Astonishing Plot Twists in HOTD Season 2! Unveiling the Jaw-Dropping Dragon Scene Makeover
HOTD's Age Changes Jeopardize Epic Season 2 Dragon Moment: Aegon's youth poses obstacles for riding Stormcloud, complicating Viserys' story and altering Targaryen legacy No room for time jumps to fix Aegon's age
WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for Fire & Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based!
Summary
The decision by House of the Dragon to portray certain Targaryen characters as younger instead of older jeopardizes crucial moments in season 2, specifically the scene where Rhaenyra's son Aegon rides Stormcloud. In this scenario, Aegon's young age makes it unlikely for him to successfully execute his epic escape from the Battle of the Gullet, as depicted in the book.
The age alteration of Aegon, Viserys, and other Targaryen characters in the HBO prequel, House of the Dragon, will greatly impact their relationships and the Targaryen legacy concerning dragons. Interestingly, unlike Game of Thrones, where characters were aged up, the prequel series takes a different approach by making them younger. This deviation in age is unexpected but significant.
With multiple chronological shifts taking place prior to the second season of House of the Dragon, the ages of numerous significant Targaryen characters deviate from their portrayal in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood novel. As an illustration, Alicent is approximately ten years younger compared to her literary counterpart, allowing for a better synchronization with Rhaenyra’s age and the amplification of their ongoing conflict. However, the predicament arises with the age adjustments of the youngest Targaryen generation, specifically Rhaenyra and Daemon’s sons. In the books, Aegon the Younger is roughly nine years old, while his younger brother Viserys is around seven at the commencement of the Dance of the Dragons. Yet, in House of the Dragon season 2, these Targaryen boys are merely toddlers, thereby presenting challenges for certain highly anticipated events.
Rhaenyra's Son Aegon Is Too Young To Ride Stormcloud In Epic House Of The Dragon Season 2 Battle
The ending of House of the Dragon season 1 introduces a significant deviation from the books, as Rhaenyra and Daemon’s son Aegon is portrayed as a much younger child, approximately three or four years old. This significant age difference implies that in House of the Dragon season 2, Aegon may not be able to fulfill his role in the crucial battle by riding his dragon, Stormcloud. The Targaryens traditionally begin their dragon-riding training at a relatively young age, but the idea that Aegon would have been trained to command Stormcloud in High Valyrian when he has not even spoken a word in English yet seems implausible.
Aegon the Younger is too young to ride Stormcloud, and Stormcloud himself is still a baby dragon. This means that a pivotal moment from Fire & Blood, where Aegon escapes on Stormcloud during the Battle of the Gullet, may not happen in House of the Dragon season 2. Aegon's young age and Stormcloud's small size suggest that their escape will be different from what was depicted in the book.
Aegon's Age Change Further Complicates House Of The Dragon Season 2's Viserys Story
If Aegon fails to escape from the Battle of the Gullet on Stormcloud in House of the Dragon season 2, the developments surrounding Viserys' fate will lose much of their coherence. According to Fire & Blood, Aegon and Viserys were on the Gay Abandon ship heading toward Pentos until they were captured, prompting Aegon to flee on Stormcloud. However, since Viserys' dragon egg had never hatched, he had no means of escaping alongside his brother. As a result, Aegon managed to reach Dragonstone safely and reunite with their mother Rhaenyra, while Viserys was taken to Essos and presumed dead by both sides of the Targaryen war.
If Aegon the Younger does not flee on Stormcloud during the Battle of the Gullet in House of the Dragon season 2, it will be challenging for the show to explain how Aegon makes it to Dragonstone while Viserys is captured in Essos. Viserys' disappearance to Lys is a crucial element of his story and contributes to the guilt that haunts Aegon until his younger brother's eventual return to Westeros years later. Therefore, it would be illogical to omit this from the narrative of House of the Dragon. It is possible that the show will alter the storyline to separate the brothers during the battle in a different manner, but this will still result in a significantly different context for their history and their connections to dragons.
House Of The Dragon Losing Aegon's Stormcloud Moment Will Change His Devastating Targaryen Legacy
Apart from being the first king after the Dance of the Dragons, King Aegon III Targaryen's reign is noteworthy for marking the extinction of dragons. While the Targaryen civil war took a toll on the family's dragons, it took approximately 20 more years for the species to officially become (temporarily) extinct. Aegon was eventually held responsible for the last dragon's demise due to his growing disdain for dragons. This was fueled by his guilt over abandoning his brother on Stormcloud, witnessing Stormcloud's death during their only dragon ride, experiencing his mother Rhaenyra being devoured and burned alive by a dragon, and failing to successfully hatch various dragon eggs.
If Aegon the Younger's ride on Stormcloud in House of the Dragon season 2 is excluded, his legacy might reveal that he never actually rode a dragon. Aegon was the last Targaryen ruler to ride a dragon until Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, as Viserys' dragon egg never hatched. Without Aegon's ride on Stormcloud, the title of the last Targaryen ruler who became a dragonrider would go to his uncle Aegon II Targaryen. Although the book version of Aegon developed a dislike for dragons after riding Stormcloud, House of the Dragon's altered timeline might depict him harboring a lifelong and profound hatred for them instead.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Can't Afford Another Time Jump To Fix Aegon's Age
Despite Aegon being younger in House of the Dragon season 1 compared to the book version, the HBO series can potentially address this through further acceleration. However, the House Targaryen’s historical timeline does not allow for additional major leaps forward. House of the Dragon is already a few years ahead of the book’s timeline, and skipping any further would mean sacrificing significant years from King Aegon III Targaryen’s regency era. Additionally, the battles in the Dance of the Dragons occur rapidly after Lucerys’ death, leaving no room for delay before delving into the gruesome Blood & Cheese, Battle at Rook’s Rest, and Battle of the Gullet incidents.
