{"id":10343,"date":"2026-07-19T07:17:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T02:17:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=10343"},"modified":"2026-07-19T07:17:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T02:17:32","slug":"what-happened-to-balerion-how-long-before-house-of-the-dragon-he-died","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=10343","title":{"rendered":"What Happened To Balerion &#038; How Long Before House Of The Dragon He Died"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p>Balerion the Black Dread&#8217;s skull looms over <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/house-of-the-dragon\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em><strong>House of the Dragon<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, but when did the Targaryens&#8217; most fearsome and powerful dragon die? <em>House of the Dragon<\/em> brings audiences back to Westeros about 200 years before the events of <em>Game of Thrones<\/em>. In this era, House Targaryen is at the peak of its power as rulers of the Seven Kingdoms, thanks to its dragons, the &#8216;nuclear weapons&#8217; of this medieval fantasy world. However, by the time <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/how-house-dragon-viserys-targaryen-related-daenerys-brother\/\" target=\"_blank\">King Viserys I<\/a> (Paddy Considine) sits upon the Iron Throne, Balerion, the Targaryens&#8217; mightiest dragon, is long since dead.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>While there are many <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/dragons-in-house-of-the-dragons-ranked-size\/\" target=\"_blank\">dragons in <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/dragons-in-house-of-the-dragons-ranked-size\/\" target=\"_blank\">House of the Dragon<\/a>, <\/em>none live up to the legendary titan that is Balerion. Even by the point in the timeline that <em>Game of Thrones <\/em>begins, Balerion is still regarded as the most powerful \u2014 and terrifying \u2014 dragon to ever be seen in the skies above the Seven Kingdoms. Given the sheer size and strength of Balerion, there are naturally questions over how it was he died prior to the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/house-dragon-timeline-years-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\">events of <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/house-dragon-timeline-years-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\">House of the Dragon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"who-rode-balerion\">\n                        Who Rode Balerion?<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:50%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=1\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\"\/><img width=\"825\" height=\"413\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Balerion skull\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Balerion skull<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Balerion is the most legendary and well-known Targaryen Dragon, and while this reputation was gained partly due to the size and power of The Black Dread, the Targaryens that rode him are equally responsible for his legacy. Balerion was the largest and most powerful of the three dragons House Targaryen brought when they escaped the Doom of Valyria and settled in their seat at Dragonstone, a volcanic island just east of Westeros.<\/p>\n<p>Aegon the Conqueror rode Balerion when he mounted his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, while his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys rode the dragons Vhagar and Meraxes, respectively. Balerion&#8217;s scales and wings were black, as was the fire he breathed. The Black Dread was so large that his shadow could engulf entire towns as he flew overhead, and his teeth were as long as swords. Balerion&#8217;s fire also destroyed the mighty castle of Harrenhal, which was thought to be impregnable.<\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/game-thrones-targaryen-family-tree-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\">Targaryen family dynasty<\/a>, King Maegor I and Princess Aerea were Balerion&#8217;s other known riders. However, while both have their own stories, neither were as glory-filled (in the eyes of Westeros&#8217; historians, at least), as Aegon I. Both Maegor (who was known as Maegor the Cruel) and Princess Aerea were known for reasons other than conquest. Balerion was a key tool in Maegor&#8217;s arsenal, for example, but it was ultimately his tyrannical reign for which he was remembered rather than his skills as a dragon rider.<\/p>\n<p>Balerion played a key part in Princess Aerea&#8217;s story, though she wasn&#8217;t a conquering hero like Aegon or a cruel tyrant like Maegor.<strong> <\/strong>After claiming Balerion as her dragon, Aerea vanished with him to the East. When they returned years later, Aerea had contracted a mysterious illness and died shortly after.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-did-balerion-die\">\n                        How Did Balerion Die?<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:50%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=1\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\"\/><img width=\"825\" height=\"413\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rhaenyra and Viserys looking upon the skull of Balerion.\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Rhaenyra-Viserys-Balerion-skull.jpg?q=70&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=1\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Rhaenyra and Viserys looking upon the skull of Balerion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>By <em>House of the Dragon<\/em>&#8216;s era, beginning in 101 AC with the Great Council that named Prince Viserys as the next King of Westeros, Balerion was already dead. Balerion died in 94 BC, towards the end of the long and prosperous reign of Viserys&#8217; predecessor, King Jaehaerys. Prince Viserys was Balerion&#8217;s last rider, but by the time the future King mounted the black dragon, he was already very old and near the end of his life.<\/p>\n<p>Balerion died less than a year after Viserys rode him. Somewhat surprisingly, especially given his reputation and eventful life, Balerion simply died of old age. The dragon was over two centuries old when he finally passed away, which is an incredibly long life even for the dragons of Westeros.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-long-before-game-of-thrones-balerion-lived\">\n                        How Long Before Game Of Thrones Balerion Lived<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daenerys on the back of Drogon on a firey battlefield in Game of Thrones\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daenerys-on-the-back-of-drogon-on-a-firey-battlefield-in-game-of-thrones.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Balerion was the last of the original five dragons Aenar Targaryen brought with him when his family fled Valyria before the Doom and settled on Dragonstone. As King Viserys told his <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/house-dragon-viserys-heir-rhaenyra-not-aegon\/\" target=\"_blank\">daughter and named heir, Rhaenyra Targaryen<\/a>, Balerion was the last dragon to have seen Old Valyria, where he was born, before the city was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. To put this in the context of the <em>Game of Thrones <\/em>timeline, Balerion died just over two centuries before the events of season 1.<\/p>\n<p><em>Game of Thrones <\/em>season 1 starts in 298AC, with <em>House of the Dragon <\/em>beginning in 101AC. Balerion died in 94AC, though this is by the book timeline and so may differ in the canon of the HBO shows. The Black Dread&#8217;s skull was originally mounted in the Red Keep, as seen in <em>House of the Dragon<\/em>. In<em> Game of Thrones<\/em>, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) stumbles upon Balerion&#8217;s massive skull in the dungeons of the castle after the remains of the Targaryens&#8217; dragons were moved there by King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy).<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"are-any-of-house-of-the-dragon-39-s-dragons-bigger-than-balerion\">\n                        Are Any Of <em>House Of The Dragon<\/em>&#8216;s Dragons Bigger Than Balerion?<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:50%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;Image via Max&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"826\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vhagar in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-episode-7-50.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Vhagar in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7<\/figcaption><small class=\"body-img-caption\">Image via Max<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> The only living dragon in <em>House of the Dragon <\/em>who rivals Balerion in size is Vhagar, whose flame was said to be so hot it could melt a knight&#8217;s armor and cook him inside. Upon Balerion&#8217;s death, Vhagar became the largest, oldest, and most powerful of the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/every-dragon-in-house-of-the-dragon\/\" target=\"_blank\">Targaryen dynasty&#8217;s dragons<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"emaki-custom-block emaki-custom-note\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<div class=\"emaki-custom note\" id=\"custom_block_20\">\n<div class=\"custom_block-content note\">\n<p>Vhagar is claimed by Laena Velaryon (Savannah Steyn), the daughter of Lord Corlys Velaryon, AKA The Sea Snake (Steve Toussaint), and his wife, Rhaena Targaryen (Eve Best), the Queen Who Never Was. After her death, Aemond Targaryen claims Vhagar for himself. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Balerion is a Targaryen legend, and, in <em>Game of Thrones<\/em>&#8216; time, Daenerys Targaryen&#8217;s (Emilia Clarke) Drogon is the dragon who comes closest to matching the Black Dread. Drogon was the largest and most powerful of Daenerys&#8217; three dragons, and he is the only one who survived the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/game-thrones-ending-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Game of Thrones <\/em>finale<\/a>, even outliving his &#8220;mother,&#8221; Daenerys. Drogon was not as large as Balerion was, but Drogon was also still growing throughout<em> Game of Thrones<\/em>. Perhaps Drogon will live to exceed Balerion in size and power. Of course, <em><strong>House of the Dragon<\/strong><\/em> is long over before Drogon is even born.<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card type-screen large\" data-show-streamrentbuy-links=\"true\" data-include-community-rating=\"true\" id=\"418c-4577-a81f5c5d91a0\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content\">\n<div class=\"display-card-content image-column\">\n<p>                        <!--    Rating block community and brand ratings --><br \/>\n                        <!--  Image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-img  has-image-group\" data-stnl=\"%7B%22category%22%3A%22Click%20Interactions%22%2C%22name%22%3A%22Tag%20Display%20Card%22%2C%22action%22%3A%22Fullscreen%20Image%20Load%22%2C%22once%22%3Atrue%7D\" data-stnl-group-once=\"5Y3Ga8l9Yx\">\n<div class=\"body-img portrait \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  img-article-square\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"960\" height=\"1440\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2026\/06\/house-of-the-dragon-poster.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!-- User Rating widget --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-card-content info-column\">\n                                                                                                                            <!--  Display card tags widget --><\/p>\n<p>                                                <!--  Display card community and brand rating widget --><br \/>\n                                                                <!--  Display card main info widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-info main-info\">\n<dl>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Release Date<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAugust 21, 2022<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Network<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHBO<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Directors<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tClare Kilner, Geeta Patel<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!--  Display card media widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card media widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Cast widget start --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-cast\">\n<ul class=\"cast-tab-list\">\n<li class=\"cast-tab full-width\">\n                                                                                <img width=\"100\" height=\"130\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Headshot Of Matt Smith In The UK premiere of Sky series 'House of the Dragon'\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/instar53838673.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=65&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/instar53838673.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=65&amp;dpr=2\"\/><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"cast-tab full-width\">\n                                                                                <img width=\"100\" height=\"130\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Headshot Of Fabien Frankel In The World premiere of \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 \" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/instar53816215.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=65&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/instar53816215.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=50&amp;h=65&amp;dpr=2\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-cast-info flex\">\n<p>Fabien Frankel<\/p>\n<p>\n                                                    Ser Criston Cole\n                                                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!-- Cast widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to watch button preview --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to watch preview end --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <!-- Extra content section, display hidden 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House of the Dragon brings audiences back to Westeros about 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. In this era, House Targaryen is at the peak of its power as rulers&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10344,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/House-of-the-dragon-Balerion-viserys-Targaryen.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}