WARNING! Possible spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon!Iron Throne, House of the Dragon depicts the great house at the height of its reign. House of the Dragon will see a completely different political climate from that of Game of Thrones, including a major change in of which families held great power during the prequel series.
While House of the Dragon largely prioritizes families that were absent from Game of Thrones, most of the biggest houses will still be present in the prequel series. House Stark may have been the primary family in Game of Thrones, but the Lords of Winterfell will only play a minor role in the spinoff until the very end of the Dance of the Dragons. The Lannisters, Baratheons, Greyjoys, Tullys, Freys, Arryns, and Tarlys will also be seen in House of the Dragon. However, a few memorable Game of Thrones families such as House Mormont and House Bolton could be missing from House of the Dragon, with the Martells and Tyrells apt to only make minor appearances.
House of the Dragon being set 200 years before Game of Thrones means several of the families depicted in the prequel series will have gone extinct during this time, which is the case for a few of the houses like the Strongs. The power dynamics of Westeros also greatly shifted in the time between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, especially once House Targaryen was overthrown, so some of the families that held the highest positions and influence in the prequel series lack any real bearing on the political conflicts of Game of Thrones. Here’s a breakdown of every major family in House of the Dragon that was missing from Game of Thrones’ series.
House Velaryon
While King Viserys I Targaryen’s heirs Rhaenyra and Daemon. While House Velaryon is incredibly significant to House of the Dragon’s story, the family’s wealth and power dwindled considerably shortly after the prequel series’ timeline, with the house being primarily known for serving as master of ships on Targaryen small councils.
House Hightower
Alongside House Velaryon, the other most important family in the Targaryen-centric story is House Hightower. The family is one of the most ancient houses in Westeros, with House Hightower’s history marking them as kings before the Andal invasion. Particularly notable in Westerosi history for ing the new Faith of the Seven and the foundation of the Citadel, the Hightowers became a remarkably influential family during House of the Dragon’s timeline.
Lord Otto Hightower became the Hand of the King to Jaehaerys I Targaryen before his death, with the character continuing to serve in this role for King Viserys I Targaryen. Otto’s daughter Alicent Hightower then became the second wife of Viserys and the queen consort of the Seven Kingdoms. She and Viserys would have several children, the eldest of which would vie against his elder half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen for a seat on the Iron Throne. After the Dance of the Dragons, the Hightowers’ influence continued to dwindle in a similar manner to the Velaryons, with the family still being around in Game of Thrones but playing no significant role in the conflict.
House Strong
House Strong will play a massive role at the beginning of the Game of Thrones prequel series, but will become extinct during the last swings of the sword in the Dance of the Dragons. House Strong is another old and noble house that held prominent titles alongside Targaryen kings in Westerosi history, but it all came crashing down during House of the Dragon. The characters in House of the Dragon from House Strong of Harrenhal include Lord Lyonel Strong, the master of laws to King Viserys I Targaryen, and his son Harwin Strong, who is the captain of the gold cloaks and later the sworn shield to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Around the time she married Laenor Velaryon, it was rumored that Rhaenyra and Harwin had a long-term affair, and that her three sons with Laenor were actually fathered by Harwin Strong. When the rumors became too incessant, King Viserys I Targaryen removed Harwin as Rhaenyra’s personal sword and he returned to Harrenhal, where he and his father died in a fire the same year. His brother, Lord Larys Strong, later served as the master of whisperers and Lord Confessor to both King Viserys I Targaryen and Aegon II Targaryen during the Dance of the Dragons, after which time the family line of House Strong died with him.
House Dustin
The Starks won’t be the most prominently-featured northern family in House of the Dragon, as that title will go to House Dustin. Lord Roderick Dustin will be one of the most prominent commanders in Rhaenyra Targaryen’s army during the Dance of the Dragons, as he’ll be in charge of leading the blacks’ Winter Wolves, a group of two thousand northern soldiers. Roderick was responsible for several of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s notable feats in House of the Dragon’s battles, including the Battle by the Lakeshore. The prominence of House Dustin in House of the Dragon comes to an end when Roderick dies in battle, but the family still remains an important northern house sworn to Winterfell. House Dustin is still alive in Game of Thrones, but a prior grievance with Ned Stark led them to acknowledge the Boltons as their liege lords in the north early on. With little to do in Game of Thrones’ conflicts, House Bolton was left out of the series.
House Blackwood
Another important family in House of the Dragon that wasn't in Game of Thrones is House Blackwood, who hails from the riverlands and is sworn to House Tully. Lord Samwell Blackwood once fought for Rhaenyra’s favor before she married Laenor Velaryon, and would Rhaenyra's “black” party during the Dance of the Dragons. Following Samwell’s death in battle, he was succeeded by his 11-year-old son Benjicot Blackwood, who fought in many of Dance of the Dragons’ wars. One of the most important characters later in House of the Dragon’s timeline will be Samwell’s sister Alysanne “Black Aly” Blackwood, a fierce warrior for the blacks who marries Lord Cregan Stark after he agrees to grant mercy to Lord Corlys Velaryon. During Game of Thrones’ timeline, there are still of House Blackwood living and serving the Tullys, but none make any notable appearances on screen.
House Peake
House Peake will be a major er of the green party during the Dance of the Dragons, with Lord Unwin Peake taking command in some of Aegon II Targaryen’s battles. Unwin will continue to be significant once the Dance of the Dragons comes to an end, as he’ll serve as one of the regents for King Aegon III Targaryen after the death of Corlys Velaryon. It’s unclear how far House of the Dragon's show will extend into the reign of Aegon III, but Unwin Peake will continue to become more significant when he becomes the Broken King’s Hand. House Peake is also another family that is still alive during Game of Thrones’ timeline, but was likely omitted due to a major book storyline regarding the Golden Company being cut from the series.