Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Helaena (Phia Saban). The Targaryens are not particularly creative when it comes to choosing names: they all have similar names with AE. Image source: HBO.
Advertisement
Daenerys, Aemond, Daemon and Aegon. Almost all members of the Targaryen dynasty from George RR Martin's fantasy world Westeros have in common that their names contain the AE
contained in varying pronunciation – not exactly creative.
With so many lords and ladies, it's easy to get confused. And that doesn't just apply to viewers. The characters in the GoT universe also have problems with the many similar Targaryen names. In House of the Dragon, one of them is Thanks to a tragic misunderstanding, it even became a reason for war.
In season 1, King Viserys (Paddy Considine) tells his wife Alicent (Olivia Cooke) on his deathbed about A Song of Ice and Fire. It is about an Aegon – the prince who was promised
However, Alicent does not know the deeper meaning of this story and interprets the story about Aegon the Conqueror as her husband's wish for a change in the succession plan.
Alicent thinks that Viserys wants to make her son, Aegon II Targaryen, the new king. Viserys had made it clear throughout his life that his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) should succeed him on the Iron Throne. Since Rhaenyra also wants to assert her claims, this small misunderstanding even leads to an internal war within the house – the Dance of Dragons.
Advertisement
12:53
House of the Dragon: The official story recap brings you up to date before season 2
Fans have been criticizing the confusing naming of the Targaryens for yearsLet us remember: In Game of Thrones, one of the main characters is also named Aegon: Jon Snow, or Aegon Targaryen VI, is the son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark and thus the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
Even back then, fans had wondered whether the Targaryens would have other names for their princes than Aegon. The name is passed down within the family in memory of the conqueror of Westeros. According to the official Targaryen family tree, there are twelve offspring of the dynasty who bear the name Aegon.
Would a different name have prevented the war?
A different name for Viserys' male heir would probably have cleared up a misunderstanding, but war would probably have broken out anyway. The mistrust between the factions around Rhaenyra, the Black, and Alicent, the Green, is too deep for peaceful coexistence.
Early in the series, Alicent's father Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) tries to maintain his influence over the crown after Viserys' death and sows discord between the Targaryen family branches. Alicent is therefore convinced that Rhaenyra wants to kill her family. A conflict seemed inevitable – same name or not.
What do you think about the unfortunate choice of name for the Targaryens? Could you have seen a way to clear up the misunderstanding surrounding Aegon? Write it to us in the comments!