Aegon Targaryen Should Play a Major Role in “House of the Dragon”

The much-anticipated “Game of Thrones” prequel, “House of the Dragon,” introduces us to a whole new cast of characters. Set centuries before “Game of Thrones,” the series follows the conflicts and drama of House Targaryen, the powerful, dragon-riding royal family who rule Westeros. Among the many new characters we’ll be meeting is Aegon Targaryen, who may appear to be just one of many family members but, in fact, is set to become one of the saga’s pivotal characters.

Who Is Aegon Targaryen on “House of the Dragon”?

The official HBO character description for Prince Aegon Targaryen, played by Tom Glynn-Carney, simply describes him as the “first-born son of King Viserys,” the king at the time the series starts (played by Paddy Considine). That description, however, majorly downplays just how important he’s going to be as the plot progresses.

It all traces back to the backstory of the Targaryen clan at the time. As laid out in George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire and Blood” – and as will presumably also be laid out in the TV version – King Viserys has been married twice, leading to a conflict over the succession. His first marriage is to Queen Aemma, a member of House Arryn. Their marriage only produces one surviving child: Princess Rhaenyra. After Aemma dies in childbirth, along with what would have been their son and heir, Viserys officially declares Rhaenyra his heir.

Only two years later, however, Viserys gets remarried to Alicent Hightower (played on “House of the Dragon” by Olivia Cooke), and they have two sons, with Aegon being their eldest, 10 years younger than his half-sister, Rhaenyra. Despite now having male heirs, Viserys still intends for Rhaenyra to be his successor, much to the frustration of his new queen and her faction at court. This plan stays in place until Viserys dies, when Rhaenyra is 32 years old and Aegon is 22.

At that point, the Hightower faction and several others decide to disregard Viserys’s wishes and crown Prince Aegon as King Aegon II. Rhaenyra is not even notified of her father’s death until after Aegon’s coronation. This “stolen” crown launches the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, in which the rival Targaryen heirs, Rhaenyra and Aegon, and their factions fight to the death for the Iron Throne.

Will Aegon Targaryen Be in “House of the Dragon” Season 1?

According to HBO’s “House of the Dragon” cast list, Glynn-Carney will appear as Aegon in “House of the Dragon” season one at some point, but his “additional cast” status suggests it’ll be in a smaller capacity than the series’s main cast. While it may take a little while for “House of the Dragon” to set up Aegon’s story, it’s definitely on the horizon, and it’ll put him right in the centre of it all.