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House of the Dragon officially lured audiences back into Westeros on Sunday night, with an excellent production and performances reminding many of the feeling they experienced when first venturing into Game of Thrones. In order to bring audiences back into such a complicated world, especially given the time jump, familiarity is very important.
Episode 1 made a careful effort to offer its audience a sense of familiarity. Be it King’s Landing, an assembly of the small council, or the musical scores of Ramin Djawadi, House of the Dragon made its ties to the original series and its fan base known. And one stand out was the amount of notable house sigils appearing in the first episode alone.
House Targaryen
They’re the house the series about, so it comes as no surprise to see the red dragon on black background banner of House Targaryen. The banner didn’t appear often in Game of Thrones until later seasons, when Daenaerys had begun conquering, but the familiar sigil is emblematic of her character and her popularity among fans.
Fans will have to adjust to many more Targaryens living at the same time, as the ensemble of characters is filled with silver haired royalty. Their banner, scarce in King’s Landing in the rule of Robert Baratheon and the Lannisters, runs rampant in the time of House of the Dragon.
House Tully
The Tullys were essentially a punching bag for the Lannisters in Game of Thrones, even more so than the Starks. The Riverlands were the primary location of the battles between Robb Stark and Tywin Lannister’s forces, and suffered the most in the War of Five Kings. Edmure Tully did end up surviving all the conflict, only to be humiliated by Sansa in the finale.
A representative of House Tully was not seen at the tournament, but the banners could be spotted throughout the arena. The red and blue background with a white fish is easy to spot.
House Baratheon
The youngest of the major houses in Westeros are the Baratheons of Storm’s End, who would later become the Baratheon’s of King’s Landing following Robert’s Rebellion. While the Baratheon population in Game of Thrones was small compared to Stark or Lannister, they were equally important players throughout the series.
In House of the Dragon, a Baratheon, Boremond, is the first to joust in the tournament, and first to be unseated by Ser Criston Cole. The Baratheons have been close to the Targaryens, as their family was founded by Aegon’s rumored bastard brother.
House Tyrell
The Tyrells entered the scene in Season 1 of Game of Thrones, but didn’t fully become players until Season 3 when Margaery was pronounced to be Joffrey’s Queen. They became a source of political intrigue in the King’s Landing plot line, filling gaps left after departures of the likes of Littlefinger and Tyrion.
In the tournament in episode one of House of the Dragon, a representative of House Tyrell can be seen mounted among Daemon’s selection of opponents. If the rider is anything like Ser Loras Tyrell in Game of Thrones, Daemon could have had some good competition.
House Tarly
House Tarly’s sigil doesn’t appear until the final seasons of Game of Thrones, but Samwell Tarly is a key character throughout the entire story. His Night’s Watch vows prevent him from truly being a representative of his house, so it isn’t until meeting his family in Season 7 that audiences can familiarize themselves with the sigil and culture of the house.
The house is primarily known for their militaristic prowess, their banner being a red huntsman over a green background, which can be spotted at the tournament in episode 1. The house could become a player in the show if more of Westeros becomes involved, as they represent much of the Reach’s military strength.
House Bolton
Known mostly for the despicable Roose Bolton and his somehow even more despicable bastard son, Ramsay, the Boltons are a significant antagonist in Game of Thrones starting mainly in Season 3. They’re known as being the second-strongest house in the North, making them constantly in rivalry with the Starks throughout history.
A jouster carrying the sigil of House Bolton on his shield can be seen at the tourney. The Boltons, while not known for their chivalry, have been formidable fighters, having contested with the Starks in many historical wars over the control over the North.
House Stark
The Starks of Winterfell rarely tie in with the affairs of the Targaryens, mainly due to the geographical separation of the North from King’s Landing. Until of course Eddard Stark joins Robert in the rebellion against the Targaryens, and later become the primary protagonists of Game of Thrones. One of the things that fans may forget from Game of Thrones is that the Starks were once loyal to the Targaryens.
The mention of A Song of Ice and Fire was a shocking reveal to viewers, and Rickon Stark was seen briefly kneeling and pledging his loyalty to the crown during this monologue. Also, a Stark was seen getting his face smashed in during the tournament, which seems very consistent with the events of Game of Thrones.
House Lannister
The central piece of much of the drama in Game of Thrones is the Lannisters, with the three children of Tywin being some of the world’s most complex and enjoyable characters. The proud house is not as powerful as they would become under the leadership of Tywin, but they are still one of the great houses of Westeros during the Targaryen reign.
Their banner is seen flying at the tournament, but no Lannisters have appeared so far in House of the Dragon. Luckily, actor Jefferson Hall (who actually had a minor role in Game of Thrones season one) is set to play Lord Jason Lannister in nine of the ten episodes. If IMDb is accurate, the character should appear throughout the rest of the season.
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