House of the Dragon has brought to life an in-universe history book about one of the most destructive times in the history of Westeros. The Dance of the Dragons may have seen the end of the dragons and nearly the extinction of House Targaryen, but it is a time still gone over by fans over what actually happened. The show is attempting to portray the events in a way that makes sense. Sometimes this succeeds and other times it falls short.

One of the biggest things fans debate is how well the characters are portrayed. For a show that features their actions in such long formats, they need to be fleshed out and made more human. This means their portrayals in the book can be more one-dimensional, especially when one considers that this is written from the perspective of scholars who were not directly there to witness most events. As a result, some characters have undergone some major changes in personality and motivations.

10Hugh’s Personal Life Was Never Explored

Debut: Season 2, Episode 1 — “A Son for a Son”

Hard Hugh was a character that many were excited to see in the second season of the show. The dragonseed was also a future traitor to Rhaenyra’s side, having participated in one of the worst atrocities of the war. Yet, his portrayal in the books was portrayed as a brutal, but ambitious thug. After his betrayal he became far too big for his boots, wanting to become a king desptie not even having the ability to read or write, let alone understand how to manage a kingdom. This arrogance brought him into conflict with the Greens, whose side he had joined.

In the show, Hugh is portrayed in a much more realistic and sympathetic light. He is a family man just struggling to get by in the economic downturn that was caused by Rhaenyra’s blockade around King’s Landing. As a consequence of this, his daughter eventually grew weak from a lack of food and eventually passed away. Now all Hugh has left is his wife, and no small amount of anger towards the world. Perhaps this personal loss will be a driving factor in his decisions moving forward.

9Viserys Targaryen Never Expressed a Belief in Prophecy

Debut: Season 1, Episode 1 — “The Heirs of the Dragon”

The Viserys of the books, while he retained his affable personality, was also much less competent when looked back upon. He was a kind king, but never firm enough to truly settle the growing feud within his own family. This inability to see how his own daughter and his second wife’s quarreling could escalate into full on war ultimately led to the Dance of the Dragons. It paints the picture of a well-intentioned, but ultimately weak king.

However, in House of the Dragon, Viserys’ motivations are far more complicated. He is a believer in a previously unknown prophecy known as the Song of Ice and Fire. Supposedly made by Aegon the Conqueror, it foretold the coming of a great darkness that the Targaryens must face if humanity was to survive. For these reasons, he was desperate for an heir he could trust. When Daemon failed to meet his expectations and his attempts at having a male heir failed, Viserys finally settled on Rhaenyra, and never once wavered in his choice. Unfortunately, his desire for peace in the family was outweighed by their contempt for one another. As in the books, he failed to prevent the civil war his family would start, but he also lived his life in service to an ideal that was more important than being king.

8Helaena Was Never Presented as a Seer

Debut: Season 1, Episode 8 — “Lord of the Tides”

Helaena was more of a background character in the book. In fact, it would have been more accurate to call her a ready victim to showcase the horrors the Dance would unleash. She was forced to choose which one of her two sons would be killed as vengeance for Lucerys Velaryon. Helaena made her choice, choosing her younger son, but then Blood and Cheese killed her oldest. That moment psychologically destroyed Helaena, leaving her grief-stricken and riddled with guilt, unable to look at the son she named to die. It slowly made her lose her mind until she eventually committed suicide. Her death ironically did more damage to Rhaenyra’s reputation as a ruler than even the death of Helaena’s children.

The show made Helaena far more prominent though, giving her the power of prophecy, perhaps presenting an in-universe explanation for why Helaena’s mental state didn’t seem typical to most others. Only recently have the members of her family begun realizing that Helaena has an inner strength and power that they cannot truly fathom yet. She now stands as a sort of observer of the greater events of the world, aware of how things will play out and prepared to face the end with dignity.

7Rhaena Targaryen Never Claimed Sheepstealer

Debut: Season 1, Episode 6 — “The Princess and the Queen”

Rhaena Targaryen was by far the meeker of Daemon’s twin daughters, but she also served an important role in the future of House Targaryen. In fact, her true prominence didn’t begin until after the Dance. Rhaena would, alongside her sister, become the face of House Targaryen for the sake of their younger brother, Aegon, who was too traumatized by the war to perform all the duties of being a king. In fact, Rhaena would likely be one of the most significant Targaryens of that generation as she is the last known dragonrider before the extinction of the dragons was complete.

House of the Dragon had Rhaena retain the more demure personality when contrasted against her sister, however she is still blood of the dragon and wanted to contribute. Unfortunately, her best avneue to do so, claiming a dragon, had ended in failure in the past, leading most to dismiss her. Not content to be sidelined, Rhaena learned of a dragon in the Vale, and endeavored to claim it. While the outcome of her meeting with Sheepstealer is yet to be resolved, there is no question that she will be his rider, replacing the dragonseed, Nettles. It does raise the interesting question of how she will end up losing Sheepstealer though to claim her canon dragon, Morning.

6Baela Did Not Participate in the Dance of the Dragons

Debut: Season 1, Episode 6 — “The Princess and the Queen”

Baela was always the fiercest of the twins, even from a young age. In many ways, she inherited the best traits of her parents; Daemon’s boldness and Laena’s independence. This is reflected in how she cut her hair short to better see when riding a dragon and was not afraid to pick a fight with anyone she deemed a threat to herself or someone she cared for. Baela even had a pet monkey that would ride with her from time to time. In short, she was an adventurous young woman, but one who did not get to participate in the Targaryen civil war.

House of the Dragon changes this by having Baela act on Rhaenyra’s orders. She is seen scouting against the enemy and even attempting to take the life of Criston Cole when he dared to travel in the open. Baela is by no means a pushover in the show, retaining her daring attitude, but the show capitalizes on this by involving her more in the war. After all, it makes no sense to not use an active dragon, even a young one.

5Larys Strong Was Never Had a Partnership With Alicent

Debut: Season 1, Episode 3 — “Second of His Name”

Larys Strong was always the most mysterious character during the events of the Dance. This was from a political perspective of course, as it was never quite certain which side he truly belonged to or what his motivations even were. This enigmatic behavior persisted right up until the moment of his death, with Larys ultimately helping in the assassination of King Aegon II, paving the way for Rhaenyra’s son to claim the throne.

The show makes Larys’ goals and desires much more human, and perhaps a tad unsettling. He is obviously determined to accrue power for himself, orchestrating the deaths of his father and brother to become lord of Harrnehal, and wants to climb the ladder of the Small Council. However, he is also motivated by far darker desires, seeking sexual gratification from Queen Alicent in exchange for his services as a spymaster. It paints the picture of a very selfish and ambitious man who is not afraid to go to any lengths to get what he wants. Yet in the grand scheme of things, somehow diminishes the Machiavellian politician from the book.

4Corlys Velaryon Looked Different in the Books

Debut: Season 1, Episode 1 — “The Heirs of the Dragon”

In truth, the only thing that really changed about Corlys Velaryon from the A Song of Ice and Fire books was his physical appearance. In the books, Corlys looks almost like a standard Targaryen, having the same purple eyes and silvery-blonde hair. Typical images in the book portrayed Corlys as white, but in the show, Corlys is portrayed as a black man. This brought in some much needed diversity to a franchise that, up until the House of the Dragon, had a distinct lack of people of color.

Corlys’ personality and goals remain the same though. He is still the daring sailor who went on nine legendary voyages across the world, has amassed one of the greatest fortunes in Westeros, and is the head of the largest fleet in the continent. However, Corlys is also portrayed as much more ambitious, desperate to get his blood on the throne. Ironically, this was a desire he shared with Otto Hightower, but due to Corlys’ more brash behavior was never able to achieve such a feat. Yet, Corlys is now beginning to reevaluate his actions, perhaps leading to the wise man that will help lead Westeros’ reconstruction after the Dance of the Dragons.

3Daemon Targaryen Was Rhaenyra’s Ride or Die

Debut: Season 1, Episode 1 — “The Heirs of the Dragon”

Daemon Targaryen was much more self-assured in the books. Though there was resentment towards his brother for being dismissed as the heir to the Iron Throne, he never once made a move to claim it for himself. Shortly after Rhaenyra was named the heir, Daemon did practically everything in his power to support her. This was likely due to a combination of having feelings for her, but also because she was Viserys’ daughter and the only child of his brother’s that he did not look down upon. Regardless of the reason, he was an ardent supporter of Rhaenyra’s claim and never once wavered in that assertion.

The show’s portrayal of Daemon really leaned into the idea of the Rogue Prince, but also explored how his own hidden resentments and insecurities were guiding his actions. His taking of Harrenhal, an act that in the book was quick and done entirely in Rhaenyra’s name, was a protracted psychological examination of Daemon’s character and motivations. It ultimately put him on the path to being Rhaenyra’s biggest supporter, but more than that, instilled in him supernatural knowledge of the true threats hiding in the North.

2Rhaenyra Targaryen Was Far More Ruthless

Debut: Season 1, Episode 1 — “The Heirs of the Dragon”

The Rhaenyra Targaryen of the books was a far more violent character. One of the best examples of this being when she dispatched her husband Daemon to eliminate Vaemond Velaryon when he sought to challenge her son, Lucerys’, claim to Driftmark. Instead of Vaemond speaking out of turn and Daemon defending his wife’s honor without her consent, he was instead hunted down like a dog on her orders. Likewise, Rhaenyra was portrayed as having little to no sympathy for any of the Greens, let alone Alicent Hightower.

For the sake of the show though, Rhaenyra is in effect the main character. It all centers around her claim to the Iron Throne and thus she needed to be portrayed as more moral to justify supporting her. This isn’t to say that Rhaenyra isn’t flawed. She’s made plenty of mistakes that contributed to her younger brother claiming her throne. However, she is far more passive and less ruthless than her book counterpart.

1Alicent Hightower May Not Have Even Been Rhaenyra’s Friend

Debut: Season 2, Episode 1 — “The Heirs of the Dragon”

Alicent Hightower was never once referred to as Rhaenyra’s friend in the books, let alone her closest one. She was always the stepmother that Rhaenyra had to get used to following Queen Aemma’s death. However, their family dynamic, while once amicable, eventually fell apart when Alicent gave birth to a son. Suddenly both women were vying to be the leading lady of the realm, solidifying their rivalry and eventually leading to the Dance of the Dragons. The Alicent of the book was never anything more than the scheming, power-hungry stepmother; something straight out of a fairytale.

Her character in the show is far more nuanced. Alicent does have ambitions, yes. However, she is mired down by her adherence to the customs of Westeros. despite being one of the most powerful women in the realm, she is still subject to the whims of men and chafes against that. As much as she resents Rhaenyra, she can’t help but also be envious of her for living life on her terms, something she could never do. This is what led to the deterioration of their friendship, but those bonds never truly faded, even in times of war.