House Of The Dragon Cast: Every Game of Thrones Prequel Character Explained

Upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon will introduce viewers to a brand new cast and set of characters. Here’s what to know about them.

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Upcoming Game of Thrones prequel show House of the Dragon has assembled an impressive cast, who will bring to life several key characters – including plenty of Targaryens – from the world of Ice and Fire created by George R.R. Martin. Game of Thrones may have ended in 2019, but Westeros will endure on HBO, which has big expansion plans for the universe. While one, based around The Long Night, has already been cancelled after a pilot episode was shot, there are many more spinoffs in the works.

The first of them will be House of the Dragon, which is being developed by Martin himself alongside Ryan Condal, with the latter set to serve as showrunner alongside longtime Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik. Other key players will be back too, including composer Ramin Djawadi, but while there will be some very familiar elements to the show – including political scheming, epic battles, dragons, and, of course, incest. The prequel series will also introduce a new raft of characters.

House of the Dragon will take place hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones. This era is a very different time for Westeros; whereas Game of Thrones depicts Daenerys as ostensibly the lone Targaryen in the world, this will feature the house’s dynasty at its peak, alongside those who work with and against them. Building to the Civil War known as the Dance of the Dragons, the prequel will feature several fascinating characters.

Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen

Viewers of Game of Thrones are no strangers to various Kings and Queens of Westeros, and so it makes sense that the main character of House of the Dragon – at least for season 1 – will be its ruler of the time, King Viserys I Targaryen. The grandson of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Viserys has to not only succeed the Old King but live up to his standards. Given Jaehaerys is generally recognized as one of the greatest Kings in Westeros history, that’s no easy feat, although Viserys does his best to manage it. Viserys was chosen as the new King by the Great Council, which is a concept Game of Thrones introduced in its series finale to elect Bran as its new ruler, although the council of 101AC will likely be a grander affair.

Viewers will also be familiar with his dragon, as Viserys is the last dragonrider of the great Balerion the Dread, whose skull was shown in the crypts of the Red Keep. Unlike many of the Targaryen Kings referenced in Game of Thrones, Viserys himself is a rather peaceful man who dislikes conflict, and his reign is mostly a peaceful and prosperous one. However, his actions do, unfortunately, lead to the Dance of the Dragons in the wake of his death. Viserys will be played by veteran British actor Paddy Considine, who has appeared in the likes of Dead Man’s Shoes, Hot Fuzz, Journeyman, and The Outsider. The first teaser trailer for House of the Dragon barely shows Viserys, but a quick glimpse does see him sitting on the Iron Throne. In his hand is a sword, which looks to be Blackfyre, a Valyrian steel sword with a lot of history.

Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen

The firstborn child of Viserys I Targaryen, Rhaenyra was officially made his heir after the death of Baelon, Viserys’ second son (his first remains unnamed, but died in infancy like Baelon, while their mother, Aemma, also passed away). This was an unusual move at the time, done in part to spite those who mocked the death of Baelon, and would ultimately give Westeros its first ruling Queen. Rhaenyra spent most of her childhood preparing to succeed her father, and maintained her position as heir even after he re-married, as he wedded Alicent Hightower and had several more sons. After being named Princess of Dragonstone at the age of 16, Rhaenyra married Laenor Velaryon, with whom she had three sons, although the marriage was, as is often the case in Westeros, one more of political and tactical gain than for love.

After Laenor was killed, Rhaenyra married her uncle, Daemon Targaryen; following Viserys’ death, he supported her claim to the Iron Throne, which was challenged by her younger half-brother, Aegon. This split is what led to the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen Civil War that divided Westeros into two factions – the greens (Aegon) and the blacks (Rhaenyra) – and ultimately saw Rhaenyra crowned Queen. Described as beautiful yet stubborn and quick-tempered, it’s also noted that Rhaenyra never loses the weight from her pregnancy, something that feeds into her dislike of Viserys’ new wife, Alicent. In House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra will be played by Emma D’Arcy, who is best known for her role as Astrid in Truth Seekers. In the trailer, a younger version of Rhaenyra is shown (played by Milly Alcock), which alludes to the series spanning at least a decade to show how the characters got from one point to another, as well as her evolving relationship with Alicent.

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower

The second wife of King Viserys I Targaryen, Alicent Hightower is the daughter of Otto, Viserys’ Hand. A close companion of Jaehaerys before his death, Alicent remained a constant figure in King’s Landing through the reign of King Viserys and, when it eventually came time for him to wed again, he chose her as his new bride, despite advice from his small council not to do so. Alicent developed a fierce rivalry with Rhaenyra, with both women having eyes on ruling Westeros; that resentment only grew when Rhaenyra remained the King’s heir, despite Alicent giving him several sons.

It was also Alicent who led to the monikers the greens and the blacks: at a tourney, she dressed in green, while Princess Rhaenyra dressed in the traditional red and black color scheme of House Targaryen, leading to the differing factions. Alicent was an intelligent, shrewd operator who had grown up watching the political machinations of the kingdom, and when Viserys died – with Rhaenyra away on Dragonstone – she quickly made a move to install her own son, Aegon, as the new King. In House of the Dragon, Alicent Hightower will be played by Olivia Cooke. Having risen to prominence as Emma in Bates Motel, Cooke has also starred in blockbusters such as Ready Player One, where she played the female lead Art3mis, and critically acclaimed fare like Sound of Metal as Lou. In the trailer for House of the Dragon, Alicent is shown running towards someone carrying the catspaw dagger, which was used in an attempt to kill Bran and, later, when Arya killed the Night King in Game of Thrones season 8. The dagger certainly draws connections between the prequel show and Game of Thrones.

Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen

Prince Daemon Targaryen is the younger brother of Viserys, and a complicated character in his own right. While Daemon supports his brother’s claim to the Iron Throne at the Great Council, he largely does so out of his own lofty ambitions, believing it will place him next in line if Viserys fathers no sons. Daemon and Viserys have an oft-difficult relationship, which isn’t helped by the former’s rivalry with the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower. Daemon is regarded as one of the greatest warriors of his age, although he’s also strong-willed, roguish, and bad tempered to go with it. For a time, Daemon rules as the self-proclaimed King of the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea, but eventually gives up the mantle to rejoin his brother’s side and take a place on the small council.

That itself didn’t last long, though, as rumors of Daemon taking Princess Rhaenyra’s virginity before her 16th birthday led the King to exiling him. This saga would go on, with Daemon eventually winning back his brother’s favor once more and returning; eventually, he married Rhaenyra, albeit without Viserys’ knowledge. After the King’s death, Daemon declared Rhaenyra as the Queen, and was at the very forefront of the war that ensued. For House of the Dragon, Daemon Targaryen will be played by Matt Smith, best known as the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who, the kind of genre fare that should make him well-equipped to the pressures of a show such as House of the Dragon. While there’s little in the way of similarities between Daemon and Eleven, Smith has shown his dramatic range in plenty of other roles, most notably as Prince Philip in The Crown. In the trailer for House of the Dragon, Daemon is shown interacting with Rhaenyra and in combat with someone who might be Criston Cole.

Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower

The father of Alicent, Otto Hightower’s most crucial role is serving as the Hand of the King, a job he performed for Jaehaerys I and continued to do so when Viserys took the crown. The head of House Hightower of Oldtown, Otto was an incredibly intelligent and arrogant man, who often attempted to use his position as the King’s Hand to bend his ear and impress his own wills, especially where Prince Daemon was involved. This nature eventually led to him losing the role, with Viserys stripping him of the Hand and sending him back to Oldtown after he continually pushed for Alicent’s son to be made heir instead of Rhaenyra. However, when his replacement died, Otto returned to resume his role. Following the death of King Viserys, Otto, alongside Alicent, was a major driving force in declaring Aegon as the new King. Otto will be played by Rhys Ifans, who has appeared in Notting Hill, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Otto is showd in the trailer in House of the Dragon, though it’s only as he adjusts his robes, with a close-up on the Hand of the King brooch to signify his role and its importance in the series.

Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon

Also known as the Sea Snake, after his ship of the same name, Corlys Velaryon is the head of House Velaryon which, like House Targaryen, is Valyrian in origin. A brilliant sailor, Corlys was said to be incredibly adventures, and journeyed well beyond the lands and waters of Westeros, which brought him great prosperity. Corlys’ voyages made him the stuff of legend in Westeros, but he also had his own ambitions on-land too, which included marrying Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, the daughter of Aemon and granddaughter of King Jaehaerys. Corlys was slighted several times following this: Rhaenys was overlooked as Queen; their son, Laenor, was passed over in favor of Viserys to become King; when Viserys remarried, he chose Alicent Hightower instead of their daughter, Laena. This led to an angry Corlys teaming-up with Daemon Targaryen, helping him claim the Stepstone crown.

However, one of his offspring would eventually wed a Targaryen, as Laenor later married Princess Rhaenyra, having several children before his death (although the kids themselves are rumored to have been fathered by Ser Harwin Strong). In the Dance of the Dragons, Corlys supports the claim of Rhaenyra and serves as Hand of the Queen, but later betrays her for Aegon II. Steve Toussaint, who has appeared in a multitude of British TV shows including Doctor Who, Skins, and It’s A Sin, as well as movies such as 1995’s Judge Dredd, will play the Sea Snake in House of the Dragon. Corlys is seen in a couple of quick glimpses in the House of the Dragon trailer, one which sees him arriving at King’s Landing for a banquet thrown by the Targaryens.

Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon

Alongside Corlys in House of the Dragon is Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, also known as the Queen Who Never Was, due to her being thought to have been next in line for the Iron Throne after her father, Aemon, who was the son of Jaehaerys. Combining the purple eyes of a Targaryen with the black hair of a Baratheon (Rhaenys’ mother was Jocelyn Baratheon), Rhaenys was considered a great beauty, as well as someone possessing considerable intellect. Rhaenys was passed over for the crown by King Jaehaerys who, following the death of Aemon, had to appoint a new heir; the King chose his second son, Baelon, instead, much to the anger of Rhaenys and her husband, Corlys, something that – as mentioned – they had to get rather used to over the following decades. During the Dance of the Dragons, Rhaenys was, like Corlys, loyal to the blacks and Rhaenyra, serving on her council before her death. Rhaenys will be played in House of the Dragon by Eve Best, who is known for her role as Dr. Eleanor O’Hara in Nurse Jackie. In the trailer for the HBO series, Rhaenys is seen arriving alongside Corlys to a Targaryen banquet.

Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria

Serving as something akin to the Varys of House of the Dragon, Lady Mysaria hails from Lys and serves as the mistress of whisperers to Daemon Targaryen, feeding him information from all around King’s Landing as he plots and schemes. Alongside that role, though, Mysaria was also a long-time lover of Daemon’s, to whom she once became pregnant, although she lost the child after an angry King Viserys ordered her to be sent back to Lys. Both of those roles would continue after his marriage to Rhaenyra and her ascension to Queen, with the character giving those same whispers to Westeros’ new ruler. Sonoya Mizuno, who has been a frequent collaborator of Alex Garland, appearing in Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Devs, will play Mysaria in House of the Dragon. In the House of the Dragon teaser, Mysaria is shown long enough to suggest her role will be important, even if it’s a small glimpse.

Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole

The final major character to be cast for House of the Dragon at the time of writing is Criston Cole, who’ll be played by Fabien Frankel, whose previous credits include Fabien in Last Christmas and Dominique Renelleau in The Serpent. One of the most gifted knights in Westeros, Criston eventually rises to the position of Lord Commander of Viserys I’s Kingsguard, and even defeating Daemon Targaryen in tourneys. Later, there were several rumors of an affair between Criston and Rhaenyra, although, like claims of a romance between the Princess and Harwin Strong, such claims were never proved to be true. What did prove to be true, though, was that something caused a rift between Criston and Rhaenyra; at her wedding to Laenor Velaryon, he fought with Alicent Hightower’s favor, and was loyal to her ever since. That includes the Dance of the Dragons, with Criston among those, like Alicent and Otto, to persuade Aegon to claim the Iron Throne. In the trailer for House of the Dragon, Criston is presumed to be the one locked in combat with Daemon at the tourney, though his face is never actually shown.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/house-dragon-game-thrones-targaryen-cast-characters-explained/