House of the Dragon is set in the world of Westeros and is focused entirely on the Targaryen dynasty. Daenerys works hard through eight seasons of Game of Thrones to return the Iron Throne to her House, and HotD sees Rhaenyra also struggle to get the throne.
The story of the Targaryens is incredibly interesting, and fans see parts of what the Dance of the Dragons and Robert's rebellion left behind. In this future, the Targaryen line is decimated, and all that is left is Jon, aka Aegon. The Targaryens of the past, however, were a strong and powerful house with a long line in front of them. Not all of them were good, however, and many played a part in their own downfall.
12 Aegon Is A Monster
Aegon could've garnered some sympathy, considering how little his father seems to care for him. Viserys disregards all of his children other than Rhaenyra. However, he solidified himself as an irredeemable character when it is revealed he assaulted a young woman, engages in child fighting pits, and fathered many bastards there.
Aegon accepts the throne, knowing that his father didn't want him to rule and that he isn't fit to be king. He takes the position from the true heir, Rhaenyra, and he relishes in the attention when he is crowned.
11 Viserys Wasn't A Strong Leader
Viserys was the head of the Targaryen house as the former king and ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. He was the last rider of the largest dragon to have ever existed, Balerion the Black Dread, before the dragon died of old age. Viserys also pushed his wife, Aemma, into many pregnancies, leading to several miscarriages and her eventual death.
Viserys was not a strong king and was named 'Viserys the Peaceful' due to his non-confrontational nature. Unfortunatelt, this nature causes many problems. He dies following an illness that ravages his body and mind, and Viserys' death leads to a fight over the line of succession between his daughter Rhaenyra and son Aegon.
10 Fans See Little Of Joffrey
Following the death of Joffrey Lonmouth, Laenor, in his grief, names his son with Rhaenyra after him. Alicent summons Rhaenyra right after the birth of Joffrey, and Rhaenyra, in her stubbornness, climbs the many stairs to present her newborn baby to her ex-friend.
Joffrey actually isn't Laenor's son, and Alicent uses Joffrey's hair color at birth to insult Laenor. Despite this, Joffrey bears the Velaryon name, as agreed upon by Corlys and Viserys, but he remains a part of the Targaryen line. He has very little screen time, so his character is left relatively unexplored in the series thus far.
9 Helaena Is Peculiar And Bold
Fans see very little of Helaena, but what they do know is that she is a young girl with an interest in insects. Her brother Aegon calls her an idiot and, sadly for Helaena, the pair end up married with children, despite being siblings.
Helaena is a peculiar young woman, but she speaks up for herself and garners a laugh from Daemon when she discusses marriage. Helaena then dances with Jacaerys, proving that she doesn't harbor any animosity or anger toward Rhaenyra's children and appears oblivious to the rumors regarding their parentage.
8 Baela Resembles Her Mother, Laena
Baela Targaryen is the firstborn daughter of Laena Velaryon and Daemon Targaryen. She is a dragon rider bonded with Moondancer, and she greatly resembles her mother. Baela is devastated after her mother's death and angry at Aemond for taking Laena's dragon.
Baela becomes betrothed to Jacaerys, her uncle Laenor and Rhaenyra's son, and they appear to have an immediate bond and a sweetness for one another. Despite the losses she has endured, Baela has Rhaenys, Rhaena, and Daemon, and the possibility of a bright future with Jacaerys.
7 Rhaena's Future Is Uncertain
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Rhaena is the youngest daughter of Laena and Daemon and, like her elder sister, is shocked by her mother's death. She is still young at the time and has to push through with the support of her grandmother, Rhaenys, who stays firmly by their side.
Rhaena is matched with Lucerys, and the pair are adorable together. Luke is a sweet boy with respect and care for his betrothed. Unfortunately, in the season finale, Luke is killed by Vhagar and Aemond. Rhaena is yet to bond with a dragon, but hopefully will in order to help seek revenge for her lost love.
6 Aemond Is Complex And Vengeful
After losing his eye, young Aemond claims it was a fair exchange, as he gained the largest dragon alive, Vhagar. Still, Aemond clearly holds a grudge against Lucerys, as he tells Luke to pluck out his own eye as a form of justice.
When Luke refuses, Aemond chases him on dragon back, which ends in the death of Luke and his very small dragon, Arrax. The fight was never a fair one; consequently, Aemond appears to have pushed Rhaenyra over the edge and allowed her to have no reservations about going to war with the Greens. It is unclear, however, whether Aemond meant it and, in his mind, it may have been an attempt just to scare Luke.
5 Daemon Is A Charming Villain
Daemon is both a villain in House of the Dragon and a well-liked character, as he is both chaotic and murderous and protective and kind. Characters in Westeros are known for being complex, and Daemon certainly fits the bill.
Daemon is a strong leader who deeply values his Targaryen roots, but he focuses too much on power and position. He also does not allow for any disrespect toward his family, even those from high families. For example, Vaemond, who loudly questions both his niece and brother.
4 Jacaerys Is Next In Line For The Throne
As Rhaenyra's firstborn, Jacaerys is the next in line for the throne following his mother's reign. He bears the name Velaryon, as that is his father's name, but would take the name Targaryen upon being crowned. However, Aegon's crowning puts his future in jeopardy.
Jacaerys is, however, betrothed to Baela, the daughter of Jace's step-father and great-uncle, Daemon. As a Velaryon and Targaryen, Jace holds a lot of power. He is also a dragon rider and has bonded with Vermax. He appears sweet, protective, and good.
3 Rhaenyra Shows Incredible Resilience
Rhaenyra is the princess and heir to the Iron Throne following her father's death. She is a spirited and rebellious young woman who wishes for adventure over a life of duty. Despite this, Rhaenyra does marry highly and has many children.
Rhaenyra is a fan-favorite character because of her protectiveness and strength, as well as her sexual expression and freethinking mind. Rhaenyra loses so much during season one, especially in the final episode when Aegon takes the throne, her father has died, she loses her baby, and Lucerys is killed. Rhaenyra comes through it all with a fighting spirit.
2 Lucerys Is Soft But Strong
Unfortunately, Lucerys loses his life in the final episode of the season. It is very likely that he will be avenged, however, as his mother, Rhaenyra, has both devastation and anger in her eyes upon finding out about his death.
Lucerys is incredibly sweet and dotes on his mother. He is defensive of himself and his family and fights against Aemond, cutting out his eye when he questions their parentage and begins attacking them. Luke dies after standing up for himself once again, declaring he is betrothed to Rhaena and does not bow to Aemond's wishes.
1 Rhaenys Is Courageous And Intelligent
Rhaenys became 'The Queen Who Never Was' when she lost the throne to Viserys, despite having a strong claim and the right temperament for ruling. She was not made heir because she is a woman, but she proves her strength in all she endures throughout the series.
Rhaenys' most iconic moment is when she bursts in on dragon back just as Aegon is crowned and flies off to warn Rhaenyra when the Blacks' allies are being killed. However, Rhaenys doesn't use her dragon against the Greens, as she says it is not her war to start. Furthermore, Rhaenys proves her resilience when she loses both her children in terribly sad circumstances and continues on when it seems her husband is lost.