House of the Dragon Timeline EXPLAINED

Summary

This video from WatchMojo explores the history of the Targaryen family in the 'Game of Thrones' universe, from their rise as the last Dragon Lords after the Doom of Valyria to their eventual decline. It delves into key events like Aegon the Conqueror's establishment of the Iron Throne and the Dance of the Dragons, which nearly wiped out dragons and Targaryens. The video also touches on the incestuous practices to maintain purity of bloodline, the Mad King's downfall, and Daenerys' and Jon Snow's roles in the Targaryen legacy.

Takeaways

• 🔥 The Targaryens were once a part of the advanced Valyrian Freehold civilization, which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 102 BC.
• 🐉 The Targaryens were the last Dragon Lords, with dragons being a key to their power and rise to prominence.
• 👑 Aegon the Conqueror, along with his sisters, used their dragons to conquer Westeros and establish the Targaryen dynasty in 1 AC.
• ⚔️ The Iron Throne was forged from the swords of Aegon's defeated enemies, symbolizing his rule over the Seven Kingdoms.
• 👑 The Targaryens continued the Valyrian tradition of incestuous marriage to keep their bloodline pure, which sometimes led to instability.
• 👶 Aegon the Conqueror's decision to conquer Westeros was influenced by a prophetic vision of the end of the world, similar to a vision his ancestor had about Valyria's downfall.
• 👧 Princess Rhaenyra was named heir by her father, Viserys, breaking tradition, but the succession was challenged by her half-brother Aegon II.
• 🐲 The Dance of the Dragons was a brutal civil war between Aegon II and Rhaenyra, nearly leading to the extinction of dragons and the Targaryen dynasty.
• 📉 The decline of the Targaryens was marked by internal strife, rebellions, and the self-destructive tendencies of their rulers.
• 👑 The Mad King Aerys II was known for his cruelty and was overthrown in Robert's Rebellion, nearly ending the Targaryen line.
• 🌟 Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow are revealed to be the last surviving members of House Targaryen, with Daenerys' tragic end leaving Jon as the sole representative of the once-great house in the television adaptation.

Q & A

What was the significance of the Valyrian Freehold in the history of the Targaryens?

The Valyrian Freehold was the most advanced civilization in the Known World, and it was the home of the Dragon Lords, including the Targaryens. The Targaryens were not a prominent family initially, but after the Doom of Valyria, they became the last Dragon Lords and rose to power.

What event led to the Targaryens leaving Valyria and settling in Dragonstone?

A Targaryen named Danis had a prophetic vision of a fiery apocalypse that would destroy Valyria. Following this vision, Lord Anar Targaryen and his family left Valyria and settled in Dragonstone.

What was the Doom of Valyria, and how did it affect the Targaryens?

The Doom of Valyria was a catastrophic volcanic eruption that occurred in 102 BC and destroyed the Valyrian civilization. This event left the Targaryens as the last Dragon Lords and allowed them to rise to power.

Who was Aegon the Conqueror and what was his significance in the Targaryen history?

Aegon the Conqueror was the first Targaryen ruler who conquered Westeros with the help of his dragons and sisters. He established the Targaryen dynasty and forged the Iron Throne from the swords of his defeated enemies.

Why did Aegon the Conqueror decide to conquer Westeros?

Aegon the Conqueror was influenced by a prophetic vision of the end of the world, similar to the one that Danis had foreseen for Valyria. This vision led him to conquer Westeros to secure a future for his family.

What was the Dance of the Dragons, and what were its consequences for the Targaryen family?

The Dance of the Dragons was a brutal civil war that took place in 129 AC between two factions of the Targaryen family, the blacks and the greens. It nearly led to the complete destruction of the Targaryens and their dragons, marking the end of their golden age.

How did the Targaryens maintain their bloodline's purity according to the script?

The Targaryens continued the Valyrian tradition of incestuous marriage to keep their bloodline pure. This practice involved marrying close relatives, including siblings.

What was the role of Rhaenyra in the Targaryen succession during the events of House of the Dragon?

Rhaenyra was initially named as the heir by her father, Viserys. However, after Viserys remarried, his son Aegon II claimed the throne after Viserys' death, leading to a conflict over succession.

What was the impact of the Targaryens' intermarriage on their rule and family?

While the intermarriage was intended to maintain the purity of their Valyrian blood, it sometimes resulted in offspring prone to eccentricity and cruelty, which contributed to the decline of the Targaryen rule.

Who was the Mad King, and how did his reign contribute to the fall of the Targaryen dynasty?

The Mad King, Aerys II, was known for his cruelty and self-destructive behavior, including the execution of Rickard Stark and his son Brandon. His actions led to Robert's Rebellion, which ultimately resulted in the end of the Targaryen reign.

What were the events that led to the near extinction of dragons during the Targaryen era?

The Dance of the Dragons and subsequent conflicts led to the near extinction of dragons. By the end of these events, House Targaryen had only two dragons left, and their remaining eggs would not hatch.

Outlines

00:00

🐉 The Rise and Fall of the Targaryen Dynasty

This paragraph delves into the history of the Targaryens, starting from their humble beginnings as a Dragon Lord family in Valyria to their rise to power after the Doom of Valyria. It discusses the pivotal event of Aegon the Conqueror's invasion of Westeros with his dragons, the establishment of King's Landing, and the creation of the Iron Throne. The paragraph also touches on the Targaryens' incestuous practices to maintain their bloodline's purity and the eventual decline of their house due to internal strife, such as the Dance of the Dragons, which nearly led to their extinction. The summary ends with the Mad King's reign and the rebellion that overthrew the Targaryen dynasty, leaving only Daenerys and Viserion alive to carry on their legacy.

05:00

🔥 The Targaryen Legacy and the War for the Iron Throne

The second paragraph continues the Targaryen narrative, focusing on the aftermath of Robert's Rebellion and the events leading up to the War for the Iron Throne in 'Game of Thrones'. It highlights Daenerys' quest to reclaim the Iron Throne and the hatching of her dragons, as well as the revelation of Jon Snow's true parentage as a Targaryen. The paragraph discusses the decline of the Targaryens due to their inbreeding, which led to eccentric and cruel rulers, and the tragic end of Daenerys, who succumbed to the same flaws as her father, the Mad King. The summary concludes with Jon Snow as the last surviving member of House Targaryen, reflecting on the complex and often tragic history of this once-great dynasty.

Keywords

💡House of the Dragon

House of the Dragon is a television series that serves as a prequel to the popular show Game of Thrones. It delves into the history of House Targaryen, exploring their rise and rule over Westeros. The series is central to the video's theme, providing a historical context for the Targaryen family and their dragons, as seen in the script's discussion of their civilization and conquests.

💡Targaryens

The Targaryens are a noble family with a rich and complex history in the fictional world of Westeros. They are known for their dragon-riding ancestry and their Valyrian bloodline. In the video, the Targaryens' story is traced from their origins as Dragon Lords in Valyria to their rule in Westeros, highlighting their significance in the narrative.

💡Valyria

Valyria was an advanced civilization in the Known World, known as the Valyrian Freehold, which was destroyed in a catastrophic event referred to as the Doom of Valyria. The Targaryens, being Dragon Lords, managed to escape this disaster and are depicted as the last of their kind in the script, setting the stage for their future dominance.

💡Dragon Lords

Dragon Lords were the nobility in Valyria who had dragons as their mounts. The Targaryens were once a part of this elite group, but they became the last remaining Dragon Lords after the Doom of Valyria. The script emphasizes their importance as the only ones capable of riding dragons, which contributed to their rise to power.

💡Aegon the Conqueror

Aegon the Conqueror, also known as Egon, was the first Targaryen ruler of Westeros. The video script describes how he used his dragons to conquer the Seven Kingdoms and establish the Targaryen dynasty. His actions and decisions, such as forging the Iron Throne and founding King's Landing, are pivotal to the history discussed in the video.

💡Iron Throne

The Iron Throne is a symbol of power in Westeros, forged by Aegon the Conqueror from the swords of his defeated enemies. It represents the Targaryens' rule over the Seven Kingdoms and is a central element in the video's discussion of their reign and the subsequent power struggles.

💡Dance of the Dragons

The Dance of the Dragons refers to a brutal civil war within the Targaryen family, nearly leading to their extinction. The script mentions this event as a significant turning point for the family, illustrating the destructive nature of their internal conflicts and the decline of their dragon population.

💡Incestuous Marriage

The Targaryens practiced incestuous marriage to keep their bloodline pure, a tradition inherited from the Valyrians. The video script discusses this practice as a key aspect of their culture, which had both intended and unintended consequences, including the production of unstable heirs.

💡Mad King

The Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, was the last Targaryen ruler before Robert's Rebellion. Known for his cruelty and descent into madness, he is a tragic figure in the Targaryen lineage. The script uses his story to illustrate the decline of the Targaryen dynasty and the eventual rise of Robert Baratheon.

💡Robert's Rebellion

Robert's Rebellion was a war that led to the end of Targaryen rule in Westeros. The video script describes how the rebellion was sparked by the Mad King's actions, resulting in the deaths of many Targaryens and the ascension of Robert Baratheon to the throne.

💡Daenerys Targaryen

Daenerys Targaryen is a central character in both the video script and the Game of Thrones series. She is one of the few Targaryens to survive Robert's Rebellion and goes on to hatch new dragons, continuing her family's legacy. The script highlights her journey as a key part of the Targaryen story.

Highlights

The Targaryens were not a prominent Dragon Lord family before the Doom of Valyria.

Aniar Targaryen's vision of a fiery apocalypse led the Targaryens to leave Valyria and settle in Dragonstone.

The Doom of Valyria in 102 BC resulted in the Targaryens being the last Dragon Lords standing.

Aegon the Conqueror's vision of the end of the world influenced his decision to conquer Westeros.

Aegon the Conqueror arrived in Westeros with three dragons and a small army in 2 BC.

The Targaryens established King's Landing and the Iron Throne after Aegon's conquest.

Aegon the Conqueror's reign began in 1 AC, marking the start of Targaryen rule in Westeros.

The Targaryens continued the Valyrian tradition of incestuous marriage to keep their bloodline pure.

The Dance of the Dragons in 129 AC was a brutal war between Aegon II and Rhaenyra for the throne.

The Dance of the Dragons nearly led to the extinction of dragons and the end of Targaryen's golden age.

The Targaryen decline was marked by internal strife and the loss of dragons.

The Mad King's reign was characterized by cruelty and self-destruction, leading to Robert's Rebellion.

Daenerys Targaryen hatched three new dragons, marking the return of dragons to the world.

Jon Snow, revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, is the last surviving member of House Targaryen in the series.

The Targaryen history is one of conquest, power, and eventual decline due to internal conflicts and inbreeding.

The rise and fall of House Targaryen is deeply intertwined with the fate of dragons in Westeros.

The Targaryen's rule was challenged by their own kin, leading to civil wars and the near extinction of their lineage.

The prophecy and visions of the Targaryens played a significant role in shaping their actions and Westeros' history.

Transcripts

the idea that we control the

dragons is an illusion welcome to watch

Mojo and today we're looking at how

House of the Dragon fits into the larger

history of the targaryens there will be

spoilers for events in both House of the

dragon and Game of Thrones The Dragon

Lords the highest of the nobility lived

here the Doom of valyria four centuries

before the events of Game of Thrones a

targaryan named danis dreamt of a fiery

apocalypse that would destroy valyria

the capital city of the Valyrian

Freehold the Freehold of valyria as it

came to be known became the most

advanced civilization in the Known World

ruling over the Freehold were the Lord's

Freeholder the most powerful of which

were the dragon Lords at the time the

targaryens were not a particularly

prominent Dragon Lord's family but that

was about to change heeding his daughter

Denise Lord Anar Targaryen and his

family left OS behind settling in Dragon

Stone sure enough 12 years later in 102

BC a devastating volcanic eruption

reduced the mighty Valyrian civilization

to ashes the peninsula itself was

shattered becoming what is now the

smoking sea in the aftermath the

targaryens were left as The Last Dragon

Lords standing and so began the dragon

riding Clan's rise to even greater power

for thousands of years the valyrians

were the best in the world at almost

everything and

then and then they weren't egon's

Conquest four decades Targaryen eyes

remained fixed on events to the east in

OS however Egon the first changed that

his gaze drawn Westward when he launched

his Conquest in the year 2 BC he arrived

on westerosi shores with only a modest

Army but he had his dragon blar and the

black dread and his two sisters who were

also his wives had their dragons vagar

and marxis the quarrelsome Kings of

westero stood little chance against them

within just 2 years years they all fell

with the exception of Dorne after his

victory Egon forged the Iron Throne from

the swords of his foes and established

the city of King's Landing where he and

his sisters had first come ashore and

Aon ordered the construction of a royal

castle on its highest hill the red keep

the year 1 AC after the conquest marks

the beginning of his reign with the

targaryen's control over fire breathing

dragons there was no challenging them

ironically the only one on capable of

destroying the targaryens were the

targaryens themselves here's another

twist Egon didn't conquer Westeros on a

whim of power hungry ambition as

revealed in House of the Dragon a

prophetic vision of the end of the world

influenced his decision it was a

dream and just as danis foresaw the end

of valyria Egon foresaw the end of the

world of men this Vision comes true

centuries later with the rise of white

walkers in the Game of Thrones timeline

from Egon the to rira the targaryens

continued the Valyrian tradition of

incestuous marriage to keep their

bloodline pure Egon the first fed Sons

with both his Sister Wives the crown

passing first to his son with Reise

anise however after anise's death egon's

son with viena megor claimed the throne

megor the cruel proved to be a tyrannous

ruler and came into conflict with the

faith over his multiple wives a amid

Rising discontent an's son Jaris put

forth his own claim to the throne soon

after megor was found dead on the Iron

Throne slashed and impaled by the very

swords he sat on wise and just Jaris

reigned for 55 years which brings us to

the events of House of the Dragon where

Jaris must choose an heir from among his

grandchildren although rise was eldest

tradition favored male succession and

Jaris chose viseris forever branding

Reise the queen who never was the prince

viseris Taran bucking tradition viseris

eventually named his daughter rira as

his Heir Mona

Targaryen princess of

Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne

however the widowed King remarried to

rira's childhood friend Allison hiow and

in a Royal twist after his death their

son Egon II claimed the Throne all hail

his

grace Aon

second of his name the dance of the

dragons with both Egon II and rira

crowned and claiming the throne a brutal

war was inevitable taking place in 129

AC nearly 170 years before the events in

Game of Thrones the dance of dragons led

to the near extinction of the World's

Last Dragon Lords your cause owns a

power that has not been seen in this

world since the days of old valyria

dragons those loyal to rira Nick named

the blacks rallied to her while the

greens backed alicant one of the

catalysts for the royal blood bath was

the murder of rira's son Lucas and the

murder in Revenge of Egon II son Jaris

hold him

[Music]

down we won't go into too many details

about what followed as we don't want to

spoil the rest of House of the Dragon

but this bloody Civil War almost led to

the complete destruction of the

targaryens and their dragons and ended

the House's golden age before the war

house targaryan counted 18 Dragons by

the end we had two and nearly as few

targarian the decline of House Targaryen

as with many dynasties the history of

the targaryens is one of Conquest power

and eventual decline during the reign of

Egon III The Last Dragon died and their

remaining eggs would not hatch dragons

had been crucial to the Targaryen grip

on power over subsequent decades

targaryan rulers struggled to squash

various rebellions most notably those

led by the Targaryen bastard Damon

Blackfire and his descendants adding

fuel to the fire was their Infamous

penchant for intermarriage while

intended to maintain the purity of their

Valyrian blood it sometimes resulted in

Offspring prone to eccentricity and

cruelty this may help explain why later

Targaryen rulers prove to be incompetent

and self-destructive dragging their once

great house down to ruin which brings us

to the Mad King he cut himself so often

on his Iron Throne many referred to him

as king scab Robert's Rebellion burn

them

all the Mad King ays II was fond of

burning his enemies but his murder of

Rickard Stark Lord of Winterfell and his

son Brandon sealed the fate of his house

the Starks had been protesting the

apparent Abduction of lyanna Stark by

Prince rhaegar Brandon Stark Lana's

eldest brother was

outraged he rode to King's Landing to

confront the king and demand his

sister's safe

return instead Aris had him executed in

282 AC Robert Baratheon who had been

betroth to lyanna rebelled together with

lord of the eie John Aaron and Ed Ard

Stark Rickard son and Brandon's brother

it was however Tywin Lannister's cunning

that led to the brutal sack of King's

Landing and the end of the Targaryen

Reign the Targaryen line was almost

wiped out the king stabbed to death by a

member of his own King's Guard sir Jamie

Lannister when I watched the Mad King

die I remembered him laughing as your

father

burned it felt like justice only two of

his children Daenerys and viseris

survived smuggled out of Dragonstone

before Robert's brother Stannis captured

it Robert ascended the throne and this

of course leads to the events in Game of

Thrones where Daenerys outlives her

cruel brother and manages to hatch three

new dragons

the last Targaryen in the screen

adaptation of George RR Martin's novels

it's revealed that another Targaryen

survived Jon Snow son of rhaegar and

lyanna in Martin's book series there's

also a young man young Griff who claims

to be the son of rhaegar and Elia

Martell yet another Egon it remains to

be seen how events will play out in the

books but in Game of Thrones

controversial final season Daenerys does

Westeros only to go from savior to Mad

Queen unable to avoid her father's fatal

[Applause]

flaws

and her tragic end leaves Jon Snow as

the last surviving member of the once

great House Targaryen no one is very

happy which means it's a good compromise

I suppose which Targaryen do you deem

the greatest of them all let us know

what you think in the comments below I

will answer Injustice with Justice did

you enjoy this video check out these

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