In House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower are portrayed as best friends from a young age. They confided in each other and shared their deepest secrets. However, their relationship took a turn for the worse when Alicent married King Viserys, Rhaenyra’s father. Showrunner Ryan Condal talked about how the two characters are central to the show’s storyline.
Ryan Condal in Rhaenyra and Alicent’s role in House of the Dragon’s conflict
From the very beginning, House of the Dragon is about the rift between Alicent and Rhaenyra, who were once best friends. In a recent episode of the Official Game of Thrones podcast, Condal reiterated the same,
“I’ve said from the beginning that Alicent and Rhaenyra are the two central characters of the show. I mean, look at the poster for season 2. And that is stated, I think pretty clearly not only in the pilot but certainly through the course of the first season of the show. It’s a story about these two women who are essentially children when we meet them.”
How Alicent and Rhaenyra’s fathers influenced their destiny
Otto Hightower and King Viserys’ actions set their daughters on a path that eventually led to the Targaryen dynasty’s fall. The House of the Dragon was weakened after almost all their dragons were killed, leaving them susceptible to rebellions. Condal added,
“They’re raised in this heavily patriarchal society by two powerful men. I mean, one literally has absolute power in Westeros: [King Viserys], Rhaenyra’s father. And then his number two, the Hand of the King Otto Hightower, [Alicent’s father]. And how they are both, Rhaneyra and Alicent, intentionally or unintentionally depending on your point of view and which character we’re talking about, being wielded as political pawns by their scheming fathers.”
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