WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 7 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based!
Summary
Jacaerys Velaryon’s insight is keen inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 7, as he correctly predicts that one of the Targaryen bastards will name himself king. While Rhaenyra desperately needs riders for her dragons, Jace’s reservations about the bastardsHugh Hammer claiming Vermithorand Ulf claiming Silverwing are warranted. Not only do they undermine Jace’s own claims of Targaryen legitimacy by proving that being raised in Dragonlord nobility has no bearing on the ability to ride a dragon, butHugh and Ulf also pose threats to both Rhaenyra and Aegon’s holds on the Iron Throne.
WhileJacaerys expresses his anger over Rhaenyra’s “dragonseeds” plan, he presents an important hypothetical regardingwhat Rhaenyra will do if one of the “baseborn, silver-haired dragonriders decides he wants to rule the Seven Kingdoms.”Rhaenyra dismisses this question, but Jace has a good point. Indeed, this exact fear becomes a reality in the Dance of the Dragons, as George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodbook reveals that the silver-haired Targaryen bastard Hugh Hammer eventually strives to sit on the Iron Throne.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Foreshadows Hugh Hammer Declaring Himself King In The Dance
Jacaerys Correctly Predicted A Targaryen Bastard Deciding They Should Be King
While Prince Jacaerys Velaryon will be dead by this time,Hugh Hammer will decide that he should be the one to rule the Seven Kingdomsduring the Dance of the Dragons. After fighting for Team Black during the Battle of the Gullet (when Jacaerys tragically dies) and the Fall of King’s Landing (when Rhaenyra secures the Iron Throne),Hugh Hammer and Ulf betray Rhaenyraand defect to the Greens during the First Battle of Tumbleton. Hugh and Ulf were sent to defend Tumbleton from Green armies, but end up turning their dragons, Vermithor and Silverwing, on the town and destroying it.
Once Hugh starts wearing a black iron crown, Team Green swiftly ends his “reign” by killing the pretender.
After the “Two Betrayers” briefly join the Greens, Hugh calls himself “Lord Hammer” and expresses his intent to become King of Westeros. Hugh decides that the king should be a “strong man… not a boy,” referring toPrince Daeron Targaryen, andexplains his right to be king is “The same [reason] as the Conqueror. A dragon.”InFire & Blood, the silver-haired Hugh’s claim grows upon hearing of a prophecy foretelling a new king rising when the “Hammer falls upon the dragon.” Once Hugh starts wearing a black iron crown, Team Green swiftly ends his “reign” by killing the pretender.
Why There Are SO Many Targaryen Bastards In King’s Landing During House Of The Dragon
There are far more illegitimate descendants of House Targaryen than expected in House of the Dragon, but there’s a big reason for this.
How House Of The Dragon Has Already Set Up Hugh’s King Twist
Hugh’s Twist At Tumbleton Has A More Detailed Setup In HOTD Than Fire & Blood
In addition to Jacaerys’ fears inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 7, the show has already included some important details setting up Hugh Hammer eventually naming himself king. For one, Hugh has now lost his daughter and his wife, leaving him without a purpose in King’s Landing while also needing to prove himself as a strong leader after failing his family. Additionally,Hugh’s wife has made several mentions of going to live with her brother in Tumbleton, which is where he betrays Rhaenyra and eventually names himself king in the Dance.
Hugh Hammer is killed by Team Green’s Caltrops during the Second Battle of Tumbleton, which will likely occur duringHouse of the Dragonseason 4.
House of the Dragonhas also placed a bigger emphasis on the power of prophecies regarding the Targaryens, so Hugh eventually hearing the prophecy about the hammer, king, and dragon will likely be a more important part of his character arc. Furthermore,Hugh Hammer’s mother is Princess Saera Targaryen, which would make him King Jaehaerys' oldest-living direct male descent after Daemon’s death. Plus, Hugh now rides Vermithor, formerly bonded with King Jaehaerys I Targaryen and the largest living dragon after Vhagar.
House of the Dragon
Cast
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.
