Rhaenyra’s plan to turn Targaryen bastards and people who may not have thick Valyrian blood into dragonriders in House of the Dragon raises the question of whether only Targaryens can claim dragons. House of the Dragon, which is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, takes place at the height of House Targaryen’s power. The power and influence of the “House of the Dragon” would never be the same after the Dance of Dragons, though, during which the Targaryen beasts were forced to fight amongst themselves as Rhaenyra and Aegon II battled for the throne.

Although both Rhaenyra and the Green Council avoided bringing the dragons into the war as much as possible, the conflict escalated following Luke’s death and the Battle at Rook’s Rest. Once the first of Team Black’s dragons fell from the sky, Rhaenyra understood she was going to have to use all power from Dragonstone. The problem, however, is that Team Black did not have enough riders for all their available dragons. Rhaenyra’s quest to find new dragonriders ties into a larger Game of Thrones mystery regarding whether the Valyrian blood is truly special.

Targaryens Being The Only Dragonriders Dates Back To Old Valyria

The Targaryens Were The Only Dragonlords Who Survived The Doom

Custom image by Simon Gallagher

Before there was an Iron Throne, the greatest power in the known world was located in the Valyrian Freehold. The city of Valyria was the center of this power, with this unofficial kingdom covering most of Essos. Before the Doom of Valyria, which is referenced several times in Game of Thrones, the Valyrian Freehold was a reference in art, war, sailing, and more. It is unclear how many formal houses there were in this region before the Doom, but the most powerful and influential of them were the ones consisting of dragonriders. They were known as dragonlords.

According to Fire & Blood, which is an in-universe history book with limited information regarding the ancient history of Essos, the only known dragonlords from old Valyrian were the Targaryens, the Balaerys, and one man called Aurion. It is also unclear how these families and individuals were able to bond with dragons. Popular theories include the use of blood magic, which would lead to the perception that only those of a certain lineage can become dragonriders. The fact that the Targaryens were dragonlords does not mean that they were the most important family of Old Valyria.

Around a century after the Doom, Aegon Targaryen and his sisters would ride their dragons to Westeros and conquer the continent.

However, Targaryens were the only dragonlords that survived the Doom of Valyria, most likely because they were able to establish themselves in Dragonstone. Around a century after the Doom, Aegon Targaryen and his sisters would ride their dragons to Westeros and conquer the continent. House Velaryon was one of the families from Old Valyrian, although they were not dragonlords. That said, Targaryens married Velaryons plenty of times, resulting in several Velaryon dragonriders. As the greatest power in the world after the Doom, House Targaryen’s dragons became the symbol of their strength.

Dragonseeds Explained: How Non-Highborn Targaryens Can Ride Dragons

All Dragonseeds Most Likely Did Have Valyrian Blood

To mount a dragon, it is thought that one must have the blood of Old Valyrian dragonriders flowing through them. House Targaryen ruled Westeros as the family with this seemingly special ancestry, but after years of intermarrying with other families, including the Velaryons, that is no longer the case. This ever-expanding family tree is the basis for Jace and Rhaenyra’s plan of looking beyond their close relatives when searching for new dragonriders. Enter the dragonseeds, which ended up being a group of allegedly Targaryen bastards who rose to the occasion and claimed the remaining dragons from Dragonstone.

“Dragonseed” In Fire & Blood
Claimed Dragon

Hugh Hammer
Vermithor

Ulf White
Silverwing

Addam of Hull
Seasmoke

Nettles
Sheepstealer

The men and women who succeed in claiming dragons despite being non-highborn Targaryens are afterward known as dragonseeds. These are bastards whose ancestry is not known but are believed to descend from House Targaryen or House Velaryon. Rhaenyra’s dragonseeds plan was a sign of her desperation. She was willing to ignore the message of blood superiority the Targaryens had used to proclaim and offer a dragon to any person able to mount one. With Vhagar’s rider Aemond ruling as Aegon II’s regent, the Greens had a massive advantage considering that most of Team Black’s dragons were not being put to use.

Nettles’ role in Fire & Blood appears to have been given to Rhaena in House of the Dragon season 2.

In House of the Dragon season 2, episode 7, Rhaenyra realizes that Jace’s idea is not as absurd as it sounds. Although Jace was technically only referring to high-born lords and ladies who had even the slightest trace of Valyrian blood in their veins, the fact that Addam of Hull claimed Seasmoke led Rhaenyra to conclude that even bastards could achieve such a feat. It is important to notice that Rhaenyra was not aware of Addam of Hull’s true lineage – Addam and Alyn are Corlys Velaryon’s bastards. Ulf and Hugh, both Targaryen bastards from King’s Landing, also claimed dragons.

Is Valyrian Blood Really Necessary To Ride A Dragon?

The Dragons Are Part Of House Targaryen’s Supremacy Rhetoric

There are no known examples in either Fire & Blood or A Song of Ice and Fire of dragonriders whose lineage does not trace back to Old Valyria in some way or form. That said, this is far from a confirmation that Valyrian blood is necessary to ride a dragon. The Targaryens have used this perception as a means of enhancing their supremacy, particularly in Westeros. They are the House of the Dragon, and the fact that they can bond with such magnificent creatures should indicate that they are closer to the gods than anyone else.

George R. R. Martin recently confirmed that his future ASOIAF books, including Fire & Blood Vol. 2, will reveal more about the connection between dragons and some men.

Rhaenyra’s opening line in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 1 summarizes why the dragons are so important to the Targaryens in Westeros – they cause people to perceive their rules as more than regular men. Still, there is no concrete evidence that bonding with a dragon relates to Valyrian blood. It is not even clear how blood magic works in A Song of Ice and Fire. One of the reasons why George R.R. Martin’s universe is so interesting is that the rules of the magic system and the possible existence of multiple gods are left open for interpretation.