We need more female characters like her.

While many book purists are unhappy with the on-screen versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent that House of the Dragon has created, I cannot help but find their characters extremely important to television in general. All comparisons to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood aside, Rhaenyra Targaryen is a protagonist that’s long overdue.

She is by no means the hero in shining armor, but she is a woman, a mother, a human being who deserves to be trusted and respected. And that is exactly what makes me, along with many other viewers, root for her so hard.

Will Rhaenyra Targaryen Win the War?

Just as in the novel, Rhaenyra’s life on screen has been full of people trying to manipulate her and break her trust. But ever since she was granted the role of an heir by her father, she has taken it seriously and remained faithful to her responsibilities not only to him, but to the entire realm.

Is Rhaenyra the perfect queen? Could she ever be? Probably not. Like any human, she has her weaknesses. However, she is fiercely protective of her family and those close to her, has enough kindness in her heart to be just, and is patient enough to listen to advisors before making rash decisions.

Her character doesn’t fit neatly into any one category of female ruler we’ve seen on television before, and that’s what makes her so complex and intriguing. Rhaenyra is not quiet and shy, but she is not a cold-blooded warrior ready to take the heads of her enemies either. She has been shaped by the circumstances of her upbringing, but she continues to learn.

In a world of black or white characters who are either too good for this world or have nothing to offer but female rage, Rhaenyra is a perfect gray character. A woman, a mother, a struggling wife trying to overcome the cycles of gender-based bullying and abuse not only in her own family but in all of Westeros, she is a character you want to know more about.

House of the Dragon may not end as a story of her successful reign; as we all know, no Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon character has ever had a truly happy ending. And yet, the journey alone is what makes the show worth watching.

If you too are so hooked that you couldn’t stop watching even if you wanted to, tune in to House of the Dragon season 2 every Sunday on HBO or Max.