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Daenerys Targaryen continues to be the favorite character of many. Known infamously in the world of medieval fantasy readers and viewers, Danerys is known for her headstrong character and in the later seasons for her utter rage. 

The character now enjoys one of the most coveted fantasy character positions, and no other name than Daenrys will pop in your head when you think about dragons. The queen who had a longer name than that of your whole family combined, the dragon-riding warrior, sure knew some things about politics and warfare. In fact, she is the only Targaryen character you can name without thinking for a moment or two.

The HBO series Game of Thrones basically brought immense recognition for the mother of dragons, but she was not the only famous Targaryen family member to have ever lived. Coming from a lineage of famed kings, queens, and dragon-riders, the Valerian queen has quite a few family members and facts about her lineage that you didn't know about. 

Now, if you have read the Song of Ice and Fire, you will know all the Targaryens we are talking about. But, if not, there is a long list of things to know about the Westeros House that claims to have the 'Blood of the Dragon.' With intricate backstories, a lot of drama, gore, and lunacy, the Targaryens can be counted on for a little bit of violence. If you have just found your love for the House of Dragon and want to know more about their heritage, here is everything that the books explained better than the series. 

The House's Words and Sigil.

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Who doesn't remember "Winter is Coming," the words of House Stark? Well, the House Stark did have a pretty dramatic flair with their House words, but the Targaryens used a simpler approach, one that is too predictive of their nature. Their House's words are "Fire and Blood," and considering how much their rulers love both of these, it is no brainer how the words came about. Their dragons served as a continuous reminder of all the fire they could wield and blood they could shed, of course, without any reasoning. And that again points towards the House's symbol, the three-headed dragon. Symbolizing their first conquerors of the west, Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys, the sigil was a reminder of the power they held. The Targaryen's have used the sigil in different colors over the years for their own reckoning. 

Targaryens did not scowl at incest.

Lannisters are not the only ones with in-the-family relationships going on. In fact, the Targaryen's have been holding on to incest for a pretty long time, their reasoning being that they wanted to keep their bloodlines pure. The books detail that the family didn't follow the Faith of the Seven as they came into Westeros and kept up with old beliefs for quite some time, with the most recent changes in their faith coming some while ago before the Conquest. Still, they kept the Valyrian tradition of in-family marriages alive. The relationships allowed were marriages between siblings, cousins, uncle and niece, and aunt and nephew. Of course, the public believed that the inbreeding of the family later gave rise to the infamous "Targaryen Madness."

The Valerian Heritage

Credits: Iron Throne Roleplay Wiki

The House of Dragon became a considerable force to be reckoned with when they ruled Westeros, but they were not a family of high significance when back in Valeria. They did have a great house name that intimidated enemies and also five dragons in their humble castles, but the House was far from being the paramount power in Valeria. However, the family's luck turned when Daenys Targaryen, the dreamer, foresaw the ill-luck that was soon to befall their homeplace and requested her father to move to Westeros. The household quickly took leave of Valeria and travelled westward across the Narrow Sea to Dragonstone along with their slaves and treasures. Dragonstone hence became their first major point of influence in the west. 

Targaryens had to deal with The Faith Militant, too.

Cersei was not the only victim who succumbed to The Faith Militant. The Faith Militant made an appearance in the Game of Thrones series in the 5th season, with the 'High Sparrow' being one of the most formidable villain characters of the show. However, before the Lnnisters were ever in control of the Red Keep, The Faith Militant had attempted another uprising. 

The events had happened when King's Landing was briefly unstable during Aenys' I reign when Aegon the Conqueror had just died. Aenys himself succumbed to an illness, and his brother Maegor the Cruel succeeded the throne. The vicious ruler fought and yet couldn't eliminate the religious order. Ultimately, the next King Jaeherys, the Conciliator, established the faith and the Crown together, ending the conflict. 

The Targaryens come with superpowers.

Credits: Deadline

Not especially superpowers, but a few of them did have the chilling abilities to withstand extremely high temperatures, tame dragons, and also peer into the future. One of the blessed is, of course, Daenerys "The Unburnt," who emerged unscathed from her husband's pyre. While the House of Dragon can endure high temperatures, not burning at all was a power only Danerys had. The next one is Daenys, also famously remembered as "The Dreamer," and can look into the future. She saved Targaryens and the only Valerians before the tragedy struck by ordering everyone to the Drangonstone. Daenerys herself experiences recurring visions in the books, but they are not a part of the series except the ones she has in the House of the Undying.

The many famous Targaryens

The Targaryens had rules like Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives, Rhaneys and Visenya, that first brought the Westerosi society under a single kingdom. Then there are Kings like Jaehaerys I, Daeron II, and Aegon V, who were just and fell on the better side of the 'coin of gods.' Still, many were prone to the 'Targaryen madness,' and this includes Maegor the Cruel, who with a name like that sure wasn't loved amongst the public. Then comes Aerys, the Mad King who would enjoy people burning in his throne room. Finally, there was Daenerys Targaryen, who surprisingly (or, unsurprisingly) burned down King's Landing and showed that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. 

The Targaryen and Dorne history

Being the only Kingdom to have lasted the Targaryen onslaught, Dorne was ruled by its separate set of rulers and, by a long shot, is one of the better places to live in Westeros. The two Houses, Targaryen and Martell, made peace during the reign of Aegon the Conqueror and managed their separate territories. Daeron I tried ruling Dorne but was resisted by the Dornish public. He was shortly killed by his own knights. Baelor I succeeded the King and married his cousin to Myriah Martel, solidifying the peace agreement again. 

House Blackfyre of the Targaryens

Even prior to the Conquest, the Targaryens were challenged, and this time by their own House, the Blackfyres. The Blackfyres were a cadet branch of the famous House and was founded by Daemon, King Aegon’s bastard son. The House was granted unexpected power when the old King was about to die, giving legitimate rights to all his bastard offspring. The House Blackfyre also featured the characteristic Targaryen silver or white hair, purple eyes, and the gift of omens. Upon receiving the power, the Blackfyres revolted against King Daeron but lost. They also lost four successive attacks. 

Their Dragon Bonds

Owing to the warning of The Dreamer, the Targaryens became the only Valyrian family with Dragons from the forty dragonlord families to escape the Doom of Valyria. The power of the Targaryens even before and after that was linked to their precious dragons, the ones that achieved the conqueror status in Westeros. Their bond with the dragons became apparent when the common folk of King's Landing ambushed the Dragonpit, the dragon-holding area of the capital. The chained dragons could only use their teeth, claws, and eventually fire to fend themselves, but the closed structure soon caught fire, killing five dragons and many common folks. The time after this event, Dance of the Dragons, showed a sizable decrease in the power of the House of the Dragon. 

The Dance Of The Dragons

Credits: HBO

The Targaryens weren't unsusceptible to common jealousy despite their family being very closely knit. That led to "The Dance of the Dragons. A stupid name for a Targaryen civil war," as said by Viserys Targaryen in the Histories & Lore feature from Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season book. The events took hold when Princess Rhaenyra was anointed as the only heir to King's Landing. But King Viserys I, father to the princess, remarried, and his wife gave birth to Aegon, a male. The King did not change the heir, and that led to the war, which was fought by every Targaryen and also the Blackfyres. The civil war led to the death of many powerful Targaryens and their dragons, which of course, led to the weakening of their heritage. They were eventually won over by King Robert during his rebellion and then were exiled. 

More about the House with the Dragons will come on your screens in 2022 with the premiere of The House of the Dragon, a prequel to the events of the Game of Thrones.