House of the Dragon season 1 takes place 200 years before Game of Thrones at the Great Council of 101 AC, which decides on the succession of the Iron Throne. House of the Dragon brings to life the fabled height of House Targaryen’s family dynasty and their devastating civil war often referenced in Game of Thrones, though none of the original characters directly experienced the Dance of the Dragons.
The Game of Thrones prequel series sees the realm under a completely different political and societal climate, as the Targaryens will be at the peak of their power, the White Walkers won’t return for another 150-200 years, and Dorne won’t even be part of the Seven Kingdoms yet. With Game of Thrones beginning in 298 AC, the stories of House of the Dragon’s Targaryen civil war had already been ed down for several generations before Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and even Maester Aemon were born. While House of the Dragon is set long before Game of Thrones' time, one prominent person was already alive.
Game of Thrones’ character who is actually alive during House of the Dragon is Lady Melisandre, a.k.a the Red Woman. In Game of Thrones season 6, Melisandre took off her necklace and revealed her true form as a frail elderly woman, with showrunner David Benioff describing her as “several centuries old.” Maester Cressen actor Oliver Ford Davies also told Flicks & the City (via Melisandre was 400 years old during Game of Thrones season 2. Since House of the Dragon takes place 200 years before Game of Thrones, Melisandre was only halfway through her life during the prequel series' timeline. However, Melisandre isn’t apt to appear in House of the Dragon, as she was presumably still in Essos at this point in time. The next Game of Thrones character closest to being alive during House of the Dragon is the Three-Eyed Raven before Bran, who is theorized to be Brynden Rivers (the show never confirmed his identity). The original Three-Eyed Raven was born around 40 years after the Dance of the Dragons, so he also won’t appear in the prequel series.
How House Of The Dragon Connects To Game Of Thrones' Characters
While none of Game of Thrones’ characters appear in House of the Dragon, the prequel series will still link to their family legacies. House of the Dragon focuses on the House Targaryen family tree and the Targeryen civil war, which was fought between the direct ancestors of Daenerys, Jon Snow, Viserys, Rhaegar, Aemon, and Aerys “The Mad King” Targaryen. Rhaenyra Targaryen’s pursuit of the Iron Throne will also make several connections to Daenerys’ story in of the disadvantages women face while fighting to be Queen of Westeros. Considering Daenerys’ “Mad Queen” twist was also rooted in the complex Targaryen history, House of the Dragon will add significant context to her Game of Thrones character arc.
Another figure who may or may not be alive during House of the Dragon is the Night King. While he doesn’t move toward the Wall until Game of Thrones’ timeline, it’s suggested that the Night King and the White Walkers were rebuilding and waking up again during this time after thousands of years of hiding deep in the north. The Night King and White Walkers won’t be in House of the Dragon, but their legends could still be referenced by the characters in the prequel series.
House of the Dragon will also highlight historical figures from many of the prominent families in Game of Thrones. While they won’t be as integral to the story as they were in Game of Thrones, great houses like the Starks, Baratheons, Tullys, Lannisters, and Arryns will still take part in the Dance of the Dragons. Although no Game of Thrones characters appear in House of the Dragon, the prequel series is apt to include a few Easter eggs that connect to the main storylines or foreshadow the events that take place 200 years later.