The Targaryens, a dynasty forged in fire and blood, are the centerpiece of HBO’sHouse of the Dragon, a spinoff show about arguably the most war-torn time in Westeros history. This family is full of interesting characters and is the reason for almost every major conflict since Aegon the Conqueror united six kingdoms for his empire.

The Targaryens in HBO’s shows range from the wise Old King, Jaehaerys I, to the downfall of the Mad King inGame of Thrones, Aerys II and his daughter Daenerys Targaryen, and their story unfolds across centuries. The Targaryen family tree is complex and discussing every Targaryen would take ages to explore.

The Old King sitting on his throne in front of the lords of the Great Council

Beware of spoilers for both seasons of the show.

The Targaryen Family Tree Explained

For three centuries, the Targaryens ruled Westeros,their reign marked by fire-breathing dragons. Their silver hair and violet eyeswere as iconic as their fierce ambitionsand their strength thanks to the dragons.The Targaryen bloodline was mostly kept pure, so brothers often wed their sisters to produce pure-blooded offspring.

There were alternate bloodlines too, like that of the descendants ofHouse Baratheon, who are said to have blood of the dragon flowing through them. The Targaryen story portrayed in House of the Dragon begins with the death of the old king, Jaehaerys,and every Targaryen shown thus farin the show has played a role in the war that follows.

Rhaenys Targaryen looking at Viserys on horseback

Jaehaerys I Targaryen (The Old King)

Jaehaerys I,known as the Old Kingor the Conciliator, ruled over a long time, the longest era in Westerosi historymarked by peace and prosperity. He was known for his wisdom, fairness, and ability to unite the realm.

His later years were marred by tragedy,including the loss of his sons, which ultimately led to thesuccession crisis that sparked the Dance of the Dragons. Despite his efforts to avoid conflict,his death left a power vacuumand a divided court, setting the stage for the bloody civil war after Viserys’s death.

Viserys watching his sons practice fighting in a sickly state.

Rhaenys Targaryen (The Queen That Never Was)

Rhaenys Targaryen,granddaughter of Jaehaerys I, was a skilled dragonrider and a popular figure,bonded with one of the fiercest of the dragons, Meleys. She was widely considered apotential heir to the Iron Throneafter the official heirs all died off, but the Great Council of 101 ACpassed her over in favor of her younger cousin, Viserys I.

This decision was based on customs of Westeros,which favored male heirs over female ones, despite Rhaenys’s strong claim as the oldest direct descendant of the old king. In the show, it’s described as one of themore common patriarchal traditionsof the seven kingdoms, and she’s often described asthe queen that never was.

Daemon in his armor sitting at the council of Harrenhal’s current stewerd, Simon Strong

Viserys I Targaryen

Viserys I was chosen as the heir to the Iron Throneby the Great Council, succeeding his grandfather, Jaehaerys I. He was a kind and well-intentioned ruler, even earning the title Viserys the peaceful,but he had so many personal tragedies that befell him, such as losing his firstborn son and his first wife.

He was also faced withpolitical conspiraciesafter making his daughter Rhaenyra his official heir to the throne tocheck the power of his brother Daemon. His desire to maintain peace and unity ultimatelyled him to make controversial choicesthat unintentionally started the civil war and set the stage for the Dance of the Dragons.

Rhaenyra at Dragonstone wearing her crown

Daemon Targaryen

Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of Viserys I Targaryen,is another morally ambiguous characterin House of the Dragon and a fan favorite as well. He is a brave warrior and an experienced veteran of battle, as he and his dragon Caraxes fought in the War for the Stepstones.

But he is also rash and overbearing and has a recklessly impulsive personality, as seen in thevery first episode of Season 2 of the show. He rebelled against Viserys on multiple accounts, but deep down, he had a deep love for his brother. Daemon’s actions before the dance were alwaysdriven by a mix of personal ambition, loyalty to his family, and a thirst for adventure and glory.

Rhaena Targaryen, the younger sibling and Baela Targaryen, at Dragonstone

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Rhaenyra Targaryen, the firstborn child of Viserys I, was named his heir and groomed tobecome the first Queen of Westeros. Her rightful claim to the throne was challenged by her half-brother, Aegon II, and the hand of the King at the time, Otto Hightower, following Viserys’s death.

This led to the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war that divided the realm and pitted family members against each other.After Lucerys Targaryen’s death, Rhaenyra’s second son, Rhaenyra started taking the war much more seriously andher determination to uphold her father’s peaceis what guided her actions throughout.

Jacaerys Velaryon on Dragonstone looking at something

Baela And Rhaena Targaryen

Baela and Rhaena Targaryen were thedaughters of Daemon Targaryenand his second wife, Laena Velaryon. Both girls were dragonriders,inheriting the Targaryen affinityfor these creatures. While they were relatively young during the Dance of the Dragons, their loyalty to their father and Rhaenyra Targaryen led them toplay a leading role in the conflict, as both were powerful dragonriders.

Baela, the older of the two,almost takes down Ser Criston Cole’s companywith her dragon, Moondancer, while Rhaena has been tasked withsecuring the future of the Targaryen dynasty. Their story highlights the way even younger members of the familywere drawn into the war of dragonsand forced to take sides.

Lucerys Velaryon at Dragonstone, Rhaenyra’s second son.

Jacaerys Velaryon

Jacaerys, Rhaenyra’s eldest son,is seen as a promising heir to the throne. He is a skilled warrior with a heart of gold. The show hasn’t fully explored his character arc yet, but we can already seehints of his call for actionwhen Rhaenyra was absent from court.

When the war started, he was a loyal soldier for his mother’s cause, taking on important missions and proving his worth. One of these missions washeading north to meet with Cregan Starkand rally northerners to Rhaenyra’s cause.

Aegon II at his coronation along Ser Criston Cole in the TV show.

Lucerys Velaryon

Lucerys, Rhaenyra’s second son, was smart, gentle, and brave.He went to Storm’s Endon his dragon to win the allegiance of the Baratheons for his mother, Rhaenyra, and the Blacks. But sadly, adeadly clash with his uncle Aemondsealed his fate.

After Lucerys accidentally claimed Aemond’s eye when they were kids,Aemond always held bitter resentment.Though Aemond killing Lucerys at the end of season onewas not intentional, it still marked a realturning point in the Dance of the Dragons, making everything much worse and driving the two sides even further apart from here on out.

Helaena doing some embroidery while looking at Allicent Hightower.

Aegon II Targaryen

Aegon II, son of Viserys and Alicent Hightower, isat the heart of the Dance of the Dragons. With his mother’s backing, he claimed the Iron Throne, challenging Rhaenyra’s right to rule, despite not wanting to rule himself. He is not fit to be king,but he tries his best, only for the small council and his own mother and brother to dismiss him at every opportunity.

Aegon is a decent warrior and dragonrider, but his cruelty, arrogance, and hotheadedness made him a terrible king for the most part.His reign was a mess of violence and instability, and with no legitimate heirs, the throne was eventually lost by the Greens after the dance.

Helaena Targaryen

Helaena Targaryen was a gentle soul, kind, and caring, but her life was far from a fairy tale.She is forced to marry her brother, Aegon II, and becomes queen during the war. But even with her gentle nature,Helaena couldn’t escape tragedy. She loses her son, Jaehaerys, on Daemon’s orders, despite her not havingany major role in Aegon’s ascensionor Aemond’s murder of Lucerys.

She also constantly had prophetic dreamsthat hinted at the war’s horrors and even her own son’s death. In the books, after the assassination of her son, she loses her sanity and spends most of her time in her chambers.

Aemond Targaryen

Aemond One Eye, the second son of Viserys and Alicent, is every bit a Targaryen and is abit too similar to Daemon. This guy does whatever he wants and is a warrior through and through. He holds immense respectas he tamed the oldest, biggest living dragon, Vhagar. He had an intense hatred for his nephew, Lucerys, and thatthirst for revengeended up making things a lot worse during the Dance of the Dragons.

His actions were a messy mix ofambition, pride, and a lot of anger,and they ended up having a huge impact on his family and the kingdom. Henceforth, in the books, he is known asAemond the Kin slayer, and none are as accursed as the one who chooses violence over family.He even rules for a timeafter injuring Aegon and Sunfyre in the battle of Rook’s Rest.

Daeron Targaryen

Daeron Targaryen is stillabsent from the show, but he’s the youngest of the children born from Viserys and Alicent. After his brother is crowned king, he offers his support alongside his dragon, Tessarion, to Aegon II and the Greens.

He is currently residing in Oldtownand won’t be a major figure in the war till after some time has passed. In the books, he’s a key player in the Battle of the Honeywine and the Battle of Tumbleton and isconsidered the biggest threat to Rhaenyra’s claimfor a brief period of time.

Aegon III, Viserys II, And Visenya Targaryen

Aegon III, Viserys II, and Visenya arechildren of Queen Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen, although Visenya dies soon after her birth, as shown in the final few episodes of the first season.

Aegon III and Viserys II, eventually in the books,go on to inherit the crownand are very close to each other. Aegon III succeeds Aegon II after his death and becomes king,though he is the most depressed kingin Targaryen history.