House of Dragon: Release date, characters, review & cast

Release Date

Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon will premiere on August 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, exclusively on HBO and HBO Max

Cast & Characters

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen: PLAYED BY EMMA D’ARCY The king’s first-born child. She is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.

Prince Daemon Targaryen: PLAYED BY MATT SMITH The younger brother to King Viserys, and peerless warrior and dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…

King Viserys Targaryen: PLAYED BY PADDY CONSIDINE Viserys was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy, but as we’ve learned from Game of Thrones, good men do not necessarily make for great kings.

Otto Hightower: PLAYED BY RHYS IFANS The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king's brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.

Alicent Hightower: PLAYED BY OLIVIA COOKE She’s the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.

Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake”: PLAYED BY STEVE TOUSSAINT The lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. As “The Sea Snake,” the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.

Princess Rhaenys Targaryen: PLAYED BY EVE BEST A dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, "The Queen Who Never Was" was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male.

Ser Criston Cole: PLAYED BY FABIEN FRANKEL Of Dornish descent, Ser Criston is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. He has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword.

Mysaria: PLAYED BY SONOYA MIZUNO She came to Westeros with nothing, sold more times than she can recall, and she could have wilted... but instead she rose to become the most trusted – and most unlikely – ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne.

Review: When I saw the first episode of House of the Dragon on HBO, it really made me wonder what kind of TV I liked when I was younger. Ten years ago, did I think I was cool when I watched all this violence and soft porn? I was bragging about how I had found this great fantasy show called "Game of Thrones" that is full of gross "adult" stuff, which made it better than others. But right now, after seeing its prequel House of the Dragon for the first time, I wonder if it could be one of the cheapest (not in terms of budget) and grossest epic fantasy movies out there.