House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal discusses how important the Targaryen sigil is and Daenerys’ influence in the story. Emilia Clarke played the Mother of Dragons in the original Game of Thrones series, vowing to take back her rightful place on the throne, but the season eight ending left many fans disappointed. The GOT prequel series will be centered on Daenerys’ ancestors, and her presence will still be felt.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Condal explained the changes to the Targaryen sigil and what it represents.
“The truth of the matter is you think you’ve seen the Targaryen sigil a lot in the original Game of Thrones, but actually it’s not in Game of Thrones that much. You’ve seen it on books and Funko Pops and things like that. That was how far and high the Targaryen dynasty had fallen, that the sigil did not exist really anymore until Daenerys brought it back about. So we chose to go down a road that I think honored where Daenerys left us off versus where people think it all started. But I will say, stay tuned. Hopefully it will all make sense in due time.”
When GOT started, the Targaryen dynasty had nearly been wiped out. All that seemed to remain of the fallen house was Daenerys and her cruel brother Viserys (Harry Lloyd), who sold her off to the Dothraki, which meant that their dragon banners weren’t featured heavily throughout most of the series.
Up until season five of Game of Thrones, Daenerys used the two-legged dragon sigil on banners, armor, and the like, but in season six, the four-legged dragon design started to appear. For example, the flags on Dany’s ships when she sailed from Mereen to Westeros in the season six finale were four-legged.
Condal confirmed that the reasons for the alternate designs will all come together in House of the Dragon. The series takes place about 200 years before the War of the Five Kings and will further explore Targaryen history. Interestingly enough, The Making of HBO’s House of the Dragon book shows the two-legged design, but George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood book features four. The mystery thickens.
From the images and trailers so far, House of the Dragon already boasts changes that differentiate it from the original series. The Iron Throne is more book accurate, crudely forged with many swords that give it a menacing look, and dragons will feature heavily in the series, with many Targaryen dragonriders taking to the skies to do battle. Condal has compared the series to the fall of Rome, so expect tragedy of epic proportions when it airs.
House of the Dragon will reign on HBO Aug. 21.