I Used AI To Show What The Characters Of "House Of The Dragon" According To The Book
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House of the Dragon has finally wrapped and what a smash it has been. At this point, you have chosen which side you want to cheer for and hopefully have prepared yourself to lose a favorite character.
HBO / Via giphy.com
Speaking of characters, there's always some debate whenever a book is adapted to film or TV when it comes to what the characters should look like.
HBO / giphy.com
At times the film/show represents the character(s) exactly as in the book, while other times, you get Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher. Mind you he did a great job playing the character, but that character is supposed to be huge and intimidating which is why the Jack Reacher show has gotten so much praise not only because of Alan Ritchie's performance but because of his stature and physical presence.
Another example of this was in Game of Thrones, did you know that Tyrion was supposed to have lost his nose during the Battle at Blackwater Bay? I can't imagine seeing what Tyrion goes through for the rest of the series with no nose. How would he have enjoyed his Dornish wine without a great sense of smell?
HBO / Via giphy.com
Now I believe that only some adaptations have to be exactly as the book since sometimes certain appearances don't matter to the story. I think House of the Dragon has done a pretty damn good job accurately representing George R.R. Martins's characters.
I compared what the characters look like in the show to what they are supposed to look like, according to the books. The results were a little surprising because there wasn't much mention of specific details of the characters' appearances. This gave the show some space to put their stamp on characters.
So I used a little of that same liberty to create some AI portraits based on the information I found, and the results were, at times, shocking:
Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO's House of the Dragon:
Although the show seems to get the Targaryen hair and pale complexion down, they appeared to move on from the purple eyes that were synonymous with Targaryens. Throughout the show we see Rhaneyra go from this carefree, rebellious princess to understanding her duty as heir, and now most recently as a queen, ready to get justice for what's been stolen. Her appearance has always been regal and elegant as with most of the characters from prominent houses.
Rhaenyra Targaryen created with AI:
In the books, Rhaenyra is described as being "stout and thick of waist" after her third pregnancy. I'll be honest, I am all for a thick queen staking claim on the iron throne, but with that being said, I thoroughly enjoy Emma D'arcy's portrayal of Rhaenyra and hey, there's always next season if they want Emma to gain a few more pounds for the role.
Queen Alicent Hightower in HBO's House of the Dragon:
The show has presented both versions of Alicent as a beautiful, dutiful, lady who will do anything for the people she loves. We see midway through the series that she dons her iconic green dress just as she is coming into her own and learning the rules of the political games her father has been playing for years. She is elegant and proper, the opposite of her eventual rival Rhaneyra who has been a bit more rebellious.
Alicent Hightower created with AI:
The book doesn't get into the appearance of Queen Alicent besides describing her as "slender and graceful," which we see depicted in the show as well. She seems to keep her beauty and grace throughout the civil war and pregnancies, opposite Rhaenyra. The latter gains weight and looks more hardened through her experience, which is totally understandable if you saw the season finale.
Daemon Targaryen in HBO's House of the Dragon:
House of the Dragon's, Daemon has shown to be the ultimate anti-hero, the kind of character you're not sure you should be rooting for. His presence onscreen always leads me to sit on the edge of my seat wondering what kind of crazy stuff he will do next. It's befitting that he is on Team Black as his cruelty can be as dark as his banner though he has a charm and sense of loyalty about him that has allowed him to not only have favor with his king of a brother but be popular amongst the ladies.
Daemon Targaryen created with AI:
Fire and Blood has described Daemon as being "dashing" which for any Matt Smith fans seems to have come across on screen as well. The book goes into more detail about his personality than looks though we can understand as a Targaryen prince he was bestowed power that and some good looks that I'm sure he took great advantage of. He's described as ambitious, daring, and hot-tempered which thankfully has translated from page to onscreen beautifully.
Ser Criston Cole in HBO's House of the Dragon:
This low-born knight has really stirred the pot this season. He starts the series as this charming, honorable knight, who then turns into a bitter, cold scum bag after Rhaenyra turns down his proposal. He seems to go off the rails more than once this season, and as good-looking as he might be, it's hard to not loathe the character who has done such a 180 on his former lover and her family.
Ser Criston Cole created with AI:
Though Fabien Frankel doesn't don the "pale green eyes" he's described as having in the books, his "coal black hair" and charm seem to have made their way into the show as well as his detestable personality, which I'm sure fans love to hate. Although the AI portrait shows him a little paler in complexion, since his Dornish ancestry is not mentioned in the books, it makes sense why Criston looks like he has actually seen some sun in HotD compared to his Fire and Blood counterpart.
Rhaenys Targaryen in HBO's House of the Dragon:
"The queen that never was" appears to be very different on the show than what was described in Fire and Blood. Rhaenys is known for having "black hair and pale violet eyes" and as she got older, maintained her black hair but with streaks of white. Looks like the show decided to stick with the silver and blonde hair that is synonymous with Targaryens, though I think a dark-haired Targaryen would've been nice to see, aside from Rhaenyras sons. Though her looks might be different, House of the Dragon's Rhaenys still carries that fearless and prideful nature that makes her a formidable Targaryen to fare against.
Rhaenys Targaryen created with AI:
We see in the AI portrait that she probably would've stood out amongst the "Blacks" as one of the few Targaryens with black hair though, I would love to see this contrast onscreen considering the presence of that character and her willingly wanting to go to bat for her family although feeling somewhat wronged by Rhaenyra.
Viserys Targaryen in HBO's House of the Dragon:
The comparisons between the book version of King Viserys and the show, are pretty similar in look, although he is a lot younger during certain events. Specifically, when his wife Aemma passes, he is in his late 20's where as in the show he looks a lot closer to early 40's. This most likely allowed the show to not have to switch out actors as they did with the children and were able to keep Paddy Considine's performance as King Viserys consistent.
Viserys Targaryen created with AI:
Over time we see Viserys fall ill to disease, though in the books he becomes "plump and pleasant," dons a "bushy silver and gold mustache," and falls victim to him overindulging than withering due to his illness. I could see why the show made it a point to do this as it sets up Viserys having to be drugged with milk of the poopy which then leads him to his last conversation with Alicent which would be the ultimate misunderstanding that leads to a great civil war.
Mysaria in HBO's House of the Dragon:
Mysaria has proven to be the "master of whisperers" on HotD and although we know nothing of her origin, her exotic presence speaks to someone who knows her city well. Actor Sonoya Mizuno's performance and beauty lends to this character's mystery and mystique as we know anybody who has spies has information and that information can be helpful or dangerous depending on the person who wields it.
Mysaria created with AI:
The "White Worm" seems to have gotten her name in the books due to her complexion, although not much else is mentioned regarding her appearance. It seems that would make the AI portrait only accurate in one regard: her skin color. I must admit, though, I don't mind the white hair and purple eyes as well.
Laenor Valeryon in HBO's House of the Dragon:
There's been some controversy over the complexion of the Valeryons, though in the books there was never any mention of it. It actually further shows the illegitimacy of Rhaenyras sons other than just their dark hair, which I think serves the story. Laenor was described as having "an aquiline nose, silver hair and purple eyes." Though we only get the silver hair, similar to Rhaenys, I wish we could have seen him with purple eyes.
Laenor Valeryon created with AI:
As you can see in the book version, he is equally handsome, though he looks too cleaned up for my liking. Granted, this portrait seems more like something out of a photo shoot than the dirt-covered, battle-ridden Laenor from above; his hair looks too clean, whereas the Velaryons in House of the Dragon probably have their hair braided for their seafaring and have the effects of the saltwater locking in their dreads.
What did you think of the comparisons? Do you think the show should've stayed more accurate to the books? Let us know in the comments below.
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