House of the Dragon season 2’s finale has set up the future of House Targaryen, including a major character that ties into HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. House of the Dragon’s timeline starts almost 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, with the Dance of the Dragons ending roughly 160 years before the start of the main story. While the House Targaryen family tree can be confusing, many characters introduced in House of the Dragon are connected to other important figures in the Game of Thrones universe.
House of the Dragon was the first Game of Thrones spinoff from HBO, but it will not be the last. With the House Targaryen prequel already renewed for seasons 3 and 4, the ASOIAF franchise will continue to expand on TV with the upcoming series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will adapt George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas. While not as big as Game of Thrones and the Dance of the Dragons in scale, The Tales of Dunk and Egg include some of the most interesting characters and stories in the Game of Thrones universe.
Bloodraven In HOTD Connects To A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
Brynden Rivers Appears In House Of The Dragon Season 2’s Finale
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place about 70 years after House of the Dragon, meaning you should not expect to see any familiar faces from the current show. That said, House of the Dragon connects to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms through Brynden Rivers, the Bloodraven, who has been confirmed as being the Three-Eyed Raven. The Bloodraven appeared in House of the Dragon season 2’s finale during Daemon’s visions, and it can be assumed he was interacting with Daemon and Helaena giving his powers.
While Brynden Rivers is not one of the main characters in Dunk and Egg, he was first mentioned in the first two novellas. Before George R.R. Martin properly established centuries’ worth of Targaryen lore in Fire & Blood, The Tales of Dunk and Egg were the next best option to learn more about what Westeros looked like before Robert’s rebellion and the events of A Game of Thrones. Brynden Rivers was born a bastard of King Aegon IV, making him the great-grandson of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. Brynden is alive during the Dunk and Egg novellas.
The Hedge Knight, the first of the Dunk and Egg novellas, takes place shortly after the First Blackfyre Rebellion. This rebellion was caused by the fact that Aegon IV, known as the “worst Aegon,” legitimized all his bastard sons on his deathbed. Brynden supported Daeron II Targaryen, who was born a legitimate son of Aegon IV Targaryen but was rumored to be the son of Aemon Targaryen. Dunk and Egg explores how these rebellions, which were essentially a second civil war, affected House Targaryen and the realm. Bloodraven meets Dunk and Egg during the reign of Aerys I.
How Else Is A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Connected To HOTD?
The Dance Was Not The Only Targaryen Civil War
House of the Dragon doesn’t directly tie into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but the former does establish the instability of the crown. The Dance of the Dragons led not only to the death of many dragons in battle but also played a role in the dragons slowly dying out, which is addressed in Dunk and Egg. History would sort of repeat itself after Rhaenyra and Aegon II’s clash for the throne, although with some big differences. While not as intense as the Dance turned out to be, the Blackfyre rebellions tested the resilience of House Targaryen once more.