House of the Dragon: How is Ser Steffon Darklyn related to House Targaryen?

House of the Dragon: How is Ser Steffon Darklyn related to House Targaryen?

As a longtime fan of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series and a dedicated viewer of HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” I can’t help but be intrigued by the latest twist in the storyline involving Ser Steffon Darklyn and his connection to House Targaryen. This week’s episode was filled with unexpected turns, especially when it came to Steffon’s failed attempt to tame the dragon Seasmoke.


In this week’s episode of “House of the Dragon,” Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and her team faced a significant shift. Following the tragic demise of Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), their most accomplished dragonrider, Rhaenyra was left with an insufficient number of dragonriders but a plentiful stock of dragons hibernating in Dragonstone’s caverns. The previous episode, titled “Regent,” concluded with Rhaenyra and her son Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) discovering that there might be records of Targaryens who had wed outside their dynasty and that their offspring could still possess sufficient Targaryen lineage to tame a dragon.

In Episode 206, we witnessed the implementation of that scheme. Rhaenyra summoned her faithful Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Steffon Darklyn (portrayed by Anthony Flanagan), and disclosed that he hailed from a distant branch of House Targaryen. Delighted by this news, Ser Steffon willingly took on the perilous task of dragon taming, aware that failure would most likely lead to his demise.

At first, it appeared that everything was progressing smoothly for Ser Steffon. However, the dragon Seasmoke detected a trace of doubt in Steffon and deemed him insufficient. Consequently, Steffon met an unexpected end when Seasmoke breathed a devastating flame in his direction.

If you find yourself pondering as Seasmoke does: what is the connection between this individual and House Targaryen? Though the dragon might not be overly concerned, our curiosity demands an answer.

House of the Dragon: How is Ser Steffon Darklyn related to House Targaryen?

Is Ser Steffon Darklyn related to House Targaryen in the book?

When Rhaenyra calls for Ser Steffon in my beloved “Dragon’s House,” she shares that his ancestry traces back to Rhaenyra’s great-great-great-grandmother, Arianna, who was a noble Targaryen princess. Over the passage of time, Arianna wedded into House Darklyn, and their lineage flourished. This fascinating tidbit allows us, dear fans, to easily comprehend Ser Steffon’s connection to the Targaryens: six generations ago, a Targaryen princess graced the Darklyn family with her presence.

Although HBO’s Game of Thrones series portrays Ser Steffon and House Darklyn as related to House Targaryen, this connection is nonexistent in George R.R. Martin’s original source material. In the books, Ser Steffon is among several loyal household knights who attempt to mount dragons during the Dance of the Dragons civil war, without any familial ties to House Targaryen. To clarify, it’s essential to understand that not only Targaryens try to ride dragons in this period, but Targaryen bastards, or “Dragonseeds,” are the primary aspirants.

According to “The World of Ice and Fire” book and its accompanying family tree for House Targaryen, there is no record of an “Arianna Targaryen” who married into House Darklyn. Since Arianna is described as a grandparent of Steffon’s grandmother, it means that this marriage would have taken place during the earliest days of House Targaryen’s reign, possibly even before Aegon’s Conquest. The family tree becomes less clear that far back, as most maesters only began recording genealogies once Aegon and his sister-wives arrived in Westeros. Arianna could have been a close ancestor of Aegon I Targaryen, at least according to “House of the Dragon.”

Coming up next week, you’ll encounter several other hopeful dragon riders at an engaging event called “Sowing of the Seeds.” Don’t miss this thrilling experience! Tune in next Sunday evening on HBO and Max.

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2024-07-21 08:41

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