House of the Dragon may undo Game of Thrones’ ending through prophecy

The extra House of the Dragon dives into the mysteries of the Targaryens’ previous, the much less it appears to happen in the identical universe as Game of Thrones. While the sequence may be a prequel to Game of Thrones, it’s changing into clear that the new present’s inventive crew is comfy diverging from the unique, concluded HBO sequence in favor of a narrative that’s nonetheless ongoing in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire e-book sequence. By Martin’s personal account, his books are establishing an extended and way more sophisticated ending.

[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones, all of A Song of Ice and Fire, and the first eight episodes of House of the Dragon.]

The division between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones is extra about themes and emotions than it’s about plot, not less than proper now. In House of the Dragon episode 8, “The Lord of the Tides,” the present delved even deeper into Aegon the Conqueror’s royal prophecy, which suggests {that a} Targaryen has to take a seat on the Iron Throne to avoid wasting Westeros from a frozen and lethal risk that waits to the north.

As a lot as this prophecy holds apparent significance for A Song of Ice and Fire followers, who know the place the story goes, and that The Others are on their means, its influence on House of the Dragon is way more speedy. The prophecy is an animating power for the sequence’ characters. Each individual that interacts with it does so in a totally completely different method, letting the concepts of destiny, fortune, and future form their world and selections in distinctive methods.

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

For Viserys, the prophecy is a last legacy that have to be handed on, the obligation of a king to protect his realm and other people. For Rhaenyra, it’s a lifelong sword of Damocles, a burden she secretly carries as she strikes towards the Iron Throne. For Alicent — and perhaps for her kids — it’s a misunderstood warning, a last-minute signal that Viserys may have modified his thoughts on who the realm actually must be dominated by after his dying.

Long earlier than this prophecy manifests in Westeros, it’s guiding the palms of everybody who hears it and main them to form the occasions of historical past. While Game of Thrones by no means managed this sort of sophisticated relationship with the visions in its story, the thought {that a} premonition might form motion is essential to Martin’s books. In A Song of Ice and Fire, as in lots of fantasy sequence, it usually issues much less whether or not a prophecy is true, and extra how the threats or guarantees it brings information the selections of the individuals it’s about.

But the relationship between House of the Dragon and its predecessor present is extra than simply thematically tenuous at this level. According to House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal, the addition of Aegon’s prophecy is one which got here from Martin himself. Given what number of completely different occasions Martin has written variations of this prophecy (or comparable ones) into A Song of Ice and Fire, his doubling down right here definitely appears vital. And if it’s vital, then it should imply that the sequence’ ending can’t be the identical as the one from Game of Thrones — the place it hardly mattered in any respect.

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

The invasion of the White Walkers in HBO’s sequence was a short affair, and principally amounted to an episode-length battle at Winterfell in the lifeless of Westeros’ coldest and darkest season. Few predominant characters have been ever put in actual hazard; the south was by no means concerned; and the largest, most existential risk in the sequence was dispatched with only a jab from a dagger that we now know as soon as belonged to Viserys. It was anticlimactic to say the least, however House of the Dragon provides us our newest instance that it’s additionally in all probability not the destiny meant for the battle in the books.

After all, if the solely solution to save the Seven Kingdoms is for a Targaryen to unite them and sit on the Iron Throne, then issues have to vary, since the throne and most of Westeros didn’t play a component in the Long Night, and no Targaryen actually sat the Iron Throne. Instead, evidently that is pointing towards an eventual future the place Jon Snow is revealed as a Targaryen and winds up ruling the kingdom, or maybe Daenerys might find yourself with a agency sufficient grasp on actuality to ship the realm from The Others earlier than issues go unsuitable. Or perhaps even another person. Either means, it looks like the finish of Martin’s saga can be completely different from the occasions we noticed in HBO’s Game of Thrones, and that the Long Night in the books might be so much longer and extra bleak.

There’s no solution to know for certain precisely how Martin’s e-book sequence will finish, or what parts it should or received’t change from the HBO sequence. But at the very least, evidently House of the Dragon is heading extra towards the ending followers count on from A Song of Ice and Fire than the one which disillusioned many viewers again in 2019. It additionally doesn’t damage to know that House of the Dragon is getting as many episodes because it wants to complete its story, in contrast to its predecessor.