Top 10 House of the Dragon Fan Theories Explained
#10: It Retcons “Game of Thrones” Seasons 7 & 8
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This will be music to the ears of anyone who found the last two seasons lackluster. As fans will remember, Season 6 closes out with Daenerys sailing to Westeros with her dragons flying overhead. As pretty much everyone will remember, the premiere of “House of the Dragon” cuts from the Great Council prologue to Rhaenyra soaring over King’s Landing atop her dragon Syrax. Given the similar shots, fans have interpreted them as the showrunners’ subtle way of retconning what followed after for Dany and company. That, or the events of “House of the Dragon” are meant to be watched immediately after Season 6 almost as a thematic flashback of sorts. In any case, anything that can improve Seasons 7 and 8 is cool with us.
#9: Viserys Has Greyscale
One troubling development early on is King Viserys’s strange skin ailment, which goes from his back to finger between episodes. Naturally, whenever fans think of spreading “Game of Thrones” afflictions, they jump to Greyscale. It would make sense that people may not be widely aware of Greyscale at the time “House of the Dragon” takes place, but there are more than a few counterpoints to knock this theory down. For one thing, the appearance of Viserys’s symptoms aren’t totally in-keeping with what we know of Greyscale, even on a timeline perspective. And second, Greyscale is highly contagious to touch, so it’s likely he would’ve spread it by now. Since we actually see him prick his finger on the Throne, it’s likely it really is Throne-related.
#8: Viserys’s Ailment Is a Little More Hereditary
Now we’re jumping from one fan theory about Viserys into the other. This counterpoint claims that Viserys’s mystery illness is a little more real-world. Or at least, a Westerosi real-world equivalent. Since the first season of “Game of Thrones,” fans have always joked that certain family members are - how do we say this - very close. Too close, if you catch our meaning. And as people know in the real world, this can come with some genetic complications when it comes to offspring. Viserys Targaryen, unfortunately, came from dubious parents, as Baelon and Alyssa Targaryen were also siblings. This would definitely not be a fun explanation, per se, but we wouldn’t put it past a show whose predecessor went way, way further.
#7: Laena Will Fly
As we know, “Game of Thrones” became somewhat liberal with the source material in the later seasons, even despite the eventual lack of source material to pull from. So just because something happens in “Fire & Blood” - the book “House of the Dragon” is directly based on - that doesn’t mean it’ll happen on the show. Yet fans are already seeing the seeds planted of a future dragonrider coming into her own. In the second episode, Viserys has a pleasant if uncomfortable walk-and-talk with Laena Velaryon, whom members of his Small Council have recommended he marry. Again, uncomfortable. But Laena seems much more interested in dragons, particularly Vhagar. Since Laena rides Vhagar on the page, we’re confident she’ll do so onscreen.
#6: Wild Dragons
Obviously, with Vhagar out doing her own thing, there’s at least one wild dragon out and about. But this theory insists that there are more dragons lurking, ones that haven’t been tamed. With the show set long before dragons actually died out, it makes sense we’d see a lot more of them. Whether we see this theory play out this season or later, it’s not implausible to think that there could be a lot more than the Targaryens have under their thrall. To this end, fans have already speculated on the appearance of particular dragons, such as one called Cannibal. And yes, you’d be right in thinking Cannibal ate other dragons, particularly dead ones, young ones and unhatched ones.
#5: Rhaenyra Will Align With Daemon
Daemon Targaryen quickly established himself as the heel of “House of the Dragon,” to put it in wrestling terms. But what if his outright villainy is too on-the-nose? Obviously, Viserys’s decision to marry Rhaenyra’s best friend Alicent Hightower will have major repercussions, both within the House and outside it. And Rhaenyra is already acting disillusioned by it. This theory posits that the rift between her and Viserys will prompt her to seek a solution in Uncle Daemon. It seems like Daemon’s already lining up to handle the growing incursion in the Stepstones as a way to appeal to Viserys’s dissenters. Rhaenyra could aid him, especially if House Targaryen is being infiltrated like a later entry exemplifies.
#4: A Different “Song of Ice and Fire”
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Toward the end of the first episode, Viserys recounts to Rhaenyra Aegon’s vision of the future, self-titled “The Song of Ice and Fire.” But it comes with some discrepancies. For starters, we’re led to believe that Sam came up with the title on his own in the “Thrones” finale. Secondly, a Targaryen on the Iron Throne isn’t ultimately what stops the dead. And third, wouldn’t it be somewhat feasible to think Daenerys and / or her brother Viserys would’ve known about the Song if it was truly passed on through the generations? Of course, sometimes visions, dreams, prophecies, what have you aren’t totally accurate. But this has led fans to speculate on the show’s place in the canon, which leads us to our next entry…
#3: It’s a Prequel to the Books
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You’d be safe in thinking that “House of the Dragon” would be a direct prequel to “Game of Thrones.” And it almost certainly is. But this fan theory does get us thinking. Going off the “Song of Ice and Fire” differences, somes fans believe the new show is in a different continuity than the last one, and instead shares one with George R. R. Martin’s book series. Seeing as Martin is directly developing “House of the Dragon,” fans are wondering if he’s skewing things back over to his world. We haven’t gotten a new novel in his “Song of Ice and Fire” since 2011, but some speculate the next one will line up with what Viserys tells Rhaenyra, among other things.
#2: The Grand Maester Theory
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We all know a Targaryen downfall is coming, and with it the near-extinction of dragons. But what if all that’s being deliberately executed from the inside? It’s common knowledge that the Order of Maesters oppose magic. And in the “Song of Ice and Fire” books, it’s been heavily hinted that they secretly plotted to have the dragons wiped out. So, what better way to do that than to dismantle the House that’s synonymous with them? Grand Maester Mellos already gave faulty advice to perform what would prove to be a fatal cesarean section on Aemma. Who’s to say he didn’t want this outcome, or that he killed the baby himself? Of course, you can’t talk about the Order without mentioning our next entry.
#1: Ser Otto Hightower Is the First Big Bad
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Going off the Order of Maesters theory, superfans will note that they operate in Oldtown, which is also the seat of House Hightower. In fact, the Order wouldn’t exist without House Hightower. So, if Hand of the King Otto Hightower really is working with the maesters, it would definitely explain much of his actions in the first couple episodes. Sure, a lot of people make power plays in this universe, but Otto definitely knew what he was doing when he sent Alicent to comfort a grieving Viserys, which of course paid dividends. Now that a Hightower has a direct line to the Throne and discord has been sewn in House Targaryen, things are starting to point to a Hightower takeover.
