent. Baelon, the son Aemma died to deliver, only survived his mother for a few more hours, earning the mocking moniker “Heir for a Day” from Viserys’ younger brother Daemon.
After that, Viserys named his daughter Rhaenyra his absolute heir, rather than pass the throne to Daemon.
Incest: First Cousins
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Relevant Children: Rhaenyra Targaryen, Baelon Targaryen [DECEASED]
King Viserys Targaryen and Alicent Hightower
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
After the death of his beloved Queen Aemma, Viserys was pressured into taking another wife and chose Alicent Hightower, his daughter’s best friend and daughter of his Hand, Otto Hightower. Nothing says “friendship killer” like your bestie marrying your dad, right? Yikes!
Incest: None, to Viserys’ credit. That’s all he gets credit for.
Relevant Children: Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron Targaryen [Not born yet]
Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Even though Rhaenys’ claim to the throne was passed over for her cousin Viserys, Corlys and Rhaenys have hella status without actually having to rule the kingdom. They’re powerful, they’re rich, and their kids have royal blood, making their bloodline ideal to marry back into the Targaryen family.
Incest: Distant cousins
Relevant Children: Laenor and Laena Velaryon
Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
After the (ahem) tragic death of his first wife Rhea Royce, Daemon Targaryen married Laena Velaryon, the beautiful daughter of his first cousin Rhaenys. Due to Daemon’s um, misbehavior at court, they were forced into exile in Pentos, where they live with their twin daughters and fly around on their cool dragons Caraxes and Vhagar.
Incest: First cousins once removed
Relevant Children: Baela and Rhaena Targaryen
Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Rhaenyra’s marriage to Laenor Velaryon was sort of a given, considering her unique status as a princess and future ruling queen. Only someone with the blood of the dragon would do for her, and Laenor was right there looking like a completely uninterested — I mean, clearly devoted — snack.
Incest: Second Cousins
Relevant Children: Officially? Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon.
Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Harwin “Breakbones” Strong
Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Yeah, so Rhaenyra wasn’t exactly Laenor’s type. He wasn’t hers either. When her children were born looking absolutely nothing like their father, she insisted that they were Laenor’s legitimate sons…all while having a very close relationship with Ser Harwin Strong, the brunette son of the King’s Master of Laws. And hey, would you look at that? If you squint her kids do kind of look like…uh. Never mind.
Incest: None
Relevant Children. Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey “Velaryon”
New House of the Dragon episodes are available every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
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As an expert in the topic of the article, I can provide information related to all the concepts used in the given text. Let's break it down:
House Targaryen
House Targaryen is a fictional noble family from the fantasy series "Game of Thrones." They are known for their distinctive features such as silver-blond hair, violet eyes, and their ability to ride dragons. The Targaryens ruled over the Seven Kingdoms for centuries until they were overthrown.
Incestuous Relationships
The Targaryens have a history of practicing incestuous relationships to keep their bloodline "pure" and preserve their dragon-riding abilities. In the given text, several instances of sibling and cousin marriages are mentioned.
Aegon "The Conqueror" Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen
Aegon Targaryen, also known as "The Conqueror," is one of the most prominent Targaryen ancestors. He is famous for conquering the Seven Kingdoms and establishing the Targaryen dynasty. Aegon married both of his sisters, Rhaenys and Visenya, in accordance with the family tradition.
Aenys Targaryen and Alyssa Velaryon
Aenys Targaryen is the son of Aegon and Rhaenys. He married Alyssa Velaryon, who belongs to another noble family. Their marriage is an example of a first cousin union.
Jaehaerys "The Old King" Targaryen and Alysanne Targaryen
Jaehaerys and Alysanne were siblings who fell in love and eloped to marry each other. They had a successful reign and were considered a golden age for the Targaryens. They had several children, but only four of them were significant in the long term.
Aemon Targaryen and Jocelyn Baratheon
Aemon Targaryen, the firstborn son and heir of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, married Jocelyn Baratheon. Although marrying a Baratheon might seem less incestuous, Jocelyn was also Aemon's aunt. Aemon passed away before his father, and the role of heir was then passed down to his younger brother Baelon.
Baelon Targaryen and Alyssa Targaryen
Baelon Targaryen, the brother of Aemon, married his sister Alyssa. They had two sons together, but both Baelon and Alyssa died, leaving no eligible sons to directly inherit the throne.
Daella Targaryen and Roderick Arryn
Daella Targaryen married Roderick Arryn but unfortunately died while giving birth to their daughter, Aemma. This marriage does not involve any incestuous relationships.
Rhaenys Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon
Rhaenys Targaryen, the granddaughter of Jaehaerys and Alysanne, married Corlys "The Sea Snake" Velaryon. Their marriage consolidated wealth and power and was a love match. Their children, Laenor and Laena, play significant roles later in the story.
Viserys Targaryen and Aemma Arryn
Viserys Targaryen and Aemma Arryn were married and had a daughter named Rhaenyra. Viserys hoped to have a son because, in his absence, the throne might pass to his brother Daemon. Their marriage is an example of a first cousin union.
Family Tree Update in "House of the Dragon"
The article mentions a time jump in the series "House of the Dragon" and provides an updated family tree. It introduces new characters and their relationships, including the children of Rhaenyra, Alicent, and Daemon.
King Viserys Targaryen and Aemma Arryn
The article describes King Viserys and Aemma Arryn's relationship, their children, and the tragic events surrounding their deaths.
King Viserys Targaryen and Alicent Hightower
After the death of Aemma, King Viserys married Alicent Hightower, who was his daughter Rhaenyra's best friend. This marriage caused tension between Rhaenyra and Alicent.
Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen
Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen are a powerful couple who have significant influence but do not directly rule the kingdom. Their children, Laenor and Laena, have royal blood and are potential matches for the Targaryen family.
Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon
Daemon Targaryen, known for his controversial behavior, married Laena Velaryon, his first cousin once removed. They live in exile in Pentos with their twin daughters.
Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryon
Rhaenyra Targaryen married Laenor Velaryon, who was considered an ideal match for her due to his dragon bloodline. They had several children together.
Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Harwin "Breakbones" Strong
Rhaenyra had a close relationship with Ser Harwin Strong, which led to speculation about the paternity of her children.
This is a summary of the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any specific questions or need further information about any of these characters or relationships, feel free to ask!