Rhaenyra Targaryen

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Character
Name: Rhaenyra Targaryen
Occupation: Princess of Seven Kingdoms,
Princess of Dragonstone (formerly - book/currently - show),
Queen of the Seven Kingdoms (disputed)
Relationships: Viserys Targaryen & Aemma Arryn (parents),
Alicent Hightower (stepmother),
Aegon II, Helaena, Aemond, & Daeron Targaryen (half-siblings),
Daemon Targaryen (uncle/second husband),
Laenor Velaryon (second cousin/first husband),
Harwin Strong (lover; show),
Criston Cole (ex-lover; show),
Mysaria (lover; show),
Laena Velaryon (second cousin/sister-in-law; possible lover in book),
Six children and two stepchildren: Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon (first marriage),
Aegon, Viserys, & Visenya Targaryen (second marriage),
Baela & Rhaena Targaryen (stepdaughters/first cousins),
Syrax (dragoness)
Fandom: House of the Dragon, "A Song of Ice and Fire"
Other:
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Rhaenyra Targaryen is a character from Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin and the protagonist of its TV adaptation, House of the Dragon.

Canon

Book

Rhaenyra was the oldest and only surviving child of King Viserys I and his first wife Aemma Arryn. According laws of Kingdom she was heir presumptive to throne, but for many years after she was born, her uncle Daemon continued to think about himself as heir. Eventually, Viserys formally named Rhaenyra his heir apparent, ending any confusion.

Rhaenyra was initially loved by her stepmother Queen Alicent (nine years her senior) - Alicent even referred to Rhaenyra as "daughter". That changed after Alicent gave birth to three sons and came to expect that her eldest, Prince Aegon, would be heir to the throne instead of Rhaenyra. King Viserys continued to keep Rhaenyra in her position of Crown Princess, which caused the women's relationship to deteriorate and create two rival court factions: Blacks for Raenyra and Greesn for Alicent.

Teen Rhaenyra was rumored to have had affairs with her uncle Daemon and her knight, Criston Cole; as Fire & Blood is chronicle it cannot be known whether those allegations were true. Ordered by her father, Rhaenyra eventually married her second cousin Laenor Velaryon and gave birth to three sons with dark hair, whom he acknowledged as his true-born children. It was not clear whether the boys inherited hair color from their paternal grandmother, dark-haired Princess Rhaenys, or were in fact (some or all of them) fathered by Harwin Strong, a knight with whom Rhaenyra was close. Rhaenyra was also rumored to have an affair with her sister-in-law, Laena.

After Laena's and Laenor's deaths, Rhaenyra quickly remarried to Prince Daemon, and the pair went to have two healthy sons and daughter who was stillborn. After Visery's death, Aegon was declared king by his supporters, whereas Rhaenyra was declared by Daemon a new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Shortly therafter, her second-born son, Lucerys Velaryon, was murdered by her half-brother Aemond (supporter of Aegon), cementing Rhaenyra's desire to go to war. And thus, the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons had begun.

Eventually, Rhaenyra captured capital city and sat on the Iron Throne for half a year (gaining nickname Half-Year Queen), but was unable to rule successfully amidst the war chaos that ultimately forced her to abandon the capital. During the war, she lost her husband and four children, and Blacks lost all but one dragons under their control. The Claimant Queen was eventually captured by Aegon, who fed her alive to his dragon Sunfyre.

Rhaenyra's faction ultimately won the war, with Aegon being murdered by his own people and Rhaenyra's eldest surviving son (also named Aegon) succeeding him.

Show

Season 1

At the start of the show, Rhaenyra is the eldest and only living child of Viserys I, born to him by his first wife. She is also best friends with Alicent Hightower, who is a year younger than her. When Rhaenyra is 15, her uncle Daemon is heir to the throne. However, Viserys - disappointed by Daemon's disrespectful behaviour - declares Rhaenyra hie heiress and and Princess of Dragonstone.

Viserys shares with Rhaenyra a prophecy passed from King to heir since Aegon I, the saga's titular Song of Ice and Fire. It says that a Targaryen must be in power to avert a unknown threat to the world.

Rhaenyra wishes to create a "new order" where women would be able to inherit Iron Throne without being challenged by their male relatives.

While Rhaenyra manages to keep good relations with Daemon, her friendship with Alicent becomes strained when Viserys announces that he is to take Alicent as his second wife. After Alicent gives birth to her first son, Rhaenyra is wary of her half-brother as a potential rival to the throne.

As an 18-year-old, Rhaenyra kisses Daemon and loses her virginity later that same night to her knight protector, Criston Cole. As a result of (untrue) rumors she slept with Daemon, Viserys pressures her to marry her second cousin, Laenor Velaryon. When Alicent learns about Rhaenyra's past dalliance with Cole (whom Alicent loves herself), she becomes openly hostile towards her former friend, envious of Rhaenyra's perceived freedom.

Rhaenyra and Laenor try to conceive a child but are unsuccessful, causing Rhaenyra to find a surrogate father for her heirs: Harwin Strong, her new knight protector.

After 10 years of marriage, Rhaenyra is the mother of three children (Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey), all of whom are recognized by Laenor as his own. Tired of constant humiliations from Alicent, Rhaenyra moves her seat to Dragonstone, alongside her children and Laenor, while Harwin tragically dies in a fire. Rhaenyra and Daemon eventually fake Laenor's death and marry each other.

Six years later, the couple have two children (Aegon the Younger and Viserys the Younger) and are expecting their third. Rhaenyra betrothes her two eldest sons to Daemon's daughters - unions being both political and love matches. Family happiness is however thwarted by Alicent and Aegon II usurping the throne after Viserys's death. As result of shock Rhaneyra loses the baby she carried. Alicent proposes relatively good terms to Rhaenyra, granting her Dragonstone, but peace talks are severed by Prince Aemond (Alicent's second son) accidentaly killing his nephew Lucerys.

Season 2

Despite her son's death, Rhaenyra still tries to avoid bloodshed and is horrified when she learns Daemon is responsible for death of her nephew Jaehaerys (Aegon II's son), who Daemon has killed in retribution for Lucerys's murder. This causes rift between the Queen and her husband, and she eventually grows closer to Mysaria - Daemon's former mistress, now their ally and spy - to whom she develops romantic feelings, which Mysaria seemingly reciprocates.

Rhaneyra meets with Alicent, who informs her that Viserys named Aegon on his deathbed as new heir; however Rhaenyra correctly discerns that Viserys was not naming her brother Aegon his heir but rather was talking about the Song of Ice and Fire and of their ancestor, Aegon I. Reassured that she is the only rightful ruler, Rhaenyra declares dragon war and discloses the prophecy to her eldest son and heir, Prince Jacaerys.

Fandom

Rhaenyra & Baela or: How Rhaenyra (not) usurped her stepdaughter

Some fans supporting Team Green (Aegon II and Alicent's faction) or people critical of Rhaenyra love being offended on Baela's behalf, arguing Rhaenyra "stole" and "usurped" inheritence of Driftmark from Baela Targaryen, by instaling her sons (Lucerys and Joffrey Velaryons) as heirs to Driftmark. The point of contention is that Velaryon boys were in fact fathered by Harwin Strong, so seat should go to Baela as Corlys's true grandaughter. This matter is raised by Rhaenys in episode 7 of season 1 of House of the Dragon when she declares to Corlys her wish to make Baela his heir, as she is "true Velaryon blood". Corlys rejects idea, because history does not remember blood, only names - Lucerys and Joffrey are legally Velaryons as they were claimed as legitimate sons by their stepfather Laenor, whereas Baela and her sister Rhaena are Targaryens.

Many Green fans/Rhaenyra's critics insists that if Rhaenyra really cared about "creating new order" she promised to make (with women having higher position and rights), she should have Driftmark to Baela. They ignore fact that in season 1 Baela never showed any animosity towards Rhaenyra, nor desire for having Driftmark.

In episode 5 of season 2 Corlys ultimately decides to name Baela his heir, however Baela rejects this offer, citing she is Targaryen and Driftmark should go to Velaryon (presumably her stepbrother, Joffrey, or some other Velaryon, but not to her as she is not one).

Even before 2x05 aired reasoning of "Baela usurped" theory was missing three key points:

  1. Neither Baela nor her sister Rhaena ever voiced that they wanted to inherit Driftmark (it was entirely Rhaenys's idea).
  2. Baela is fierce supporter of Rhaenyra and her stepbrothers and she does not care about Velaryon boys true paternity. While Rhaneys in 1x07 treats 10-year-old Jacaerys Velaryon coldly because of his non-Valyrian look, Baela extends her hand to her cousin. As teenager, Baela warns Rhaenyra and Daemon that Vaemond Velaryon intends to usurp Lucerys's rights, implying she does support Luke as heir to Driftmark. Episode 2x02 ultimately confirms Baela is fully aware of Harwin being true father of Jacaerys, and that she is determined to fight for her stepbrothers and stepmother regardless of it.
  3. Baela is rejected by Corlys not because of her gender but because she is Targaryen. She does not carry Velaryon name. If she was boy and Lucerys was girl situation would be the same: Baelon would be Targaryen and Lucerra would be Velaryon. Corlys wanted Velaryon to succed him and he would choose Laenor's children regardless of their gender, as Laena's children with Daemon - while have Velaryon blood - are Targaryens.

Before airing of season 2, creator Phoenix Ashes did a video essay on topic [1], criticizing logic of anti-Rhaenyra viewers and explaining why Baela - who is intended to be the future Queen consort as betrothed to Jacaerys, Rhaenyra' heir - is not her stepmother's victim, and why she supports Rhaenyra:

We have so little of Baela in the show [as of season 1] that we do not her self's thoughts regarding Driftmark, but one thing I will never understand is how one can insist that rulling a seat [Driftmark] is better than being the queen of the entire continent. (...) I do believe that Baela being [queen] consort would give her far more power than rulling Driftmark.

When show!Rhaenys asks Corlys to make Driftmark pass through Laena's line, Corlys says: "History does not remember blood, it remembers names". While this is a comment about the fact Luke isn't his biological grandson, it also has another meaning: Driftmark is a seat of House Velaryon, and Baela is a Targaryen, even though some people [online] try to call her and Rhaena "Velaryon twins", an epithet that is never used for them, because THEY ARE TARGARYENS. While maybe it could be possible to change Baela's last name, it bears repeating that as long as she is a Targaryen, Driftmark cannot pass to her.

The reason why Baela is not shown resenting Rhaenyra or Daemon for "usurping" her is very simple: one, she does not bend to the whims of Green fans and two, she loves her family. (...) Sometimes even young girls are able to realize that a castle passing to you is less important than a civil war and backing the rightful ruler and your stepmother. And being a queen of the entire continent is objectively more than having a castle. And let's be real, Rhaenyra is a mother that stepped up, so I see why Baela would love and idolize her.

It should be also noted the whole idea of "Driftmark going to Baela" by Rhaenys is solely the show's idea; in book Rhaenys nor anyone else ever propose such thing. Baela is intended since age 2 to be future Queen of Jacaerys, and because of that she and Jace are never considered potential heirs to Driftmark. Book also offers no indication that Princess Rhaenys wanted to take away inheritance from Lucerys.

Gender-Nonconformity

Butch and/or transmasculine Rhaenyra headcanons are not uncommon. Rhaenyra's joy at passing as a boy when disguised on the town with Daemon is often taken as fuel for this headcanon, as well as Rhaenyra's general frustration with the misogynistic society of Westeros. Disagreements often fall along shipping lines: fans of this headcanon tend to be Rhaenyra/Alicent shippers, while those who dislike it are primarily Rhaenyra/Daemon fans.

every time someone complains about rhaenyra being portrayed as butch another female asoiaf character starts using he/they pronouns. you accused rhaenicents of "unjustly masculinizing" rhaenyra and now sansa is on testosterone @yimmygee, Jul 28, 2024[1]

Shipping

Fanworks

Fanart

Fanvids

Gallery

  • Blood Of My Blood by Inna-Vjuzhanina

    Blood Of My Blood by Inna-Vjuzhanina

  • The Heir by Inna-Vjuzhanina

    The Heir by Inna-Vjuzhanina

  • Rhaenyra by Inna-Vjuzhanina

    Rhaenyra by Inna-Vjuzhanina

  • Rhaenyra Targaryen by karmavirtanen

    Rhaenyra Targaryen by karmavirtanen

  • Rhaenyra Targaryen and Syrax by karmavirtanen ‎

    Rhaenyra Targaryen and Syrax by karmavirtanen ‎

  • Rhaenyra by Kreetak

    Rhaenyra by Kreetak

  • Rhaenyra Targaryen by solgasart

    Rhaenyra Targaryen by solgasart

References

  1. ^ https://x.com/yimmygee/status/1817643912372318317
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