The Targaryen family tree is one of the most complex and tangled dynasties in television history. With House of the Dragon Season 3 now airing, many viewers find themselves confused about which character is related to whom and how they connect to Game of Thrones. The show takes place nearly 200 years before Daenerys Targaryen tried to reclaim the Iron Throne, making the family connections important to understand.
The Targaryens ruled Westeros for almost 300 years, starting with Aegon the Conqueror who united the Seven Kingdoms. By the time of House of the Dragon, the family is at its peak power, controlling the largest number of dragons in history. The civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons eventually tears them apart and leads to the downfall of their dragons.
The Targaryen Dynasty: Where It All Began
Aegon the Conqueror established the Targaryen dynasty when he invaded Westeros with his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys. He created the Iron Throne from the swords of his defeated enemies and became the first king to rule all Seven Kingdoms. Aegon also had a prophetic dream called “The Song of Ice and Fire,” which warned of a darkness that would come from the North and required the fire of Targaryen dragons to defeat.
After Aegon’s death, his son Aenys became king but was later killed by his brother Maegor, who became known as “The Cruel.” Maegor’s cruel rule ended when he died under mysterious circumstances, and Aenys’ son Jaehaerys took the throne. Jaehaerys became known as “The Old King” and ruled for nearly 60 years during a period of peace and prosperity.
Jaehaerys had 13 children, but many died young. His heir Aemon died before him, leaving his daughter Rhaenys as a possible successor. However, a Great Council chose Jaehaerys’ son Baelon instead, and later chose Baelon’s son Viserys over Rhaenys because she was a woman. This decision set a precedent that women could not inherit the Iron Throne, which became a major source of conflict in House of the Dragon.
King Viserys I and His Two Families
King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) sits on the Iron Throne at the start of House of the Dragon. He is the grandson of Jaehaerys and the father of the main characters in the show. Viserys had two families, and this division created the conflict that leads to civil war.
Viserys’ first wife was Aemma Arryn, who died during childbirth. Their only surviving child was Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock as young, Emma D’Arcy as adult). Viserys named Rhaenyra as his heir, making her the first woman to hold that position in the history of the Iron Throne.
After Aemma’s death, Viserys married Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey as young, Olivia Cooke as adult), who was Rhaenyra’s childhood friend. This marriage created a second family that challenged Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne. Viserys and Alicent had four children: Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron.
Team Black: Rhaenyra’s Family
Rhaenyra leads the faction known as Team Black. Her claim to the Iron Throne comes from her father’s decision to name her as his heir. She married twice and had children from both marriages.
Rhaenyra’s First Marriage: The Velaryon Connection
Rhaenyra’s first husband was Ser Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan), son of Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. This marriage was arranged to unite two powerful dragon-riding families. However, Laenor was attracted to men, and the marriage was essentially open.
Rhaenyra had three sons during her marriage: Jacaerys (Harry Collett), Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon. These children are widely believed to be fathered by Ser Harwin Strong, not Laenor. They have brown hair instead of the silver-white Targaryen hair, which makes their parentage obvious to everyone in court.
Jacaerys, often called Jace, is Rhaenyra’s heir and rides the dragon Vermax. Lucerys, called Luke, was killed by Aemond at the end of Season 1, which triggers the full-scale war. Joffrey survived into Season 2 and remains part of his mother’s court.
Rhaenyra’s Second Marriage: Her Uncle Daemon
After Laenor’s “death” (which was actually staged so he could escape to Essos), Rhaenyra married her uncle Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). Daemon is Viserys’ younger brother and a skilled warrior who rides the dragon Caraxes.
Daemon had two daughters with his first wife Laena Velaryon: Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell). Baela rides the dragon Moondancer and is betrothed to Jacaerys. Rhaena does not have a dragon but is trying to claim the wild dragon Sheepstealer in the Vale.
Daemon and Rhaenyra had three children together: Aegon the Younger, Viserys II, and a stillborn daughter named Visenya. These children were sent to Pentos for their safety during the war, but Rhaena stayed behind to find a dragon.
Team Green: Alicent’s Family
Alicent Hightower leads Team Green, the faction supporting her son Aegon’s claim to the throne. She had four children with King Viserys, and each of them plays a significant role in the Dance of the Dragons.
Aegon II Targaryen
Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) is Viserys’ eldest son with Alicent. He is crowned king after his father’s death despite Rhaenyra being the named heir. Aegon is described as careless and more interested in pleasure than ruling. He married his sister Helaena, continuing the Targaryen tradition of sibling marriage.
Aegon rides the dragon Sunfyre and has three children: twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, and a younger son Maelor. At the Battle of Rook’s Rest, his brother Aemond accidentally attacks him with Vhagar, leaving Aegon severely wounded. He fled King’s Landing with Larys Strong’s help and is currently in hiding.
Helaena Targaryen
Helaena (Phia Saban) is Aegon’s wife and sister. She has prophetic dreams and is considered a “dreamer” like Aegon the Conqueror. Helaena rides the dragon Dreamfyre but refuses to participate in battle. She is described as gentle and somewhat detached from the political conflicts around her.
Aemond Targaryen
Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) is the second son of Viserys and Alicent. He is the most dangerous member of Team Green, known for his skill with a sword and his ruthless nature. Aemond lost an eye in a childhood fight with Rhaenyra’s sons and has held a grudge ever since.
Aemond claimed the largest and oldest dragon, Vhagar, after the death of Laena Velaryon. He killed Lucerys at the end of Season 1 and later attacked his own brother Aegon at Rook’s Rest. With Aegon injured and in hiding, Aemond serves as Prince Regent and Protector of the Realm.
Daeron Targaryen
Daeron is the youngest son of Viserys and Alicent. He has not appeared in the first two seasons of House of the Dragon but was mentioned as being a ward of House Hightower in Oldtown. Daeron is known as “Daeron the Daring” and rides the dragon Tessarion. He will join the war in Season 3.
House Velaryon: The Sea Snake’s Family
House Velaryon is one of the oldest houses in Westeros, with roots in Old Valyria like the Targaryens. They are masters of the sea and control the largest fleet in the Seven Kingdoms.
Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), known as the Sea Snake, is the head of the family. He married Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, and together they had two children: Laena and Laenor.
Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) was known as “The Queen Who Never Was” after being passed over for the throne twice. She rode the dragon Meleys and was a trusted advisor to Rhaenyra before her death at the Battle of Rook’s Rest in Season 2.
Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) was married to Daemon Targaryen before her death during childbirth. She rode Vhagar, the dragon later claimed by Aemond.
Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) was Rhaenyra’s first husband. He is believed dead but actually faked his death and fled to Essos with his lover Qarl. He left his dragon Seasmoke behind, which was later claimed by Addam of Hull.
Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) and Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) are Corlys’ bastard sons, revealed in Season 2. Addam became a dragonrider when he claimed Seasmoke, and he fights for Rhaenyra. Alyn serves in Corlys’ fleet and has become more important to the family.
Connecting House of the Dragon to Game of Thrones
House of the Dragon takes place roughly 200 years before Game of Thrones. The Targaryen family tree connects the two shows through Rhaenyra’s line. Rhaenyra is a direct ancestor of Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones.
Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is the daughter of Aerys II Targaryen, known as the Mad King. Aerys was the last Targaryen king before Robert Baratheon overthrew him. The Targaryen succession from Rhaenyra to Daenerys goes through Rhaenyra’s son Aegon III, then through many generations to Aerys II.
Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is also a Targaryen descendant. His true father was Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenerys’ older brother, making Jon Rhaenyra’s descendant as well. In House of the Dragon, Daemon has visions of Daenerys and the White Walkers, suggesting the Targaryen destiny is still unfolding.
Other houses connect the shows as well. The Baratheon line that ruled in Game of Thrones descended from House Targaryen through Rhaenys. The Stark family also appears in House of the Dragon as Lord Rickard Stark swears fealty to Rhaenyra.
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The Dance of the Dragons: Civil War Begins
The conflict between Team Black and Team Green is known as the Dance of the Dragons. This civil war tore the Targaryen family apart and led to the death of most of their dragons. The war began when Viserys died and Alicent claimed he had changed his mind about his heir on his deathbed.
The Greens crowned Aegon II while Rhaenyra was away on Dragonstone. Rhaenyra refused to accept this and began gathering allies for war. The conflict grew when Aemond killed Lucerys, starting a cycle of revenge that has consumed both families.
By Season 3, Rhaenyra has captured King’s Landing and has seven dragons at her disposal. The Greens are scattered, with Aegon in hiding and Aemond ruling as Regent. The war is far from over, and the Targaryen family tree will continue to lose branches as the fighting continues.
House of the Dragon Season 3 premiered on June 21, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max. The season has eight episodes and has received strong reviews from critics, holding a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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