HBO releases new House of the Dragon character posters

It’s a glorious day in the Seven Kingdoms! HBO has just released a brand new trailer for its upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff series House of the Dragon, and it looks pretty awesome. Dragons! Politics! Murders and armies and silver-haired wigs! We’ve all been hoping this thing will be good, and every time HBO releases a new teaser, our confidence grows.

Set nearly 200 years before the original series, House of the Dragon covers a brutal civil war between feuding factions of House Targaryen; the war is known as the Dance of the Dragons. There are a lot of major players in this conflict. To help us keep them straight (and build up hype), HBO has also released a bevy of character posters as well as a brand new image from the series. First, the image:

This is the Painted Table at Dragonstone, which Daenerys and her team used in the final two seasons of Game of Thrones. Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) stands over the table pondering her fortunes. You can see Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) in the background as well, with her distinctive wig.

The image is pretty dark; this show will be picking up right where Game of Thrones left off in terms of the color palette, it seems.

From there, we’re on to posters, starting with the leading lady herself:

Rhaenyra Targaryen, Eldest child of Viserys I

House of the Dragon will be an ensemble show, but if the Dance of the Dragons can be said to have an actual leading character, it’s Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy). We see her named as  King Viserys’ successor in the trailer, but as her aunt Rhaenys points out, “men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.”

Rhaenyra is a central figure in the conflict, so expect to see a lot of her. The younger version of the character is played by Milly Alcock.

Daemon Targaryen, Prince of the City

We get a good look at Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, a character who is almost certainly going to be a fan favorite. Daemon is Rhaenyra’s uncle and lover, depending on the point we’re at in the story. (Remember, we’re dealing with the Targaryens, who were known for their incestuous relationships. Welcome back to Westeros.)

Daemon is a mercurial character who is as charismatic as he is deadly. While he often clashes with his brother King Viserys I, particularly about being passed over as heir to the Iron Throne in favor of Rhaenyra, he ends up becoming one of her most stalwart champions during the Dance.

Viserys Targaryen, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and First of His Name

At the center of this twisty conflict is Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), king of the Seven Kingdoms. His death is what really kicks the Dance of the Dragons into high gear, but it’s pretty clear we’re going to see the build up to that. Viserys is an affable guy who just kind of wishes everyone could get along. But we’re in Westeros. They don’t.

Otto Hightower, Hand of the King

Standing at Viserys’ side is Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), his Hand of the King. Otto is a savvy player of the game of thrones who always has his eye on the good of the realm…and his own ambitions. While the Dance of the Dragons may revolve largely around the conflict between Rhaenyra and Otto’s daughter Alicent, you can bet that Otto will be feeding the fires. Think of him as the Tywin Lannister of this show.

Alicent Hightower, Daughter to the Hand of the King

Next up we have Alicent Hightower, who is played by Olivia Cooke as an adult and Emily Carey as a teenager. That HBO describes her as “Daughter to the Hand of the King” is interesting. While that’s true, Alicent really gains influence when she becomes the second wife of King Viserys. After he dies, she plots to place her son son Aegon II on the Iron Throne instead of Rhaenyra. The result is war.

Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake

The head of the richest house in Westeros (at the time), Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) is a level-headed and powerful lord of the Seven Kingdoms. A renowned mariner, his family’s vast wealth was built up by his nine famed voyages, which earned him the moniker of Sea Snake.

Corlys is married to Rhaenys Targaryen. Considering this is Westeros, they have a surprisingly functional relationship.

Rhaenys Targaryen, The Queen Who Never Was

Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) is a force of nature. The whole idea that a male heir should supersede a female one is traced back to her. In her youth, Rhaenys was next in line for the Iron Throne. But a grand council held at Harrenhal deemed that her younger cousin Viserys Targaryen should take the throne instead, thus earning Rhaenys the nickname “The Queen Who Never Was.”

Obviously, she’s going to be backing Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne when things get dicey.

Ser Criston Cole, Knight of the Kingsguard

Played by Fabien Frankel, Ser Criston Cole is a famed knight and member of the Kingsguard. He also has a complicated relationship with Rhaenyra; the exact nature is left ambiguous in George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood. Whatever they were to each other, they had a falling out that turned him into her bitter enemy.

Mysaria, Confidante to Daemon Targaryen

Last but certainly not least we have Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), confidante and consort to Daemon Targaryen. Mysaria is originally from the Free City of Lys, but met Daemon when she was a dancer at a brothel in King’s Landing. The two soon became thick as thieves, which stirs up no small amount of controversy in the Targaryen court. She has a very cool character arc that leads to her becoming a mistress of whisperers. Think of her as this show’s Varys.

And that wraps up the bounty of new images that HBO dropped for us today. House of the Dragon premieres on August 21.

Now, back to rewatching that trailer:

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