House Of The Dragon Sets Up The Best Non-Targaryen Character For Upcoming Game Of Thrones Spinoff
WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale!
Summary
- House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale sets up Orys Baratheon in the Aegon’s Conquest spinoff, expanding Targaryen history.
- Jace’s lineage as a bastard draws interesting parallels to Orys Baratheon’s rise to power in the Targaryen family.
- Baela’s reassurance to Jace in House of the Dragon is a subtle nod to the future story of King Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones.
With plenty of Game of Thrones spinoff shows currently in the works, it’s fitting that House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale sets up a character from one of the most anticipated upcoming prequels. Following House of the Dragon’s success, the franchise is set to go even further into House Targaryen’s past with a series centered on Aegon’s Conquest. House of the Dragon has already laid the groundwork for the Aegon’s Conquest prequel, including the reveal of Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire dream, references to his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys Targaryen, and subtle connections to important stories from this era.
One such anticipated story revolves around Orys Baratheon, who is expected to be the most significant character not bearing the Targaryen name in the Aegon’s Conquest show. The founder of House Baratheon, Orys has a backstory that’s somewhat familiar to beloved characters in both House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, given he begins his rise to power as a rumored bastard of House Targaryen. Thanks to a scene between Jacaerys Velaryon and Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 2’s ending, Orys’ narrative already has a great setup and link to the existing Game of Thrones shows.
Jace & Baela’s House Of The Dragon Season 2 Finale Scene Sets Up Orys Baratheon In The Aegon’s Conquest Spinoff
Jace Isn’t The First Targaryen Bastard Raised Into Nobility
Much of Jacaerys Velaryon’s House of the Dragon season 2 story sees him contend with his true parentage as a bastard fathered by Ser Harwin Strong. Jace continues to confront his insecurities and fears that his “secret” status as a bastard could risk losing his inheritance and title as Rhaenyra Targaryen’s successor on the Iron Throne. In House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale, his betrothed Baela Targaryen reassures him that his position isn’t at risk just because other bastard Velaryon and Targaryen “dragonseeds” claimed dragons.
Jace was raised in nobility as the eldest son of Rhaenyra Targaryen, King Viserys’ named heir to the Iron Throne, and nothing changes that. As Baela mentions, Jace is far from the first noble heir who was not actually sired by his noble father, as there are certainly other bastards who have been raised as highborn children and given titles despite their illegitimate birth. In fact, bastards of House Targaryen being raised up with incredible power in the realm dates all the way back to Aegon’s Conquest, more specifically with the compelling character of Orys Baratheon.
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Who Orys Baratheon Is & What Happens To Him In Aegon’s Conquest
Orys Baratheon Is One Of The Most Famous Targaryen Bastards
House Baratheon has played a less dominant role in House of the Dragon than in Game of Thrones, but that won’t be the case for HBO’s show based around Aegon’s Conquest. Rather, House Targaryen’s history with House Baratheon will be explored in far more depth, and their relationship will be a far cry from the animosity between the two families in Game of Thrones. While Robert Baratheon’s hatred for Rhaegar Targaryen and all other members of the dragonriding family persisted throughout the original HBO show, Aegon I Targaryen and Orys Baratheon are close allies in the Conquest.
Though his parentage is never officially confirmed and there’s no knowledge of who his mother was, Aegon’s grandson King Jaehaerys I Targaryen openly considered Orys a “dragonseed.”
According to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, Orys Baratheon is rumored to be the bastard brother of King Aegon I Targaryen. Though his parentage is never officially confirmed and there’s no knowledge of who his mother was, Aegon’s grandson King Jaehaerys I Targaryen openly considered Orys a “dragonseed.” In the franchise’s histories, Orys is said to be the illegitimate son of Aerion Targaryen, the Lord of Dragonstone, making him the half-brother of Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys. Orys was also Aegon’s closest friend and ally in their youth, as the two were raised alongside one another.
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Once Aegon begins the Conquest of Westeros, Orys takes on a position that would later become known as Hand of the King. Among his most notable acts in Aegon’s Conquest is capturing Storm’s End from the former King Argilac Durrandon during the battle referred to as the Last Storm. With help from his dragonriding half-sister Rhaenys Targaryen, Orys kills the Storm King, becomes Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, and takes Argilac’s daughter Argella as his wife.
Orys Baratheon is seemingly the great-great-grandfather of
House of the Dragon
‘s Lord Borros Baratheon.
After this feat, Orys officially forms House Baratheon as the “secret” bastard noble brother of King Aegon. If Jace had looked to Orys within House Targaryen’s own family tree in House of the Dragon, he would see that his “secret” bastard status and dark hair don’t necessarily hinder his claim to nobility.
Jace & Baela’s Scene Also Foreshadows King Joffrey Baratheon’s Game Of Thrones Story
Joffrey Is Another Noble Heir Not Sired By His Noble Father
Not only do Baela‘s reassuring words to Jacaerys hark back to the story of Orys Baratheon, but they also foreshadow the future of King Joffrey Baratheon. Exactly as Baela remarks, Joffrey is a noble heir who was not actually sired by his noble father. While Joffrey is the noble heir to King Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones, he’s secretly a bastard sired by his uncle, Ser Jaime Lannister. Regardless, Joffrey ascends the Iron Throne after Robert’s death, which, unlike Jace’s claim in House of the Dragon, causes a devastating war across the realm.
House of the Dragon
Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.
Game of Thrones
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Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
