Includes SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2’s finale.
Summary
House of the Dragonseason 2 has drastically shifted the power dynamics in Westeros, with several major characters advancing or weakening their positions. With the Dance of the Dragons fully kicking off and Westeros erupting into war, the structure of power in boththe Blacks and the Greenswas always bound to make rapid changes. The Greens saw their king injured in battle while the Blacks both lost and gained dragonriders, significantly altering their stance leading into the season’s dramatic ending.
TheHouse of the Dragoncastand character ensemble spent most of season 2 spread throughout Westeros, asserting their positions in some manner. While some succeeded in acquiring followers or obtaining dragons, others faltered and were stripped of what made them powerful. Themain factors that contribute to power are political influence, dragons, and armies/navies. Thus, Aegon is an example of a character who fell off significantly, losing his dragon and almost all of his political influence. The same goes for Otto Hightower when he was removed as Hand of the King, taking away his political power.
10Tyland Lannister
Tyland Has Influence Over A Massive Foreign Navy
Tyland Lannister isn’t inherently the most powerful or competent man in the Seven Kingdoms. His brother, Jason, rules as Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and commands the Lannister forces. Meanwhile, Tyland serves as Master of Coin on the king’s small council. But theHouse of the Dragonseason 2 endingsaw Tyland acquire a massive boost in power and influence.
Sent by Aemond to Essos to make an alliance with the Triarchy, Tyland earned the respect of Sharako Lohar and now returns to Westeros with an enormous fleet at his side. The Triarchy is what gives Tyland and, by extension, Aemond power, butTyland’s specific influence over them and their leadership is important right now, similar to Tyrion Lannister and his mountain clansmen in Game of Thrones season 1.
9Ulf
Ulf Has A Big Dragon, But Not A Very Fierce One
In the final two episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2, the Targaryenbastard Ulf went from being a nobody in King’s Landing to becoming one of the most powerful men in the Seven Kingdoms. The end of “The Red Sowing” sees him claim the dragon Silverwing, who was previously ridden by Queen Alysanne Targaryen. Silverwing isn’t as formidable as Vhagar or Vermithor, but a dragon is still a dragon.
Compared to other characters who draw their power solely from dragons, Ulf is in the middle of the pack. Compared to Baela, Silverwing has an advantage over Moondancer in size and experience. Silverwing is quite old, and though she’s not known for being a fighter, she’s a large enough dragon to make an impact. Helaena, for example, has a dragon of roughly the same size and experience but has no desire to fight, again giving Ulf an advantage. Still, there are plenty of dragonriders above him.
8Cregan Stark
Cregan Stark Is Among Westeros' Most Powerful Lords
As for the lords of Westeros that audiences have met so far, Cregan commands the most direct respect. He’sonly contributed 2,000 men to Rhaenyra’s cause, but they’re known for being hardened, vicious menwho are enormously effective in battle. Jason Lannister may command more men, but he’s significantly more arrogant and significantly less competent than Cregan. Oscar Tully seems intelligent, but he’s not old enough for it to be solidified.
Cregan specifically has a reputation for being formidable, powerful, and well-respected.
The only characters who could potentially contend with Cregan as lords of noble houses who command armies would be the Hightowers. Otto Hightower was stripped of his power as Hand and is currently held captive in a dungeon. Ormund Hightower leads the Hightower army into the conflict, but he hasn’t been introduced yet in the TV series. Cregan specifically has a reputation for being formidable, powerful, and well-respected.
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7Addam
Addam Formed A Quick Bond With An Experienced Dragon
Addam of Hull is another quick climber who established himself by claiming the dragon Seasmoke in season 2, episode 6. Unlike Silverwing,Seasmoke is known for being a fighter with years of battle experiencealongside Laenor Velaryon in the War of the Stepstones. It may not be as large as Silverwing, but its nature made it Rhaenyra’s first choice to find a rider for, and Seasmoke and Addam already seem to have a powerful bond.
Addam’s personal attributes help his case. He’s a loyal, honorable man who isn’t helping Rhaenyra out of any personal desire for wealth or glory. That doesn’t always translate to success inGame of Thrones, butunder a ruler like Rhaenyra, he’s already finding himself to be her most trusted dragonrider, with her bringing him to Harrenhal with her. He has everything he needs to continue to thrive throughout the Dance.
6Hugh
Hugh Rides The Second-Largest Dragon In Westeros
The final dragonseed, Hugh, is the most powerful of the three because he claimed, by far, the most powerful dragon. As Rhaenyra states,Vermithor is second only to Vhagar in size and is among the world’s most experiencedand individually powerful. The only dragons that would stand a chance against Vermithor individually are Vhagar and Caraxes, instantly making Hugh enormously influential and meaningful to the story going forward.
Hugh could be significantly higher, but he currently displays a willingness to support Rhaenyra in the conflict. Like Addam, he’s shown decent character so far and is still in the mindset of doing what he’s told, as he likely has for most of his life. It will be interesting to see how Hugh develops as he comes to realize the immense authority he commands when riding a dragon like Vermithor.
5Jacaerys Velaryon
Jacaerys Is Rhaenyra’s Heir
Jacaerys Velaryon’s position may come as a surprise because his individual attributes aren’t that favorable. Jace’s power is primarily due to political status. Currently,Rhaenyra is favorable to win the Dance of the Dragons in the minds of many of the nobles of Westeros, and Jace is her heir. By proxy, this makes him the future king, and many would be loyal to him for that reason alone. This is proven in the scene with Hugh and Ulf, where Hugh reminds Ulf to treat the crown prince with respect.
Jace’s dragon, Vermax, is far from thelargest inGame of Throneshistory. It’s one of the youngest and smallest, even during the Dance of the Dragons, and this weakens Jace’s individual holding. If he rode a larger dragon, he’d undoubtedly be one of the most powerful men in the realm, but currently, he’s a prospective pick whose success resides on the outcome of the Dance.
4Corlys Velaryon
Corlys Is The Most Powerful Lord In Westeros
Corlys Velaryon has the esteemed position of being the most powerful non-dragon rider in the Seven Kingdoms. For decades before the Dance, he established House Velaryon as a wealthy and strong naval threat, and it’s coming to fruition in the war. Since season 2, episode 1,he’s held all of King’s Landing hostage with a naval blockade of the Gullet, stopping sea trade in and out of the capital. Even in a war with dragons, that sort of power is immeasurable.
Corlys continues to prove the nuance of a war in Westeros. Even when dragonriders are capable of burning armies and single-handedly taking castles, it’s armies and navies that provide real control.His blockade is the central reason the Greens have been sent into turmoil in season 2, with riots from the common folk of King’s Landing breaking out constantly. He’s one of Rhaenyra’s most valuable allies, even though the dragonriders from his family have perished.
3Daemon Targaryen
Daemon Is A Fierce Targaryen Warrior & Dragonrider
Season 2 saw Daemon considering declaring himself king, a power that holds its own sway in Westeros. Even though he isn’t fit for rule personality-wise, several factors work to his benefit. He is aTargaryen male who rides a formidable, experienced dragon, is well-respected as a warrior with a Valyrian steel blade, and has been around longer than Rhaenyra or Aemond. In a sense, Daemon represents a sort of stability that the realm is used to with the Targaryen monarchy.
If not for the Sowing of the Seeds and Rhaenyra accumulating more dragonriders, Daemon may actually have been able to make a claim for himself
Caraxes is one of the strongest dragons alive, and though it isn’t particularly large, its serpentine physiology, bond with its rider, and war experience make it an enormous threat. If not for the Sowing of the Seeds and Rhaenyra accumulating more dragonriders, Daemon may actually have been able to make a claim for himself as king and posed a decent threat if only he were capable of accumulating supporters loyal directly to him.
2Aemond Targaryen
Aemond Is The Most Powerful Individual In Westeros
Prince Regent Aemond Targaryen may be outnumbered and outmaneuvered in the Dance of the Dragons, buthe’s still the most powerful single force in the Seven Kingdoms, as Otto Hightower said. Aemond is a capable warrior and military strategist who rides one of the most enormous dragons the Seven Kingdoms have ever seen. Not to mention, he controls King’s Landing and the Iron Throne, even if they’re currently under severe threat from Dragonstone.
No matter what Rhaenyra is able to achieve, as long as Aemond is left alive, the war isn’t over.He’s the only character in the Seven Kingdoms who poses such a massive threat single-handedlythat such a statement could be made. Aemond claiming Vhagar in season 1 was game-changing forHouse of the Dragon, and no one will truly be safe until they’re dealt with.
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1Rhaenyra Targaryen
Rhaenyra Has Seven Dragons Currently Supporting Her
Heading intoHouse of the Dragonseason 3, Rhaenyra is undoubtedly the most powerful character. Throughout season 2, she truly found her footing in the absence of Daemon and established herself as a queen in her own right.The Sowing of the Seeds was one of the riskiest decisions made in the Dance, and while its long-term effect is to be seen, it immediately advanced her standing on the hierarchy.
Aside from Rhaenyra’s own dragon, Syrax, she has six other dragonriders sworn to her side. Individually, she isn’t that strong, and Syrax isn’t that notable, but as long as she can maintain command and stability over her side, she will be the most powerfulHouse of the Dragoncharacter. This will be further enforced if she succeeds in taking King’s Landing without brutality in season 3.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
