‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 opening credits, explained

Home of the Dragon switches issues up in Season 2, debuting a brand-new opening credit sequence proper out of the gate.

The brand new titles take the type of a tapestry spelling out the historical past of Home Targaryen, from the Doom of Valyria all the way in which to occasions of Home of the Dragon Season 1. The primary season’s credit took a considerably related method, utilizing gears, blood, and a backdrop of Previous Valyria to take us by way of the Targaryen household tree. Whereas these credit tied into the present’s deal with bloodlines and succession, they had been additionally dimly lit, with barely legible symbols representing every member of Home Targaryen. Due to this, the tapestry in Season 2 is already a step up — plus, it is simply as thematic as its predecessor!

The tapestry imagery has its roots in episode 7 of the Home of the Dragon Season 1, when Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) utters the next unusual prophecy: “Hand turns loom; spool of inexperienced, spool of black; dragons of flesh weaving dragons of thread.” It is a intelligent little bit of foreshadowing to the Dance of the Dragons (the identify for the royal succession civil conflict between between Aegon II and Rhaenyra), in addition to a nod to Helaena’s prophetic desires. However the references to looms, spools, and weaving additionally play into the concept that Home of the Dragon‘s story will in the future be considered as historical past, an idea rendered literal within the new Season 2 opening credit.

From nice conquests to instances of prosperity, this title sequence is stuffed to the brim with particulars from Home Targaryen’s previous, all drawn from George R.R. Martin’s Targaryen historical past Fireplace and Blood. Let’s break down what every part of this huge tapestry means — and why it issues.

The Doom of Valyria

Home of the Dragon‘s new titles open with foreboding photographs of erupting volcanoes, dying dragons, and a metropolis on hearth that appears similar to King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) Previous Valyria mannequin from Season 1. That may solely imply one factor: That is the Doom of Valyria, the cataclysmic occasion that wiped virtually all of the dragonriders from the face of the earth.

The one dragonriding household to outlive was, after all, Home Targaryen. That is as a result of 12 years earlier than the Doom even occurred, Daenys Targaryen — a dreamer like Helaena and Aegon the Conqueror — advised her father Lord Aenar Targaryen of a imaginative and prescient she’d had of the tip of Valyria. He heeded her warning and moved the household to Dragonstone. Mainly, the Doom and its destruction of all the opposite dragonriders is why the Targaryens are in Westeros within the first place. It is also why their connection to dragons is so uncommon and offers them a lot energy.

Aegon’s Conquest

Subsequent up on our Home Targaryen historical past lesson is Aegon the Conqueror’s invasion of Westeros, which takes place a couple of century after the Doom. The opening credit tapestry exhibits us Aegon in addition to his two sisters/wives Rhaenys and Visenya flying on their dragons. Whereas Aegon’s Balerion and Rhaenys’s Meraxes are gone by the point Home of the Dragon rolls round, Visenya’s Vhagar remains to be very a lot round. At first of Season 2, her rider is Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell).

The credit proceed Aegon’s Conquest with a picture of Vhagar and Balerion respiration hearth over a citadel and crowds of dying troopers, which collapses a number of key battles into one tableau. The citadel is Harrenhal, which, regardless of being thought-about impenetrable, proved no match for Balerion’s hearth. In the meantime, the hordes of charred corpses symbolize the casualties within the Subject of Fireplace, a large battle throughout which the three Targaryen armies laid waste to the hosts of Home Lannister and Home Gardener. If you happen to look carefully within the credit, you can also make out the sigils of each Homes — a hand for the Gardeners, a lion for the Lannisters — on shields on the battlefield.

Within the face of the sheer may of dragons (consider them because the nukes of Westeros), it is no shock the Nice Homes bent the knee to Aegon. The opening credit symbolize these pledges of fealty with kneeling figures decked out within the colours and sigils of some acquainted households: the blue and white falcon and moon of Home Arryn; the black and white direwolf of Home Stark; and the silver, orange, and blue trout of Home Tully. In a little bit of historical past repeating, all three Homes could possibly be gamers in Season 2 as nicely, as Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) will search their allegiance within the conflict to return.

Maegor the Merciless

Aegon the Conqueror was a troublesome act to observe, and neither of his sons fairly lived as much as his identify throughout their successive reigns. Aenys I used to be considered as indecisive and weak, whereas Maegor I, aka Maegor the Merciless, was a complete tyrant. We’re speaking executions, kinslaying, and tons and tons of burning. He additionally oversaw the completion of the Crimson Hold, after which he had everybody who labored on it beheaded as a way to preserve its secrets and techniques. General, not an amazing dude!

Maegor did exit in memorable vogue although, incomes him a spot in Home of the Dragon‘s new title sequence. We pan down from the Crimson Hold to see him seated on the Iron Throne, impaled by way of the neck by one of many throne’s swords and together with his wrists reduce. Fireplace and Blood retains whether or not Maegor died by suicide or homicide ambiguous. Nonetheless, the dying units a sample of Targaryen Kings being damage or killed by the very Iron Throne they rule from. Bear in mind how Viserys stored getting cuts from sitting on the Iron Throne? Seems lethal furnishings is a number one reason behind dying amongst Westerosi monarchs.

Jaehaerys and Alysanne

The place Maegor was a tyrant, his successor and nephew Jaehaerys I got here to be referred to as the “Conciliator.” His reign of 55 years is the longest in Targaryen historical past, which definitely deserves him a piece of the Targaryen tapestry.

The Home of the Dragon credit present Jaehaerys alongside his sister/spouse Alysanne, in addition to a picture of a pot of gold and a seven-pointed star, representing the Religion of the Seven. The previous factors to Westeros’s prosperity throughout his reign, and the latter to how Jaehaerys mended the contentious divide between the crown and the Religion that began throughout Aenys’s reign. They do not name him the Conciliator for nothing!

The Nice Council

After displaying Jaehaerys and Alysanne, the Home of the Dragon opening credit dive into territory we have already coated in Season 1. First up is the Nice Council of Harrenhal, the place Jaehaerys and the lords of the Seven Kingdoms selected his successor from a crop of 14 doable heirs.

Viserys ended up on the throne, with the Council passing over Jaehaerys’s granddaughter Rhaenys (Eve Finest). The choice set a precedent for ladies not being permitted to rule, resulting in Viserys’ preliminary hesitation about making Rhaenyra his inheritor. Think about all of the mess we may have saved had the Council simply gone with Rhaenys.

The Greens and the Blacks

Subsequent, Home of the Dragon‘s new opening credit soar proper into the battle between Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). We see Alicent standing at one finish of a banquet corridor, resplendent in a inexperienced robe that calls again to her trendy energy transfer at Rhaenyra’s marriage ceremony. (Additionally, discover how the torches flanking her resemble Home Hightower’s fiery sigil). On the opposite finish of the corridor is Rhaenyra, equally superb in a black costume.

The banquet tables on reverse aspect of the corridor lay out the members of Staff Inexperienced and Staff Black. On Staff Inexperienced, we see Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), Aemond, Aegon II, and Helaena. Discover how Helaena wears gold as an alternative of inexperienced, distancing her from the remainder of her household. On Staff Black, we see Daemon (Matt Smith), Rhaenys, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), Jacaerys (Harry Collett), Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), and Joffrey (Oscar Eskinazi).

Rhaenyra and Aegon on their separate thrones

Within the richest tableau these credit have to supply, Aegon II and Rhaenyra take their locations as dueling rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. Aegon sits atop the Iron Throne, whereas Rhaenyra sits on the throne at Dragonstone.

The 2 are surrounded by a body of crimson and gold — a nod to Home Targaryen’s colours and home phrases, “hearth and blood.” Palms emerge from beneath each of their thrones to ship messages to potential allies. Ravens flock from the inexperienced hand underneath Aegon II, representing Otto’s diplomatic techniques at the beginning of the conflict. As we see within the Season 2 premiere, this method already chafes the war-ready Aegon.

Aegon and Otto’s inexperienced hand and ravens distinction with the black hand and dragons extending from Rhaenyra’s part of the tapestry. Of the a number of dragons at Rhaenyra’s disposal, solely three are pictured right here. The smaller ones resemble Jacaerys’ Vermax and Lucerys’ Arrax, comparable to the younger princes’ missions to safe allies within the Season 1 finale. The longer crimson dragon is probably going Daemon’s dragon Caraxes.

Rounding out this tapestry is a border of sigils framing Rhaenyra and Aegon. Based mostly on placement, we will inform which of the Nice Homes have declared for which aspect. Of the main Sport of Thrones and Home of the Dragon gamers, Homes Lannister, Baratheon, and Hightower are on Staff Inexperienced, whereas Homes Arryn, Stark, Tully, and Velaryon are on Staff Black.

Lucerys Velaryon’s dying

It is solely becoming that these new credit shut with the tragedy that closed out Season 1: the dying of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys. Right here, we see the intertwined figures of Aemond, Vhagar, Arrax, and Lucerys, reminding us all of one of many first casualties of the Dance of the Dragons.

From right here, the now-blank tapestry unfolds in the direction of the ominous silhouette of the Iron Throne. The message is obvious: For the previous minute and a half, we have witnessed centuries’ value of bloody battles and the devastating energy of dragons, all unleashed within the identify of ruling Westeros. And with the schism between Rhaenyra and Aegon, these occasions — principally tragedies — will not be stopping anytime quickly. The Targaryen historical past remains to be being written; the tapestry is much from accomplished.

New episodes of Home of the Dragon air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.