House of the Dragon narrates the events that happened two centuries before Game of Thrones (2011–2019) began. While the fantasy series portrays different ages and countries, both focus on strong female leaders of the House of Targaryen: Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke).
These women are exemplary rulers: they have a knowledge of leadership in their blood, and they can stand on their own and exercise their power. Daenerys, as well as Rhaenyra, care for their people. But most of all, each wanted to rule, a feat uncommon for the Seven Kingdoms that usually had a male king on the Iron Throne.
Daenerys Targaryen: A Complex Evolution from Protector to Villain
The image of brave Daenerys is complicated. She starts as a protector of people and becomes the Mother of Dragons. She frees multitudes of enslaved and ends slavery in several countries. She heroically helps the oppressed and fights to renew the Targaryen dynasty. At a great cost of personal sacrifice, she hatches the dragon eggs and renews the old Targaryen tradition of raising and flying dragons. No wonder this epic character was a favorite with the Game of Thrones fans.
However, Daenerys turns mad or villainous, or both, in the last episode of season 8. She holds on to her claim on the Iron Throne and wants to achieve this goal by any means. Taking over King's Landing, she destroys half of the city. In the process, she kills many town inhabitants and claims to "have freed them" from their unlawful rulers. Perhaps, Daenerys had a capacity for violence that caused this unexpected character arc. She was a powerful young woman who had to use brute force to achieve her aims.
A role with such complex evolution of character must have been challenging to play. In an interview with Daily Telegraph, Clarke said about portraying Daenerys:
"She taught me what it feels like to be in a room and be heard. She wielded such power, calmness and such poise. She had a fierce intensity and made some incredibly tough choices. In Season 3, she had to start busting some balls, and as a 25-year-old standing in front of 500 extras, 150 crew members, six cameras, a drone, dragons and fire, I had to bring it."
The actress's responsibility for a huge cinematic enterprise helped Clarke understand her role, while her character taught her to bear this responsibility.
The change in Daenerys's virtues forged her unfortunate fate: she was murdered by her lover, Jon Snow (Kit Harington). The fans famously hated her violent demise, especially from the hand of a man who betrayed her. The public reception of the unexpected evolution of Daenerys's character was mixed. Some fans still loved the role, but many of them expressed disagreement with the character's development.
Rhaenyra Targaryen: Destined to Rule as Queen
The end of Daenerys Targaryen, as well as the termination of Game of Thrones, resulted in fans' disappointment. But, hopefully, the new spin-off, based on excerpts from the book Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, will satisfy their interest in dragons and flying maidens. This includes Rhaenyra Targaryen, the first ruling queen-to-be of the dynasty. Two actresses play the role of Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon: Milly Alcock as the teenage princess and Emma D'Arcy as the mature queen.
The evolution of this character promises to be as complex as that of Daenerys. Rhaenyra will live through the so-called Dance of the Dragons, the war for succession of the Iron Throne. She will claim her right to the throne and support her claims by power. She will marry and give birth to her children. The young girl the fans have just seen in two initial episodes of House of the Dragon must grow up to become a queen worthy of her kingdom.
In the book, her son, Ser Laenor Velaryon, will be crowned king to sit on the Iron Throne. But the spin-off may enforce different rules. The Targaryen women consistently expose a thirst for power and skill in wielding it. Both Rhaenyra and Daenerys start their ascent at a tender age. Both of them die relatively young. The difference between these figures lies in their achievement: Daenerys freed hundreds of thousands of people from slavery. She united several countries under her rule. She renewed the species of dragons and the tradition of using them in support of the Targaryens. However, she never sat on the Iron Throne as queen and died because of her violent inclinations.
In contrast to her descendant, Rhaenyra may not be lovable, as Daenerys was at the beginning, and she has not done much for the people, but she became the queen of her realm. She will take the Iron Throne by force and rule as a queen of the Seven Kingdoms, albeit for a short while.
The future of Rhaenyra is yet to be seen as the show continues.