What is the Dance of the Dragons? House of the Dragon war explained
Are you Team Black or Team Green? **WARNING: Contains spoilers for House of the Dragon**
The second season of House of the Dragon has almost arrived.
The HBO fantasy drama series continues to explore the world and history of Westeros that we first saw in Game of Thrones and is based on the book Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin.
Tracking the complicated family tree of House Targaryen, the series builds to a focus on who in the family should succeed the Iron Throne from King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine).
Two figures vital in this struggle are Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and the factions around them, but what really is the Dance of the Dragons?
**Spoilers for the book Fire and Blood and House of the Dragon ahead**
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What is the Dance of the Dragons? House of the Dragon war explained
House of the Dragon depicts a civil war that breaks out between factions within House Targaryen over who is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
The civil war is dubbed the 'Dance of the Dragons' due to the clashing of Targaryens and their dragon steeds.
King Viserys I Targaryen himself was chosen as the heir to his grandfather King Jaehaerys in a Great Council, which saw him favoured over his female cousin, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), thereafter dubbed 'The Queen Who Never Was'.
The divisive prospect of Viserys's roguish brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) being named heir to the Iron Throne in the absence of Viserys having a male heir led to a bold move from the king.
At the urging of Ser Otto Hightower, (Rhys Ifans) Hand of the King, Viserys chose to name his daughter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen as heir to the throne, bestowing her the title of Princess of Dragonstone and making the lords of the realm swear to honour this proclamation and honour Rhaenyra.
However, following the death of King Viserys's wife Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) in childbirth, the monarch goes on to take a younger bride in the form of Ser Otto's own daughter, Lady Alicent Hightower.
The marriage between the two proves fruitful and Alicent gives birth to his four children: Prince Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), Princess Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), and Prince Daeron Targaryen.
Despite this, Viserys never recognises any heir to the Iron Throne other than his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra.
Naturally, two factions soon begin to emerge, dubbed the 'Blacks' who defend Princess Rhaenyra's interests and those of her children, and the other dubbed the 'Greens' who defend the interests of Queen Alicent Hightower's children.
The colours in the book came from a frosty tourney held at the fifth anniversary of King Viserys and Queen Alicent's marriage, where Queen Alicent wore a green gown and Princess Rhaenyra wore the Targaryen colours of black and red. Their supporters then went on to match these colours to show their allegiance at court. Traditionally, Green is the colour of House Hightower and Black is the colour of House Targaryen.
These disagreements soon come to tear the royal family apart and spark a bloody war that lasts years and leaves many of them and their dragons dead.
This happens when the Green Council crowns Aegon as King Aegon II Targaryen, while Rhaenyra is crowned as the Queen on Dragonstone.
Who would reign at the end of the war? Would it be Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen or her half-brother King Aegon II Targaryen?
In fact, the Game of Thrones series already spoiled one of the biggest deaths in House of the Dragon back in its third season!
**Major spoilers for House of the Dragon**
Who wins in the Dance of the Dragons? (Spoiler Alert!)
In the third season episode, And Now His Watch Is Ended, King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) gives his bride-to-be Lady Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) a tour of the Great Sept of Baelor.
While there, Joffrey shows her the tomb of Rhaenyra Targaryen herself, having died over a century earlier.
Joffrey reveals: "Rhaenyra Targaryen was murdered by her brother - or rather his dragon. It ate her while her son watched. What's left of her is buried in the crypts right down there."
The murderous brother refers to her half-brother King Aegon II Targaryen, the son of King Viserys I Targaryen and his second wife, Queen Alicent Hightower.
However, we will have to wait and see whether House of the Dragon depicts events in this way or if Joffrey has been influenced by who wrote the history he read.
House of the Dragon airs on Sky Atlantic and is available on NOW. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
Lewis Knight is the Trends Editor for Radio Times, covering trending titles from TV, Film and more. He previously worked at The Mirror in TV, Film, and Showbiz coverage alongside work on SEO. Alongside his past work in advertising, he possesses a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Film Studies.
