House of the Dragon: Everything We Know About the Season 1 Finale
House of the Dragon Season 1 is about to end, and a lot of Game of Thrones have major questions about where and how the season will leave things. All season long House of the Dragon has seen a slow-burn tension building within House Targaryen. The shady process that installed King Viserys I on the throne over Princess Rhaenys Tagaryen begot a line of uncertainty in the Seven Kingdoms, which extended to Viserys' children Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Aegon II. Now that Viserys I has died, various factions within King's Landing have moved to supplant Rhaenyra's claim to the throne.
The penultimate episode of House of the Dragon Season 1 (Episode 9, "The Green Council") saw House Hightower (Queen Alicent and her father The Hand, Lord Otto) compete to get to Aegon II and install him on the throne. Despite some serious in-fighting, the plan was successful, and Aegon was given a rapid coronation and made the populace (and high lords) all swear fealty to the new king – or face the consequences. At the same time, Aegon's coronation didn't end well, as Princess Rhaenys broke out of captivity and reclaimed her dragon – catching Aegon and the Hightowers completely by surprise. Although Rhaenys didn't roast the "The Greens" when she had the chance, it's clear Aegon II's rule will immediately be marked by conflict. That conflict will officially begin in the House of the Dragon Finale.
What Will Happen In House of the Dragon Season 1 Finale?
The Trailer for House of the Dragon Season 1 finale – combined with the known history of Westeros and House Targaryen – gives us a pretty solid idea of what the House of the Dragon finale will cover. We're just doing educated guesswork with some speculation thrown in, but obviously, some of what will be discussed are potential SPOILERS.
The Dance of the Dragons Begins – The big event that House of the Dragon has been building up to is "The Dance of the Dragons," a civil war in House Targaryen that would resonate throughout the history of Westeros. The Dance of the Dragons arguably began when Rhaenys disrupted the coronation of Aegon II – but history marks the conflict's true beginning at a different point (see below). By the end, there will be two clear sides: The Greens that support House Hightower and King Aegon's rule, and The Blacks who support Rhaenyra's claim to the throne. The detail we only know vaguely is which side each character chooses – and why.
Son for a Son – The Dance of the Dragons conflict is typically cited as beginning when "The Greens" (Alicent) and "The Blacks" (Rhaenyra) became official warring factions, whose tragic and bloody fight was taken to the point of no return by the deaths of two sons. (MAJOR SPOILERS) First came the death of Rhaenyra's second son, Lucerys Velaryon, who was sent as an envoy to House Baratheon in Storm's End. There, Luke runs afoul of his "Uncle" Aemond Targaryen, whose eye he cut out when they were kids. When Luke leaves on his dragon, Aemond pursues and kills both dragon and rider with his own dragon, Vhagar, which he stole from the Velaryons after Laena's death. When Luke dies, Daemon is said to hire two sellswords who take Queen Helaena Targaryen and her kids with Aegon II hostage, forcing her to choose which one dies.
Thematic Payoff – Needless to say, once Rhaenyra loses her son, and Aegon loses a son, there is no hope left for the two half-siblings to find a road to peace. House of the Dragon's finale will likely end where it began, with Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) both hitting the hard realization that the male-dominated politics of Westeros will ultimately consume both of them and their respective hopes. It will also be a downright Shakespearian tragedy in terms of how Viserys wanted the best for his family, only to see the worst legacy possible unfold after his death.
MORE: House of the Dragon Season 2 – Everything We KNow
House of the Dragon Season 1 is available to watch on HBO Max.
