With Princess Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys both dead, Queen Rhaenyra’s claim has never been more dire. Fortunately, her son Jace had a “mad thought” at the end of House of the Dragon season two’s fifth episode about how they can turn their fortunes around. The Blacks still have more dragons than the Greens on House of the Dragon; what they don’t have are enough Dragonriders. They need to quickly find some so Rhaenyra, forced to avoid battle, can go “forth in strength and not from necessity.” But who will claim those magical beasts of fire? History says only those with the blood of the dragon can become dragonriders in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones‘ world.
The problem is, in Westeros, only Houses Targaryen and Velaryon trace their ancestry back to old Valyria. Fortunately, the Targaryens have intermarried in the Realm for a century. They’ve also sired many bastards known as “dragonseeds.” All of those distant relatives could try and claim one of the Blacks’ riderless dragons. So who might risk their life to do so? House of the Dragon has been hiding characters who could become potential new dragonriders in plain sight throughout season two.
Note: For this list, we are only relying on (at this point obvious) context clues from House of the Dragon. The HBO series’ adaptation has already had some major deviations from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, so anything we might “know” from his book could prove to be totally irrelevant to the show. That includes the possibility House of the Dragon will exclude certain dragons and characters entirely. If it does—and there are already signs it will—that will greatly change what can happen in the prequel.
Who Can Claim a Dragon on House of the Dragon and Become a Dragonrider?
The histories say dragons will only accept a dragonlord as its rider, which is another way of saying a dragon will only accept someone with blood that traces back to Old Valyria. Prince Jacaerys pointed out those histories might not be totally accurate, though. He called them “Valyrian histories, written to gild us in glory.” He might be right. Those tales also conveniently discouraged anyone else from trying to claim a dragon as their own, leaving Valyrian power unchallenged.
If the histories are wrong, that means anyone, regardless of where they came from, could ride a dragon. In that case every single character on House of the Dragon is a potential dragonrider.
Jace might be wrong, though. Valyrians themselves seemed to believe in the specialness of their bloodlines. Families married their own kin to keep their lines “pure.”
Finding out the truth will mean individuals risking a painful death. Even those strong with the blood of the dragon are not guaranteed to claim one. Rhaena, whose father is Daemon Targaryen and whose grandmother was Rhaenys Targaryen, almost burned to death when she tried to claim a dragon on House of the Dragon. Someone whose Valyrian blood is “thin,” as Rhaenyra said, would be even less likely to bond with a dragon on House of the Dragon. Dragons are very picky about who they accept as a rider. There’s a special connection between dragon and rider no one fully understands.
Thin blood would still matter if the histories are correct. Then anyone related to a Targaryen, even partially, is a potential dragonrider on House of the Dragon. And therefore, someone who can change this civil war. (That’s also true of Velaryon kin, even though House Velaryon were not dragonlords in Old Valyria.)
The blood of old Valyria is not limited to just denizens of King’s Landing, Dragonstone, and Driftmark. Both houses married into Westeros families prior to the Targaryen Civil War. Each also has sired bastards. But it’s clear House of the Dragon has been strongly foreshadowing which specific characters are likely candidates to answer Rhaenyra’s call. Here are the House of the Dragon characters most likely to become dragonriders on House of the Dragon.
Alyn and Addam of Hull Have Velaryon Blood
The last time Rhaenys spoke with her husband she told Lord Corlys Velaryon, she told him that she knew the truth about Alyn of Hull. The wise, astute Princess recognized Alyn was more than just the man who rescues Corlys. She recognized Alyn is Corlys’ bastard son in House of the Dragon‘s worlds.
Rhaenys did not hold Alyn’s birth against the brave sailor. She instead encouraged Corlys to honor Alyn. “He should be raised up,” Rhaenys said. Nothing would raise Alyn higher than a dragon…
We know something Rhaenys didn’t, though. Alyn has a brother, Addam. They look a lot alike, and Addam talked about what Lord Corlys “owes” both of them. What else could the Lord of Driftmark owe Addam than the truth? And if that wasn’t a big enough hint, House of the Dragon keeps showing Addam watching the lonely dragon Seasmoke, previously ridden by his half-brother Laener, taking to the sky.
Alyn and Addam clearly have the blood of Old Valyria. Their widowed father, who would not recognize them while Rhaenys lived, is now also Hand of the Queen for Rhaenyra Targaryen, a woman desperate for dragons.
There are no two stronger, more obvious candidates to try and claim dragons and become dragonriders than the bastard sons of the Sea Snake on House of the Dragon. Yet they might not be the best candidate.
Ulf the White Could Become a House of the Dragon Dragonrider
While the show has all but confirmed Alyn and Addam are bastards of a powerful man with Valyrian blood, another character has openly claimed to be exactly that. Ulf the White told his tavern friends he is a “dragonseed,” a term for Targaryen bastards. Ulf specifically said in House of the Dragon episode three that he is the unacknowledged son of Baelon the Brave, father of the late King Viserys and Daemon Targaryen.
The not entirely stupid/not entirely smart Ulf was willing to quietly make that claim to strangers when it meant free drinks, even though he said it could cost him his head. However, he’s not exactly brave. At first, he supported his (supposed) niece Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne. Ulf even declared her son Jace as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. But when King Aegon showed up unexpectedly, a terrified Ulf was the first one to pay homage to Aegon.
Ulf’s cowardice is not the best omen for a potential dragonrider. He’s also certainly not the only person to ever make a wild claim for a free mug of ale. But he might really be a dragonseed. His distinct white hair is unusual for anyone his age in King’s Landing. It’s unusual for someone from Westeros. Narratively it also wouldn’t make sense that the show has spent any time with Ulf and his familial claims if we aren’t supposed to at least consider him a future dragonrider on House of the Dragon.
Hair color and the amount of attention House of the Dragon has given to an otherwise unimportant member of the smallfolk also point to one other person in King’s Landing as a possible dragonrider for Rhaenyra.
Hugh Hammer the Blacksmith Could Become an Unexpected Dragonrider
Ulf is not the only denizen of King’s Landing with peculiar hair. House of the Dragon has spent even more time with another such character, Hugh the Blacksmith. Ulf and Hugh Hammer are the only members of the smallfolk with such a distinct physical trait. And, while Hugh Hammer and his family’s story has added to the show’s theme about how innocent people suffer during war, House of the Dragon has spent a lot of time on his story. He’s clearly more important than a single theme.
Hugh Hammer wants to bring his dying daughter and desperate wife somewhere safe, but nowhere in Westeros is safe. Dragonstone and its unclaimed dragons might be the best place for him to go. It offers him something he doesn’t have: the power to do something to save his family.
Aegon broke his promise to pay Hugh for his work. Now that broken promise could work against the Greens, because while Meleys is dead, Rhaenyra has more dragons. She and Jace also now have a plan that is not as mad as it sounds. Perhaps Hugh Hammer, the Blacksmith, will join the ranks of dragonriders.
The Blacks will now go searching through old scrolls for forgotten ancestors. But House of the Dragon has already presented us with some possible dragonriders that we already know about.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist and dragon historian. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.