A Game of Thrones
1996The war for the Iron Throne begins as noble houses clash and an ancient evil awakens in the frozen North.
The Targaryen Family Tree — Book Canon Reference
This page covers the Targaryen family tree as it appears specifically in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels — including characters, timelines, and lineage details that were changed, simplified, or left out entirely in the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon TV adaptations. If you’re a reader trying to track book-only canon, this is the reference page for that.
Both HBO adaptations condensed and altered the Targaryen family tree for television — combining characters, changing ages, removing minor children, and simplifying some relationships for clarity on screen.
None of this is an error on this site; it reflects genuine differences between the source material and its adaptations. For the show-accurate versions of these family trees, see the House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones hub pages instead.
The books generally give Targaryen kings and queens more children than the show depicts — several are cut entirely from the TV adaptations for pacing.
A number of characters’ ages are adjusted in the show compared to their book-canon ages, which shifts some relationships and plot details.
Book readers have access to Fire & Blood, Martin’s in-universe history text, which covers Targaryen lineage in far more depth — including branches and figures who never appear on screen at all.
The Dunk and Egg novellas are book-only source material; much of the detail comes directly from Martin’s novellas rather than any TV adaptation.
The war for the Iron Throne begins as noble houses clash and an ancient evil awakens in the frozen North.
Five kings wage war across the Seven Kingdoms as Daenerys nurtures her newborn dragons across the Narrow Sea.
The War of the Five Kings reaches its savage climax. Betrayals and bloodshed reshape the fate of Westeros.
In the aftermath of war, new players and old plot for power as the Iron Throne’s grip weakens.
Jon Snow faces impossible choices at the Wall. Daenerys struggles to rule. The game continues.
Winter has come, and the fate of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance.
From the frozen wastes beyond the Wall to the scorching deserts of Dorne. Map your journey across the epic territories.
Because this cluster is intentionally long-tail and reference-focused rather than high-traffic, we’re keeping this page as a hub and disambiguation point rather than duplicating full generational breakdowns already covered elsewhere on the site.
Complete generational guide tracking the entire dynasty from Aegon the Conqueror to Daenerys.
Deep dive into the dance of the dragons, featuring extra children and alternate book timelines.
The reign of Daeron II and the story of Dunk and Egg, exclusively preserved from the novellas.
Lineage discrepancies during the War of the Five Kings including Aegon (Young Griff) book-only lore.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Refer directly to the Citadel index pages or browse our full collection guides.
No — while the core lineage is the same, the books include more characters, different ages for some figures, and additional detail not shown on screen, particularly around the Dance of the Dragons and the Dunk and Egg era.
Fire & Blood is George R.R. Martin’s in-universe history book covering Targaryen rule from Aegon the Conqueror through the Dance of the Dragons — the primary book source for the House of the Dragon era.
Yes — they’re official George R.R. Martin-written stories set in the same universe, roughly 90 years before the main novels.
This site’s era-specific hub pages note key book-vs-show differences inline; for the most exhaustive book-only detail, Fire & Blood remains the definitive source.