House of the Dragon episode 3 included a three-year time jump, after which we saw a young Aegon Targaryen celebrating his second birthday. As the first-born son to King Viserys Targaryen and his new wife Alicent Hightower, many assume that he will automatically become heir to the Iron Throne, due to being a male.
The events of this last episode, however, meant that things aren’t as cut and dry as first thought. Will Aegon Targaryen become king in House of the Dragon? For the answer, we can look to George R. R. Martin’s book, Fire and Blood. Note that there will be heavy spoilers as to the future of House of the Dragon…
Does Aegon Targaryen become king of the Seven Kingdoms in House of the Dragon?
Named after Aegon the Conqueror, young Prince Aegon II would go on to become the sixth Targaryen king to sit on the Iron Throne. Succeeding his father, he is also known as Aegon the Usurper due to his ascendance to the throne, despite not being named heir. That honor fell to Aegon’s older half-sister, Rhaenyra, who has had many lords and landed knights swearing their loyalty to her and oaths to defend her rights. Of course, not everybody would stick to those vows, and tensions at court mounted until the inevitable battle for the throne would begin.
How did Aegon become king when he wasn’t the heir to the Iron Throne?
Upon the death of King Viserys, those who supported Aegon’s claim for the Iron Throne would keep the news of his passing a secret for a full week. At this time, Rhaenyra was pregnant at Dragonstone, so preparations for Aegon’s coronation would go undisturbed at King’s Landing. The majority of the small council agreed to crowning Aegon, but he would at first deny his claim. Instead, he said that Rhaenyra, as heir, should become queen. Ultimately though, Aegon was persuaded to take the throne, after being told that he and his brothers would be executed if Rhaenyra was crowned.
One member of the Kingsguard who supported Rhaenyra, fled to Dragonstone with King Viserys’ crown. There, she was given her own coronation, disputing Aegon’s ascension and kickstarting a civil war that would later be called the Dance of the Dragons. It is that battle that we are surely going to see take place across the likely many seasons of House of the Dragon. The result of that war? The deaths of countless fighters, along with Rhaenyra and Aegon themselves. Whether or not showrunners decide to go down that exact path in the series however, remains to be seen.
House of the Dragon continues Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
