Quick Links
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1.Aegon the Conqueror's dream of White Walkers, as revealed in Game of Thrones' story and Westeros history in a number of key ways. Though House of the Dragon's timeline begins almost 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones begin, the show was always going to have some impact upon its parent show. Telling a major story of House Targaryen's history, then it was likely to reframe certain events and put the actions of characters in different lights, at least by way of parallels (such as with Rhaenyra and Daenerys Targaryen).
Aegon's dream, however, took things much further. The Song of Ice and Fire prophecy, as outlined by Viserys to Rhaenyra, was that Aegon had seen a great Winter coming down from the far North, that would cover the world in darkness. Only a Targaryen on the Iron Throne could unite the realm against this threat, and so Aegon came to conquer Westeros. It's a huge new reveal that's not yet made its way into George R.R. Martin's books (though it may well do so eventually), and from Aegon's Conquest to House of the Dragon's story, through to Daenerys and Jon Snow, it changes a lot of Game of Thrones history.
Aegon's Dream Changes House Targaryen's Invasion Of Westeros
On its most fundamental level, Aegon's dream completely changes House Targaryen's origins in Westeros. It further makes it a house driven by destiny and dreams - having escaped the Doom of Valyria thanks to the dreams of Daenys Targaryen - and deepens the motives behind Aegon's the Conqueror. Aegon's Conquest itself altered the landscape of Westeros and its Seven Kingdoms, and now audiences know the biggest change to the continent in the last few hundred years was because of a dream of the White Walkers, not just ambition or greed.
Was Aegon's Dream Why Torrhen Stark Knelt? It's At Least Possible
Since the Song of Ice and Fire changes Aegon's Conquest at its very core, it's also worth considering whether other elements were impacted by it. To that end, the most interesting is the position of House Stark and the North, who would be the most immediate line of defense after the Wall should the White Walkers come, and who are closely allied with the Night's Watch too. Torrhen Stark is known as the King Who Knelt; having marched his army south during the Conquest, he ultimately decided to bend the knee to Aegon when faced not only with an army some 45,000 strong, but all three of the Conquest's dragons: Balerion the Black Dread, Vhagar, and Meraxes.
That alone is certainly a plausible enough reason for Torrhen to kneel, but House Stark's potential importance to Aegon's dream and the threat posed by the great Winter means it's at least possible he was informed of the Song of Ice and Fire. Torrhen and Aegon traded messages and treated for several days before the former did eventually bend the knee, so it wasn't a sudden reaction to an impossible fight, and Aegon clearly recognized the importance of House Stark. Was that enough to tell him of what he'd seen in his prophecy? Perhaps not, or perhaps it's something a future Game of Thrones spinoff could confirm.
Aegon's Dream Changes Viserys' Character In House Of The Dragon
King Viserys I Targaryen is the one who introduces audiences to Aegon's White Walker dream for the first time, so it's fitting there's a suitable change to his character that comes with it. In the book, Viserys isn't particularly fleshed out; he's an amiable, well-liked man, but not a particularly great King. Those traits are true in House of the Dragon as well, but given so much more depth and, ultimately, tragedy. There are various reasons for that - not least Paddy Considine's performance - but right among them is Aegon's dream and, in turn, Viserys' own dragon dreams.
Rather than just someone ill-suited to rule, King Viserys' entire reign is that of a man who is heavily burdened by something so much greater than he, and far more than the squabbles of his house. He is a man shaped by destiny, of the knowledge he perhaps should never have been trusted with in the first place, and of the belief in his own importance and heir's future as the Prince That Was Promised. It informs his decisions and weighs him down, adding a poignant new layer to the character.
The Dance Of The Dragons Is Turned Into A Misunderstanding
Along with the changes to Viserys, Aegon's White Walker dream has an even bigger impact upon House of the Dragon as it changes the entire origin of the Dance of the Dragons. Though the Targaryen civil war was long-brewing - and probably would have happened in some form regardless, given Otto Hightower's plans for Aegon to become King - it had seemed to be given a respite. Alicent and Rhaenyra put their differences aside, until the words King Viserys spoke on his deathbed - to his wife, but thinking it was to his daughter. As he told Alicent about Aegon's dream, he unwittingly changed the course of history, ensuring their son would be crowned, and the family issues would have to be resolved with fire and blood.
The Pact Of Ice & Fire Is More Important After Aegon's Dream
House of the Dragon season 1's ending sees Rhaenyra send Jacaerys Velaryon to meet with Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell. It's a decision that will ultimately prove key for the blacks, as Lord Cregan lends the of the North to Rhaenyra's cause. As part of that, Jace and Cregan will agree to what's known as the Pact of Ice and Fire, with the former agreeing that his firstborn daughter (on the assumption he has one) will marry Cregan's son, in return for the latter rallying behind Rhaenyra.
The North is a key part of Westeros anyway, but Aegon's dream adds even more weight to it. With Rhaenyra not just trying to claim the Iron Throne, but also knowing she must unite the realm against a coming darkness from the far North, then there's an added meaning to the Pact of Ice and Fire and her need for House Stark's becomes far more pertinent than just the Dance of the Dragons.
Does Aegon's Dream Have A Connection To The Three-Eyed Raven?
Though unconfirmed, it’s generally believed that the Three-Eyed Raven (or Crow, in the books) is a Targaryen bastard of Aegon IV, called Brynden Rivers. Brynden was among the bastards legitimized by Aegon on his deathbed, and fought in the Blackfyre Rebellion over his succession. Brynden later went on to become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, and then seemingly the Three-Eyed Raven (in the book, he says he was a Lord named Brynden).
That’s interesting in the context of Aegon’s prophecy - and the focus on dragon dreams in general - as it suggests at the very least Brynden was motivated by his own dreams to become the Three-Eyed Raven/Crow. But the Raven also has a connection to the Night King in Game of Thrones, and appears to be some kind of barrier to the White Walkers’ goal of spreading darkness across the known world. It’s possible, then, that not only was Brynden a dreamer, but that perhaps he either knew of Aegon’s dream, or had a similar prophecy that resulted in him being positioned to help stop the White Walkers.
Aegon's Dream May Help Explain The Tragedy At Summerhall
The Tragedy at Summerhall is one of the biggest mysteries in Game of Thrones history. At the Targaryen residence of Summerhall, King Aegon V started a devastating fire while attempting to hatch some dragon eggs. Little is known about what caused the fire, though it's believed to have involved pyromancy, but Aegon's dream is more interesting when considering the motive that led to the Tragedy at Summerhall. Aegon V became consumed with the idea of bringing back dragons, and it may be because of the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy. If he knew of the dream, then it wouldn't take much to think that dragons represented the best line of defense against them, pushing him into the realms of fire and magic in order to bring them back.
Aegon's Song Of Ice & Fire s A Wild Mad King Theory
One wild theory to come from Game of Thrones is that Bran Stark influenced Aerys II Targaryen, aka the Mad King. It stemmed from a vision Bran had during his Three-Eyed Raven training, wherein he saw the Mad King saying "burn them all," with the theory suggesting Bran had impacted his mind, and Aerys was really seeing the White Walkers. As theories go it remains pure tinfoil, but Aegon's dream adds to the Mad King theory in a sense. It may not confirm it, but does suggest it's at least possible Aerys knew about the White Walkers if it was ed down to him as heir, and may have factored into his descent into madness.
How The Prince That Was Promised & Rhaegar And Lyanna's Romance Changes
Although the Prince That Was Promised prophecy pre-dates knowledge of Aegon's dream, House of the Dragon directly conflates the two thanks to the inscription upon the catspaw dagger, which reads: "From my blood comes the Prince That Was Promised, and his shall be the Song of Ice and Fire." The Targaryen that's most interesting for is Rhaegar, who was known to be obsessed with the Prince That Was Promised prophecy and so, it seems, knew of Aegon's dream as well (indeed, a reveal that Rhaegar owned the catspaw dagger at some point would not be at all surprising).
Rhaegar's belief in the prophecy shaped his life, and he believed it meant he needed to have three children, like the three Targaryens who conquered Westeros (after all, "the dragon has three heads"). With Elia Martell unable to have more children, Rhaegar looked to someone else who could give him the third child he thought he needed, and his gaze fell upon Lyanna Stark at a tourney. Game of Thrones revealed Rhaegar and Lyanna married for love, rather than the told story of him kidnapping her, but there's also little doubt he was motivated by the prophecy. It may go further, too, with Aegon's dream perhaps giving him the belief he needed to have a child with a Stark specifically: to be the song of ice (the Starks) and fire (the Targaryens).
Aegon's Dream Explains Why Rhaegar Named Jon Snow "Aegon"
Alongside Rhaegar's marriage to Lyanna Stark, it may also explain why Jon Snow was named Aegon when, confusingly, Rhaegar already had a son by that name. When Daenerys sees Rhaegar in her House of the Undying visions in A Song of Ice and Fire, he remarks about his son: "Aegon, what better name for a King?" Later, he says that he is the Prince That Was Promised, and "his is the Song of Ice and Fire." While he's ostensibly talking about his first child, it would make sense of Jon Snow's Targaryen name if Rhaegar's prophecy was Aegon's dream, and so he believed that only an Aegon could fulfil it.
Aegon's Prophecy Explains Why The Catspaw Dagger Killed The Night King
The catspaw dagger already had a long history in Game of Thrones, ing through several owners before ending up being used by Arya Stark to kill the Night King. House of the Dragon takes it even further, linking the dagger directly to Aegon the Conqueror and his Song of Ice and Fire prophecy, which he engraved upon the Valyrian steel blade. It changes the catspaw dagger from a powerful weapon to one of destiny, intrinsically linking it to the downfall of the White Walkers and suggesting that it was always the tool in which the great Winter would be defeated.
Aegon's Dream Changes Jon Snow's Game Of Thrones Ending
House of the Dragon's reveal of Aegon's dream changes Jon Snow's story in Game of Thrones in a couple of ways. Whereas the show struggled to make his Targaryen heritage truly matter, this does add greater weight to it. It adds more to the idea he was the Prince That Was Promised and, while he did not sit on the Iron Throne, he did become King (of the North), and it was his actions that most directly united the realm to fight against the White Walkers. Daenerys played her part too, but none of it would have happened without Jon Snow.
To that end, though, it also makes the decision to not have Jon Snow kill the Night King look even worse. Game of Thrones had clearly set this up, and only changed course because it seemed too obvious. That's not to take anything away from Arya, for whom it was a great moment, but Aegon's dream strengthens the case that Jon Snow was destined to kill the Night King and fulfill the Prince That Was Promised prophecy as the great savior of the world.
Aegon's Dream Suggests Daenerys Would Never Be Westeros' Queen For Long
Along with Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen helped to fulfill Aegon's Song of Ice and Fire prophecy in Game of Thrones season 8. She declared herself Queen, played a major role in leading the fight against the White Walkers and helping to defeat the Night King, and did ultimately take the Iron Throne. All of this fits with Aegon's dream, but that in turn explains why Dany didn't hold the Iron Throne for long - because she wasn't supposed to. The Targaryens' destiny was to rule Westeros for as long as necessary to save the world from the coming Winter, and going beyond that wasn't part of the deal. Thus, with the White Walkers defeated, the prophecy was fulfilled, and a Targaryen on the Iron Throne was no longer needed.
All 10 episodes of House of the Dragon season 1 are now streaming on HBO Max.
Want more House of the Dragon articles? Check out our essential content below...
- Where Was House Of The Dragon Filmed? All Real Life Westeros Locations
- House Of The Dragon Timeline Confirmed & Explained
- House Of The Dragon: Every Major Family Missing From Game Of Thrones