Will House Of The Dragon’s Rhaenyra Targaryen Make Up For How Game Of Thrones Killed Off Daenerys, Based On The New Trailer?

With the weeks counting down before the premiere of House of the Dragon as the highly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, HBO has finally released a full-length trailer to give the closest look yet at what’s to come. Running for nearly three minutes, the footage features the key characters of the series in different (albeit close) time periods. It also sheds more light on Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) as a claimant to the Iron Throne, and the trailer left me wondering: will Season 1 of House of the Dragon make up for Daenerys’ Game of Thrones ending with Rhaenyra’s storyline?

The second half of Game of Thrones’ final season famously – or perhaps infamously – focused on Dany finally heading to King’s Landing to claim the Iron Throne, only to prove herself the daughter of the Mad King Aerys and unleash dragon fire to roast the capital city of the Seven Kingdoms. After eight seasons, she never ruled from the Iron Throne, but was assassinated by her nephew/lover/murderer Jon Snow. While we obviously can’t judge Rhaenyra’s full arc based on just the trailer, there’s enough to make me suspect that fans who were unhappy with Dany’s ending may find a new and perhaps more rewarding Targaryen heroine in Rhaenyra… in Season 1, at least. 

Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targarey in House of the Dragon

(Image credit: HBO)

What The Trailer Tells Us About Princess Rhaenyra And The Iron Throne