Ryan Condal, co-showrunner of House of the Dragon, explained the change in the Targaryen sigil in the series.
The much-awaited prequel to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, is set two centuries before the events of GoT and follows the story of the fall of House Targaryen. It chronicles the events leading to the fateful Dance of the Dragons civil war, which destroyed House Targaryen.
The first season is slated to premiere on HBO Max on August 21, 2022, and will have 10 episodes. The series is based on Fire and Blood, a prequel to George R R Martin’s fantasy drama series, A Song of Ice and Fire.
Though the series is expected to remain faithful to the original books by Martin, the makers have introduced some changes to the plot. One change, in particular, which the fans were confused about, was the one regarding the Targaryen sigil. However, it has now been resolved.
In a conversation with EW, Condal explained the change in the Targaryen sigil from the one we were used to seeing in Game of Thrones.
In the HBO show, the sigil consisted of a three-headed dragon with two legs. But, in House of the Dragon, the sigil comprises a four-legged dragon. Condal explains that this isn’t a new modification.
In fact, the four-legged dragon symbol was also featured in Seasons 6 and 7 of Game of Thrones. In the Season 6 finale, Daenerys brought back the original sigil when she was preparing to reclaim Westeros.
Condal chose the same design to honor Daenerys and as a callback to where she left off her journey. Read the entire statement below.
“I will say every choice we made on this show, down to even smaller minutia than that [sigil], was made with a reason. I would say stay tuned. But I also say that the sigil that you’re seeing in this show you did see in the original show, as well.
The truth of the matter is you think you’ve seen the Targaryen sigil a lot in the original Game of Thrones, but actually it’s not in Game of Thrones that much. You’ve seen it on books and Funko Pops and things like that. That was how far and high the Targaryen dynasty had fallen, that the sigil did not really exist anymore until Daenerys brought it back about. So we chose to go down a road that I think honored where Daenerys left us off versus where people think it all started. But I will say, stay tuned. Hopefully it will all make sense in due time.”
Ryan Condal
Daenerys decided to restore the original sigil as a symbol of regaining of the house’s complete power and strength. So, the makers naturally wanted to honor her decision by using the same symbol in House of the Dragon.
Condal also hinted that the change in the sigil will have a deeper significance as the show progresses. There is an established and popular interpretation of the three heads in the Targaryen sigil. According to that, the three heads represent Aegon the Conqueror, and his sisters Visenya Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen.
However, there is no such explanation about the dragon’s legs. But it can be inferred that they represent the far-reaching influence of the house. At the time when House of the Dragon is set, House Targaryen was the most powerful of all the Seven Kingdoms, so the additional legs on the sigil presumably signified a complete control over Westeros.
The full details and the significance of the sigil will be confirmed once the show premieres.
House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO Max on August 21, 2022.
About House Of The Dragon
House of the Dragon is the prequel series to HBO’s blockbuster Game of Thrones based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.
Set three hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will show Westeros under the Targaryen family’s rule before the dragons went extinct. It will follow the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra, who fought for the throne after the death of their father, Viserys I.
Directed by Ryan Condall and Miguel Sapochnik, the show stars Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Craney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, and Graham McTavish.
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