House Of The Dragon: In The Shocking Time Jump In The HBO Series, Was Alicent And Rhaenyra’s Feud The Major Reason For The Targaryen Dynasty’s Downfall?
House of the Dragon gave us one of the most dramatic time jumps in TV history, and with it, a feud that set the Targaryen dynasty on a path to ruin.
Did Alicent And Rhaenyra’s Feud cause the downfall of the Targaryen Dynasty? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen—once close friends—now stand at the heart of a battle. And while dragons, swords, and politics had their part to play, it was their personal animosities that lit the match.
Rhaenyra’s goal? To uphold the peace her father and grandfather worked so hard to maintain. But Alicent? She misinterpreted King Viserys’ dying words, believing he named her son Aegon as the rightful heir. Talk about a fatal misunderstanding.
Things escalated quickly when Aemond Targaryen, in what seemed like a childish prank, toyed with Lucerys Velaryon. It ended in disaster, sparking the first bloodshed of the coming war. But for Rhaenyra, this wasn’t just a war of dragons. Since Game of Thrones constantly had a stronger threat, it distracted from the upcoming Long Night.
House of the Dragon bends George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood history beautifully. A violent tale of the Targaryen civil war now has subtlety and ambiguity. This is no war planned by master tacticians or power-hungry kings; it’s a tragic comedy of errors. Prejudices, miscommunications, and foolish choices snowball into a full-blown conflict—kind of like the ancient feud between the Blackwoods and the Brackens. No one even remembers how that one started, but the blood keeps spilling.
Unlike Tywin Lannister’s carefully orchestrated Red Wedding in Game of Thrones, this war stems from impulsive decisions made by vainglorious leaders. Aegon II, who mirrors the reckless nature of some historical monarchs, didn’t exactly mastermind his way to the throne. Instead, he bumbled into a war that would roast him alive—literally. And the tragedy is amplified by the fact that the first murder of the war was an accident, born out of immature antics.
King Viserys had tried to unite his family in fear of the coming White Walker storm. But his efforts? Crushed under the weight of family infighting and power struggles. This tragic irony—that Viserys, the man trying to keep the peace, unwittingly set the stage for war—speaks to the show’s brilliance. History, especially medieval history, is rarely clear-cut. The roots of epic conflicts are often tangled in mystery, and House of the Dragon nails this.
Cut to the middle of season two: Rhaenyra’s reeling from the gut-wrenching loss of her son, Lucerys. Yet, even in her grief, she tries to honor her father’s dream of peace. She doesn’t want this war—despite the “fire and blood” mantra that defines her house. It’s a fascinating shift from the book’s portrayal, where Rhaenyra was often depicted as ruthless and vengeful.
Rhaenyra’s character in the show is much more complex. She’s compassionate, forward-thinking, and fears the cost of a full-blown war. This empathy makes her a hero in the eyes of modern audiences. And while George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood casts a more skeptical eye on Rhaenyra’s motives, the show allows her to be the queen we root for.
Similarly, Alicent, who in the books seemed deeply complicit in the coup to install Aegon on the throne, is portrayed more sympathetically. On-screen, she’s genuinely oblivious to her father’s manipulations, believing she’s merely following the late king’s wishes. Aegon, on the other hand? He’s shown as an insecure, somewhat clueless young man—not the ruthless power player we might expect.
But the show’s desire to humanize its characters occasionally robs them of agency. Aemond’s role in Lucerys’ death is downplayed; it’s his dragon who kills the boy, not Aemond himself. Alicent didn’t seize power; she just misunderstood Viserys. And Rhaenyra didn’t start the war—she begged for peace. These nuances add complexity but sometimes water down the brutality of the war’s key players.
That said, House of the Dragon may finally be letting the gloves come off after the brutal events at Rook’s Rest. By the end of season 2’s halfway point, we see a much darker side of Aemond—one not recorded in the history books. In a shocking twist, Aemond tries to kill his own brother, Aegon II. This wasn’t just a battle injury from a rogue dragon; it was attempted regicide.
Aemond’s betrayal signals that the show is ready to embrace the darker, more villainous sides of its characters. And as the Dance of the Dragons continues, we’re finally seeing the Targaryens descend into the petty, self-destructive figures they were always meant to be. The dance is just getting started.
