List of House of the Dragon characters


The characters from the medieval fantasy television series House of the Dragon are based on their respective counterparts from author George R. R. Martin's 2013 novella The Princess and the Queen, his 2014 novella The Rogue Prince and his 2018 novel Fire & Blood. The series follows the devastating war of succession for the Iron Throne of the continent of Westeros known as the "Dance of the Dragons", fought between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and King Aegon II Targaryen and their respective supporters.

Overview

; Guest cast
;Season 1
;Season 2
;Notes
; Confirmed future cast

Viserys I Targaryen

Viserys I Targaryen, known posthumously as "Viserys the Peaceful", is the fifth King of the Seven Kingdoms. He is the grandson of the previous King Jaehaerys the Conciliator and the husband of Queen Aemma Arryn and later Queen Alicent Hightower. He is the father of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and the short-lived Prince Baelon Targaryen through his first wife Aemma and King Aegon II, Queen Helaena, Prince Aemond, and Prince Daeron Targaryen through his second wife Alicent. He was a dragonrider who was bonded to the dragon Balerion until he died of old age. He was among the candidates to succeed his grandfather as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and during the Great Council at Harrenhal he was chosen as heir over his older cousin Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, despite her better claim to the Iron Throne. Nine years later, he held the Heir's Tournament to celebrate the birth of his son Baelon but due to a difficult pregnancy, Viserys decided to sacrifice his wife Aemma by ordering Grand Maester Mellos to perform a C-section on her to ensure that Viserys gets a male heir, causing Aemma's death while Baelon dies anyway hours later. He then makes his only surviving child Rhaenyra his heir, a position previously held by his younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen, and informs her of King Aegon the Conqueror's dream regarding the "Prince That Was Promised". He also cuts his finger on the Iron Throne, which while seemingly innocent at first, would develop into a far worse infection over time. Still seeking a male heir, Viserys goes against the Small Council's advice to marry Lady Laena Velaryon, the young daughter of Lord Corlys Velaryon, and soon marries Alicent who gives him a son, but Viserys decides to keep Rhaenyra as his heir anyway. He organizes a royal hunt on Aegon's second nameday while actively ignoring the ongoing War for the Stepstones and seeks to make a powerful alliance by marrying off Rhaenyra so she can have children to secure his bloodline further. To maintain ties with the wealthy House Velaryon, he and Corlys arrange a marriage between Corlys' son Ser Laenor Velaryon, and Rhaenyra, repairing the rift between the Velaryons and House Targaryen. Ten years later, the cut that Viserys received from the Iron Throne began to take its toll, and Viserys became increasingly weak as the years passed and began suffering from a form of leprosy. To continue fulfilling his role as king, he began taking the powerful opiate milk of the poppy while opposing political factions formed under Rhaenyra and Alicent that Viserys was unable to stop spiraling out of control. Six years later, as his body deteriorated and he struggled to walk, the Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower now fulfilled most of Viserys' royal duties. Viserys holds a final family gathering, bringing his children and closest allies together in an attempt to stop any further conflict between them. While it was seemingly a success, he soon became delirious and bedridden and with his dying words he mistakes Alicent for Rhaenyra and rambles on about the "Prince That Was Promised", but Alicent mistakenly believes that he was telling her that he wanted their son Aegon on the throne. Viserys soon dies from his illness, and the Small Council enacts a long-held plan to make Aegon the new king, despite Rhaenyra still being the chosen heir, reigniting the feud between Rhaenyra and Alicent's factions that eventually escalates into civil war.
In season 2, he appears during Daemon's mysterious visions while staying in Harrenhal.

Daemon Targaryen

Daemon Targaryen, also known as the "Rogue Prince" for his unpredictable behavior, is the younger brother of King Viserys I Targaryen and the husband of Lady Rhea Royce, Lady Laena Velaryon and later his niece Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. He is the father of Lady Baela Targaryen and Lady Rhaena Targaryen through his second wife Laena and Prince Aegon "the Younger", Prince Viserys, and the stillborn Princess Visenya Targaryen through his third wife Rhaenyra. He is a dragonrider who is bonded to the dragon Caraxes and wields the Valyrian steel sword "Dark Sister". While he was the heir to the Iron Throne, he was considered unfit to rule by the Small Council due to his reluctance to be involved with politics and his brutal methods of dispensing justice as the Lord Commander of the City Watch. Following the death of Queen Aemma Arryn and her infant son Prince Baelon Targaryen, Viserys disinherits Daemon after he mockingly referred to the deceased Baelon as the "heir for a day". Viserys then names his daughter Rhaenyra as the new heir so Daemon and his lover Mysaria leave King's Landing and occupy Dragonstone. Daemon later steals the deceased Baelon's dragon egg simply to get his brother's attention by lying about it being for an unborn child of Mysaria, resulting in Rhaenyra retrieving the egg peacefully and Mysaria leaving Daemon after realizing he was just using her. After Viserys refuses to confront the threat of the Triarchy, Lord Corlys Velaryon requests Daemon's help in the War for the Stepstones. After a three-year campaign, Daemon kills the leader of the Triarchy Craghas Drahar during the climactic Siege of Bloodstone, winning the war, and is bestowed the title of "King of the Narrow Sea". Daemon soon returns to King's Landing and kneels before Viserys and abdicates his crown, claiming Viserys as the one true king. After discovering that Rhaenyra needs a husband, Daemon takes her into the streets of King's Landing at night where he seduces her but is unable to consummate their affair. When Viserys is informed of Daemon's exploits, believing that his brother still sought the Iron Throne, he orders Daemon to return to his estranged wife Rhea. Daemon then travels to the Vale and murders his wife so that he can marry Rhaenyra. However, Rhaenyra is soon married to Ser Laenor Velaryon as part of a political alliance with Corlys, but Daemon manages to get the attention of and later marries Laena. Ten years later, Daemon, Laena, and their daughters live in Pentos until Laena suffers from prolonged labor during her third pregnancy and commits suicide. Daemon attends her funeral at Driftmark where he reunites with Rhaenyra who proposes marriage to strengthen her claim to the Iron Throne but cannot marry with Laenor still alive. Daemon then conspires with Laenor's lover Ser Qarl Correy to fake Laenor's death so he and Qarl can run away together, allowing Daemon and Rhaenyra to get married. Six years later, he attends Ser Vaemond Velaryon's petition to the Iron Throne to name him the heir to Driftmark. After Vaemond publicly insults Rhaenyra and declares that her children are illegitimate, Daemon decapitates him in response. Following the death of Viserys and King Aegon II Targaryen usurping the throne, Rhaenyra gives birth to the stillborn Princess Visenya Targaryen, and at the funeral, Daemon crowns Rhaenyra as the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
In season 2, with the death of Prince Lucerys Velaryon, Daemon becomes frustrated with the inaction of Rhaenyra and her supporters. After he promises an imprisoned Mysaria her freedom in exchange for one of her agents, he hires the City Watch guard Blood and Mysaria's contact, the ratcatcher Cheese, to assassinate Prince Aemond Targaryen but Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen is murdered and decapitated instead. Rhaenyra suspects Daemon of being responsible before stating that she cannot trusts him, leading to Daemon departing Dragonstone. Daemon flies to Harrenhal and singlehandly takes the castle for Rhaenyra's cause after Ser Simon Strong willingly yields to him. Daemon later experiences a vision of a young Rhaenyra sewing Jaehaerys' head back onto his body. When he awakens, Daemon finds himself at Harrenhal's godswood where Alys Rivers tells Daemon that he will die there. He continues to have visions induced by Alys during his time at Harrenhal regarding his feelings of guilt surrounding Rhaenyra, Laena, Viserys, and his mother Princess Alyssa Targaryen. He summons House Tully and House Blackwood to meet him at Harrenhal and discusses terms with Ser Oscar Tully and later Ser Willem Blackwood. Alongside Willem, Daemon confronts Lord Amos Bracken who refuses to surrender, despite Daemon's threats that he will burn him alive with Caraxes. He then urges Willem to use terror tactics on the smallfolk living on the Bracken's lands. Daemon later begins the reconstruction of Harrenhal to garrison his growing army and is later informed that House Bracken has surrendered to House Blackwood but several Riverlords soon confront Daemon over the brutality of the Blackwood's pillaging and raiding and refuse to pledge their houses to him. After Daemon awakens from another vision, he threatens Simon with a knife and questions his loyalty before deciding that he should go confront the Riverlords himself. Alys stops him from departing, and Daemon asks for her counsel. She convinces him that he should wait for three days which he reluctantly agrees to. Three days later, Simon informs Daemon that Alys had attempted to aid the sick Lord Grover Tully, who died shortly afterward. Daemon soon holds a gathering of Riverlords at Harrenhal where Oscar, now the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, agrees to uphold his grandfather's oath and support Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim to the Iron Throne. Oscar then demands that Willem be punished for his transgressions against House Bracken under Daemon's orders so that the other Riverlords can begin to trust him. Daemon obliges and beheads Willem so that he may finally form his army of Rivermen. After Ser Alfred Broome arrives in Harrenhal, he privately meets with Daemon in Harrenhal's godswood and tries to persuade him to claim the throne for himself. Alys later brings Daemon to the godswood, claiming that he is now ready to experience a final vision, this time of the future. Daemon experiences a multitude of visions including the Targaryen bastard Ser Brynden Rivers becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, a White Walker marching with an army of wights, Daemon and Caraxes' deaths in battle, the birth of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons, and Rhaenyra sitting on the Iron Throne. Daemon is then encouraged by a vision of Queen Helaena Targaryen that he has a part to play in deciding the future. After Rhaenyra arrives at Harrenhal, having been informed of Daemon's potential betrayal by Simon, Daemon pledges himself and his army of rivermen to Rhaenyra and her claim to the throne, stating that he will remain by her side.