The upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO Max in 2022. Set 300 years before the events depicted in the Game of Thrones television show and George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books, the show is based on the Targaryen history Fire & Blood, where Martin chronicles the complex and eventful reign of House Targaryen from Aegon the Conqueror up until Aegon III.
Over the past few months, the steady inflow of House of the Dragon news is making the idea of the show coming to television feel more like a reality, certainly something more tangible and exciting. The cast has been announced (see below for links) a few photos of the cast as their characters have been published. Some of the filming locations have also been disclosed. Most recently, showrunner Ryan Condal has revealed some very interesting news about the show, specifically regarding three of the show’s props.
According to Winter is Coming, in a podcast called The Stuff Dreams are Made Of, Condal and Tim Lewis (the prequel’s armorer) had an engaging conversation about swords. In the episode, Condal demonstrated his deep interest and passion for swords. He went into detail about the thought Lewis puts into each and every weapon, considering the occupation the character has and how their sword reflects their personality and social status. For example, Condal said:
“This guy is a very high rich lord but the sword is kind of a symbol of his office but he doesn’t really fight, so he should have something kind of stately, like an heirloom. And this guy fights a lot but he’s not really fussed over the trappings of nobility, so he’s going to have something really nasty and functional.”
Now for the really exciting part: Condal also revealed that three new Valyrian steel swords will make an appearance in season one of House of the Dragon. He also admitted the three blades each have a name, and “they are named famous things.”
The Winter is Coming article stated that as the prequel focuses predominantly on the Targaryen family, it is likely two of those blades will be Blackfyre and Dark Sister. These blades are the ones Aegon the Conqueror and his sister Visenya wielded during the conquest of Westeros, which happened about 100 years before the “main action” to be featured in House of the Dragon. At the time of House of the Dragon, Aegon II Targaryen is in possession of Blackfyre, while Aegon’s uncle, Daemon Targaryen, has Dark Sister. As for the third blade, the possessor and name still remain a mystery for now.
As House of the Dragon is still a year away, there is plenty for fans to predict and speculate about. Hopefully, we’ll continue to receive more news and updates as time goes on and as we get closer to seeing “fire and blood” (and dragons!) on our screens again!
House of the Dragon casting announcements:
First announcement of the main cast
Second announcement of four other cast members
Third announcement of Milly Alcock and Emily Carey joining the cast
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