Game of Thrones fans were surprised to see the familiar opening credits in the House of the Dragon series as they weren’t expecting it. Perhaps the franchise wanted to remind the viewers that we will hear similar themes from the original show, but there is something distinct about it compared to its predecessor. The themes and the events depicted in House of the Dragon are 200 years prior to what we know. So, it makes sense how they kept the general sound alive and changed the rhythm of the entire theme.
While going through the opening credits, you may have noticed the streams of blood, gears, sigils, and different kingdoms. The opening credits sequence may be perplexing to House of the Dragon viewers. Nonetheless, Game of Thrones fans will know it is not an opening representing a map of the world but the map of a family and the legacy of Targaryens.
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House of the Dragon’s Opening Credits Represent The Targaryen Family Tree
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The opening credits of House of the Dragon begin in Old Valyria, the Targaryen family’s ancestral home. They would have perished in the volcanic eruption if it hadn’t been for the Dragonstone established across the Sea. Aegon the Conqueror, or Aegon Targaryen I, is the first to conquer Westeros and establish the family’s foothold – thus, we see his insignia showing three dragons. As the blood flows from the first gear, it splits into two more, each representing a different bloodline with his two sister wives, Rhaenys and Visenya, the first queens of Westeros. The bloodlines, however, only follow Rhaenys as Visenya’s children never had a chance to seize the throne.
Rhaenys’ son, Aenys I Targaryen, ascends to the throne and later passes it on to Jaehaerys I Targaryen. As the King, he must strengthen the lineage, and together with his sister-wife Alysanne, they spread nine more bloodlines during Jaehaerys’ reign. Later, these nine bloodstreams spread out and converse into two thick streams of blood representing Baelon I Targaryen and Alyssa Targaryen, the siblings who married each other to carry on their family’s legacy.
Viserys and Daemon Targaryen: The Main Storyline Connects to the Opening Credits
Continuing the lineage, Baelon I and Alyssa have Viserys and Daemon, with the former being the elder and the latter being the younger brother. You should note that the right bloodstream falls off the cliff slightly faster than the left, indicating that Viserys continued to produce more heirs while Daemon has yet to form one.
As the intro moves on to the following clip, we see two small sigils and a focused massive sigil with a thick bloodline indicating the Rhaenys Velaryon, the Queen Who Never Was, and Lord Corlys Velaryon’s wife. The bloodlines separate from her and hit the two smaller gears representing her children, Laena and Laenor Velaryon. Only Laenor’s sigil appears to produce another bloodline indicating his role in the Targaryen family.
House Hightower Makes a Prominent Entry
After featuring the Velaryon family, the opening credits exhibit King Viserys’ sigil and a minimal gear lying around in the back, indicating Otto Hightower, the right-hand man of the King who operates from the shadows. Then we see two more gears, one belonging to Viserys and the other to Aemma Arryn, the queen who passed away alongside the King’s heir, leaving the gear filled with blood.
As we roll into the second-to-last scene from the opening credits, Viserys’ bloodstream connects with Alicent Hightower’s sigil implying their marriage. Since there are no more bloodlines extending from the gears, the story of House of the Dragon begins with these characters, which the franchise has chosen not to spoil.
Rhaenyra Targaryen: The True Heir to the Iron Throne
In the final scene of the opening credits, Princess Rhaenyra’s sigil bears the image of the Valyrian steel necklace given by her uncle, Daemon Targaryen. Despite the fact that Viserys married Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra has already been declared the heir to the Iron Throne. As a result, the last spinning gear is Rhaenyra’s, and the final scene depicts all the bloodlines in one scene, representing King Viserys’ model of Valyria.
The bloodlines that had previously connected and flooded through the city complex flow into the Rhaenyra’s sigil, implying how she reigned as the true heir to the Iron Throne. Although the opening theme concludes here, there are a few things that viewers may have missed: the missing Targaryens. Not all the other Targaryens may be deceased; a few are killed, including Maegor Targaryen, Aegon’s brother, who took the throne by force after his death.
Soon after, he faces an unfortunate death, leaving no true heirs to the throne. Hence, the opening credits skip him and represent Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the eldest son of Aenys (son of Aegon’s wife, Rhaenys). The Targaryens who were not shown in the opening credits are either deceased or did not have the opportunity to produce heirs to the Iron Throne. The opening sequence is mainly focused on the Targaryens, so it makes sense. Hopefully, the explanation above has answered most of your questions and will help you understand more in next week’s House of the Dragon episode.
