Every Secret Targaryen in Game of Thrones & A Song of Ice & Fire (Including 1 The TV Show Cut)

House Targaryen plays a prominent role in every series within the Song of Ice and Fire universe, from Game of Thrones to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — and secret members of this Great House of Westeros are more common than you’d think. The Targaryen family tree is full of familiar faces, and many characters on it openly lay claim the dragon sigil. However, George R.R. Martin and the people adapting his work know how to craft a plot twist — and several involve the reveal of secret Targaryen characters.

Those twists are front of mind after the latest episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. However, that’s not the first time we’ve seen such a reveal. Game of Thrones features another big one, and there are two more hidden Targaryens mentioned in Martin’s work. They all have their reasons for hiding their true lineage — but it tends to come out anyway. Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1, Episode 3, “The Squire.”

4) Jon Snow

It hasn’t happened in George R.R. Martin’s books yet, but the biggest secret Targaryen reveal is that Jon Snow is actually Aegon, the legitimate son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. This was a theory among the Song of Ice and Fire fan base for years before Game of Thrones confirmed it. And given all the clues scattered throughout the series, Jon being a hidden Targaryen makes a lot of sense.

Read Next

25 Years Ago, One of the Best Fantasy Stories Ever Released (& It Led to Two 10/10 Seasons of TV)

After Robert’s Rebellion, it wasn’t safe for the truth about Jon to come out. Therefore, Ned hid it from him and everyone else, claiming his sister’s child as his own. But thanks to Bran and Samwell Tarly, Jon eventually learns his true parentage. Unfortunately, Jon being a secret Targaryen doesn’t lead to him taking the Iron Throne or any of the other big developments fans anticipated (though he does get to ride one of Dany’s dragons).

3) Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers/The Three-Eyed Raven

The Three-Eyed Raven also plays a large role throughout Game of Thrones. And while the TV series doesn’t go too deeply into his identity, House of the Dragon more or less confirms what the books allude to: that he’s Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers. The glimpse of him in the prequel series depicts him with the same raven-shaped birthmark gives Brynden his nickname. And in the books, he outright tells Bran that his given name was “Brynden.”

For those unfamiliar with the name, Brynden Rivers is the bastard son of King Aegon IV. That makes him the half-brother of Daeron II, the current king in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Given the spinoff’s timeline, we should eventually see him in the show. Of course, he won’t be a hidden Targaryen just yet. But he eventually gets sent to the Wall, where he becomes Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and vanishes somewhere in the North. And once he’s the Three-Eyed Raven, he’s less forthcoming with his name or former identity — likely because his past no longer matters.

2) Aegon V Targaryen (Egg)

After A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3, it’s now clear that Egg is a secret Targaryen. (His nickname is short for Aegon V Targaryen, making the second — but not last — hidden Aegon on this list.) Egg is the grandson of the current king and youngest son of Maekar I. However, he hides this from Ser Duncan the Tall, lying to the hedge knight in the hopes of becoming his squire.

The HBO show has yet to tell us why Egg would do such a thing, but The Hedge Night novella sheds light on his intentions. Egg doesn’t enjoy the royal world he’s been brought up in, something you can already see in his interactions with his brother, Prince Aerion. He also dreams of becoming a knight, but the older brother he’s supposed to squire for — Daeron “The Drunken” — has little interest in fighting and blows off the tourney at Ashford Meadow. Shaving his head and joining Dunk is a means of pursuing that dream in spite of this. Unfortunately, his secret doesn’t last very long.

1) Aegon VI Targaryen (Young Griff)

The final secret Targaryen that we know of doesn’t appear in Game of Thrones — but he’s in the books, and he promises to play a significant role in their conclusion. That would be Aegon VI Targaryen, also known as Young Griff. Young Griff is introduced in A Dance With Dragons, when Tyrion Lannister meets him aboard the Shy Maid. Although he claims to be the son of a man named “Griff,” Tyrion realizes this is all a front. It comes out that Young Griff is actually the child of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell. Although the world believes him dead, Aegon VI intends to take the Iron Throne for himself.

Since Daenerys Targaryen is planning to do the same, Young Griff’s appearance adds another looming conflict for The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring to contend with. It’s easy to understand why Game of Thrones leaves it out, as the HBO series had enough to tie up in its final seasons. However, assuming Young Griff is who he claims to be, he has a stronger claim to the Iron Throne than Daenerys. He also has the element of surprise on his side, which could help him against the other contenders for the throne.

What’s your favorite Targaryen reveal from the Song of Ice and Fire universe? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!