House of the Dragonhas been teasing us with glimpses of the dragonseeds since the start of the second season, and slowly introduces us to Addam of Hull, Ulf White, and Hugh, all of whom are about to play huge roles in the war.Addam becomes the first to claim a dragon despite being a lowbornand the bastard of Corlys Velaryon, prompting Rhaenyra to try again with the other two powerhouse dragons, Vermithor and Silverwing.

In Season 2, Episode 7, we finally see the claim that allows the Blacks to gain two significant assets in their fight against the Greens. Both Hugh Hammer and Ulf White have had wildly different life experiences that have led them to this moment, and their story has just begun in the show.

Vermithor And Hugh Hammer

Hugh Hammer in the House of the Dragon TV show was shownas a family man trying to help his sick daughterduring the conflict between Aegon and Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra’s blocking of the gullet has made itso there’s a famine in Kingslandingbecause of the lack of trade.

He and his wife try to escape, but the exit from the city is sealed and because of this,his daughter eventually passes away. In episode seven, Hugh is revealed to be a dragonseed, a person with Targaryen ancestry whopossesses the ability to bond with and ride dragons.

His mother is not mentioned by name,but it’s speculated that she is Saera Targaryen, one of King Jaehaerys I’s daughterswhoworked in a pleasure house despite being of noble birth.

Hugh Hammer is a direct descendant of the Old King.

Thedragonseeds are called to go to Dragonstoneand Hugh, along with several Targaryen bastards, gather there where two riderless dragons,Vermithor and Silverwing, reside. The claiming scene is chaotic and intense. The first dragonseed to approach Vermithor isvery quickly burned alive, and several others also die while Vermithor casually snacks on them.

Hugh Hammerdisplays bravery amidst the chaosthat no doubt impressed Rhaenyra as she watched from above. He steps forward whenanother dragonseed is in danger, seemingly attempting to save her. This act catches Vermithor’s attention,who doesn’t harm Hugh, and instead seems to accept him and isofficially tamed by the dragonseed.

Now thatHugh has claimed Vermithor, the dragon of his grandfather, it adds anotherpowerful player to the conflict. His loyalty and intentions remain unclear, making him a wildcard, but for now,he looks to be on Rhaenyra’s side.

The TV show is still unfolding, and it remains to be seen howHugh Hammer’s story will play out. However, based on his book counterpart,he is likely to be a major playerin the events to come.

Silverwing And Ulf White

The claim that Ulf White,one of the most non-serious of the dragonseeds, had made on Silverwing waslargely an accident. Ulf was with the rest of the Targaryen bastards while Vermithor was rampaging and found an escape route thatled him straight to Silverwing’s nest.

BecauseSilverwing is much more docilecompared to literally every other dragon in the show,Ulf is gently nudged asidebefore claiming her and officially becoming her rider. He also accidentally steps on the dragon’s eggs,which somehow doesn’t harm his chancesto claim the dragon.

He thenaccidentally rides her all the way to Kingslanding, where Aemond mounts Vhagar to confront him. Ulf and Silverwing fly back to Dragonstone,where Vermithor and Syrax are ready to face Vhagarbefore Aemond ultimately decides toretreat back to the city.

Though their bonding is swift and unexpected,Ulf displays an immediate affinity for the dragon. This unlikely pairingadds another dragonrider to the Blacks, and the numbers and support that Rhaenyra has nowincreased her chances of winning by a lot.

Ulf White And Hugh Hammer In The Books

Both Ulf and Hughin the books have almost the same story as the TV showso far;individuals of low birthwho display that evenbastards can claim and bond with dragons. They rose to prominence during the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war foughtover the succession of the Iron Throne.

But the book tells a more complete story and how they came to be knownas the Two Betrayers. Initially, they fought for Rhaenyra Targaryen and the Blacks,but both had their loyalty testedat different points andboth eventually betrayed their queen.

Ulf: Fie on that, we should be lords.

—Hugh Hammer and Ulf

During the war,Ulf and Hugh became increasingly dissatisfiedwith their position and rewards. They felt that their service andthe risks they took deserved greater recognitionand riches.

This discontent led them to betray Rhaenyra anddefect to the side of her half-brother, Aegon II,and the Greens. This betrayal was a sharp sting for Rhaenyra, which changed how she felt about her allies significantly andgave her trust issues from here on out.

Both Ulf and Hugh were ambitious, as one would be after claiming a dragon. Following their betrayal, both men were rewarded with lands and titles by the Greens, but even still,they weren’t satisfied with just those titles.

Hugh Hammer, in particular,grew increasingly arrogant and power-hungryand went so far as to fashion a crown for himself whileproclaiming himself king. This act of open rebellion furtherdestabilizes the realmduring the already chaotic Dance of the Dragons.

We need a strong man to lead us, not a boy. The throne should be mine.

Ulf White,while equally ambitious, did not explicitly claim the title of king. However, his actions after becoming rich and importantmade him cruel and unhinged. He also coveted Highgarden, one of the most powerful positions in the Seven Kingdoms, which ultimately led him to clash with other lords and contributed to his death by poison.

Both Ulf and Hugh’s claims to power wereultimately short-livedand ended in their deaths, and one wonders how the story would’ve goneif they never claimed the dragons, since that one action seemed to have made everything worse during the Dance.