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Set nearly 200 years before the death of the Mad King, Westeros was certainly quite different at this point. Several intriguing Houses that fans had never heard of before were in power and legendary men and women fought for supremacy during this time.

8 The Starks In The North

The Starks have held control over the North of Westeros for centuries and this certainly wasn’t different in House of the Dragon either. During Rhaenyra’s succession, Rickon Stark swore fealty and pledged his loyalty to her in front of King Viserys.

At this point, Rickon was the Lord of Winterfell and the Warden of the North. Before him, his father Benjen Stark held the same position. Unlike Game of Thrones, the Starks aren’t the main characters in this show. While they do come into play during the Targaryen war, they will spend most of the time on the sidelines. Still, for the fans, it is always a great feeling to see their beloved Notherners.

7 The Dragonpit

The Dragonpit was built atop the Hill of Rhaenys long ago. In Game of Thrones, this is where the major lords of Westeros were summoned by Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, and Jon Snow to show what threat the dead carried. By that point, the Dragonpit was already ruined.

However, in the time of House of the Dragon, the Dragonpit is in perfectly sound condition. As the series progresses towards the Dance of the Dragons, this pit will become more significant.

6 The Hightowers

The Hightowers were nowhere to be seen in Game of Thrones, however, in House of the Dragon, they are one of the major Houses. Their seat lies in Old Town, the same place where the Citadel is located.

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The Hightowers play a very important role in House of the Dragon. Otto Hightower is the Hand of the King during this time and his daughter, Alicent Hightower, ends up becoming the Queen and the second wife to Viserys Targaryen after the death of Aemma Arryn.

5 The Velaryons

Another incredible House at this time in the history of Westeros was House Velaryon. Just like the Targaryens, the Velaryons are from Valyria. In fact, they came to Westeros before the Targaryens.

However, they are not Dragonlords. Instead, they command ships and are known to have quite a powerful fleet. Evidently, they play quite an important role in the series and Corlys Velaryon is a major character throughout the show.

4 The Baratheons

The Baratheons are a major House who have always been heavily linked to those of the Targaryens from the time of Aegon the Conqueror. As such, it is no surprise that they end up playing a significant role in House of the Dragon as well.

As seen in the first episode, Lord Boremund Baratheon was revealed to be Lord of the Stormlands and ruler of Storm’s End. He was seen taking part in the tourney, along with his son Boros Baratheon. At the end of the episode, he swore fealty to Princess Rhaenyra.

3 The Runestone

The Runestone is the ancient seat of House Royce in the Vale of Arryn. This place was barely mentioned in Game of Thrones, however, it holds great importance in House of the Dragon.

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Daemon Targaryen, the brother of King Viserys, is married to Rhea Royce and his place is, thus, at Runestone. Following the death of Viserys’ son, Daemon Targaryen is ordered to return to Runestone immediately. In the future, this place could end up becoming more relevant as well.

2 The Targaryens (Black)

As mentioned in the prologue for House of the Dragon, the biggest enemy of the Targaryens are they themselves. Wild King Jaehaeyrs managed to stop a war by naming Viserys as his successor, the same was not possible when the latter died.

The Targaryens are, later, split into Green and Black in a fight over the Iron Throne. The Black side of the Targaryens support the claim of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and hope to install her atop the Iron Throne. Evidently, they play a major role in the House of the Dragon.

1 The Targaryens (Green)

The Greens of House Targaryen supports the claim of Queen Alicent’s children that she had with King Viserys, specifically Aemon II Targaryen. They were founded by Queen Alicent Hightower herself and were the main opposing faction to the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragon and the years before it.

The name for the Greens was coined during the 5th anniversary of King Viserys and Queen Alicent’s marriage. During the tournament’s opening feast, Alicent was dressed in green while Rhaenyra donned the black and red of House Targaryen. MORE: House Of The Dragon: The Best Movies & Shows Starring Matt Smith