HBO’s House of Dragons Unleashes an Onslaught of Fiery Character Posters

HBO released a series of fiery new character posters for its upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon.

The posters, shared on Twitter, show each character standing before the flaming sigil of House Targaryen, which hardcore GOT fans will remember is a three-headed dragon. The flames from the burning sigil bathe the characters in an ominous, orange glow, while the words “Fire and Blood” — the motto of House Targaryen — are emblazoned across the middle of each poster. Every actor looks at the camera with a different expression, and as one would expect from HBO and Game of Thrones, they are all dressed in gorgeous costumes with plenty of details for fans to pore over.

The posters feature three Targaryens, all wearing blood-red costumes with gold details. There’s Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen. The prince and princess stare confidently at the camera, while the king looks decidedly more uncertain. Next come two Hightowers, one of the “Great Houses of Westeros” that fans may remember from GOT. Rhys Ifans, dressed in brown, plays Lord Otto Hightower, while Emily Carey plays his lovely daughter Alicent Hightower, wearing a magnificent green dress and looking more innocent than the other characters.

The last four characters featured in the posters will be less well-known to GOT veterans and hint at the diversity of the wider cast. Steve Toussaint and Eve Best play the power couple of Lord Corlys Valeryon and Princess Rhaenys Valeryon, while Matthew Needham plays the handsome Larys Strong and Sonoya Mizuno appears as the mysterious Mysaria.

House of the Dragon will take viewers back approximately 200 years prior to the events of Game of Thrones. The show centers on the history of House Targaryen’s rule over Westeros, focusing on a particularly bloody period in George R.R. Martin’s mythology known as “The Dance of the Dragons.” Fans will be familiar with the Targaryens as the white-haired ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen, the “Mother of Dragons” from Game of Thrones. As the only humans in Martin’s universe able to control and ride dragons, the Targaryens conquered the continent of Westeros and established a dynasty lasting hundreds of years. However, the Targaryens are susceptible to inbreeding and madness, which are likely to play a part in the civil war at the heart of House of the Dragon.