The world of Game of Thrones is complicated enough, but its prequel House of the Dragon seems to be making it further complicated by taking more than a few liberties with the source material. Ever since the series first premiered, fans have found several differences and distinctions between the books and the on-screen adaptation.
And now House of the Dragon makes a major change in the dragon lore, which is more weird than Drogon melting the Iron Throne in Game of Thrones‘ season 8 finale, making fans question the series’ purpose and direction.
House of the Dragon’s Dragon Mishap is Weirder Than Drogon’s Confusing Act
Game of Thrones is widely remembered as one of the best fantasy series ever to be made, and its far-reaching storyline based on George R. R. Martin‘s books has allowed it to enjoy enduring popularity. Yet, despite being based on acclaimed books, the series and later its prequel series, House of the Dragon, has taken enough liberties by going the other way with its source material.
One particular instance is when in the Game of Thrones season 8 finale, Drogon burns the Iron Throne after finding Dany dead in Jon’s arms. A highly confusing scene that continues to baffle fans, it was later revealed that the poor Iron Throne was only a bystander, caught in the middle accidentally (via Esquire). While the scene did raise questions about dragons and their behaviors, a new scene in the sixth episode of season two of House of the Dragon has emerged, leaving fans even more baffled.
As is the established fact in the Game of Thrones lore, once a dragon bonds with its rider, it does not seek anyone else while his rider is alive. But in E6 S2 of HoTD, Laenor Velaryon’s dragon, Seasmoke ends up choosing a new rider, Addam of Hull, despite Laenor being alive and having faked his death earlier in the show.
Seasmoke, since the start of season 2 has been seen as relentless and disturbed, either because he has been away from his rider for over a decade or he has realized that his rider is dead, aka killed off-screen. While the show is yet to confirm what happened to Laenor Velaryon, this event can only mean three things: either Laenor is dead, the show is yet again going away from the source, or the writers created a massive plothole by hinting that the Targaryens’ dragon rules are not, in fact, accurate.
House of the Dragon Leaves Fans Confused and Baffled
As the scene went viral on the internet, this is how many House of the Dragon fans reacted:
Since when do dragons seek out their new riders? Is that in the books? It felt like a reach watching it.
— DaRealDeal (@jaygenuine1) July 22, 2024
Or… Theyve changed the lore to fit it in as they messed up the whole Laenor plotline.
Using something offscreen to remedy a situation of your own making is poor writing
— Thomas (@Rowberry_) July 22, 2024
Or…they changed the rules in the book like they always do in the shows.
— James Jones (@jamesjonesesq) July 22, 2024
Leaner is dead in the books
They changed his outcome in the show
This leads to them editing the lore by accident
We can pretend Leanor has died off screen but i think its a oversight in the writing
— Jay D. Cartere (@JayCartere) July 22, 2024
This is not a book universe. I think it is pretty obvious by now that the series is its own universe, which is different from the books, and Jon Snow bonds with one of Dany's dragons, so…
— Árbol Invernal (@Arboldelcerro) July 22, 2024
or the writers forgot and hoped no one would care lol
— t✰ (@twrIdd) July 22, 2024
While fans are confused, the episode has left enough cliffhangers about the dragon lore and more. As the show continues, it is bound to explain all these unanswered questions sooner or later and leave behind a trail of yet more cliffhangers and plotholes. But for now, we can only speculate and eagerly await the next episodes to see how the storyline unfolds and whether the show addresses the confusion and questions surrounding the dragon lore or not.
House of the Dragon can be streamed on HBO.
