WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 4!House of the Dragon’s Targaryens are revealed to be motivated by fulfilling Aegon’s prophecy, the importance of Melisandre’s purpose in finding the Prince That Was Promised is given a new layer.
In House of the Dragon’s premiere, King Viserys revealed to his daughter and new heir, Rhaenyra Targaryen, the secret of Aegon the Conqueror’s prophetic dream, which he called the Song of Ice and Fire. The dream stated that a Targaryen would need to sit on the Iron Throne and unite the realm in order to save the living from the cold and the dark, with the burden of this knowledge being ed onto each Targaryen king (or queen) and their heir. Considering Game of Thrones ended with Targaryen descendants Jon Snow and Daenerys becoming King in the North and Queen of Westeros before uniting the living to defeat the White Walkers, House of the Dragon’s prophecy indeed came true several centuries later.
As Viserys realizes that Rhaenyra’s sex scandal with Daemon puts her perception as heir in jeopardy, he reveals more to her about the importance of Aegon’s prophecy. The King pulls out the Valyrian steel dagger from Game of Thrones, which is inscribed with Aegon’s dream in High Valyrian. The blade reads, “From my blood come the prince that was promised, and his will be the song of ice and fire.” The former part of the phrase now connects to the seemingly forgotten vision in Game of Thrones, which was the Prince That Was Promised prophecy preached by Melisandre and the followers of the Lord of Light.
The Prince That Was Promised Prophecy Explained
The Prince That Was Promised prophecy was introduced by House of the Dragon’s newly revealed prophecy.
Is Aegon's Dream The Exact Same As The Prince That Was Promised?
Aegon’s dream now includes “the prince that was promised” being the Targaryen with the “song of ice and fire” that unites the realm against the cold and dark. With these words from two different sources yielding the same outcome of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen defeating the White Walkers, it seems the Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire dream and R’hllor’s Prince That Was Promised prophecy are one and the same. However, the two prophecies deviate slightly, as the Prince That Was Promised prophecy is based on Azor Ahai and his connection to Lightbringer and the Lord of Light. Game of Thrones’ prophecy also doesn’t include any mention of the Prince needing to be a Targaryen who sits on the Iron Throne, so it appears that while they are at heart the same vision, the various sources have some vital information that others don’t.
While the followers of the Lord of Light believed the Prince That Was Promised was “born amidst salt and smoke” and would wield Lightbringer, Aegon’s dream doesn’t seem to include these points. However, these details do the idea that the Prince is a Targaryen and, more specifically, the idea that two Targaryens will have a role in fulfilling the prophecy. Jon is more connected to the Lightbringer aspect, while Daenerys was born amidst salt and smoke. Since both prophecies originate in the language of High Valyrian, it’s likely that Aegon’s dream is an extension of the Prince That Was Promised vision, giving further clarity that it is the Targaryens who will fulfill the long-held prediction.
How Does Azor Ahai Fit With Aegon's Dream & The Prince That Was Promised
While the figure isn’t named in Game of Thrones’ series, Azor Ahai is often associated with the Prince That Was Promised prophecy in the books. Melisandre uses the two names interchangeably, as he was a legendary figure for the followers of R’hllor who wielded the flaming sword Lightbringer and was said to be the one who brought an end to the Long Night. The prophecy said that Azor Ahai would be reborn again into a champion sent by the Lord of Light, which would occur after a long summer when a cold evil descended on humanity. The legend of Azor Ahai is thus another layer of the Prince That Was Promised prophecy; though not all the idea of Azor Ahai per se, his prophesied reincarnation fits into being the one who is destined to stop the White Walkers.
The legend of Azor Ahai fits well with Valyrian steel dagger, with Viserys and Rhaenyra placing it over flames to read it.
Why House Of The Dragon Revisits The Prince That Was Promised Prophecy
Revisiting Game of Thrones’ Prince That Was Promised prophecy recontextualized the original show while emphasizing the importance of destiny in this universe. It gives a more unified vision and purpose to the Game of Thrones series, particularly in how Targaryens of generations past had been preparing for the moment that Daenerys and Jon would unite the realm against the White Walkers, and especially why it had to be them presiding over the army of the living. Jon Snow was thought to be the Prince That Was Promised at the end of Game of Thrones, so Aegon’s dream makes it far clearer that this was the case but adds another layer in that Queen Daenerys Targaryen was also an integral part of the prophecy.
The purpose of the Prince That Was Promised, and its connection to the defeat of the White Walkers was often lost throughout Game of Thrones, so House of the Dragon reveals that this centuries-old prophecy was far bigger than the characters of the original series and makes the ending a fitting culmination of the Targaryen dynasty. While the Prince That Was Promised prophecy ended up holding little weight in Game of Thrones’ story, Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire prophecy means everything in House of the Dragon.
Who Was The Prince That Was Promised? What Happened To The Prophecy In GOT?
Aegon’s dream suggests the Prince That Was Promised was both Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. Daenerys fulfilled the aspect of becoming Queen in Westeros while bringing back dragons after nearly 150 years, which were crucial to defeating the Night King. Jon Snow was also the King in the North who spent his main storyline in Game of Thrones uniting the realm against the White Walkers – a fight that Daenerys wouldn’t have eagerly ed had Jon not convinced her of this threat. The Prince That Was Promised prophecy became somewhat muddled when Arya became the one to kill the Night King with the dagger rather than Jon or Daenerys, but there was one interpretation of the prophecy that suggested the dragon had “three heads.” This would suggest Jon, Daenerys, and Arya are the three dragons, but Arya isn’t a Targaryen like the other two.
Following the fiery last dragon Drogon as her weapon, and uniting the realm against the cold and dark, Daenerys Targaryen is just as much a contender as Jon. Game of Thrones may not have given a clear answer, but House of the Dragon's emphasis on Aegon's dream indicates the mystery will finally be solved.
New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO/HBO Max.