The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros | Blacks (Rhaenyra Targaryen | Daemon Targaryen) | Greens (Alicent Hightower) | Houses of Westeros (House Targaryen [Viserys Targaryen] | House Velaryon) | Others | Dragons
Only spoilers from the current season will be hidden, so beware spoilers if you're not up to date on the episodes.
Blacks
The Blacks are a faction supporting Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim to the Iron Throne to fulfill her father's wish against the Greens (led by the Hightowers), who usurped Rhaenyra's succession rights in favor of Aegon II. Their faction name stems from the traditional colors of the House Targaryen sigil (black and red), with their leaders and scions dressing appropriately.
For the Blacks as portrayed in Fire & Blood, see here.
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In General
- The Alliance: An alliance of some Houses of Westeros to support Rhaenyra's right to the Iron Throne. As of the beginning of the war at the end of Season 1, Rhaenyra has only rallied some minor Houses outside the Velaryons, and seeks alliance with major ones such as the Starks, the Arryns and the Baratheons. The attempt at rallying the Baratheons fails and costs the life of Rhaenyra's second son, Lucerys.
- Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Heavily downplayed, despite appearances (and how audience reception would have it). The faction's point is ensuring Rhaenyra's succession (and the support of the previously spurned claimant, Princess Rhaenys, does give off the impression that they carry this belief). Their main claim to legitimacy is the value of absolute primogeniture, i.e. the eldest child succeeds regardless of gender. However, male-biased primogeniture has traditionally been the norm for the inheritance of lordships in all the Seven Kingdoms except Dorne, which would put Aegon before Rhaenyra in succession as Viserys's eldest son. It does help of course that Rhaenyra's succession was established by public royal decree. Viserys also stated when negotiating Rhaenyra and Laenor's marriage with Corlys Velaryon that their eldest child should succeed Rhaenyra regardless of gender.
- Create Your Own Villain: The Greens' #1 motive is fear what might befall alternative heirs under Rhaenyra's reign. Rhaenyra then intentionally makes the whole realm think that she's the kind of person who would murder someone who's inconveniently in the way of what she wants.Rhaenyra: The realm will whisper that I was somehow responsible [for Laenor's death].
Daemon: Let them whisper. We will know the truth of it, and our enemies won't.
Rhaenyra: They will fear what else we might be capable of. - Flaunting Your Fleets: They benefit from House Velaryon's unequaled military fleet, which has just seen a great victory against the Triarchy under the command of Lord Corlys and has secured the Stepstones once and for all, meaning they now have the possibility of causing a Naval Blockade on King's Landing to starve the Greens into submission, in conjunction with potential pro-Black forces in the Riverlands.
- Foil: To the Greens. Besides backing rival claimants, the two sides have numerous differences: the Blacks represent the older influences of Valyria due to being formed from the last remaining Valyrian houses in Westeros, while the Greens are more in line with the rest of the continent due to Alicent being the mother of the current claimants. The Greens are a Dysfunctional Family while the Blacks have much fewer inter-family issues. The Blacks have many dragons but have smaller armies that make up for their lack of numbers by all being battle-hardened while the Greens have larger levies but get most of their dragon-firepower from the Kaiju-sized Vhaegar. Perhpas most telling is that while the Blacks are following established royal decree by backing Rhaenyra, the Greens literally had to drag Aegon to his own coronation.
- Government in Exile: They see themselves as this, supporting Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim to the Iron Throne per her deceased father's wish after The Coup of the Greens to crown The Usurper Aegon after King Viserys' death. Their home base is the isle of Dragonstone, while the Greens occupy King's Landing and pretty much all of the royal symbols of Westeros, Iron Throne included.
- A House Divided: The two factions have Targaryen family members at the top. The Blacks rally around Viserys' first and last surviving child from Aemma Arryn, Rhaenyra, while the Greens rally around the children Viserys had with Alicent Hightower.
- A Lighter Shade of Grey: Downplayed compared to the books, where Alicent, Aemond and Aegon the Elder were practically one dimensional villains, but the Blacks come off as more progressive and moral (at least to modern audiences) than the Greens. While they do have some classist beliefs, they're supporting a female claimant to the throne, and also lack a bias against homosexuality, which the rest of Westeros treats as an abomination. There's also the fact that while the Greens were planning to murder Rhaenyra and her family almost from the get-go, she was willing to try and negotiate a peaceful outcome until Lucerys is killed.
- Quantity Versus Quality:
- They greatly outnumber the Greens in the number of dragons they possess, but they're all small potatoes compared to Vhagar. This is why Daemon Targaryen takes it upon himself to try making the second biggest dragon in Westeros, the unclaimed Vermithor, tameable again.
- The opposite is true of their regular armies: the Greens control the southern Reach and the Westerlands, the wealthiest and most populous core regions of Westeros - and this was before they absconded with the old royal treasury, which had built up over 80 years of peace and prosperity. On the other hand, these core regions haven't experienced any real warfare in living memory, so the Greens' troops are, well, green. In contrast, several of the Blacks' smaller armies are from fringe regions of Westeros that actually have seen combat - the Velaryon fleet has had years of fighting off pirates in the Stepstones under its belt, the Starks always help fight off wildling raids, and the Arryns fending off raids from the hill tribes. Combined with near-total naval supremacy, the Blacks are able to quickly focus their smaller but more experienced forces where they need them.
- Undying Loyalty: Many of those who join the faction do it out of respect for the wishes of the late King Viserys to have Rhaenyra succeed him regardless of her being a woman, particularly the few lords left from when she was officially pledged fealty to like Lord Corlys Velaryon, who outright calls what the Hightowers are doing treason.
House Targaryen of Dragonstone
Queen Rhaenyra's Family
Queen Rhaenyra I
Queen-Claimant Rhaenyra Targaryen of Dragonstone
"As Queen, what is my true duty to the realm...? Ensuring peace and unity? Or that I sit the Iron Throne, no matter the cost?"
Click here to see young Rhaenyra
"When I am queen, I will create a new order."Played By: Emma D'Arcy (adult), Milly Alcock (young)
Dubbed By: note
"Everyone says Targaryens are closer to gods than to men. But they say that because of our dragons. Without them... we're just like everyone else."
The daughter of King Viserys I by his first wife Aemma Arryn and prospective Queen Regnant of the Seven Kingdoms as Viserys's chosen heir. With Aegon II's usurpation of the succession against her father's wishes, her court crowned her by her own right, making her The Leader of the Black faction of the brewing Succession Crisis called the Dance of the Dragons.
See her own page.
Daemon Targaryen
Prince-Consort Daemon Targaryen
"You cannot live your life in fear, or you will forsake the best parts of it."
Played By: Matt Smith
Dubbed By: note
"King and council have long rued my position as next in line for the throne. But dream and pray as they all might, it seems I'm not so easily replaced. The gods give, just as the gods take away."
Viserys's volatile and mercurial younger brother. A formidable warrior and dragon rider who follows his own rules and instincts, he is nonetheless very loyal to his niece Rhaenyra, whom he seduced and ended up marrying. He fathered children with Rhaenyra and became the leader of her armies during the Dance of the Dragons.
See his own page.
Jacaerys Velaryon
Prince Jacaerys "Jace" Velaryon
Click here to see him as a child
Played By: Harry Collett (young adult), Leo Hart (child)
"A king should honor the traditions of his forbears."
The eldest of Rhaenyra's children in her marriage with Laenor. Under Viserys I's mandated line of succession, he is next in line to his mother for the Iron Throne. Like his younger brothers Lucerys and Joffrey, however, he is suspected of actually being a bastard from Harwin Strong.
- Adaptational Jerkass:
- There was no indication in the book that Jace ever taunted or pranked Aemond; they had a mutual rivalry and dislike of one another before the incident with Vhagar, but nothing else.
- In the show, Jacaerys explodes with anger when Aemond delivers his "strong boys" Stealth Insult. The book version took it in stride, and his only altercation at the dinner was Aegon aggressively confronting him for asking to dance with Helaena.
- While training Luke, he harshly scolds him when Luke is easily disarmed and knocked to the ground. Even the supervising Kingsguard suggests that he should take it easier on his brother. No such event was recorded to have occurred in the books.
- Age Lift: In the books, Jace is 15 when the Dance of the Dragons begins. It's never explicitly stated how old he is, but he's clearly a teenager here (his actor was 18 for the last episodes of the first season) and it's established that his younger brother Luke is 14 when the Dance starts.
- Badass Bookworm: At least training to be a badass and trying to learn as much as he can to be a good future king, even putting pressure on himself to learn High Valyrian so quickly that his mother has to reassure him it’s not necessary.
- Bastard Angst: Jace and his brothers are bastards. It's an Open Secret, but his mother refuses to discuss it with him and there's no one else he can talk to, leaving him to wrestle with the topic all alone. Along with the legal, inheritance side of his bastardy, there's also a personal side to it. Harwin was a present figure in Jace's life and had a loving bond with him, but their true relationship was never acknowledged. Then Harwin suddenly left, then died, and Jace wasn't given permission to mourn him. By the time Jace reaches his teen years, he tells Luke that it doesn't matter what others think about their heritage, mirroring his mother's words, though it's still implied to loom over him in a more subtle way.
- Berserk Button: His Bastard Angst
- During the fight with Aemond, it's not until Aemond calls Jace "Lord Strong" that he pulls out the knife.
- During the family dinner, Aemond Invokes this as a Fisticuff-Provoking Comment, effortlessly provoking Jace into starting a fight.
- Big Brother Instinct: Gets into the fight with Aemond to defend his cousins, Baela and Rhaena. He then pulls a dagger when Aemond has his little brother Luke in a chokehold with a rock in hand and insults them both as bastards.
- Chocolate Baby: Most people's suspicions about his and his brothers' parentage come from the fact that they don't look like Laenor at all, and instead look more like Harwin Strong.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Prequel secondary character - to Cersei's son Joffrey Baratheon. Both of them are the heir to the throne, but the eldest of a trio of bastard children who look nothing like their alleged father. Unlike Joffrey, however, Jace's claim to the Iron Throne is through his mother, not his father, so he's undeniably the grandson of King Viserys (though in their medieval society, bastardy is still enough to discredit someone's lawful succession - numerous kings have had bastard sons older than their lawful ones, but who still got excluded from inheritance). Also unlike Joffrey, despite the odd family dynamic on Team Rhaenyra, they were generally a loving group who got along with each other, so Jace has the emotional stability that Robert and Cersei couldn't have provided Joffrey. The result is that Jace is ashamed of his bastardy and is trying to overcompensate by being the best crown prince possible, while Joffrey's reaction when confronted with rumors of his own bastardy was to vent his frustrations torturing innocent people to death.
- The Dutiful Son: The very first scene of young adult Jace is him hard and focused at studying High Valyrian with his maester. Much of his other scenes (even his very positive relationship with Helaena—who we should remember is a Hightower-Targaryen—not to mention his stern-but-still tolerant attitude with his uncle Aegon II) suggest he is very conscious in molding himself an ideal prince-heir (even more so than his mother), if only to compensate for the taint of bastardy that precedes him.
- Foil: Aegon and Jace are Alicent and Rhaenyra's respective firstborns and heirs. As such they both have pressure on them, but it's different. Aegon's pressure is entirely external, the expectations placed upon him by his mother and grandfather. He responds by being The Slacker. Jace's pressure is more internal. He too has a mother and grandfather viewing him as heir, but he also has people viewing him as a bastard and expecting him to fail. The presence of opposition gives him something to fight against, and so to prove them wrong he becomes The Perfectionist. Neither approach successfully resolves the prince's underlying insecurity about not being enough.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As a young adult, he's headstrong, quick to anger and still carries his Bastard Angst with him, but he's also very noble, dutiful and clearly loves his family. Out of himself and Luke, Jace is the one to try (key word being try) to make amends with his uncles. He also treats his betrothal to Baela seriously and by all appearances will be a loving husband to her.
- Kissing Cousins: Betrothed to his cousin note Baela, who is also his stepsister. Both are quite happy with this union, however. First cousin marriage isn't considered incest in Westeros, though, and step-relatives are a gray area.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: As the eldest heir of the Matilda Expy, Jace shares the position and martial temperament of Henry II Plantagenet. The one difference is that Henry II's legitimacy was never questioned like Jace's. On a more downplayed note, Henry II did wage wars against his brothers, which Jace (despite being a hardass trainer to his brother) will likely never do.
- Nom de Mom: Viserys and Corlys make an arrangement when they agree on Rhaenyra and Laenor's marriage that stipulates that Jace will take the name Targaryen if and when he ascends the Iron Throne.
- Oh, Crap!: The fear and dismay are plain on Jace's face when he first sees the tall, aggressive Lightning Bruiser that Aemond has grown into. Moments later, the latter challenges Jace and Luke to come "train" with him, and thankfully for Jace, Vaemond's arrival takes everyone's mind off of a potential confrontation.
- Paper Tiger: While Jace tries to act tough and assertive when compared to Aemond or Daemon he's clearly out of his league.
- He is quick to resort to violence whenever Aemond brings up his bastard status, which gets him beaten by his uncle. Aemond essentially exploits this trope in "Lord of the Tides" by calling Jace and Luke "strong boys", which makes Jace dare him to say it again. When Aemond acts like he doesn't know why Jace is angry, Jace gets up and throws a punch at him. Aemond reacts by grinning and casually shoving Jace to the floor, basically showing everyone that the "strong" comment was not a compliment on Jace's strength.
- When Jace interrupts Daemon's meeting with Rhaenyra's councilors to order them to stand down, they continue to obey Daemon's orders anyway and Daemon drags him off to the Dragonmount to witness him ensuring the loyalty of their Kingsguard.
- The Perfectionist: Jace compensates for his Bastard Angst by trying to be the ideal prince. He is shown to be very frustrated with his struggle to pick up Valyrian, despite Rhaenyra pointing out he has plenty of time to figure it out. He's also shown to be tough on Lucerys during their sword training, with their mentor and Kingsguad Ser Steffon Darklyn having to gently ask him to tone it down a notch.
- Pet the Dog:
- At Laena's funeral, he goes out of his way to comfort Baela and Rhaena; while he can't think of anything to say, they clearly appreciate the gesture.
- At dinner with the royal family, after hearing his cousin Helaena's toast to Baela and Rhaena regarding marriage where she mentions that Aegon usually ignores her, he goes to ask Helaena to dance.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Invoked. He tells his mother to send him out to help during the succession crisis because he knows that the image of a dignified and responsible prince carries weight.
- Short Teens, Tall Adults: Shorter than his mother, and only a hair's breadth taller than his younger brother Luke (if at all).
- Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: When Aemond has Luke in a chokehold, calling him and his brothers bastards and making threats of murder (whether he meant it or not), Jace pulls out a dagger in response.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When war breaks out between the Blacks and the Greens, it was Jace who suggests that they send dragonrider envoys to appeal for allies rather than messenger ravens. This results in Luke's death by Vhagar when the former travelled to Storm's End, quashing any remaining hope of the imminent Dance of the Dragons ending peacefully.
- Vague Age: He's clearly had an Age Lift, but the show doesn't clarify exactly to what extent.
Lucerys Velaryon
Prince Lucerys "Luke" Velaryon
Click here to see him as a child
Played By: Elliot Grihault, Harvey Sadler (young)
"Grandsire was the greatest sailor who ever lived. I get greensick before the ship even leaves the harbor. I'll just ruin everything."
The second of Rhaenyra's children in her marriage with Laenor, suspected of actually being a bastard from Harwin Strong. Lucerys is in the Velaryon line of succession for the Driftwood Throne to become the Lord of the Tides.
- Arch-Enemy: To Aemond Targaryen, due to Luke having cut out one of Aemond's eyes in a fight when they were children. Years later, Aemond attempts to pay Lucerys back in kind, only to end up causing his death when he loses control of his dragon.
- Bastard Angst: Not to the same extent as Jace, but Luke still feels the stares and wishes that he didn't so closely resemble Harwin Strong.
- Bullying a Dragon: Luke sees what a formidable warrior Aemond has become and knows that he rides the deadliest dragon in the world, but when a suckling pig dish is laid before Aemond during the dinner, Luke can't help but make eye contact and chuckle at him (remembering the "Pink Dread" joke that he, his brother and Aegon played on Aemond as kids).
- Chocolate Baby: Most people's suspicions about his and his brothers' parentage come from the fact that they don't look like Laenor at all, and instead look more like Harwin Strong.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Against Aemond’s commands, Vhagar devours him alive by accident when the pair were chasing Lucerys and Arrax, and the giant only intended to kill Arrax.
- A Death in the Limelight: The first season finale heavily focuses on him moreso then any previous appearance and ends with his death.
- Dragon Rider: He was bonded to and rode Arrax.
- Eaten Alive: Courtesy of Vhagar. While Arrax is bitten in two by the ancient dragon, Lucerys himself is fully swallowed so that when Arrax's corpse falls through the clouds, nothing remains of his rider.
- Inadequate Inheritor: A combination of Bastard Angst and a sensitive personality means Lucerys think he isn't fit to be the heir to Driftmark, feeling it should go to a trueborn Velaryon who was raised in the house's traditions.
- Kick the Dog: When a suckling pig dish is laid out in front of Aemond he laughs remembering the cruel joke that he and his brother played on Aemond showing no hint of remorse for the bullying they both inflicted on him.
- Kissing Cousins: Like his brother, he was betrothed to one of Daemon's daughters, in his case Rhaena.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Knows better than to fight Aemond in Borros Baratheon's throne room and potentially ending any chances of peace in addition to realizing that Aemond would easily kill him.
- Momma's Boy: Unlike a lot of teenage boys at his age, he still thinks of his mom as perfect. This loyalty likely has to do with his mother physically protecting him from Alicent when the latter wanted to gouge one of his eyes, in an incident that was obviously traumatic for him.
- No Body Left Behind: After being devoured whole by Vhagar.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Luke as portrayed in the show invokes a number of personages:
- Positionally, he is akin to Geoffrey, Count of Nantes
, brother to Henry II—for taking on the lesser holdings of the house of Anjou that Henry II abandons after becoming King of England. Unlike Geoffrey, he suffers from allegations of bastardry. Also like Geoffrey, he dies prematurely—albeit Geoffrey was warring with Henry II while Luke was poised against his Green uncles instead. Ironically, it's Luke's younger brother who has a phonetically similar name. - Personality-wise, Luke's adoration of his mother is more similar to Henry II himself, who proudly calls himself FitzEmpress (literally "child of the Empress") in honor of Matilda's lifelong pursuit of the crown for his behalf.
- Positionally, he is akin to Geoffrey, Count of Nantes
- Odd Name, Normal Nickname: "Luke" is a much more normal name than Lucerys.
- Refusal of the Call: During Laena's funeral, Corlys begins taking Lucerys under his wing as the purported lawful heir to House Velaryon (as Jacaerys would be heir to the Iron Throne after Rhaenyra). Perhaps due to his growing realization of his alleged bastardy and the general sadness of the situation, he is reluctant.
- Sacrificial Lion: While the war was only waiting to explode, none of the sides were resorting to violence, apart from reaping the dissedents from their own seats of power, in order to not escalate the schism to a bloodbath, and peace offerings were still being discussed. Luke's death by Aemond's hands marks the point of no return of the conflict and the official beginning of the Dance of the Dragons.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Despite some skirmishes and digs between Aegon and Jace, it seemed that things were slowly improving positively during the dinner between the Greens and Blacks with Alicent and Rhaenyra who were about to bury the hatchet for the sake of Viserys. Unfortunately, Luke can't contain his mirth at seeing a roast pig set before Aemond with Aemond's deliberate "Strong" taunting in addition, sparking a fight between the Velaryon brothers and their Targaryen uncles.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: While there is no real good side in the conflict between the Greens and the Blacks, Luke is one of the nicer and more self-aware people in the line of succession. Naturally, he is the first of the Targaryen extend family to die in the brewing war.
- The Wrongful Heir to the Throne: Feels he is this to Driftmark and even admits to Rhaenyra that Vaemond should have been Corlys' heir. Even discounting his bastardry, he's understandably daunted that he's expected to succeed Corlys, the most famed sailor in Westerosi history, as the commander of the greatest naval power in the world when he gets seasick at the mere sight of a boat.
Joffrey Velaryon
Prince Joffrey Velaryon
Played By: TBD
The third of Rhaenyra's children in her marriage with Laenor, suspected of actually being a bastard from Harwin Strong.
- Age Lift: An inversion; in the books he's eleven years old when the Dance begins, while in the show he's six.
- Bit Character: In Season 1, while he's a child, he has nothing particular about him outside of Laenor naming him after his dead lover and being clearly a third child from Harwin Strong, let alone having any incidence on the plot. He's seen played by a child actor a couple times, but he doesn't have anything particular to do, and the child actor hasn't even been identified/listed anywhere in cast credits.
- Chocolate Baby: Most people's suspicions about his and his brothers' parentage come from the fact that they don't look like Laenor at all, and instead look more like Harwin Strong. Alicent even remarks that another child looking like him is an insult to Rhaenyra and Laenor's families.
- Dead Guy Junior: It's pretty obvious that Laenor named the baby after his lover who died ten years before the baby's birth, Joffrey Lonmouth.
- Demoted to Extra: Played with in the first season. As Joffrey is younger than his book counterpart, he doesn't take part on events from the book where he is front and center, like during his brothers' fight with Aemond after the funeral of Laena Velaryon, where Lucerys takes Aemond's eye in retribution for throwing the young Joffrey on a pile of dragon droppings.
- Odd Name Out: Joffrey is not a Valyrian name, and Alicent quickly points it out when Laenor reveals his name.
- Out of Focus: Out of Rhaenyra's three eldest sons, Joffrey has easily had the least amount of screentime in Season 1. In fact, he's hardly had a line as of yet. Justified to a degree since he's five years younger here than he was in the books and therefore logically isn't going to have as much to do quite yet.
Baela Targaryen
Lady Baela Targaryen
Click here to see her as a child
Played By: Bethany Antonia, Shani Smethurst (young)
Daemon's elder daughter by his second wife, Lady Laena Velaryon.
- Adaptational Hairstyle Change: In the books Baela has Boyish Short Hair, but in the show she has long, voluminous curls.
- Big Sister Instinct: When Rhaena charges Aemond and he shoves her to the ground, Baela immediately punches him in retaliation. She also stands up for Jace when Aegon makes inappropriate passes at her during the family dinner. When things escalate into a brawl between Jace and Aemond, she can be seen attempting to attack Aegon (who had Luke pinned to the table) and having to be restrained by Rhaena.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Contrasting "Prequel" Main Character, to Sansa and Arya Stark. In the original series, the Stark sisters were a Tomboy and Girly Girl pairing (see below), with older daughter Sansa the girly one who got along well with her mother and younger Arya the tough tomboy who didn't feel like she belonged. Daemon's daughters have a similar dynamic but with the ages reversed: older Baela is the tough one, and younger Rhaena is the girly one. On top of that, Daemon is such wild warrior that he gets along better with the tough and aggressive Baela, while it's the traditionally feminine Rhaena who feels overlooked. In both cases, the "tough tomboy" gets an animal companion (Arya and Baela) that the girly ones don't have (Sansa's direwolf was killed very early in the story, while Rhaena's dragon egg hasn't hatched after many years).
- Cute Bruiser: Had a serious right hook even as a child.
- Dead Guy Junior: She was named after her paternal grandfather, Prince Baelon Targaryen.
- Dragon Rider: She is confirmed to have her own dragon, named Moondancer.
- Kissing Cousins: She is arranged to be betrothed to Jacaerys, who is both her cousin and stepbrother, something they seem perfectly happy about.
- Parental Favoritism: Rhaena claims that Daemon favors Baela since she has a dragon. He's also seen going over Valyrian texts with her.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Baela is the tough one, Rhaena is the girly one. Baela's hair and clothes are relatively simple compared to Rhaena's more elaborate styles. She's also shown to be more prone to violence, having to held back from joining Aemond and Jace's scuffle.
- War Hawk: Out of all the Black scions, Baela is shown in a deleted scene to be as willing to bring the fight to the Greens as her father, even invoking the Targaryen words to her grandmother Rhaenys (who was still vacillating to committing House Velaryon to Rhaenyra's side). This ferocity wistfully reminds Rhaenys of her deceased daughter Laena.
Rhaena Targaryen
Lady Rhaena Targaryen
Click here to see her as a child
Played By: Phoebe Campbell, Eva Ossei-Gerning (young)
Daemon's younger daughter by his second wife, Lady Laena Velaryon.
- Adaptational Badass: The book version of Rhaena never showed any intent to claim Vhagar, and just kept hoping for her egg to hatch, and got a new one when the first hatchling died.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Like Jacaerys, she physically attacks Aemond when he insults her, something that her comparatively gentle, unaggressive book counterpart never did. Downplayed since at the time, she's a grieving child who just lost her mother and Aemond is deliberately using that grief to provoke her.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Contrasting "Prequel" Main Character, to Sansa and Arya Stark, as explained under "Baela" above. In the original series, older Sansa was the girly one and Arya the tough tomboy, while with Daemon's daughters the order is reversed: older Baela is the tough one and younger Rhaena the more traditionally feminine one.
- Kissing Cousins: As with her sister, she is arranged to be married to Lucerys, her cousin and stepbrother, which she seems perfectly content about. Due to Lucerys's death, they never get to the actual marriage.
- Muggle Born of Mages: Rhaena fears she's this as a child, since her parents and sister are all dragonriders and her cradle egg hasn't hatched.
- It's obvious that this is still on her mind during the initial war council; she's clearly paying attention to her father Daemon when he lists off the names of the known dragons that are still riderless.
- "Near and Dear" Baby Naming: She is named after her maternal grandmother, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.
- Related Differently in the Adaptation: Minor example, but in the book Baela & Rhaena were actually twins, but the TV show made Rhaena a year younger than Baela. Baela was still the older twin in the book so this doesn't affect much.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Baela is the tough one; Rhaena is the girly one. Baela's hair and clothes are relatively simple compared to Rhaena's more elaborate styles. She's also the more cool-headed of the two, holding Baela back when her sister tries to get into a fight.
- The Unfavorite: She claims that her father favors her sister Baela and that he mostly ignores her.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: She never intended for her shoving match with Aemond to progress to lethal weapons, backing off when Aemond starts using a rock and shouting out Jace's name when he draws a knife. The fight she started ends with Aemond losing an eye, his unending enmity with her cousins cemented, and the tensions between the Blacks and the Greens rising to a new level.
- You Are Too Late: Aemond tells her this when she, her sister, and their cousins confront him for his riding of Vhagar.
House Targaryen of Dragonstone Household
Maester Gerardys
Maester Gerardys, in Service to Dragonstone
Played By: Phil Daniels
A Maester in the employ of the Targaryens. He serves as a loyal advisor to Princess Rhaenyra and a tutor to her children.
- The Consigliere: He gives advices to Rhaenyra.
- Court Physician: Already the Maester of Rhaenyra’s household at Dragonstone, he becomes the "Grand Maester" of the Blacks once the Dance of the Dragons begins, as he is seen attending Rhaenyra's war councils and voicing opinions in them.
- Private Tutor: Serves this role to Jace, acting as his teacher as he struggles to grow adept in speaking his ancestors' language, High Valyrian.
- Undying Loyalty: He has complete loyalty toward Princess Rhaenyra, his direct superior as the Lady of Dragonstone.
House Celtigar
Bartimos Celtigar
Lord Bartimos Celtigar
"Pray forgive my bluntness, Your Grace, but talk of men is moot."
Played By: Nicholas Jones
The Lord of House Celtigar, a minor house sworn to Dragonstone.- Appeal to Force: Claims that Rhaenyra doesn't need to bother with allies due to the fact that the Blacks possess more dragons than the Greens.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: And how! The fact that the Celtigars are a Valyrian descendent house like the Targaryens and Velaryons is completely ignored with people like Viserys I excluding them from their count of such houses.note
Queensguard
Ser Erryk Cargyll
Ser Erryk Cargyll
"I cannot let this treachery stand."
Played By: Elliott Tittensor
A knight of House Cargyll and member of the Kingsguard, alongside his twin brother Arryk. He is Prince Aegon's sworn protector, a position that has allowed him to witness Aegon's vile proclivities.
- Adaptation Personality Change: He and his twin Ser Arryk have more characterization in the series. Erryk is a Noble Top Enforcer.
- Adaptational Badass: He smuggles Viserys' crown to present it to Rhaenyra at Dragonstone, which was an action that was done by Ser Steffon Darklyn in the book. He also attempts to smuggle Princess Rhaenys out of King's Landing, but loses her in the massive crowd heading to Aegon II's coronation; nonetheless, he remains the one responsible for ensuring that she is free to warn Rhaenyra and Daemon of the impending succession crisis.
- Badass Creed: He is the first to speak the Kingsguard oath on screen.I swear to ward the Queen with all my strength and give my blood for hers. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall guard her secrets, obey her commands, ride at her side, and defend her name & honor.
- Betrayal by Inaction: He stands by while his brother and Ser Criston fight over Aegon, impassively watching and stewing with anger over a man he knows not fit to be king being dragged against his own will to the coronation.
- Bearer of Bad News: He is the one who first informs Alicent that her son has had his way with Dyana, one of Helaena's servant girls.
- The Caretaker: He is the personal guardian of Prince Aegon, ensuring he remains safe from danger whenever he travels outside of the Red Keep. This close proximity to Aegon makes it clear to Erryk that he cannot be king, viewing the prince with disgust due to his many affairs, rapes, and other horrific activities, like attending a fight pit where children are pitted against each other.
- Identical Twin ID Tag: Unlike his brother's well-groomed hair, his facial hair is a bit longer and unkempt.
- Knight in Shining Armor: By both deeds and his personal reactions to what he considers abhorrent, Ser Erryk has proven himself to be one of the most moral knights in the setting. His role as Aegon's personal guard means that he has seen every disguising aspect of his charge's personality firsthand and he makes it quite clear that he could not hold Aegon in more contempt even if he tried and he vehemently calls what The Greens do outright treachery. He goes to prove his knightly mettle via his deeds not only when he facilitates Princess Rhaenys' freedom but also he smuggles Viserys' crown to present it to Rhaenyra and to cement his Undying Loyalty.
- My Nayme Is: His name sounds just like real life "Eric".
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: There was in fact a commander involved in the Anarchy who was part of twins: Robert de Beaumont, who defected to the Angevin-Plantagenets fighting for Empress Matilda. Unlike Robert, however, Erryk is portrayed as having declared his loyalty to Rhaenyra before the actual outbreak of open hostilities.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: After helping Rhaenys to escape, he manages to get out of locked down King's Landing himself and all the way to Dragonstone, with Viserys' crown.
- Seen It All: He is far more casual about the disturbing comings and goings of Flea's Bottom than his brother. This is due to having to watch over Aegon as he galavanted about the place for years.
- Spanner in the Works: He proves to be this to the Greens' attempt to keep their coup from Rhaenyra's ears until they can subjugate or kill her. After killing or imprisoning everyone with the means or motive to head toward Dragonstone, they seem to have succeeded in that goal up until Erryk goes and frees Rhaenys over personal dissatisfaction with Aegon. Rhaenys then crashes the coronation on the back of Meleys before leaving for Dragonstone, the Greens powerless to stop her. Most importantly, Ser Erryk manages to smuggle Viserys I's crown on his person, making possible Rhaenyra's crowning in Dragonstone.
- Sworn in by Oath: He reiterates his vow from when he joined the Kingsguard when joining the Blacks, this time swearing loyalty to the one he considers his Queen, Rhaenyra.
- Take This Job and Shove It: He forsakes his role as a Kingsguard when the line of succession is upended in Aegon's favor, fleeing after helping Rhaenys escape the Green's clutches.
- Twin Theme Naming: His name is nearly identical to his twin brother's, save for a single vowel, which does not help Queen Alicent in distinguishing which brother is which.
- Undying Loyalty: After the coup of the Greens, his loyalties still lay with Rhaenyra. He goes against orders and frees Rhaenys with the intent to bring her out of the Green-controlled Red Keep. Finally, he steals Viserys I's crown from under the Greens' noses, making possible for Rhaenyra to have an Awesome Moment of Crowning.
Ser Steffon Darklyn
Ser Steffon Darklyn
Played by: Anthony Flanagan
A long-serving Kingsguard member.
- Adaptational Wimp: In the book, he smuggles Viserys' crown, himself, and several other soldiers and servants from King's Landing to Dragonstone and helps initiate Rhaenyra's Awesome Moment of Crowning. In the show, he is already guarding her at Dragonstone and Erryk brings the crown to Dragonstone.
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: Once the Succession Crisis begins, Daemon threatens to kill him unless he renews his vows to serve Rhaenyra.
- Bodyguarding a Badass: His bodyguard charge is a dragon rider who once fought and killed a boar.
- Knight in Shining Armor: He seems like a proper knight so far, telling Jace not to be so rough on his brother during a sparring match and acting polite and respectful toward Rhaenyra despite the controversy behind her becoming heir.From the books...
- Old Soldier: He joined the kingsguard during the reign of King Jaehaerys I and is serving his third monarch by the end of season one.
Ser Lorent Marbrand
Ser Lorent Marbrand
Played by: Max Wrottesley
One of Rhaenyra's sworn shields at Dragonstone.
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: Once the Succession Crisis begins, Daemon threatens to kill him unless he renews his vows to serve Rhaenyra.
- Bald Head of Toughness: He is a member of the most elite knightly order in the Westeroes and has a bald head.
- Bodyguarding a Badass: His bodyguard charge is a Dragon Rider who once fought and killed a boar.
- Perma-Stubble: He has the beginnings of a beard, but there are patches of skin visible in his facial hair.
