WARNING! This text incorporates SPOILERS for Home of the Dragon season 2, episode 3 and George R.R. Martin’s Hearth & Blood ebook, on which the present relies!
Abstract
Home of the Dragon’s struggle is partially attributable to the franchise’s behavior of reusing the identify “Aegon.”
Alicent’s misunderstanding of Viserys’ final phrases accelerates the Dance of the Dragons.
The Dance of the Dragons would have seemingly occurred no matter Alicent’s identify mix-up, as tensions between the Greens and Blacks have been already excessive.
A protracted-standing criticism about Recreation of Thrones has paradoxically now had main penalties in Home of the Dragon, because the franchise nitpick is partially accountable for inflicting the Dance of the Dragons. As Home of the Dragon season 2 progresses, each side of the struggle have begun to evaluate the basis causes of the Dance. Whereas Rhaenys argues that the true instigating occasion now not issues because the realm will use their very own causes to battle, akin to the reason for the Battle of the Burning Mill, Rhaenyra is extra involved with whether or not her father really selected Aegon to interchange her as inheritor on his deathbed.
In Home of the Dragon season 2, episode 3’s ending, Rhaenyra sneaks into King’s Touchdown disguised as a septa to talk with Alicent face-to-face. After they every deny involvement within the deaths of Prince Jaehaerys and Prince Lucerys, Rhaenyra asks Alicent concerning the dying Viserys’ final phrases. Alicent states that Viserys spoke about “Aegon” and the “Prince That Was Promised,” which she misunderstood as which means that he wished their son Aegon to succeed him on the Iron Throne. Because the present itself admits, Alicent’s cause for usurping the throne from Rhaenyra was based mostly on a complicated trait that has lengthy been complained about in Recreation of Thrones’ franchise.
Recreation Of Thrones’ Households Continually Reusing The Similar Title Led To Home Of The Dragon’s Battle
Recreation of Thrones followers do not need to really feel so responsible about mixing up the quite a few Aegon Targaryens
After being a supply of annoyance for viewers for properly over a decade, the behavior of Home Targaryen’s household tree typically reusing the identify “Aegon” has come again to chew them. As Aegon is the identify of the Targaryen who conquered Westeros, his moniker has been reused all through almost each subsequent Targaryen technology as a tribute to the highly effective, long-gone king. In Home of the Dragon, the confusion of so many Aegon Targaryens has change into so excessive {that a} mix-up of the identify impressed a full-scale Targaryen civil struggle.
Associated “It is Too Late”: Why Alicent Refuses To Change Her Thoughts Regardless of Studying The Reality About Aegon’s Dream Alicent lastly learns the reality about Aegon’s dream and her mistake with Viserys’ remaining phrases, however is not keen to vary her thoughts in HOTD season 2.
As Rhaenyra now lastly informs Alicent, when Viserys was talking about “Aegon” and the “Prince That Was Promised,” he was really referring to Aegon the Conqueror’s A Track of Ice and Hearth dream – not his son. Contemplating there’s yet one more Prince Aegon Targaryen alive in Home of the Dragon, Rhaenyra’s elder son with Daemon, Alicent’s mistake turns into all of the extra irritating. With Viserys’ final phrases additionally mentioning “what [Aegon] noticed within the North,” it is all of the extra absurd that Alicent thought he was talking of their son, who seemingly has by no means been anyplace near the North.
Would The Dance Of The Dragons Have Occurred With out Alicent’s Title Combine-Up?
The Dance had arguably already begun lengthy earlier than Alicent’s mistake
Picture by Debanjana Chowdhury
Whereas it’s virtually comically ironic that Alicent’s justification for crowning Aegon relies on mixing up his identify with Aegon the Conqueror, it isn’t the only cause for the Dance of the Dragons. Alicent claiming that Viserys wished Aegon on the Iron Throne helped velocity alongside Group Inexperienced’s usurpation of the throne by boasting a “legit” declare from Viserys himself, however the struggle seemingly would have occurred regardless. Otto had laid the seeds of usurpation ever since Aegon’s delivery, and the feuding between the Greens and Blacks for round twenty years meant some battle was inevitable after Viserys’ dying.
Viserys’ lack of ability to crush the Greens and Blacks’ feuds earlier than the brand new technology of Targaryens was born meant struggle was all the time coming, no matter Alicent’s grave mistake.
Actually, when Otto is eliminated as Aegon’s Hand of the King in Home of the Dragon season 2, Alicent’s father implies that he by no means believed Viserys wished Aegon to be king. Alicent’s declare about Viserys’ final phrases meant Otto and the Inexperienced Council had much less convincing to do to different noble homes, however he would have discovered causes to undermine Rhaenyra’s declare and seat Aegon both means. Viserys’ lack of ability to crush the Greens and Blacks’ feuds earlier than the brand new technology of Targaryens was born meant struggle was all the time coming, no matter Alicent’s grave mistake.
Recreation Of Thrones’ Greatest Twist Proves Home Targaryen By no means Realized Its Lesson
Home Targaryen would not cease utilizing the identify Aegon after the Dance of the Dragons
Although this trait results in a devastating civil struggle, by the point the timeline reaches Jon Snow, aka Aegon VI Targaryen, there are literally 12 recognized Aegon Targaryens in Recreation of Thrones historical past. It is clear that Home Targaryen by no means realized its lesson after Alicent’s Aegon mix-up had such catastrophic penalties, but it surely’s additionally potential that neither Alicent nor Rhaenyra ever advised anybody the reality about her mistake. Alicent will likely be intent on defending her ego regardless of her mistake in Home of the Dragon, whereas Rhaenyra must disclose the key of Aegon’s Track of Ice and Hearth dream with a view to clarify Alicent’s mistake.
Targaryens Named Aegon Relations Lord Aegon Targaryen Son of Daenys “the Dreamer” & Gaemon Targaryen King Aegon I “the Conqueror” Targaryen Son of Aerion Targaryen & Valaena Velaryon Aegon “the Uncrowned” Targaryen Son of King Aenys I Targaryen & Alyssa Velaryon Aegon Targaryen Son of King Jaehaerys I & Queen Alysanne Targaryen Aegon Targaryen Son of Prince Baelon & Princess Alyssa Targaryen King Aegon II Targaryen Son of King Viserys Targaryen & Alicent Hightower King Aegon III Targaryen Son of Rhaenyra & Daemon Targaryen King Aegon IV Targaryen Son of King Viserys II Targaryen & Larra Rogare King Aegon V “Egg” Targaryen Son of King Maekar Targaryen & Dyanna Dayne Aegon Targaryen Son of King Aerys II & Queen Rhaella Targaryen Aegon Targaryen Son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen & Elia Martell Aegon VI Targaryen (aka Jon Snow) Son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen & Lyanna Stark
Following Rhaenyra’s son Aegon the Youthful, there are no less than 5 extra Aegon Targaryens within the household’s lineage, with the fnal one being Jon Snow as Aegon VI Targaryen. After all, Jon might all the time select to start going by his delivery identify after Recreation of Thrones’ ending, and, in that case, might later have a son who he names after none apart from Aegon Targaryen. However, if there’s one other wheel that the Targaryens ought to have damaged for good in Recreation of Thrones, it is their obsession with the identify Aegon. Since Jon Snow’s Recreation of Thrones sequel present is now not taking place, whether or not one other Aegon Targaryen is ever born might by no means be recognized.
If there’s one other wheel that the Targaryens ought to have damaged for good in
Recreation of Thrones
, it is their obsession with the identify Aegon.
Why Home Targaryen Reuses The Title “Aegon” So A lot In Recreation Of Thrones Historical past
Home of the Dragon provides a brand new cause for this custom
Customized Picture by Debanjana Chowdhury
The easy clarification for why Home Targaryen typically makes use of the identify Aegon is that it is custom to call their kids after legendary figures of their lineage. This is not only a custom adopted by Home Targaryen, as Home Stark’s household tree contains a number of Rickons, Home Lannister has just a few Tyrions, and Home Greyjoy even has a number of Theons. The names which might be typically repeated are ones that date again to a determine with unimaginable affect and significance in a home’s historical past, with the names of kings usually being probably the most frequent monikers handed down.
Nonetheless, Home Targaryen’s use of Aegon is way extra recurrent of their household tree than different Westerosi homes’ repeated names. It is because Aegon is a reputation related to the best energy, energy, and affect the household has ever recognized below the exploits of Aegon the Conqueror. Maybe partially based mostly in superstition, the Targaryens with the identify Aegon are anticipated to have a certain quantity of energy and energy worthy of bearing the Conqueror’s moniker, which is why so many kings name their firstborn sons Aegon. Moreover, by regularly passing down “Aegon,” every new Westerosi technology is reminded of the Conquest and energy of Home Targaryen.
Associated How Aegon’s Dream Simply Modified Recreation Of Thrones Historical past (Once more) Is What I’ve Been Ready 2 Years For Home of the Dragon season 2, episode 3 makes one other point out of Aegon the Conqueror’s A Track of Ice and Hearth prophecy, and it is a very good selection.
Given the context of Aegon’s A Track of Ice and Hearth dream, there’s but another excuse for utilizing his identify a lot. Aegon had a dream {that a} Targaryen sitting the Iron Throne would unite humanity towards the useless and the chilly deep within the North, however had no thought whether or not that might come throughout his technology or after his dying. With every Targaryen inheritor being advised the dream and its significance, they seemingly believed that the identify Aegon can be integral to fulfilling the prophecy.
Home of the Dragon’s Viserys names his son Aegon, his inheritor Rhaenyra names her son Aegon, her son Viserys names his son Aegon, and the cycle goes on. A number of generations later, the Prince That Was Promised seems to be Aegon VI Targaryen in Recreation of Thrones, as Jon Snow fulfills Aegon’s prophecy and unites the realm towards the White Walkers to save lots of humanity. Although there are nonetheless debates about whether or not Daenerys, Jon, or each are the Prince That Was Promised, it would not appear coincidental that the prophecy was no less than partially fulfilled by a Targaryen bearing the Conqueror’s identify.
New episodes of Home of the Dragon season 2 launch Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
Home of the Dragon Happening about 172 years earlier than the occasions of Recreation of Thrones, Home of the Dragon tells the story of the rise of the Targaryens, the one household of dragonlords to outlive the Doom of Valyria. The favored HBO spinoff present first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower earlier than they have been changed by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older variations of the characters. Additionally starring within the sequence is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.Launch Date August 21, 2022 Seasons 2 Administrators Miguel Sapochnik , Clare Kilner , Alan Taylor , Greg Yaitanes , Geeta Vasant Patel , Andrij Parekh Showrunner Ryan Condal Develop