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The Targaryen Family Tree From ‘House of the Dragon’ to ‘Game of Thrones’
Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the book Fire & Blood with spoilers for House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Ah, the Targaryens… They sure love their family. Almost as much as they love white wigs. This familial love, however, comes with a very serious problem: between all the incest, the backstabbing, and the multiple Aegons, Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fans can sometimes get lost in the specifics of the most important family in the Seven Kingdoms.
Game of Thrones alone already has about six Targaryens featured as proper characters, not to mention the ones that are brought up as relevant figures in the history of the Iron Throne. When we throw House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms into the mix, things get even more complicated. After all, this is a franchise in which basically all the characters are Targaryens, and they’re all related to one another by either blood or marriage — sometimes, both! Still, if you find yourself at a loss about who’s who in this neverending dance of dragons, fear not: here’s a guide to all the most important Targaryens in Westeros.
Aegon I Targaryen
The founder of the Targaryen dynasty, Aegon the Conqueror flew from Valyria to Westeros and unified the Seven Kingdoms before the events of both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. He had two children, one with each of his sister-wives: Aenys was Rhaenys son, while Maegor was his son with Visenya. His story will be depicted in the Aegon’s Conquest prequel movie. He rides the massive dragon, Balerion, and House of the Dragon confirms him to be a Dreamer.
Visenya Targaryen
The older of Aegon’s two sisterwives, Visenya was known to be stern and passionate. She wields Dark Sister (the sword later passed down to Daemon Targaryen) and rides Vhagar (who is later ridden by Aemond Targaryen). The eldest of all three Valyrians, rumor is that while Aegon married Visenya in Valyrian fashion, he also took their younger sister Rhaenys as a wife as well — Visenya for duty and Rhaenys for love.
Rhaenys Targaryen
The youngest of the three siblings, Rhaenys was gentler than her older sister and brother. She’s said to prefer dancing and music and flew more on the back of her dragon Meraxes than either of the other two. It is through Rhaenys that the Targaryen line is continued after her son Aenys takes the throne.
Rhaena Targaryen
In Fire & Blood, Rhaena is the daughter of King Aenys I, son of Aegon I and Rhaenys. She claims the blue dragon Dreamfyre, later ridden by Helaena Targaryen. She was married to her uncle/second cousin Maegor I, Visenya’s son and one of Westeros’ most tyrannical kings. Later in her life, as explained by Alys Waters (Gayle Rankin), she would move to live in Harrenhal, where she was also later buried. It’s there that her dragon Dreamfyre apparently laid a clutch of eggs that we see in House of the Dragon Season 3.
Jaehaerys Targaryen
King Jaehaerys I (Michael Carter) is the grandson of King Aegon I by way of his son, Aenys, and Alyssa Velaryon. He had thirteen children, all of whom that were able to inherit the throne died before the end of his reign. Without a proper heir, he held a Great Council so that the lords of Westeros could choose to be ruled by either Rhaenys (Eve Best), the daughter of his eldest son, or Viserys (Paddy Considine), his eldest living grandson. Because the realm prefers a male heir, Viserys is the one chosen in the very first episode of House of the Dragon. Jaehaerys rode the dragon Vermithor, who is later claimed by Jaehaerys’ bastard grandson, Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew).
Alysanne Targaryen
Old Jaehaerys with his family at the Great Council in the House of the Dragon Season 2 credits
The wife as well as the sister of King Jaehaerys, Alysanne was known as the Good Queen and is remembered fondly by the smallfolk of Westeros. Set to marry Ser Orryn Baratheon, Alysanne eloped with her brother to Dragonstone, but the secret union was nearly voided as Jaehaerys refused to consummate the wedding due to his sister’s young age. Their marriage remained hidden from the people of Westeros for many years until Jaehaerys came of age and became king. The two then married in a small public ceremony and had thirteen children together. Alysanne passed away a few years before her husband. Near the end, she’d lost the ability to ride her dragon, Silverwing, and she suffered hearing loss and memory loss. But what was the final straw for her was the suicide of her favorite daughter, Gael, after already having lost 9 other children. Silverwing would later be claimed by Ulf (Tom Bennett).
Rhaenys Targaryen
The Queen Who Never Was earned her moniker after losing the throne to her cousin, Viserys, in the Great Council held by her heirless grandfather, King Jaeherys I. Due to her desire to see a woman on the Iron Throne, Rhaenys eventually comes to support Rhaenyra in the Dance of the Dragons. She is married to Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), with whom she has two children, Laenor (John Macmillan) and Laena (Nanna Blondell). She rides the dragon Meleys, the Red Queen, until her tragic death in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4.
Viserys Targaryen
Unable to provide a male heir with his first wife, Aemma (Siân Brooke), Viserys names his only daughter, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy), as his successor to the throne. This proves to be a mistake for King Viserys eventually remarries Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke), with whom he has three sons: Aegon II (Tom Glynne-Carney), Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), and Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth). The two also have a daughter named Helaena (Phia Saban). Viserys also rode Balerion, though only for a year before his death.
Daemon Targaryen
Before marrying his niece, Daemon (Matt Smith) was her opponent in the fight for the Iron Throne, but his claim eventually went down the drain with the birth of Aegon II. Daemon initially marries Laena Velaryon, with whom he has two daughters, Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell). After Laena kills herself via dragon in order not to die in childbirth, he marries Rhaenyra, with whom he has three children, including the stillborn Visenya. Although he and Rhaenyra initially fight over power at the beginning of her reign, a vision he receives at Harrenhal leads him to pledge himself to her service, ending the tension. He rides the uniquely long-necked Caraxes, the Blood Wyrm.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
The only living child of King Viserys and Aemma Arryn, Rhaenyra is the match that lights the fire of the Dance of the Dragons. It is her father naming her heir in lieu of his brother Daemon that leads the noble houses of Westeros to split up and fight in the bloody war that we have just seen the beginning of in House of the Dragon. Rhaenyra gets married twice over the course of her life and has three children both with Laenor Velaryon (at least publicly) and her uncle-husband Daemon. She rides the yellow-gold dragon Syrax. During the Targaryen civil war over the Iron Throne, she loses both her sons, Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), a loss that devastates her and casts a shadow over her rule.
Baela Targaryen
Baela is the older of Daemon’s two daughters by Laena Velaryon. Baela, whose dragon is Moondancer, is clearly her father’s favorite child. She was betrothed to Jacaerys, but, now, after his death, she is starting a new romance with Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim), her bastard uncle.
Rhaena Targaryen
Rhaena is the younger of Daemon’s two daughters. In Fire & Blood, Rhaena’s dragon dies during infancy, while in the show it seems like her dragon egg never hatched. Later in Fire & Blood, she bonds with a dragon named Morning which makes her the last dragonrider of House Targaryen, but the series has changed the trajectory of her story. Season 3 of House of the Dragon sees her claiming the wild dragon, Sheepstealer, and going rogue after her dragon’s actions lead to Jace’s death.
Jacaerys Velaryon
The eldest son of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon, Jacaerys (or Jace, as he is known by his family) is actually the bastard son of Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). During his mother’s rule, he secured her an alliance of the Starks, and patrolled Westeros on his dragon, Vermax. Although he was a talented negotiator, striking a deal with the North, the Vale, and even the Freys, Jace’s life came to an untimely end at the Battle of the Gullet when Rhaena and Sheepstealer came into the battle and attacked both sides indiscriminately.
Lucerys Velaryon
The middle child of Rhaenyra and Laenor/Harwin, Lucerys is killed in the last episode of Season 1 of House of the Dragon by his uncle, Aemond Targaryen. He’s riding on his dragon, Arrax, near Storm’s End when Aemond attacks him with his own mount, Vhagar. Although Aemond doesn’t mean to kill his nephew, the result is disastrous either way: with one bite, Vhagar splits Arrax in the middle and swallows poor Luke whole.
Joffrey Velaryon
The youngest son of Rhaenyra and Laenor/Harwin, Jofrrey’s true parentage is in the color of his hair. He is named after Laenor’s former lover who died at the hands of Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). His baby dragon is named Tyraxes. Joffrey is sent to the Vale to honor the agreement Jace struck with Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin), serving as their dragonrider protector in name only. By Season 3, Joffrey has returned from the Vale to Rhaenyra’s side in King’s Landing.
Aegon Targaryen
The firstborn son of King Viserys and Queen Alicent is Aegon II. His birth is what eventually leads to the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, as the presence of a direct male heir weakened Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne. When his father dies, Aegon is crowned king by his mother and grandfather, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), despite Rhaenyra still being Viserys’ heir. As a king, he suffered through the brutal assassination of his son, Jaehaerys, and then was attacked by his own brother, Aemond, during the Battle of Rook’s Rest. This not only left him horribly injured and burned, but also led to the death of his dragon, Sunfyre. After the attack, Aegon escapes King’s Landing with Larys (Matthew Needham), and the two travel together disguised, attempting to sail to Essos. They are now also accompanied by Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall).
Helaena Targaryen
Helaena Targaryen is the second child of King Viserys and Queen Alicent. She’s a dragon dreamer, giving her visions of the future. She’s married to her brother Aegon II, with whom she has two children, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. However, Jaehaerys was assassinated early in Season 2, and now Helaena is confirmed to be pregnant with her third child while held captive by Rhaenyra in King’s Landing. In Fire & Blood, her third child is a boy named Maelor. Her dragon is the blue dragon Dreamfyre, though, in the show, she made it clear she has no interest in fighting the war on dragonback.
Aemond Targaryen
Aemond “One-Eye” gained his unfortunate nickname after losing his left eye in a childhood fight with his nephew Lucerys. He eventually gets back at Luke in the worst way possible by accidentally killing him with his dragon, Vhagar, effectively making him a kinslayer. He doubles down on this when he attacks his brother Aegon at Rook’s Rest, nearly killing him, before becoming the regent in his stead. Season 3 sees him going to Harrenhal to take control of the keep. There, he meets Alys Waters, who rescues him after he is fatally wounded. Vhagar has disappeared, but Alys has revealed a clutch of dragon eggs to Aemond that were hidden in Harrenhal that is sure to pique his interest.
Daeron Targaryen
Daeron Targaryen is the youngest son of King Viserys and Queen Alicent Hightower. Up until Season 3, Daeron was only briefly mentioned by name, and his blue dragon, Tessarion, was briefly seen flying over the Hightower troops. In Season 3, we see that he’s the ward of his cousin, Ormund Hightower (James Norton), who is positioning Daeron as the next king of Westeros since Aegon has been reported to be dead and Aemond is missing. Although Daeron takes Ormund’s advice, he is also scared of him and seeks Gwayne’s (Freddie Fox) support when his uncle finally arrives at Tumbleton.
Jaehaera Targaryen
Jaehaera is one of the firstborn twin children of King Aegon II and his sister-wife, Helaena. She is saved by her mother after a pair of hired killers put a knife to Helaena’s throat and force her to point out King Aegon’s heir. After her aunt, Rhaenyra, takes over King’s Landing, Jaehaera is kept in the Red Keep along with her mother and grandmother.
Jaehaerys Targaryen
The other twin born to Aegon and Helaena, Jaehaerys, was favored by his father, who liked to take him to small council meetings. However, the small boy dies horribly when two men invade his room, originally looking for Prince Aemond. With a knife at her throat, Helaena is forced to choose between her children and singles out Jaehaerys as the heir to the throne. The two men then proceed to murder him and cut off his head.
Aegon III, Viserys II, and Visenya Targaryen
Though so far none of them has had an important role in the show, Aegon III, Viserys II, and Visenya are the three children of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and her uncle/husband Daemon. Out of the three kids, only Aegon and Viserys live long enough to become kings in their own right when they get older. Visenya does not survive past her birth, which occurred in the Season 1 finale. Viserys II becomes the great-great-grandfather of Egg aka Aegon V (Dexter Sol Ansell).
Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen
Skipping a few generations, the next Targaryen down the line is Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel), from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Baelor is the son of King Daeron II Targaryen and Queen Myriah Martell, making him Rhaenyra’s great-great-grandson through her younger son, Viserys II. In the series, he served as the heir to the Iron Throne and the Hand of the King to his father. Baelor is one of the few dark-haired Targaryens, taking after his Dornish mother. He earned the name “Breakspear” after winning a tourney against his bastard uncle, Daemon Blackfyre, at the age of 17. He attends the Tourney at Ashford Meadows with his family, where Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) competes, and later joins Duncan’s side in the Trial of Seven. While his participation helped Duncan win the trial, it ultimately also led to him dying of a fatal head wound.
Maekar Targaryen
Maekar is the fourth son of King Daeron II and Queen Myriah, and he is the younger brother of Baelor. Maekar proved himself in the Blackfyre Rebellion alongside his older brother. Maekar has six children with Dyanna Dayne: Daeron (Henry Ashton), Aerion (Finn Bennett), Aemon, Aegon aka “Egg,” Daella, and Rhae. At the Tourney at Ashford Hall, his second son Aerion challenged Ser Duncan to the Trial of Seven, leading to both his eldest son Daeron and Maekar to side with Aerion in the trial. After losing his brother, some believe Maekar had an intentional hand in killing Baelor, a fact that troubles him. Later, Maekar takes the throne after his brother Aerys I dies.
Valarr Targaryen
Valarr (Oscar Morgan) is the eldest son of Baelor, which makes him the new Crown Prince after the Tourney at Ashford Meadows. Like his father, he also has dark hair but with one silver streak that denotes his Targaryen heritage. After Baelor’s death, when Duncan goes to speak with him, he is rebuffed by the mourning prince.
Daeron Targaryen
The oldest of Maekar’s sons has the familiar name, Daeron (Henry Ashton), but unlike King Daeron II or the Daeron of House of the Dragon, he receives the moniker Daeron the Drunken. In the series, it is Daeron whom Dunk comes across at an inn when he is drunk. He is revealed to be a Dreamer like several Targaryens before him. Despite being the oldest son to Maekar, Daeron never becomes king, dying before his father and contributing to the succession crisis following Maekar’s reign.
Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen
Aerion (Finn Bennett), Maekar’s second son, gave himself the name Brightflame. Considered a monster by his own brothers, he was known to be arrogant and cruel. We see this both in how he treats the puppeteer Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford), Dunk, and his younger brother Aegon. He challenges Dunk to the Trial of Seven, which he not only loses but leads to the death of his uncle, Baelor. Later in life, he showed the clearest example of Targaryen madness. Believing himself to be a dragon trapped in human form, he consumed wildfire, which killed him. Though he had one son, Maegor, his line was passed over as heir due to concerns that his madness would be passed on.
Aemon Targaryen
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Aemon (Peter Vaughan) was the third son of Maekar. Although we have yet to see him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, audiences will best know him as a maester and a member of the Night’s Watch in Game of Thrones. He was sent to become a maester when there seemed to be too many Targaryen heirs and, later, joined the Night’s Watch to strengthen Egg’s claim to the throne. Apart from Viserys (Harry Lloyd) and Daenerys, he’s one of the only known Targaryens living at the beginning of Game of Thrones. He’s also one of the few characters in both the HBO show and the A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels to die of natural causes.
Aegon V “Egg” Targaryen
Aegon, also known as Egg, is the fourth son of Maekar (who is a fourth son as well). As a child, he shaves his head to hide his heritage and runs away from home, becoming the squire to the hedge knight Ser Duncan. Although he has an unconventional childhood, this pays off when (much later) he takes the throne as king. Nicknamed Aegon the Unlikely, Egg was especially beloved by the smallfolk and was the first king to oppose the Targaryen practice of incest (though his children, Jaehaerys II and Shaera, defied him). He married Bertha Blackwood and had five children. Aegon is Daenerys’ (Emilia Clarke) great-grandfather.
Aerys II Targaryen
Aerys II (David Rintoul) is the only son of King Jaehaerys II and his sister-wife, Shaera, making him the grandson of Aegon V. Perhaps best known as the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen is the king during Robert’s Rebellion. He was killed by a member of his own Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), after ordering his men to burn down the town of King’s Landing alongside its people. He is the last Targaryen to sit on the Iron Throne before Game of Thrones.
Rhaella Targaryen
Rhaella is the only daughter of Shaera and Jaehaerys II. She was wedded to her own brother, Aerys II, the Mad King. She had three children: Rhaegar (Wilf Scolding), Viserys, and Daenerys. Although they had children, the marriage was a disastrous pairing.
Rhaegar Targaryen
The firstborn son of King Aerys II and Rhaella, Rhaegar was killed during Robert’s Rebellion, considered guilty of kidnapping Lyanna Stark (Aisling Franciosi). Before secretly marrying Lyanna, Rhaegar was married to Elia Martell, a Dornish princess with whom he had two children, Rhaenys and Aegon. In Game of Thrones, he is confirmed as Jon Snow’s (Kit Haringon) biological father, giving him a claim to the throne.
Viserys Targaryen
The horrid brother of Daenerys and Rhaegar is the middle child of Aerys II and Rhaella. Forced into exile at a young age, following the victory of Robert Baratheon’s (Mark Addy) forces, he married his sister to the Dothraki khal named Drogo (Jason Momoa) in the hopes of getting an army that would help him storm Westeros and put him on the Iron Throne. All he got, however, was a pan of liquid, boiling gold thrown onto his head after screaming bloody murder that he needed a golden crown.
Daenerys Targaryen
The Stormborn, Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains, etc. Daenerys is the youngest daughter of the Mad King. She is the sole survivor of the Targaryen lineage until the truth about Jon Snow’s parentage hits the Westeros fan. She was briefly married to Khal Drogo, with whom she had only a stillborn child. Childless, she gives her motherly love to her three dragons, Drogon, Rhaegon, and Viserion, who were the first of their kind born after they were deemed extinct not long after the Dance of the Dragons during the reign of Aegon III (Rhaenyra’s oldest son by Daemon).
Rhaenys and Aegon Targaryen
Young Rhaenys and Aegon were the children of Rhaegar Targaryen and his first wife, Elia Martell. They were killed horrifically alongside their mother by the Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) during Robert’s Rebellion.
Jon Snow
Raised as the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark (Sean Bean), Jon Snow is the product of the relationship that gave rise to Robert’s Rebellion, which eventually put an end to the Targaryen dynasty and led King Robert Baratheon to the Iron Throne. Obviously, we know the rest of the story, but for most of the show, Jon Snow is more a Stark than a Targaryen. Regardless, his biological parents and his bloodline give him a right to the Iron Throne before his aunt, Daenerys.
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