10 Things Fans Always Misunderstand About Rhaenyra Targaryen

The star of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra Targaryen is quickly becoming a household name. As the first acknowledged female heir to the Iron Throne of Westeros, she has drawn considerable controversy within the Six Kingdoms, but fans have also been debating certain aspects of the character.

From her fiery nature to her disinterest in the smallfolk, fans have been picking Rhaenyra apart. As the conflict between Alicent and Rhaenyra reaches its head, it’s likely that debates will only grow more fervent. Unfortunately, many fans misunderstand essential facts about Rhaenyra Targaryen.

The Lords Would Not Rise Up Against Her

With House Hightower arguing that the most important Houses will oppose Rhaenyra’s coronation, it is worth taking a look at which Houses will actually contest her. Setting the Hightowers aside, only one House seems poised to rise against her, and it’s House Lannister.

The Hightowers and Lannisters alone cannot defeat the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. With the Starks and Baratheons having supported Rhaenys and House Arryn counting Rhaenyra as blood, through Aemma, it’s unlikely that the kingdoms would actually war with Rhaenyra. If they tried, the other Great Houses would easily help Rhaenyra stomp them out. Given that Otto pretends war is inevitable, it’s important to pay attention to how self-fulfilling his prophecy is.

The Great Council Does Not Affect Her

Many fans point to the Great Council of 101 AC as a precedent against a woman ruling Westeros. However, it did not actually serve that purpose. The Great Council chose between candidates, rather than types of claims. Since Viserys, Rhaenyra, and Laenor were all raised as options, the man who rode Balerion was chosen to rule.

There is no way of knowing why the lords ruled the way that they did, so claiming it was entirely about upholding the patriarchy is not correct. Viserys named Rhaenyra heir without any lords objecting, so pointing to the Great Council isn’t actually fair.

It Didn’t Matter If Her Sons Were Trueborn

While it may be a dumb decision by Rhaenyra to have three children with Harwin Strong, the status of her boys has no bearing over whether they will take the throne someday. Fans and Alicent may argue relentlessly, but the decision is up to Rhaenyra and Laenor.

Without DNA tests, the only way to determine parentage is through parental opinion. With Laenor raising no objection, Viserys is right to ignore the protestations of Alicent. Rhaenyra and Laenor’s acceptance is what counts. Anything else is just idle trifles.

Was Right To Protest Her Marriage

When Viserys initially told Rhaenyra that she was to marry a lord, she was utterly beside herself. Many fans were confused to see her protesting so strongly, as every lord and lady in Westeros is forced to marry, but it was completely understandable.

Yet, after watching her own mother die horribly, thanks to her husband making decisions for her, it was completely understandable that she would hesitate. Her father deciding on his own bride for no political gain also made the order seem hypocritical. Besides, if a heroic side character like the Blackfish could avoid marriages entirely, Rhaenyra could too.

Not Immoral To Raise Bastards

With Jace, Luke, and Joffrey clearly being the bastard sons of Rhaenyra and Harwin Strong, many fans claim that her affair makes her utterly unsuited for the throne. Yet those fans tend to forget that King Robert also sired bastards and Lady Mormont raised her bastard daughters as trueborn heirs, despite having no husband.

Even the most honorable characters like Ned Stark have borne a bastard. While Ned may not have passed off Jon as a trueborn heir as Rhaenyra did, it doesn’t matter by the laws of succession. If Viserys accepted it, then Rhaenyra was heir and fully suitable to become the queen.

Wasn’t Abnormally Power Hungry

There have been many fans who claim that Rhaenyra is obnoxiously power-hungry, as she clings to the Iron Throne and withholds it from her brother, Aegon. Yet those fans are refusing to look at Rhaenyra’s goals and motivations as the heir to Westeros.

After all, when Rhaenys warned her that no woman would sit on the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra reminded her that she was going to change that. Rhaenyra is trying to change Westeros — a noble feat for someone who never even asked to be Viserys’ heir. A more ambitious princess would have pressured Viserys in the wake of Aemma’s death or before it. Instead, Rhaenyra shunned her father and was stunned when he offered her the position.

The Marriage Proposal Was Good

Many fans have taken to agreeing with Alicent that the proposal that Jacaerys Velaryon weds Helaena Targaryen was atrocious. After all, Jace is in all likelihood a bastard, so the offer was nothing more than an insult. Yet, even if fans ignore that Jace is considered a trueborn heir, those fans are also failing to note the rest of Rhaenyra’s offer.

​​​​​Rhaenyra outright offered a dragon’s egg to Aemond. If Aegon were to rise against her, that would mean an additional weapon in Alicent’s hands to defend them with. It was an extreme olive branch that proved that Rhaenyra desperately wanted to avoid conflict with Alicent’s family. Yet Alicent only saw the insult and chose to ignore Rhaenyra’s gesture.

Nothing Like Cersei

Many fans have been pointing to Rhaenyra as being similar to Queen Cersei Lannister. After all, both had three children, both were romantically interested in a family member, and both found themselves ruling over ungrateful lords and members of the smallfolk.

​​​​​​Yet, besides these similarities, Cersei and Rhaenyra couldn’t be more different. After all, Cersei was one of the evilest Game of Thrones villains, as a character who enjoyed tormenting her enemies. Rhaenyra, however, likes playing games and making friends. She tends to offer olive branches wherever she can. Unlike the brutally violent Cersei, Rhaenyra just wants to enjoy her life and her time with the ones she loves.

Her Relationship With Daemon Is Politically Helpful

Viewers watching Rhaenyra flirt with Daemon are often beside themselves, arguing that Rhaenyra is ruining her chance to sit on the Iron Throne. Yet that couldn’t be farther from the truth. By courting a power-hungry Targaryen in Daemon, Rhaenyra is actually helping secure her seat.

After all, Aegon is 14 years old and rides a young dragon. The much more experienced Daemon rides a much larger and deadlier dragon, and his nature as a wildcard makes him a much greater threat. With Daemon loyal to Rhaenyra and her children, it is unlikely that he would rise against her to contest her claim.

Rightfully Rejected Criston Cole

Prior to the Episode 6 time jump, some fans saw Rhaenyra as overly cruel to Ser Criston. Yet fans should also note that it would have been much crueler if Rhaenyra agreed to follow Criston across the Narrow Sea.

After all, there is no world in which Viserys would not immediately assume that Rhaenyra had left of her own accord. Criston would have been hunted down and given a harsh punishment, even if Rhaenyra insisted that she left as well. So, while many think of Rhaenyra as completely heartless to Criston after the two slept together, she was actually saving him from a much worse fate.

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