5 moments from Fire & Blood we can’t wait to see in House of the Dragon

5. The Shepherd and the Kings Landing Riots

A great twist during the Dance is that one of the greatest threats to Rhaenyra’s rule are the people she’s ruling, not the opposing armies outside her walls. During her short time on the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra imposes a series of taxes on the people of King’s Landing in order to fund her war. This leads to massive unrest that costs Rhaenyra dearly.

These riots are led by a mysterious character known only as the Shepherd, an elderly, one-armed man who calls the dragons unholy beasts and condemns the Targaryens for their vile acts of incest. “He raised his right arm and jabbed the stump of his missing hand at Rhaenys’s hill behind him, at the Dragonpit black against the stars,” reads Fire & Blood. “‘There the Demons dwell, up there. Fire and blood, blood and fire. This is their city. If you would make it yours, first must you destroy them. If you would cleanse yourself of sin, first must you bathe in dragon’s blood. For only blood can quench the fires of hell.’” This speech incites a riot. Thousands of commoners storm the Dragonpit and kill the dragons chained there. King’s Landing is thrown into chaos, Rhaenyra loses her dragon and her last remaining son and must flee the city.

Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon focuses mainly on the rich and powerful of Westeros, but there are more moments like this where we see how their games and ambitions affect the common people. It’s a spellbinding part of the story, and could be terrifyingly tense and rousing onscreen.

I could go on and on about the characters and events that make this story amazing. If done right, House of the Dragon could be even more entertaining than Game of Thrones itself. It will be really exciting to watch the casting process and see who will be bringing characters like Daemon, Aegon, Rhaenyra, Alicent, Larys Strong, Corlys Velaryon, Aemond, Jacaerys and Mushroom to life. There is a lot of depth to these characters and their stories, and I can’t wait to see them shine onscreen.

There are a lot more spectacular moments I could talk about, but I don’t want to spoil everything. House of the Dragon is bound to pack as much heartbreak and jaw-dropping moments as Game of Thrones did. It’s unpredictability and brutal savagery makes it an enthralling story. 2022 can’t come fast enough.

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