The trailer for the much-awaited Game of Thrones spin-off series, House of the Dragon, has dropped and the game is on. Following a couple of teasers, the two-minute-33-second trailer from HBO gives us more Targaryens and more dragons as the prequel is set to be about the fall of the House Targaryen. House of the Dragon will stream on Disney+ Hotstar from August 22. Here are some of the key elements of the show that the trailer promises us.
Battle for succession to the Iron Throne
The first season of House of the Dragon is set around the challenge faced by the fifth Targaryen king Viserys I (Paddy Considine) in selecting his heir to the Iron Throne. The trailer starts with a young Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) in the Great Hall, standing in front of the Iron Throne which has her uncle, and future husband, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) sitting on it.
Rhaenyra standing in the great hall. @disneyplushotstar/Instagram
We hear Viserys talk about a great battle and his successor that he has seen in his dream. As Viserys speaks of “thundering hooves, splintering shields and ringing swords”, there are glimpses of Rhaenyra riding a horse through a forest, Daemon battling Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Franke) and a sword being drawn with Rhaenyra in the background.
Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), Viserys’ Hand of the King, brings up the topic of succession, pointing out that Rhaenyra has claims to the throne as the first-born child. To this, Lord Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes) reminds them that no woman has sat on the Iron Throne.
The trailer shows Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best), who was denied the Iron Throne by her grandfather despite being the first-born child, reminding Rhaenyra that she would not become Queen as it was not the “order of things”. The young princess promises that when she becomes Queen she would “create a new order”. This does ring true as we see Cersei and then Daenerys sit on the Iron Throne in Game of Thrones.
Alicent and Rhaenyra’s rivalry
As shown in the trailer, the king goes on to take a second wife. Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) is the woman he marries and has three children with. Young Alicent and Rhaenyra are seen to be close friends who grow apart as they grow older. The trailer shows the contrasting scenes of the two seated close to each other as young girls and seated far apart as adults. Alicent wants her sons to occupy the throne which has been promised to Rhaenyra by her father. We see Rhaenyra wearing black and Alicent wearing green, which become the colours symbolising the two warring factions of the Targaryen house.
Alicent and Rhaenyra grow apart as they grow older. @disneyplushotstar/Instagram
Later in the trailer, we see the grown-up Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) being attacked by Alicent using Viserys’ Valyrian steel dagger. This appears to be the same Valyrian steel dagger that Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) used in Game of Thrones to kill the Night King.
Alicent attacks Rhaenyra with the Valyrian steel dagger. @disneyplushotstar/Instagram
Alicent feels that Rhaenyra would kill her children. She reminds them of it in the trailer as she tells one of them that when their half-sister comes to power, Rhaenyra “can cut off any challenge to her power”. A bitter rivalry also develops between Alicent and Rhaenyra’s children, which the show will eventually incorporate.
A bevy of important characters
The trailer drops glimpses of important characters like Rhaenyra’s first husband Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s one-eyed half-brother Aemond Targaryen and Craghas Drahar, a member of the Triarchy that Daemon defeats in the War for the Stepstones. There are also scenes from what appears to be the War for the Stepstones. Daemon is also shown commanding the City Watch that comes to be known as the Gold Cloaks after the prince gives them the iconic golden cloaks.
Daemon leading the City Watch in his armour and golden cloak leading. @disneyplushotstar/Instagram
Throughout the trailer, Daemon is seen to have a force willing to fight for him, even when he’s faced with Otto at Dragonstone. At this showdown, Lady Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), the prince’s mistress, can be seen beside him as well.
A more impressive Iron Throne
Scenes from the trailer show that House of the Dragon tries to bring the Iron Throne to be as close to Fire & Blood novel as possible. In the trailer, the Iron Throne is not just a single throne made of swords. A trail of swords from defeated Targaryen enemies lines the path to the throne, as described in the books.
The Iron Throne is lined with swords. @disneyplushotstar/Instagram
We also see Viserys’ hand on the Iron Throne, but it shows that the hand has a cut which has bled onto the throne. This draws reference to the George RR Martin books where the Iron Throne drawing blood from its occupant did not bode well for them. In the books, occupants like Jeoffrey, Cersei and even Daenerys were cut by the throne.
The Iron Throne draws the blood of its occupants. @disneyplushotstar/Instagram
Dragons, dragons and more dragons!
Aside from scenes out of the show and important characters, the trailer is full of dragons.
The show will have more dragons. @disneyplushotstar/Instagram
We can see a dragon flying over King’s Landing with the huge dome of the Dragonpit in the backdrop. Two dragons roar at each other – they could be Caraxes (Daemon’s dragon) and Meraxes (Rhaenyra’s dragon). A dragon appears to fly over Otto’s forces as they face Daemon at Dragonstone. Rhaenyra can be seen riding her dragon Meraxes through the clouds. The trailer even has Daemon trying to control what appears to be his dragon Caraxes as it growls angrily. A dragon can be seen scorching the soldiers at one of the battles. There are also glimpses of dragon eggs — once when Daemon is seen trying to flee Dragonstone with one, and again when an egg is shown being heated to hatch. The trailer ends with the head of a dragon with green eyes emerging from darkness.
The dragon at the end of the trailer. @disneyplushotstar/Instagram
