When Game of Thrones first aired in 2011, audiences were introduced to two siblings with distinctive white hair.
They were Daenerys and Rhaegar Targaryen, who were the last in a great line of kings, queens and former rulers of Westeros.
House of the Dragon will take viewers back to when that rule was at its peak, a time known as the Dance of the Dragons.
This is around 10 generations before Daenerys found her three dragon eggs, bringing back the legendary beasts that most thought were long extinct.
However, the Targaryen story dates back far further, starting with Aegon the Conqueror.
The series kicks off today on Sky Atlantic in the UK, along with NOW.
The beginnings of House Targaryen
The Targaryen household dates back hundreds of years, with rich lore to play with thanks to George RR Martin’s comprehensive A Song of Ice and Fire novels.
Most of their history is explored in the book Fire & Blood, with House of the Dragon taking inspiration from it.
It catalogues the story of Aegon the Conqueror, who invaded Westeros with an army of dragons by his side.
He managed to unify the seven kingdoms under one rule, changing the course of history in the world.
The invasion was so shattering that it changed the dates, with Before Conquest (BC) and After Conquest (AC) being this universe's equivalent of Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD).
When Aegon eventually died, his son Aenys Targaryen succeeded him as ruler.
From here, the story takes a classic Game of Throne turn, as Aenys’ eldest daughter Rhaena married his eldest son, Prince Aegon.
The public didn’t stand for the twisted union, forcing Aenys to flee to Dragonstone until his death.
Maegor, his sixth son, ended up killing Prince Aegon, who was now king, taking the Iron Throne for himself.
Eventually, Maegor died, though the details surrounding it have remained a mystery for book readers to dig into.
Aenys' one remaining heir Jaehaerys then took over the rulership.
House of the Dragon timeline
Jaehaerys is the grandfather to Viserys I, the current king at the time of House of the Dragon, played by Paddy Considine in the show.
He is married to Alicent Hightower, played by Olivia Cooke.
Viserys succeeded his grandfather and shortly after this is when the new series kicks off.
In A Song of Ice and Fire’s history, Viserys chose his daughter to be the next ruler, Princess Rhaenyra (played by Emma D’Arcy).
This enraged his younger son, Daemon (Matt Smith), who was the rightful heir to the empire.
This was one of the moments that led to the Dance of the Dragons, a complex struggle which saw the Targaryens collapse into civil war.
Between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones
Both Rhaenyra and Daemon’s spouses would eventually die, leading the siblings to marry each other.
They would go on to share three children: Aegon the Younger, Viserys, and Visenya, who died in childbirth.
Following the death of Viserys, Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower crowned Aegon II as the king while Rhaenyra was away in Dragonstone.
This was the final nail that led to the bloody civil way which saw the dragons wiped out across the map.
Aegon eventually won the war and married off his daughter Jaehaera to Rhaenyra’s Aegon the Younger.
Aegon the Younger eventually became known as Aegon III and succeeded the throne.
When Aegon III died, his son Daeron sat in the Iron Throne, before being killed by his brother, Baelor I.
Baelor then starved himself to death and his uncle Prince Viserys took the throne.
Viserys was then succeeded by Aegon IV, who in turn was followed by Daeron II.
Daeron was followed by Aerys I Targaryen, who died leaving his brother Maekar to take the reins.
Aegon V, Maekar’s son, then became ruler, and his own child, Jaehaerys II eventually took over for just three years.
His son Aerys II then ruled over the seven kingdoms, who became known as The Mad King.
Game of Thrones begins just after Tywin Lannister, played by Charles Dance, kills The Mad King, ending the Targaryen reign after hundreds of years.
It leaves Daenerys and Rhaegar no choice but to flee, where we find then in the desert back in the original first season.
