The Targaryen dynasty has consistently ranked among the most captivating elements of the Game of Thrones world. While the original series featured just one Targaryen (excluding Jon Snow), House of the Dragon compensated by dedicating an entire series to Targaryen civil wars complete with a full dragon arsenal.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the latest Game of Thrones series, operates on a more modest scale, yet Episode 2 introduces several Targaryens who significantly impact Westerosi history. Here’s a complete guide to these characters.
Caution: This article contains spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 2.
Baelor Targaryen
Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) serves as both heir to the Iron Throne and Hand of the King during his appearance in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. As the firstborn son of King Daeron II (commonly known as Daeron the Good) and his Dornish princess wife Myriah Martell, his Dornish ancestry likely explains his dark hair, distinguishing him from his silver-haired relatives.
During this period, Baelor is wed to Jena Dondarrion, with whom he shares two sons: Valarr and Matarys. Valarr joins his father at the Ashford tourney and appears in the episode, sporting dark hair like Baelor but featuring a silver streak. Baelor recalls Ser Arlan Pennytree’s tournament performance, enabling him to endorse Ser Duncan the Tall.
Maekar Targaryen
Maekar Targaryen (Sam Spruell) stands as Baelor’s youngest sibling. King Daeron fathered four sons total, though only Baelor and Maekar attended the tourney. The second son, Aerys Targaryen, preferred scholarship over combat, while the third son, Rhaegel Targaryen, suffered from “madness” that left him mentally and physically unfit for battle.
Maekar and his wife Dyanna Dayne produced six children, among them four sons: Aerion, Daeron, Aemon, and Aegon. Though Aerion joined Maekar at the tourney, Episode 2 finds Maekar worried about his other two sons slated to compete, Daeron and Aegon.
Though fourth in line, Maekar would ultimately ascend to the Iron Throne, founding Summerhall as the Targaryen summer retreat.
Aerion Targaryen
Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) has quickly proven himself a bully, having confused Ser Duncan for a stablehand. This behavior defines his legacy in Game of Thrones lore. He inherited the Targaryen family’s recurring madness, but while Rhaegal exhibited only gentleness, Aerion displayed cruelty and callousness.
The books reveal an eccentric trait: Aerion genuinely believed he was a dragon—not metaphorically, as Targaryens are sometimes described, but in every way except physically. This delusion leads to his demise when he consumes wildfire, convinced it would transform him into a dragon.
The series adaptation seems to downplay this aspect of his personality, yet even with dragons extinct during A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Aerion preserves their spirit—however absurdly.