More (rumored) character descriptions for House of the Dragon

We know who’s playing Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower and others. Now get descriptions for Criston Cole, Rhaenys Targaryen and more!

The hype train for House of the Dragon, HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, has officially left the station. We know several of the actors playing some of the most prominent roles, including Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as his daughter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as his second wife Alicent Hightower, and Matt Smith as his younger brother Daemon Targaryen.

And there are credible reports of more parts yet to be cast, like an actor playing Rhaenyra’s Hand-of-the-Queen Lord Corlys Velaryon. But this story has a lot more characters than that. House of the Dragon will be about the Dance of the Dragons, a Targaryen civil war that tore Westeros apart over 100 years before the events of the main series. The cast rivals the original one for Game of Thrones, and that cast was famously huge.

We’ll surely get more info about them as time goes on, but for now, The Illuminerdi has info on a couple more characters. These are only rumors, but The Illuminerdi was the publication that first reported on Matt Smith playing Daemon Targaryen, and that turned turned out to be true, so…

Anyway, here are the new character descriptions:

"Ser Criston Cole – Male – late 20s/30s – Series Regular: Middle Eastern or Mediterranean. Ruggedly handsome, the soul of knighthood and chivalry, a capable warrior."

The Dornish-born Criston Cole is an important figure in the Dance of the Dragons so it’s no surprise that he’s on the list. It was rumored that he and Rhaenyra Targaryen were an item back when he was leading her father’s Kingsguard as Lord Commander, but she ultimately turned him down. That could help explain why he goes on to support Rhaenyra’s half-brother Aegon’s claim to the throne over her’s.

"Harrold Westerling – Male, the longest-serving commander and white cloak in the Royal Guard still recalls the brilliance of the Seven Kingdoms of yore. Once a powerful knight with a successful military record, he is a man with presence and status. He has the responsibility to the king to watch over and care for the princess. In the current regime, in which widespread peace has led to complacency and indulgence, he feels something of a lack of purpose, but still serves the king in a fierce, if silent, loyalty."

Harrold Westerling was Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and Criston’s boss for a while. He dies well before the Dance of the Dragons kicks off, which makes us think that the show might either start pretty far back in time (the youth of the actors playing Rhaenyra and Alicent suggests this) or else extend his life by a bit.

"Mysaria – Female – 30s – Series Regular – A striver and schemer, she seeks to rise up in a society that sees her as an outcast and an outsider. Her beginnings are as a sex worker, but she never lets an opportunity slide, and her intelligence and unflagging ambition will carry her ever nearer to her goal: to wiled power over the powerful. It remains to be seen whether she will use it to gain acceptance or revenge. Life in Westeros is a game, and she plans to win it."

Mysaria, a paramour of Daemon Targaryen, rises to become the unofficial mistress of whisperers to Queen Rhaenyra, essentially the Varys of this story. She also plays a key part in a brutal assassination on a member of Aegon Targaryen’s family.

"Rhaenys Targaryen – Female – Series Regular – Wise and cultured, “The Queen Who Never Was.” She was passed over for the throne simply because she was born without a cock. Clever, capable, spirited, and proud, she is the embodiment of grit and grace and is utterly fearless (she is also a dragon rider). Torn between her loyalty to her husband and her own feminist aspirations and disappointments, she struggles with supporting the claim of the princess – a younger but wilder version of her own self – who stands to inherit the Seven Kingdoms. A feminist, but a realist, she harbors doubt that the princess will make capable ruler."

Again, Rhaenys is an important character so it’s no surprise to see her on this list. Her husband is Corlys Velaryon, Hand of the Queen to Rhaenyra.

Some of the descriptions strike me as odd, although obviously it’s too early to pass much judgment. I don’t recall Rhaenys having much of a problem with the idea of Rhaenyra ruling, but then again, Fire & Blood is written more like a history book than a novel, with little insight into people’s motives.

Calling Criston Cole “the soul of knighthood and chivalry” is odd since he basically sparks a civil war because he’s mad that Rhaenyra dumped him (and as a Kingsguard knight he’s not supposed to be dating anyway). And for Daemon Targaryen, they pulled out the old “whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air” cliche, even though madness was never really Daemon’s problem. Anger, maybe.

House of the Dragon is set to begin filming in a few months!

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