Many might be touting Daenerys, Jon Snow and Cersei Lannister for Iron Throne victory at the end of Game Of Thrones, but could George RR Martin unleash another family to rule the roost?
The Game Of Thrones author is set to release new book Fire and Blood later this month, which delves into the history of House Targaryen spanning Aegon Targaryen’s conquest of the Seven Kingdoms to the civil war which tore them apart.
As noted by Bustle, the book will also hopefully colour some details on the history of the Blackfyres; a house who could potentially play a significant role as we approach the end game in the show and, more likely, the books.
So who or what are the Blackfyres? Way back when the Targaryens ruled over Westeros, a prince named Aegon had a fling with his cousin Daena – leading to the birth of a Targaryen bastard named Daemon Waters.
Shortly afterward when Aegon became King Aegon IV, he married his sister and they had a son named Daeron Targaryen. His true-born son, however, who was more keen on peace, wasn’t quite living up to his bastard offspring Daemon, who was a whizz on the battlefield.
Due to his fighting prowess, King Aegon therefore granted him a sword, Blackfyre – which Daemon took and swapped out the classic red Targaryen sigil for a new black dragon.
When Aegon died, he legitimised his bastard sons – meaning while Daeron was crowned King as the legitimate heir, people began to rally around Daemon Blackfyre as their leader.
This confidence surging support eventually led Daemon to declare himself the true King, sparking a massive Seven Kingdoms war and the Battle Of The Redgrass Field.
During this battle, a number of Aegon’s bastard sons clashed. Daemon Blackfyre and his eldest son was killed by his other bastard brother Brynden Rivers, while Aegor ‘Bittersteel’ Rivers took out Brynden’s eye and fled to Essos with Daemon’s other kids and his widow.
Aegon’s legitimate son Daeron held the throne, but Daemon’s kids and their subsequent heirs repeatedly attempted to claim the throne themselves over the years. They also founded the Golden Company, who, in the show, were hired by Cersei Lannister to fight the army of Daenerys Targaryen.
So what does this mean? While the male line of the Blackfyres is believed to be extinct in Game Of Thrones, George RR Martin hasn’t given any details on what happened to the female line – so could there be a potential claim loitering within Westeros?
In the books, some fans believe Illyrio Mopatis – a close friend of Varys and the person who handed Daenerys her dragons– could have married a Blackfyre heir and potentially had a son, who they could claim as a legitimate successor from Robert’s Rebellion.
But what could this mean for the show? Cersei Lannister has placed all her eggs on the Golden Company fighting against Daenerys, but with their Targaryen origins, could they realise their long connections with the family and break the contract with Cersei?
With the cast all teasing a surprising and shocking end to the show, could the ultimate twist be the successor to the Iron Throne was quietly brewing out of sight all this time? Either way, we’re sure to discover more about the Blackfyres in Fire and Blood.
Game Of Thrones season eight is set to release in April 2019.
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