House Of The Dragon Makes Rhaenyra More Like Daenerys In A Way That Terrifies Me

Warning: This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6, and Fire & Blood, the book on which the show is based.

Summary

Rhaenyra Targaryen’s storyline inHouse of the Dragonseason 2 makes her more similar to Daenerys in a way that terrifies me when considering howGame of Thronesseason 8 turned out. WhileRhaenyra is not meant to beHouse of the Dragon’s version of Daenerys, the two characters share a lot of similarities.George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodcovers the Targaryen civil war during which Rhaenyra had to fight for her birthright against her half-brothers and the rest of the Greens. Several generations later, Daenerys would also have to fight against usurpers for the throne.

The Dance of the Dragonsis a relatively short war compared to how long it took for Daenerys to finally cross the Narrow Sea and make her claim to the throne in Westeros. An important difference between the journeys of Rhaenyra and Daenerys is thatHouse of the Dragonis told from the perspective of multiple characters on both sides of the ongoing war, whereasGame of Thronesfollowed the Mother of Dragons for six seasons before she even arrived in Westeros.Still, Rhaenyra’s struggles inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 6reminded me a lot of Dany’s story.

Rhaenyra Targaryen holding back tears in House of the Dragon next to Daenerys Targaryen before attacking King’s Landing in Game of Thrones

Rhaenyra’s Line About “Fear” Parallels Daenerys In Game Of Thrones Season 8

Daenerys Told Jon “Let It Be Fear Then” In Season 8

Rhaenyra telling Lord Celtigar that she regrets letting them forget to fear her after slapping him reminds me of Daeneyrs’ arc inGame of Thronesseason 8, although with some important differences. Similar to what happened to Daenerys once she finally arrived in Westeros, Rhaenyra currently finds herself on the losing side of the war. While the Blacks technically have more dragons available since they control Dragonstone, the Greens have Vhagar. With Daemon’s goals still unclear and the difficulty in finding new dragonriders,Rhaenyra fears that she will lose the war before she even joins the battlefield.

Tyrion, Daenerys’ hand, asked countless times for her to be away from the battlefield.

This is very similar to the situation Daenerys found herself once when she arrived in Dragonstone and officially declared war against Cersei Lannister. Tyrion, Daenerys’ hand, asked countless times for her to be away from the battlefield. According to Tyrion, Daenerys was too important to be riding a dragon in the middle of the war. This is exactly what Rhaenyra’s council, including her son, has been telling her since the Dance of the Dragons started.Daenerys grew very frustrated from her lack of actionin the war, which I fear Rhaenyra is experiencing too.

How Much Will Rhaenyra Become Like Daenerys In House Of The Dragon’s Future?

King’s Landing Will Welcome Rhaenyra But Turn Against Her Eventually

Daenerys’ turn happened very fast, which is part of the reason whyGame of Thronesseason 8 was so controversial. While the Mother of Dragons did suffer a lot of tragedies in a short time,Game of Thrones’ final season framed Dany as the ultimate villain. For such a risky twist to work, I believe Daenerys’ transition into a vicious character willing to burn down King’s Landing to get to the throne required more time and development. Regardless,Rhaenyra will go through something relatively similar before the end of the warinHouse of the Dragon.

According toFire & Blood, Rhaenyra cut herself upon sitting on the Iron Throne for the first time, which is considered a bad omen.

Rhaenyra is expected to take over King’s Landing inHouse of the Dragon, which happens without too much bloodshed in the book. With Aemong, Vhagar, and Ser Criston Cole away from the capital, plus the Gold Cloaks secretly helping Daemon, there was not much that the Greens could do to stop Rhaenyra from taking over the city. Although Rhaenyra’s first few days of rule are positive, the war continues to escalate in Westeros, and the people of King’s Landing grow unhappy with their new leader.Rhaenyra even starts to be compared to Maegor the Cruel, and after the Riot of King’s Landing, she flees the city.