Summary
InHouse of the Dragon, power and royalty aren’t exclusive to the Targaryens. A multitude of noble houses play their parts and it is their ambitions that shape the fate of Westeros. Each house, with its own history, traditions, and desires, adds depth to the story of the TV show and some of them persist all the way up to the start of Game of Thrones.
Some houses, like the Starks of Winterfell, watch from afar, while others, like the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, play a cautious game. Each major house that plays a part in the Dance of Dragons has varying levels of strength, and some houses don’t even survive the aftermath, as we never see them by the time the story of Game of Thrones begins.
10House Cole
The House Of The Dornishmen Who Rose To Become Hand
Though not as prominent as other houses, House Cole produced a key figure in Westerosi history, Ser Criston Cole. Rising from nothing to eventually become Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Criston’s loyalty and complex relationship with Rhaenyra Targaryen heavily influenced the events leading to the Dance of the Dragons.
After Rhaenyra’s rejection, he dedicates himself to Queen Alicent Hightower and sides with the greens after Viserys’s death. He eventually becomes Aegon II’s hand and plays a key role in the battle of Rook’s Rest. There are not many members of House Cole in Game of Thrones and, after Ser Criston, there are almost no notable members of House Cole left.
9House Cargyll
The Histories Remember House Cargyll Because Of The Twins
This ancient house is known for bringing forth two of the most famous knights of the Kingsguard. They were brothers Ser Arryk and Erryk Cargyll, twins that chose opposite sides during the Dance of the Dragons.
They are both repeatedly mentioned in the Game of Thrones books as their duel is one that has made history. At some point, Ser Arryk went to Dragonstone disguised as Erryk to slay Rhaenyra but was apprehended by Erryk, which sparked the legendary duel between them. Besides these notable characters, House Cargyll isn’t known for much.
8House Strong
House Strong’s influence in King’s Landing grew under the rule of King Viserys during the House of the Dragon TV show. Lord Lyonel Strong, served as Hand of the King, offering valuable counsel to the Targaryen ruler. However, it was his sons who truly left their mark on history.
Ser Harwin ‘Breakbones’ Strong was rumored to be the father of Rhaenyra’s children, further fueling the political tensions of the time. His brother, Larys Strong, was a cunning and manipulative man, and is similar to Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. Larys Strong eventuallyhad his brother and father killed in season one of House of the Dragon, passing Harrenhal to him and strengthening the Greens during the Dance, but he ultimately doomed his house.
7House Baratheon
House Words: Ours Is The Fury
In House of the Dragon, the Baratheons' role in the Dance of the Dragons is somewhat limited. The current head of the house, Lord Borros Baratheon, is a ruler whose primary concern is the security of his own house and that of his seat at Storm’s End. This is in sharp contrast to Robert Baratheon from Game of Thrones, who was much more likely to act.
While initially courted by both Lucerys Velaryon representing the Blacks, and Aemond Targaryen representing the Greens, Lord Borros Baratheon ultimately pledges his support to Aegon and the Greens, swayed by the promise of a marriage alliance. Later, after leaving Storm’s End, Aemond accidentally kills Lucerys with his dragon Vhagar, though Borros and House Baratheon had nothing to do with it.
6House Lannister
A Lannister Might Always Pay His Debts?
The Lannisters of Casterly Rock, known for their wealth and ambition, took a pragmatic approach during the Dance of the Dragons. Jason Lannister, a member of the small council, conspired with Ser Otto Hightower to place Aegon II on the throne after Viserys’s death, as he believed that a male heir would be ideal.
This decision allows the Lannisters to preserve their strength for as long as Aegon and the greens rule, and we cannot know for certain the direction the House will take in the future. The Lannister house has always been known to focus on its own interests, which made Jason Lannister conspire in the first place, and they end up preserving their strength till the start of the Game of Thrones TV show.
5House Tully
House Words: Family, Duty, Honor
House Tully is an ancient and respected family known for their leadership and are akin to the Starks in many ways. From their ancestral seat of Riverrun, they have governed the lands of the Trident for generations, even though they are not as wealthy or powerful as some of the other houses in Westeros.
During the Dance of the Dragons,they faced a difficult choice when Oscar Tully went to meet Daemon at Harrenhal, especially given that Lord Grover Tully was too sick to decide between their allegiance to the Iron Throne and their desire to protect their people. Their decision to support Rhaenyra Targaryen, the rightful heir, would have far-reaching consequences for their house and the realm.
4House Stark
House Words: Winter Is Coming
In the frozen North, House Stark stands as a symbol of honor and duty. Led by Lord Cregan Stark, they remain largely uninvolved in the Dance of the Dragons, focusing on protecting their own lands and people for the harsh winter that followed.
While the Starks did not directly play a role in the war, Cregan Stark provided a small army of greybeards for the Blacks thanks to Prince Jacaerys’s insistence. Lord Cregan Stark played a huge role after the Dance, one that the TV show has yet to explore. In essence, he becomes hand to the new king of Westeros and influences change before heading back north.
3House Hightower
House Words: We Light The Way
House Hightower, have their seat in Oldtown, and are a major player in Westerosi politics. Alicent Hightower is the mother of Aegon II, and she was a driving force behind the Dance of the Dragons after misunderstanding Viserys’s words on his deathbed and proclaiming Aegon II the new King.
The Hightower’s wealth and political connections made it possible for Aegon II to steal the throne from under his sister, in a conspiracy that tore Westeros apart. The plan was Otto Hightower’s, who was hand to King Viserys and then briefly hand to King Aegon. They are essentially the reason why House Targaryen lost the dragons, and Otto’s plan for his own descendant to be on the Iron Throne eventually failed.
2House Velaryon
House Words: The Old, The True, the Brave
With their ancestral seat in Driftmark, House Velaryon was a powerful and proud seafaring family. They have a huge naval fleet and have a history of trade and exploration. Their loyalty to the Targaryens was what led them to side with Rhaenyra and the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons.
As the second major Valyrian house that survived the doom, the Velaryon family is almost as strong as the Targaryens, with dragons of their own. Corlys Velaryon, known as the Sea Snake, is a legendary admiral and eventually became hand to the queen, his counsel proving invaluable to Rhaenyra’s cause.
1House Targaryen
House Words: Fire And Blood
The central figures of House of the Dragon, the Targaryens, are the ruling dynasty of Westeros. Their reign is brought forth by their strength and dragons, and Aegon the Conqueror uniting six kingdoms is what started the entire story of the Targaryens.
The Dance of the Dragons was what led to the downfall of House Targaryen, and eventually the extinction of the dragons, but the Targaryens continued to be monarchs of the seven kingdoms up until the rebellion against the Mad King. They are no doubt the strongest of the houses at the start of the House of the Dragon TV show.
