The Complete Targaryen Family Tree
From Valyria to Westeros — Every Dragon Lord, Every Conquest, Every Legacy
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Understanding the Targaryen Dynasty
House Targaryen ruled Westeros for three centuries as the ultimate dynasty of dragon riders. With their silver-gold hair and violet eyes, they traced their lineage to the lost freehold of Old Valyria. Unraveling the Targaryen family tree reveals a complex legacy of conquest, absolute power, tragic madness, and legendary dragons.
The Targaryen Family Tree — Complete Lineage
Explore the ancestral lines of House Targaryen, tracking generations of rulers, rebels, and dragon riders who shaped the fate of Westeros.
Visenya Targaryen
Warrior-queen who rode Vhagar.
Aegon I Targaryen
Forged the Iron Throne with Balerion.
Rhaenys Targaryen
Kind-hearted queen who rode Meraxes.
Aenys I Targaryen
Inherited a fragile empire.
Maegor I Targaryen
Ruthless builder of the Red Keep.
Jaehaerys I
The longest, most peaceful reign.
Viserys I
His succession split the realm.
Rhaenyra I
Contested heir to the Iron Throne.
Daemon Targaryen
Rider of Caraxes, fierce commander.
Rhaegar Targaryen
Sought prophecy, died at the Trident.
Daenerys Targaryen
Brought magic and dragons back to life.
Jon Snow (Aegon)
Secret son of Rhaegar and Lyanna.
Key Figures in the Targaryen Family Tree
A detailed examination of the figures who defined the dynastic legacy, charting their births, reigns, and bonds with history-altering beasts.
Aegon I Targaryen (The Conqueror)
Aegon I Targaryen was the founding patriarch of the dynasty in the Westerosi branch of the Targaryen family tree. Together with his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys, he united six of the Seven Kingdoms through dragonfire and tactical diplomacy. His legacy is etched permanently into the Iron Throne, which he forged from the swords of his vanquished foes.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
Rhaenyra Targaryen remains one of the most polarizing and pivotal rulers in the Targaryen family tree. Designated heir by her father Viserys I, her claim was challenged by her half-brother Aegon II, igniting the catastrophic civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. Her fierce determination and tragic end defined the limits of dynastic succession.
Daemon Targaryen
Known as the Rogue Prince, Daemon was the most seasoned warrior of his age. His place in the Targaryen family tree connects him both as brother to Viserys I and eventually husband to Rhaenyra. His legendary duel over Harrenhal atop Caraxes remains one of the ultimate feats of dragonrider history.
Rhaegar Targaryen (The Last Prince)
No branch of the Rhaegar Targaryen family tree matters more to the story that follows than his. A dreamer obsessed with an old prophecy, he set aside the crown he was meant to inherit for a war he never wanted, crowning Lyanna Stark at Harrenhal and secretly marrying her at the Tower of Joy. Their son, hidden his whole life as Ned Stark’s “bastard,” would grow up to become Jon Snow — the last widely unknown branch of this family tree until the very end of the story.
Daenerys Targaryen (Mother of Dragons)
Shattering centuries of silence, Daenerys rebuilt the broken legacy of the Targaryen family tree from the ashes of Essos. Emerging from the funeral pyre of Drogo with three hatched dragon eggs, she conducted a legendary liberation campaign before returning home to claim her ancestral birthright.
Dragons of House Targaryen
Without dragons, the Targaryen family tree would have remained a minor house in Old Valyria. These colossal, magical beasts were the true source of their throne.
Balerion
The Black Dread. His shadow could swallow entire cities, and his fire melted stone at Harrenhal.
Vhagar
The survivor of a hundred battles. A colossal she-dragon whose roar shook the foundations of the Stormlands.
Caraxes
The Blood Wyrm. Swift, lean, and terrifyingly aggressive, with distinctive red scales and a piercing shriek.
The Rise and Fall of House Targaryen
The Doom to the Dance
After escaping the cataclysmic Doom of Valyria thanks to Daenys the Dreamer’s prophecy, House Targaryen established their stronghold on Dragonstone. Aegon’s subsequent conquest of Westeros forged a unified empire, but succession disputes inevitably led to the catastrophic Dance of the Dragons. This internal war devastated the family’s numbers and ultimately ended the reign of their giant beasts.
Rebellion and Restoration
Deprived of their dragons, the dynasty grew increasingly fragile, eventually collapsing during Robert’s Rebellion following the madness of King Aerys II. Yet, the lineage persisted in exile. Daenerys Targaryen’s miraculous hatching of three new dragons in Essos sparked a dramatic final chapter in the Targaryen family tree, culminating in a brutal war for the Iron Throne.
House Targaryen — Key Facts & Legacy
Behind the names on the family tree lie unique characteristics, powerful seats of power, and cultural pillars that defined their 300-year dominance.
Houses Bound to the Targaryen Family Tree
The Targaryens never ruled alone. Hover each banner to reveal the words of the houses whose fates were chained to the dragon throne.
Targaryen
Stark
Lannister
Baratheon
Tyrell
Tully
Martell
Arryn
Timeline of the Targaryen Dynasty
From the ashes of Valyria to the fall of King’s Landing — the defining moments that shaped the Targaryen family tree.
The Doom of Valyria
A cataclysmic volcanic eruption destroys the Valyrian Freehold and nearly every dragonlord family. Only House Targaryen survives, having relocated to Dragonstone twelve years earlier on the strength of Daenys the Dreamer’s prophetic vision.
Aegon’s Conquest
Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys land at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. With three dragons — Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes — they subdue six of the Seven Kingdoms and forge the Iron Throne from the swords of the defeated.
The Reign of the Old King
Jaehaerys I and Queen Alysanne preside over the longest and most prosperous reign in Targaryen history, reforming law, expanding the realm’s roads, and stabilizing the crown’s relationship with the Faith.
The Dance of the Dragons
A ruinous civil war erupts between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother Aegon II over the succession. The conflict burns through the realm and kills most of the Targaryen dragons, ending the age of dragonriders.
Robert’s Rebellion
The madness of King Aerys II and the abduction of Lyanna Stark ignite a rebellion that topples the dynasty. The Targaryens are all but wiped out; the surviving children, Viserys and Daenerys, flee across the Narrow Sea.
The Return of the Dragons
In exile in Essos, Daenerys Targaryen hatches three dragons from petrified eggs, becoming the first dragonrider in over a century and reigniting the dynasty’s claim to the Iron Throne.
Where Does Your Loyalty Lie?
Every dragon needs a rider. Swear your allegiance and receive your words.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Targaryen Family Tree
Who are the Targaryens?
The Targaryens are an ancient noble dynasty of dragonlords who escaped the cataclysmic Doom of Valyria. They established their power on Westeros, conquering and ruling the Seven Kingdoms for almost 300 years using the unmatched power of their giant dragons.
How is Jon Snow related to the Targaryen family tree?
Jon Snow is secretly Aegon Targaryen, the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. This makes him the direct grandson of Aerys II (The Mad King) and the nephew of Daenerys Targaryen, placing him at the absolute center of the true succession line.
Who was the most powerful Targaryen?
Aegon I (The Conqueror) is widely considered the most powerful, as he successfully united the fractured kingdoms under a single empire. However, in terms of sheer magical capability, Daenerys Targaryen stands out for surviving flames and bringing dragons back into the world after their extinction.
Why did Targaryens marry each other?
Following ancient Valyrian customs, Targaryens practiced incestuous marriages — often marrying siblings, cousins, or aunts — to protect their rare bloodline. This blood was believed to grant them silver hair, violet eyes, and the unique ability to bind with and control dragons.
How many dragons did House Targaryen have?
At the peak of their power before the Dance of the Dragons, House Targaryen possessed over twenty living dragons. Following the civil war, their numbers dwindled until the last small dragon died, before Daenerys miraculously hatched three new beasts centuries later.
What is the Dance of the Dragons in the Targaryen family tree?
The Dance of the Dragons was a Targaryen civil war fought from 129 to 131 AC between two rival branches of the family tree: the Blacks, who supported Rhaenyra Targaryen, and the Greens, who backed her half-brother Aegon II. It was the bloodiest internal conflict of the dynasty and led directly to the death of most of the Targaryen dragons, ending the age of dragonriders for over a century.
Who is the last living Targaryen?
By the end of the main saga, the two most prominent surviving members of the Targaryen family tree are Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow — revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar. Jon’s Targaryen parentage makes him a trueborn heir, placing him and Daenerys at the center of the dynasty’s final chapter.
What are the Targaryen house words and sigil?
House Targaryen’s words are “Fire and Blood,” reflecting both their conquering power and their dragonlord heritage. Their sigil is a three-headed red dragon on a black field — the three heads traditionally said to represent Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys.
Why do Targaryens have silver hair and violet eyes?
The distinctive silver-gold hair and violet or purple eyes of the Targaryens come from their Valyrian bloodline. The dragonlords of Old Valyria shared these features, and the Targaryens preserved them through generations of close family marriage, which also maintained their rare affinity for bonding with and riding dragons.
What else is the Targaryen family tree called?
This is also known as the House Targaryen family tree, the House of Targaryen family tree, the Targaryen tree, or simply the Targaryen lineage — the most complete, interactive map of House Targaryen’s dynasty from Aegon the Conqueror to Daenerys.