WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood and Tales of Dunk & Egg books!
Summary
The next spinoff in theGame of Thronesfranchise,A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, is expected to expand onHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s reveal of the Three-Eyed Raven’s identity. While theThree-Eyed Raven’s identity as Brynden Riversis implied in George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firebooks,this revelation isn’t made clear in HBO’sGame of Thronesshow. Bran Stark’s predecessor didn’t confirm his name or past and lacked the raven-like birthmark that gave Brynden his nickname, so the Three-Eyed Raven’s Targaryen identity wasn’t made TV canon.
However, this information was finally confirmed inHouse of the Dragon’s season 2 finale. During his visions at Harrenhal’s weirwood tree,Daemon briefly sees Brynden Rivers, whose birthmark transforms into the more literal three-eyed raven seen inGame of Thrones. WhileGame of Thronesnever explained the story of Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers, his Targaryen ancestry, or how he becomes the Three-Eyed Raven,HBO’s upcomingA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsshow, which begins about 75 years after the Dance of the Dragons, will give more background to the compelling character afterHouse of the Dragon’s shocking reveal.
House Of The Dragon’s Three-Eyed Raven Reveal Explained
House Of The Dragon’s Season 2 Finale Confirms Brynden Rivers Was The Three-Eyed Raven
Though it was left ambiguous inGame of Thrones,House of the Dragonconfirms that the Three-Eyed Raven before Bran is Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers. In addition toDaemon’s visions of Daenerys Targaryen and the White Walkers, he sees another one of his own descendants, as Bloodraven is actually a bastard of House Targaryen. Bloodraven’s identity is difficult to deny given his silver Targaryen hair, raven-like port-wine stain birthmark, and a seat on the tree where he later appears as an older man inGame of Thrones.
This matches the exact description of Brynden Rivers from Martin’s books.Bloodraven was born a bastard of House Targaryen, the son of King Aegon IV Targaryenand his paramour Melissa Blackwood. Brynden was one of the “Great Bastards” of King Aegon IV, and was even legitimized by his father prior to the King’s death. He was said to have lost his eye during a rebellion, thoughHouse of the DragonandGame of Thrones’ iterations of the character give him both eyes. Bloodraven also carries the Targaryen ancestral sword Dark Sister, which previously belonged to Prince Daemon Targaryen.
Bloodraven is the great-grandson of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen, through their youngest son Viserys Targaryen.
Eventually, Brynden Rivers became the Hand of the King to his nephews, King Aerys I and King Maekar I Targaryen, and served during three Blackfyre Rebellions. However, Brynden was later sent to the Night’s Watch by King Aegon V Targaryen after killing Aenys Blackfyre, despite offering him safe passage.Bloodraven was soon elected the new Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, but suddenly disappeared beyond the Wallwhile ranging. After this point, Bloodraven’s fate was unknown, butGame of Thrones’ books, and nowHouse of the Dragon, reveal he stayed beyond the Wall and became the Three-Eyed Raven.
House Of The Dragon Timeline Confirmed & Explained
House of the Dragon is set before Game of Thrones, but time jumps left some confused about how long it will cover. Here’s the HotD timeline explained.
Bloodraven Will Eventually Appear In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
Brynden Rivers Is A Character In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms' Book Series
After appearing for a brief moment in Daemon’sHouse of the Dragonvision, Brynden Rivers will officially be introduced inA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Based on George R.R. Martin’sTales of Dunk and Eggnovellas, theprequel show picks up about 90 years beforeGame of Thrones’ timelinebegins, exploring another generation ofHouse Targaryen’s family tree. This includes Brynden Rivers, who is mentioned in one of the books before appearing as an active character inThe Mystery Knight’s story.
He may not be too prominent in the show, butA Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill at least paint a proper portrait of who Brynden Rivers was in Westeros and his influential role in House Targaryen before disappearing and becoming the Three-Eyed Raven.
While perhaps not in season 1, Bloodraven is one of severalTargaryens appearing inA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It’s unclear exactly how farA Knight of the Seven Kingdom’s timeline will extend into House Targaryen’s history, butBloodraven will be introduced as the Hand of the King to Aerys I and, later, Maekar I. He may not be too prominent in the show, butA Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill at least paint a proper portrait of who Brynden Rivers was in Westeros and his influential role in House Targaryen before disappearing and becoming the Three-Eyed Raven.
House Of The Dragon Admits To Game Of Thrones' Biggest Bran Stark Mistake (& It’s Not Making Him King)
House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale reveals Brynden Rivers, who becomes the Three-Eyed Raven, and it shows the problem with Bran in Game of Thrones.
Will A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Dive Deeper Into The Three-Eyed Raven?
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Likely Won’t Follow Bloodraven’s Journey Beyond The Wall
It ultimately seemsunlikely thatA Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill actually show Bloodraven becoming the Three-Eyed Raven. Instead, the last time he appears in the show could simply be when he and Maester Aemon are first escorted to the Night’s Watch from King’s Landing. It would be a missed opportunity to not include any nods to Bloodraven’s future as the Three-Eyed Raven afterHouse of the Dragon’s season 2 finale, but this may be difficult unless a different dragon-dreaming character foresees it.
Considering Bloodraven was accused of being a sorcerer,A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knightcould also go off-book by revealing that he has visions of his future beyond the Wall and calling as the Three-Eyed Raven.
As it turns out, Bloodraven’s great-nephew Daeron “the Drunken” Targaryen is known to have visions inA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The show may use Daeron to continueHouse of the Dragon’s focus on Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire dream,prophetic visions of House Targaryen’s future like Helaena’s, and teases for future events inGame of Thrones. Considering Bloodraven was accused of being a sorcerer,A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knightcould also go off-book by revealing that he has visions of his future beyond the Wall and calling as the Three-Eyed Raven.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight
Cast
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is set in a time when the Targaryen dynasty rules Westeros.
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.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
