How ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Targaryen Family Connects to 'Game of Thrones' and 'House of the Dragon'

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms may be somewhat removed from the Iron Throne itself, but that doesn't mean there aren't familiar families. While the series has introduced characters from some great houses, like Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), there is one family whose history is even more relevant to the franchise. In Episode 2, "Hard Salt Beef," the Targaryens make their appearance with four members of the family gracing the screen. And with another set of Targaryens, it begs the question of how everyone is related, especially as this series falls almost directly in between Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, bridging the two generations fans know.

Baelor Targaryen Descends from 'House of the Dragon's Rhaenyra and Daemon

Though there are many Targaryens in House of the Dragon, the ones introduced in the new series are most directly related to Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith), with Baelor (Bertie Carvel), the current heir to the Iron Throne and Hand to the King, being the great-great-grandson of the couple, though he looks more like his mother's Martell ancestors. He may not have the Targaryen hair, but through his treatment of Dunk (Peter Claffey), Baelor shows himself to be gracious and honorable, making him a well-respected leader, even though his father still holds the crown. While Baelor is not fighting in the tourney in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, he is a proven warrior, earning the name Baelor Breakspear for his performance in a tourney at the age of 17 and playing an important role in ending the First Blackfyre Rebellion.

Continuing the line is Valarr (Oscar Morgan), Baelor's son, who A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does not show much of. However, he is fighting in the tourney. In Episode 2, Valarr participates in the joust that Dunk and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) watch. The show may not have shown much else about Valarr, but George R. R. Martin's writings have established that he is married to Kiera of Tyrosh, though they have no living children. These characters, and the rest of the Targaryens in the series, prove that Rhaenyra and Daemon's line is still flourishing 80 years after House of the Dragon, regardless of what happens in the upcoming seasons.

'Game of Thrones' Daenerys Will Come From Maekar's Line

As Game of Thrones fans know, the Targaryen family remains in power for several more generations, and even after they fall, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) carries their legacy. While House of the Dragon explores several of her ancestors, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms introduces an even closer relative. Accompanying Baelor to the tourney is his brother, Maekar (Sam Spruell), who happens to also be Daenerys' great-great-grandfather, through both of her parents. This makes Maekar evenly spaced between the two previously explored generations of Targaryens. Though he is the youngest of King Daeron II's four sons, Maekar, like Baelor, made a name for himself in the First Blackfyre Rebellion, being a crucial part of defeating Daemon Blackfyre.

While Maekar isn't especially friendly to Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the series does introduce him on a bad day, as he learns two of his sons are in danger. Like his own father, Maekar has four sons: Daeron, Aerion (Finn Bennett), Aemon (Peter Vaughan), and Aegon. While Aemon is away training to become the maester who Game of Thrones fans will remember, Maekar discovers in Episode 2 that Daeron and Aegon have gone missing during their journey to Ashford. As Maekar discusses the situation with his brother, it's clear that he disapproves of Daeron's lifestyle and his general dislike for tourneys, but he is still deeply concerned for the missing princes.

Even with this familial drama, Maekar's second-born son, Aerion, is introduced in Episode 2. Aerion is the first of the Targaryen princes whom Dunk interacts with, as he mistakes the hedge knight for a servant and then insults him. His brief scene suggests that not every member of the current family is as friendly as the Crown Prince. Yet no iteration of the Targaryen family is complete without an insufferable prince, much like Daenerys' brother, Viserys (Harry Lloyd), or Rhaenyra's half-brother, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney). Though Dunk is at the center of the series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' royal family ties very neatly into fans' expectations of the Targaryens.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO Max with new episodes on Sundays.