Just over three years after the finale of Game of Thrones premiered on HBO, the first-ever spinoff in the franchise started its run. House of the Dragon, following the Targaryen family nearly 200 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, aired on HBO in late 2022 and was overall a major hit. Many wondered if people still cared about the franchise, and the prequel series proved they definitely do. Not only did House of the Dragon bring in impressive viewership numbers for the network and its streaming service, but it also won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series.
Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon features heroes and villains — but it’s still hard to categorize many as “good” or “bad.” They’re incredibly complex in their motivations and actions, and the series really is an awesome character study in addition to a thrilling story about the royal succession, power dynamics, and of course, dragons.
House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, a Targaryen history book that’s written more like a textbook than a novel. Because of this, the showrunners and writers on the HBO show can really get creative in the ways they choose to bring the story to life. And man, it’s a great story.
Read more of our Game of Thrones content here:
- All 10 House of the Dragon episodes ranked from worst to best
- 12 most disliked Game of Thrones characters, ranked
- All 8 Game of Thrones seasons ranked from worst to best
- Game of Thrones: Fan casting the key roles in Aegon’s Conquest
From death and war to romance and betrayal, House of the Dragon‘s got it all. While we wait for the second season to premiere in the summer of 2024, we’re looking back at the villains of season 1 and ranking them from bad to absolutely terrible. Let’s see if you agree with our ranking!