How Many Kids Rhaenyra Has In HOTD, Who The Father Is, & What Happens To Them

Warning: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book.

Rhaenyra Targaryen and her children play a major role in the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war covered in HBO’s House of the Dragon. It can be difficult to keep track of family lineages and lines of succession in the Game of Thrones universe, especially when it comes to the Targaryen. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, Rhaenyra arguably has one of the most interesting storylines in Targaryen history. However, the legacy of the “realm’s delight” goes beyond the war she fought and extends to her children, two of whom would sit on the Iron Throne.

Despite being the eldest trueborn child of King Viserys, Rhaenyra was never really in line to become heir to the Iron Throne. Yet with no male heir, Viserys names Rhaenyra as Princess of Dragonstone. Raised to rule, Rhaenyra married twice in her lifetime: first to Ser Laenor Velaryon, and then to her own uncle, Daemon Targaryen. Rhaenyra’s plan was for her firstborn son to succeed her as Heir to Iron Throne, whereas her second son was going to inherit Driftmark. However, things changed drastically as the Dance of Dragons went on.

How Many Kids Rhaenyra Has In HOTD, Who The Father Is, & What Happens To Them

Rhaenyra had children from two different marriages

Rhaenyra Targaryen gives birth to six children: three Velaryon sons (though Fire & Blood heavily implies that Harwin Strong is the true father), two full-blooded Targaryen sons, and one Targaryen daughter, the last of whom was stillborn. All other children were involved in House Targaryen’s Blacks versus Greens succession war, and most of them met tragic fates. Lucerys Velaryon’s death was the first of many tragedies that came with the dispute between Rhaenyra and Aegon II, after which the idea of “a son for a son” set the tone for the Targaryen civil war.

Jacaerys Velaryon

Rhaenyra’s firstborn and Prince of Dragonstone

Born in 114 AC, Jacaerys Velaryon is the firstborn son of Princess Rhaenyra and Ser Laenor. Even early on, Jace quickly proves that he is a valuable asset to the war pursuit against his uncle Aegon II. Jace flies as an envoy on his dragon, Vermax, gaining the support of the Vale, the Three Sisters, and the North. When the frontline dwindled, he put forth the ingenious idea of offering ennoblement to any Targaryen bastard that could tame Dragonstone’s riderless Targaryen dragons, historically called the Sowing of the Seeds, resulting in new dragonriders ready to fight for the cause.

Jacaerys Velaryon was Queen Rhaenyra’s original heir and Prince of Dragonstone. He is also betrothed to his cousin, Baela Targaryen (Daemon and Savannah Steyn’s Laena’s daughter). Jace dies in the Battle of the Gullet, after burning the Triarchy fleet that ambushed Aegon and Viserys’ transport to Pentos. An injured Vermax crashes into a galley, but not before Jace leaps onto another burning one. He eventually dies by crossbow and sinks to the sea. Whereas Luke’s death almost broke Rhaenyra’s spirit, Jace’s death made her sure of what had to be done to win the war.

Lucerys Velaryon

Rhaenyra’s second child and heir to Driftmark

As the second son of Rhaenyra and Laenor, Lucerys was raised as heir to Driftmark. Following the death of his father, Lucerys was expected to one day succeed Corlys Velaryon as the Master of Driftmark and head of the family. Luke is also betrothed to his cousin: Rhaena Targaryen, Baela’s twin sister. Before the war, Aemond Targaryen got into a fight with his nephews which quickly turned bloody. In an attempt to save his brother from Aemond’s brutal beating, Luke attacked him, resulting in Aemond losing his eye. This incident further deepened Aemond’s anger towards his nephews, specifically Lucerys.

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At the beginning of the conflict between Rhaenyra and her half-brother, Luke was sent to Storm’s End on a mission to bring House Baratheon to their cause. The mission, however, ended in tragedy once Luke realized Aemond Targaryen had arrived there first. Despite a terrible storm ensuing, Luke leaves Storm’s End and flies Arrax back to Dragonstone. However, he is pursued by Aemond on his dragon, Vhagar. The two dragons engage in a fight with Aemond unable to control Vhgar as it kills Luke and Arrax. Luke’s death was depicted in House of Dragon season 1’s finale.

Joffrey Velaryon

The third son of Rhaenyra’s first marriage

The youngest of Rhaenyra’s Velaryon-fathered children is Joffrey, who is named after Ser Laenor’s lover, Ser Joffrey of Lonmouth. After the deaths of Luke and Jace, Joffrey became the Prince of Dragonstone. He is betrothed to Lord Desmond’s youngest daughter, an arrangement that Jace made for White Harbor’s support for the Blacks. Joffrey is characterized as eager to prove he’s a warrior, even at his mother’s incessant prohibition to join the fighting.

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Despite Joffrey’s inexperience in riding a dragon, the stubborn boy’s desperation to become a hero ended his life. As the Dragonpit was being stormed by the Shephard toward the end of the war, Joffrey ran to fly Rhaenyra’s dragon, Syrax, without a saddle. Syrax flung him off from a great height, unfamiliar with him as a rider. Joffrey died from the impact, breaking everything in his body. Afterward, the small folk dismembered him to take his possessions.

Aegon Targaryen

Rhaenyra and Daemon’s first son

Aegon Targaryen is Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon’s firstborn son together. He was born the same year of their marriage in 120 AC. Distinctly referred to as Aegon the Younger, Aegon is characterized as a gloomy personality courtesy of the trauma he experienced during the height of the Targaryen War. To protect her remaining children from the war, Rhaenyra tried to send both Aegon the Younger and Viserys to Essos. However, before they could cross the narrow sea, their ship was ambushed by the Triarchy fleet, which almost ended in tragedy. During the riots in King’s Landing, Aegon the Younger witnesses Joffrey and Syrax’s death.

Yet, the event that scarred Aegon the Younger for life was the death of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, who was burned alive and eaten by Aegon the Elder’s dragon, Sunfyre. After that, Aegon the Elder then held Aegon the Younger captive for half a year. Following Aegon II’s death, Lord Corlys Velaryon installed Aegon the Younger as the new Targaryen King. Aegon the Younger was now King Aegon III. His reign was relatively peaceful with the Seven Kingdoms united after the Dance of the Dragons. He died from an unnamed sickness and was succeeded by his son, Daeron I.

Viserys Targaryen

Rhaenyra and Daemon’s second son

Contrary to what the Blacks believed, Viserys had survived the attack of the Triarchy, cleverly pretending to be a shipboy. Viserys finds his way to Lys where he was taken in by the wealthy Rogare family, and marries their youngest daughter, Larra. Word soon reached King’s Landing that Viserys lived, Aegon III summoned his brother and appointed him Hand of the King.

Viserys served in the last years of Aegon III’s reign, and his sons King Daeron I and Baelor I. His service was essential to the stability of the realm as his kings were often indisposed with personal matters. However, by the time both of Aegon III’s sons died, they failed to father heirs. Viserys then ascended the Iron Throne in 171 AC, enjoying a short reign that lasted only a year. He died from a sudden sickness assumed to be caused by poison and was succeeded by his son, Aegon IV.

Visenya Targaryen

Rhaenyra’s stillborn daughter

Princess Rhaenyra labored for three days to birth Visenya, who arrived a month before she was due. According to the fool Mushroom, Visenya came out malformed with defects that resembled dragons more than men, although Fire & Blood frames this as an unconfirmed account. Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon’s only daughter was stillborn. House of the Dragon depicted this moment in the season 1 finale, adding to the heartbreak of Rhaenyra.

House of the Dragon

Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

Cast

Jefferson Hall , Paddy Considine , Fabien Frankel , Ryan Corr , Eve Best , Gavin Spokes , Graham McTavish , Steve Toussaint , Olivia Cooke , Sonoya Mizuno , Bill Paterson , Matthew Needham , Emma D’Arcy , Matt Smith , Rhys Ifans , David Horovitch

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Seasons

2

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