WARNING! This article contains MAJOR spoilers for George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which House of the Dragon is based!
A new tease for House of the Dragon season 2 reveals a shocking change to the books and Game of Thrones history, which could also have major implications for Daemon’s biggest scene in the show. As the Dance of the Dragons commences in House of the Dragon season 2, the accuracy of the subjective lore provided by narrators in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book is put to the test. After House of the Dragon season 1 already made several changes to the book and what was previously understood about House Targaryen’s history, such as Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire dream or Laenor’s survival, the HBO prequel sets up more book canon departures in season 2.
Ahead of season 2’s premiere on June 16, the cast of House of the Dragon has shared some new insight into their characters’ journeys and how they may be different from the books. Once such confirmed change is related to Bethany Antonia’s character Baela Targaryen, the dragon-riding daughter of Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon Targaryen. Antonia revealed to Vestal that Baela is taking a more active role early on in House of the Dragon’s politics and battles, giving her a far more elevated position in House Targaryen’s legacy during this period than in the books. In fact, she’ll even be given an important weapon in season 2 that plays a huge role in Daemon’s book story.
Bethany Antonia confirmed that Baela Targaryen will wield Dark Sister in House of the Dragon season 2, though the sword is already known as Prince Daemon Targaryen’s weapon. Oddly, Fire & Blood and George R.R. Martin’s other A Song of Ice and Fire books never included any record of Baela Targaryen having possession of Dark Sister. Alongside Blackfyre, which is now in the hands of King Aegon II Targaryen, Dark Sister is one of House Targaryen’s major ancestral swords, so this omission from the family’s history comes as a surprising change to their lore.
Furthermore, House of the Dragon season 2 giving Baela possession of Dark Sister comes with numerous subsequent questions about the sword’s documented role in other moments as well as how its change of ownership came about. Daemon was the only known wielder of Dark Sister during the Dance of the Dragons, and still had the sword on his person throughout House of the Dragon season 1. Antonia explained that Baela is “presented with [her] character’s weapon, the Valyrian steel sword Dark Sister,” which implies that Daemon transfers it to her in season 2.
In Fire & Blood, Dark Sister is documented as still being in Daemon’s possession during some huge fight sequences in the Dance of the Dragons. Unless Daemon somehow wins Blackfyre, it’s unclear why he would let go of his family’s ancestral sword that was gifted to him by his grandfather, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, as a reward for his skills as a warrior. Regardless, House of the Dragon giving Baela the Valyrian steel sword either sets up another Dark Sister twist to return it to Daemon or creates a major change to the Rogue Prince’s biggest upcoming battle scene.
According to the sources in Fire & Blood, Dark Sister plays a memorable role in Daemon and Aemond’s Battle Above the Gods Eye. While this likely won’t occur until House of the Dragon season 3, it’s set to be Daemon and Aemond’s biggest battle scene in the Game of Thrones prequel show. The battle sees Daemon and Aemond ride their dragons, Caraxes and Vhagar, and duel above the Gods Eye, and was said by the narrators to be a spectacular sight in the skies.
At one point, Caraxes and Vhagar deal fatal blows to the other and come crashing down, with Daemon leaping from Caraxes onto Vhagar’s saddle in midair. The book then states that Daemon stabs Aemond through his missing eye with Dark Sister just as the Targaryen men and their dragons violently crash into the water, effectively killing all four House of the Dragon characters and dragons. George R.R. Martin’s book explained that when Aemond’s corpse recovered from the water several years later, Dark Sister was still plunged through his eye socket. Consequently, it wasn’t until years after the Dance of the Dragons ended that Dark Sister was finally returned to House Targaryen.
If Baela has Dark Sister and is now referring to it as her own weapon in House of the Dragon season 2, then this suggests that Daemon may not fight with the sword at the Battle Above the Gods Eye. This was meant to be both Daemon and Dark Sister’s biggest moment in House of the Dragon, but now it seems probable that the ancestral Targaryen sword won’t be present in the upcoming duel. But, if Dark Sister really never was at the Battle Above the Gods Eye, then the question remains of why it was said to be found in the eye socket of Aemond’s corpse in Fire & Blood.
Rather than giving Baela possession of Dark Sister before the Battle Above the Gods Eye, it would have made more sense for her to inherit the sword after Daemon’s death in House of the Dragon. Even though George R.R. Martin’s books within the series thus far have no record of Baela wielding Dark Sister, it’s still believable that she would have been given the sword once it was recovered from the Gods Eye after the war. The books only reveal that it was returned to House Targaryen, but don’t explain who it was given to at that point.
Consequently, House of the Dragon could have simply filled in the gap by having Dark Sister go to Daemon’s daughter. While there’s no real “winner” of the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen who ends up on the Iron Throne is Rhaenyra and Daemon’s son, King Aegon III Targaryen, who would seemingly be the one who decides the next wielder of Dark Sister. With Aegon wanting to avoid battle and dragons after his trauma from the war, it would be fitting for him to give it to his elder half-sister. However, with Baela claiming Dark Sister as her own weapon in season 2, she may already have the sword when Aegon the Younger ascends the Iron Throne.
House of the Dragon giving Baela Targaryen the sword Dark Sister does have its benefits, however, especially if it’s still in her possession at the end of the Dance. In Fire & Blood, Lord Cregan Stark arrives at King’s Landing with a host of Northmen following the deaths of both Rhaenyra and Aegon II. At this point, it’s decided that Aegon III Targaryen inherits the Iron Throne, with Cregan briefly acting as Hand of the King in what becomes known as the Hour of the Wolf. Cregan then sentences to death the men who betrayed both Rhaenyra and Aegon II, and even attempts to execute those who helped save Baela from being held hostage by Aegon II and Larys Strong.
When Baela discovers the latter plans in Fire & Blood, she defensively steps in front of them and brandishes her sword against Cregan. Cregan lets them go after being amused by Baela’s decision, which could lead to an even greater moment if Dark Sister is involved. If so, House of the Dragon could feature a moment in which House Targaryen’s ancestral sword is brandished against House Stark’s ancestral sword, even if there never is any fighting between the two in the show. Despite Cregan and Baela ultimately being allies, Ice and Dark Sister’s opposition would be a great demonstration of Game of Thrones’ Ice and Fire/Stark and Targaryen themes.
Sources: Fire & Blood (2018), Vestal