As battle looms nearer in House of the Dragon, the noble homes of Westeros are already starting to decide on sides within the rivalry for the Iron Throne between Rhaenyra and Aegon Targaryen. The shifting political alliances and ever-expanding solid of characters might be onerous to maintain up with, notably since so many weren’t featured in Game of Thrones. To aid you hold monitor of the assorted homes — and the way they match into the inevitable Targaryen civil battle — we’ll be updating this home and character information all through the season.

[Ed. note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 5.]

House Targaryen

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

“Fire and Blood”
The royal home of Westeros. Their ancestral seat is Dragonstone, although they rule out of King’s Landing. Their sigil is a pink three-headed dragon over a black discipline.

The whole present is about House Targaryen, so that is most likely the one home you don’t need assistance retaining straight (or at the very least we’d hope). We’ll nonetheless go over the bullet factors right here, although, simply in case.

When House of the Dragon begins, Viserys I Targaryen is King of Westeros after a Great Council had voted for him to succeed his grandfather Jaehaerys. Following the demise of his spouse Aemma Arryn and their new child son, Baelon, Viserys Targaryen named his daughter Rhaenyra as his inheritor, displacing his brother, Daemon Targaryen, from the road of succession. Viserys later chooses to marry Alicent Hightower, with whom he has a son Aegon, making a disaster of succession that units off the primary Targaryen civil battle, generally known as the Dance of the Dragons.

House Targaryen are pureblood Valyrians, and Viserys brokers a political alliance with one of many solely different Valyrian homes, Velaryon, when he instructions Rhaenrya to marry her second cousin Laenor Velaryon. Despite this — and the actual fact they’re associated — Daemon nonetheless pursues a marriage together with his niece Rhaenyra.

House Hightower

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

“We Light the Way”
The rulers of Oldtown, the place the Citadel is situated. They maintain fealty to House Tyrell of Highgarden. Their sigil is a white tower topped by flames on a grey discipline.

Of all of the newly distinguished homes in House of the Dragon, Hightower is among the most essential to maintain your eye on. The home is headed up by Lord Hobert Hightower, whose youthful brother Ser Otto was Hand to King Viserys I Targaryen for a lot of his reign. It’s Otto who encourages his daughter Alicent to get near the king after the demise of his spouse Aemma, resulting in Alicent and Viserys’ marriage and their son Aegon. Though, on account of Otto’s behind-the-scenes machinations, Viserys dismisses Otto as his Hand.

After some convincing from her father, Alicent decides to struggle for Aegon to be named Viserys’ inheritor. She all however declares battle when she seems at Rhaenyra and Laenor’s wedding ceremony feast carrying a inexperienced costume.

Otto additionally has a son, Ser Gwayne Hightower, who participated within the Heir’s Tournament within the collection premiere.

Hightower holds fealty to House Tyrell, however additionally they have a number of vassals of their very own: Bulwer, Costayne, Cuy, and Beesbury, whose lord, Lyman, serves as Viserys’ Master of Coin.

House Velaryon

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

“The Old, the True, the Brave”
The rulers of Driftmark, an island in Blackwater Bay. Their seat is High Tide, an island-castle off Driftmark’s coast. Their sigil is a silver seahorse over an aquamarine discipline.

House Velaryon is among the oldest (and wealthiest) homes in Westeros, with a Valyrian bloodline as historical as House Targaryen — as its present lord, Corlys “the Sea Snake,” likes to remind Viserys. The Velaryons are a Valyrian home, originating from Essos’ Valyrian Peninsula. Corlys is married to Viserys’ cousin, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, dubbed the Queen Who Never Was after she was handed over as Jaehaerys’ inheritor. Together, Corlys and Rhaenys have two kids, Laena and Laenor. Though Laenor will not be a member of House Targaryen, he’s the rider of the Targaryen-bred dragon Seasmoke.

Corlys, also called Lord of the Tides, served as Viserys’ Master of Ships and instructions the Royal Fleet. His youthful brother, Ser Vaemond Velaryon, serves as commander of the Velaryon navy. However, after Viserys rejects marrying the 12-year-old Laena in favor of Alicent Hightower, Corlys leaves his submit on the King’s Council and aligns himself with Daemon Targaryen within the battle in opposition to the Triarchy. After the battle, Viserys decides to marry Rhaenyra to Laenor to dealer a political alliance with House Velaryon, which by then had taken over the Stepstones.

House Strong

Image: HBO

A noble home of the Riverlands that holds fealty to House Tully. Their seat is the Harrenhal. Their sigil is a tripartite of blue, pink, and inexperienced converging round a fist on white discipline.

House Strong is dominated over by Lord Lyonel Strong, who acts as Viserys’ Hand after beforehand serving as his Master of Laws. His youngest son is the quiet schemer Larys Strong, and the oldest is Ser Harwin Strong, who is usually referred to as Breakbones and generally known as the strongest man within the Seven Kingdoms.

House Strong’s seat is Harrenhal, which hosted Jaehaerys I Targaryen’s meeting to decide on an inheritor. But between Harrenhal’s alleged curse and the truth that the seat was held by House Whent when Game of Thrones started, issues already aren’t wanting nice for House Strong’s future in House of the Dragon.

House Cole

Photo: Ollie Upton

Stewards to House Dondarrion at Blackhaven, a fort within the Dornish Marches. Their sigil is ten black circles on a pink discipline.

We met the hunky Ser Criston Cole within the collection premiere when he defeated Daemon Targaryen within the Heir’s Tournament — a loss made extra spicy by the truth that Cole is common-born. Criston’s father is the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven, however regardless of technically being referred to as a noble home, House Cole is basically seemed down upon in noble society for his or her “low-born” standing. Cole’s Dornish ancestry most likely doesn’t assist issues both.

While serving within the Kingsguard, Criston turns into very shut with Rhaenyra, and the pair consummate their relationship previous to her engagement to Laenor.

House Royce

“We remember”

The rulers of the Vale. They maintain fealty to House Arryn. Their seat is Runestone. Their sigil is black circles over an orange sq., surrounded by runes on a white discipline.

Proud descendants of the First Men, House Royce holds fealty to House Arryn and has a vassal of their very own, House Tollett. Rhea Royce, the Lady of the Vale, was the primary spouse of Daemon Targaryen, though the 2 loathed one another. Following Rhaenyra’s engagement to Laenor, Daemon murdered Rhea so as to clear the best way for his plots to marry Rhaenyra and declare Runestone for his personal. However, Rhea’s cousin Ser Gerald Royce is aware of Daemon killed Rhea, and can seemingly problem Daemon’s inheritance.

House Royce was additionally reasonably featured in Game of Thrones, with its then-head Lord Yohn Royce taking part in a key rule in liberating Winterfell from the Boltons and electing Bran Stark to the Iron Throne.

House Westerling

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

A noble home of the Westerlands that holds fealty to House Lannister. Their seat is the Crag.

Ser Harrold Westerling is a long-standing member of the Kingsguard, having begun his service underneath Jaehaerys’ rule. He at present serves because the sworn defend to Rhaenyra Targaryen. In Game of Thrones, the one time House Westerling popped up was once they surrendered their seat to Robb Stark. However, within the Song of Ice and Fire books, this home performed a way more distinguished position, with Robb marrying Jeyne Westerling fairly than Talisa Maegyr, as he did within the collection.

House Lannister

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

“Hear Me Roar!”
The rulers of the Westerlands. Their seat is Casterly Rock. Their sigil is a golden lion on a crimson discipline.

House of the Dragon has given us one other set of Lannister twins this season: Tyland and Jason, who, thankfully, are usually not in a bootleg incestuous relationship. As befitting members of considered one of Westeros’ Great Houses, each males maintain essential roles within the kingdom. After Corlys Velaryon left King’s Landing to struggle within the War of the Stepstones, Ser Tyland took over as Master of Ships. His brother Jason serves because the Lord of Casterly Rock. During the royal hunt on Prince Aegon’s second nameday, Jason tried to win Rhaenyra’s hand however was promptly shut down.

This season has additionally seen temporary appearances by a number of different Lannisters. The twins have been joined on the royal hunt by their widowed mom Ceira and Brett, a relative whose precise connection to the household is unknown.