'House of the Dragon' Wants Us To Wonder About 'The Prince That Was Promised' Again
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As a prequel to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is still set far enough in the past from the original show that there isn’t too much overlap in story or characters—other than the Targaryens repeating names of their kids for thousands of years (seriously, how many Aegons do you need?). Season 1 Episode 8 of House of the Dragon, however, is all about how the prequel will impact the distant future of Westeros.
During the series premiere, a scene depicts King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and his daughter, Rhaenrya (Milly Alcock) talking about the Targaryen legacy. Viserys tells Rhaenarya about a dream Aegon the Conqueror (the first king of the Targaryens) had, foretelling a kingdom-threatening event that the Targaryens will play a major part in.
Episode 8 brings this prophetic dream to a head. Viserys is on his deathbed–a slow, slooooow death–and Rhaenrya, now heir to the throne, visits him for advice. He’s in and out of it, suffering from bouts of pain where he can barely speak, and in an almost-sedated state on Milk of the Poppy (which is essentially like a naturally-ocurring morphine of Westeros). She asks him about the prophecy again, if he believes there’s any truth to it, and if she’s the one who’s supposed to rule. He doesn’t respond.
In fact, he responds later… to Alicent, his wife, and mumbles the name Aegon and how he should unite the realms. And Alicent just so happens to have a son named Aegon. So of course now fans are wondering: Who is the Prince Who Was Promised? Is it Aegon in House of the Dragon?
What was Aegon’s dream?
King Aegon I prophesied a person in his bloodline would one day stand against a great evil and unite the kingdoms. Of course, he didn’t give a timeline for those events, so the Targaryens from then on all ensure to keep their bloodline intact and have a Targaryen ruling Westeros at all costs.
As Polygon explains, Aegon’s dream saw the “end of the world of men,” beginning with a terrible winter. Within that winter there will be a darkness that can destroy the living. Someone (it’s not clear if it’s a king or queen) will have to unite the realms of Westeros to defeat said evil.
Who Is “the Prince Who Was Promised”?
There’s no clear consensus yet on who the Prince Who Was Promised is, although we do know when Aegon's prophecy of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place. In Game of Thrones, we saw the deadly winter spread across Westeros and the united effort from the Starks, Daenarys Targaryen, and others to defeat the Night King and the White Walkers.
In Game of Thrones, we learn that Jon Snow’s real name is Aegon Targaryen. Considering his connection to ice (his connection to the Starks) and fire (his Targaryen background), many fans consider Jon Snow to be the Prince, although neither George R. R. Martin or any showrunners from Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon have confirmed this popular theory.
It’s also possible the prince is really a princess, and Daenarys Targaryen was the Prince Who Was Promised. Neither show has clearly stated who the Prince Who Was Promised is. Regardless, it’s clear Aegon’s premonition will impact the Targaryen line for centuries to come.
How does it impact House of the Dragon?
In House of the Dragon, we see Viserys mistake Alicent for Rhaenarya, who previously asked about her place in the prophecy. In Viserys’ mind, he’s telling Rhaenrya she’s the one he believes can unite the kingdom for a coming evil. To Alicent, it seems like Viserys is changing his mind and saying Aegon must be on the throne, not his daughter (though she probably should have realized that he was talking with familiarity about things—"song of ice and fire," and "prince that was promised"—that she's never heard from him before).
This miscommunication is what sets off the Dance of the Dragons, an epic civil war between the Hightowers and Targaryens that will ultimately determine who sits on the Iron Throne. With Viserys on the way out, the real Succession-like drama on House of the Dragon can begin.
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