WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based!
Summary
A long-standing complaint aboutGame of Throneshas ironically now had major consequences inHouse of the Dragon, as the franchise nitpick is partially to blame for causing the Dance of the Dragons. AsHouse of the Dragonseason 2 progresses, both sides of the war have begun to assess the root causes of the Dance. While Rhaenys argues that the real instigating event no longer matters as the realm will use their own reasons to fight, such as the cause of the Battle of the Burning Mill, Rhaenyra is more concerned withwhether her father actually chose Aegon to replace her as heiron his deathbed.
InHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 3’s ending, Rhaenyra sneaks into King’s Landing disguised as a septa to speak with Alicent face-to-face. After they each deny involvement in the deaths of Prince Jaehaerys and Prince Lucerys, Rhaenyra asks Alicent about the dying Viserys’ last words. Alicent states thatViserys spoke about “Aegon” and the “Prince That Was Promised,” which she misunderstood as meaning that he wanted their son Aegonto succeed him on the Iron Throne. As the show itself admits, Alicent’s reason for usurping the throne from Rhaenyra was based on a confusing trait that has long been complained about inGame of Thrones’ franchise.
Game Of Thrones' Families Constantly Reusing The Same Name Led To House Of The Dragon’s War
Game of Thrones fans don’t have to feel so guilty about mixing up the numerous Aegon Targaryens
After being a source of annoyance for viewers for well over a decade, the habit ofHouse Targaryen’s family treeoftenreusing the name “Aegon” has come back to bite them. As Aegon is the name of the Targaryen who conquered Westeros, his moniker has been reused throughout nearly every subsequent Targaryen generation as a tribute to the powerful, long-gone king. InHouse of the Dragon, the confusion of so many Aegon Targaryens has become so extreme that a mix-up of the name inspired a full-scale Targaryen civil war.
“It’s Too Late”: Why Alicent Refuses To Change Her Mind Despite Learning The Truth About Aegon’s Dream
Alicent finally learns the truth about Aegon’s dream and her mistake with Viserys' final words, but isn’t willing to change her mind in HOTD season 2.
As Rhaenyra now finally informs Alicent, when Viserys was speaking about “Aegon” and the “Prince That Was Promised,” he was actually referring toAegon the Conqueror’s A Song of Ice and Fire dream– not his son. Consideringthere’s yet another Prince Aegon Targaryen alive inHouse of the Dragon, Rhaenyra’s elder son with Daemon, Alicent’s mistake becomes all the more frustrating. With Viserys' last words also mentioning “what [Aegon] saw in the North,” it’s all the more absurd that Alicent thought he was speaking of their son, who likely has never been anywhere close to the North.
Would The Dance Of The Dragons Have Happened Without Alicent’s Name Mix-Up?
While it is almost comically ironic that Alicent’s justification for crowning Aegon is based on mixing up his name with Aegon the Conqueror, it isn’t the sole reason for the Dance of the Dragons. Alicent claiming that Viserys wanted Aegon on the Iron Throne helped speed along Team Green’s usurpation of the throne by boasting a “legitimate” claim from Viserys himself, butthe war likely would have happened regardless. Otto had laid the seeds of usurpation ever since Aegon’s birth, and the feuding between the Greens and Blacks for around two decades meant some conflict was inevitable after Viserys’ death.
Viserys’ inability to crush the Greens and Blacks’ feuds before the new generation of Targaryens was born meant war was always coming, regardless of Alicent’s grave mistake.
In fact, whenOtto is removed as Aegon’s Hand of the KinginHouse of the Dragonseason 2,Alicent’s father implies that he never believed Viserys wanted Aegon to be king. Alicent’s claim about Viserys’ last words meant Otto and the Green Council had less convincing to do to other noble houses, but he would have found reasons to undermine Rhaenyra’s claim and seat Aegon either way. Viserys’ inability to crush the Greens and Blacks’ feuds before the new generation of Targaryens was born meant war was always coming, regardless of Alicent’s grave mistake.
Game Of Thrones' Biggest Twist Proves House Targaryen Never Learned Its Lesson
House Targaryen doesn’t stop using the name Aegon after the Dance of the Dragons
Despite the fact that this trait leads to a devastating civil war, by the time the timeline reaches Jon Snow, aka Aegon VI Targaryen, there are actually12 known Aegon Targaryens inGame of Throneshistory. It’s clear that House Targaryen never learned its lesson after Alicent’s Aegon mix-up had such catastrophic consequences, but it’s alsopossible that neither Alicent nor Rhaenyra ever told anyone the truth about her mistake. Alicent will be intent on protecting her ego despite her mistake inHouse of the Dragon, whereas Rhaenyra would have to disclose the secret of Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire dream in order to explain Alicent’s mistake.
Aegon VI Targaryen (aka Jon Snow)
Son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen & Lyanna Stark
Following Rhaenyra’s son Aegon the Younger, there are at least five more Aegon Targaryens in the family’s lineage, with thefnal one being Jon Snow as Aegon VI Targaryen. Of course, Jon could always choose to begin going by his birth name afterGame of Thrones' ending, and, if so, could later have a son who he names after none other than Aegon Targaryen. But, if there’s another wheel that the Targaryens should have broken for good inGame of Thrones, it’s their obsession with the name Aegon. SinceJon Snow’sGame of Thronessequel show is no longer happening, whether another Aegon Targaryen is ever born may never be known.
If there’s another wheel that the Targaryens should have broken for good inGame of Thrones, it’s their obsession with the name Aegon.
Why House Targaryen Reuses The Name “Aegon” So Much In Game Of Thrones History
House of the Dragon gives a new reason for this tradition
The simple explanation for why House Targaryen often uses the name Aegon is thatit’s tradition to name their children after legendary figures in their lineage. This isn’t just a tradition followed by House Targaryen, asHouse Stark’s family treeincludes several Rickons, House Lannister has a few Tyrions, and House Greyjoy even has multiple Theons. The names that are often repeated are ones that date back to a figure with incredible influence and importance in a house’s history, with the names of kings typically being the most frequent monikers passed down.
However, House Targaryen’s use of Aegon is far more recurrent in their family tree than other Westerosi houses' repeated names. This is becauseAegon is a name associated with the greatest power, strength, and influence the family has ever knownunder the exploits of Aegon the Conqueror. Perhaps partially based in superstition, the Targaryens with the name Aegon are expected to have a certain amount of power and strength worthy of bearing the Conqueror’s moniker, which is why so many kings call their firstborn sons Aegon. Furthermore, by continually passing down “Aegon,” each new Westerosi generation is reminded of the Conquest and strength of House Targaryen.
How Aegon’s Dream Just Changed Game Of Thrones History (Again) Is What I’ve Been Waiting 2 Years For
House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3 makes another mention of Aegon the Conqueror’s A Song of Ice and Fire prophecy, and it’s a very smart choice.
Given the context of Aegon’s A Song of Ice and Fire dream, there’s yet another reason for using his name so much. Aegon had a dream that a Targaryen sitting the Iron Throne would unite humanity against the dead and the cold deep in the North, but had no idea whether that would come during his generation or after his death. With each Targaryen heir being told the dream and its importance,they likely believed that the name Aegon would be integral to fulfilling the prophecy.
House of the Dragon’s Viserys names his son Aegon, his heir Rhaenyra names her son Aegon, her son Viserys names his son Aegon, and the cycle goes on. Several generations later, the Prince That Was Promised turns out to beAegon VI Targaryen inGame of Thrones, as Jon Snow fulfills Aegon’s prophecyand unites the realm against the White Walkers to save humanity. Though there are still debates about whetherDaenerys, Jon, or both are the Prince That Was Promised, it doesn’t seem coincidental that the prophecy was at least partially fulfilled by a Targaryen bearing the Conqueror’s name.
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 release Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
