Should I Watch 'House of the Dragon' Before 'Game of Thrones'? (2024)

HBO's House of the Dragon has recently finished airing its second season — but two years ago, and three years after the controversial Game of Thrones finale, the new prequel series invited fans back to Westeros, this time during the height of the Targaryen dynasty. Due to its success, the new show has caught the attention of more than just Game of Thrones fans. Many people who did not watch the original series are interested in the highly-praised prequel. But without any context for the world, would they understand the story? The short answer is yes. House of the Dragon builds on Game of Thrones without relying on it too heavily.

But where to begin with the Westeros-set shows is a more complicated question. Even those who didn't watch Game of Thrones know of fans' disappointment in the series finale and may prefer to avoid the frustration, or they are daunted by Game of Thrones' eight seasons as opposed to House of the Dragon's two. When deciding where to jump into this world, the answer isn't as straightforward. The good news is you can begin your journey through Westeros with either show, though there are a few things to consider with each entry point.

House of the Dragon

810

TV-MA

Fantasy

Drama

Action

Adventure

The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.

Release Date

August 21, 2022

See Also

'House of the Dragon' Season 2 finale: Rhaenyra and Alicent's 'battle between pain and love'House of the Dragon to Return for Season 3 - WHOWhy the Relentless Challenge of Volgarr the Viking II Means I Love You - Xbox Wire'The biggest sporting success I've ever had in my career': Djokovic ecstatic with his Olympic gold

Creator

Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin

Cast

Paddy Considine , Olivia Cooke , Rhys Ifans , Matt Smith , Eve Best , Steve Toussaint , Emma D'Arcy , Milly Alco*ck , Emily Carey

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

4

Distributor

HBO

'House of the Dragon' Includes Hints and References to 'Game of Thrones'

Game of Thrones was the first of the two shows to be made, which means all the necessary information is contained within its story. Game of Thrones also never expects its audience to have knowledge from outside sources; by contrast, House of the Dragon was made for fans of Game of Thrones. At the beginning of the first episode, the prequel series lays out how many years exist between the events on-screen and the story seen in Game of Thrones. This opening is more of a passing reference than anything else and can be easily ignored, but it isn't the only reference.

Throughout House of the Dragon, the names of families featured in Game of Thrones are highlighted. These moments will not earn the same reaction from someone who has yet to see Game of Thrones and may lead said viewer to wonder about the significance of names like Stark. The references may be distracting, but don't necessarily impact an overall understanding of the show. That said, the biggest connection between the two series is the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy discussed in House of the Dragon, which isn't fulfilled until Game of Thrones. This prophecy is clear enough to those who know the flagship series, but those who don't may fall into the same traps of misinterpretation as House of the Dragon's characters. Additionally, the significance placed on the prophecy will feel anti-climactic because it can't amount to anything until the time depicted in Game of Thrones.

'House of the Dragon' Comes Before 'Game of Thrones' Chronologically

On the other hand, Game of Thrones discusses the characters of House of the Dragon as historical figures, as House of the Dragon focuses on the ruling family more than a hundred years before Game of Thrones. Everything that happens is of historical importance, so, of course, the characters in Game of Thrones know about it. These passing references even reveal the final fate of a certain lead in the prequel show. For those who watched Game of Thrones years before, the moment may have been easily forgotten — but now that the name is recognizable, it would stand out more. Is that one moment enough to reverse the viewing order of the shows?

The truth is that the times changed between the two series, making the wider lore different, and the shows each have different focuses as far as magic. While House of the Dragon is (obviously) about dragons, Game of Thrones takes place after the dragons have died out. Game of Thrones gives more context to the world as a whole as it features characters from across Westeros and beyond, while House of the Dragon centers on one family and the war that plays out within it.

Which Show Should You Watch First: 'House of the Dragon' or 'Game of Thrones'?

Almost any discussion of House of the Dragon comes back to Game of Thrones, so the content may be spoiler-free, but that's no guarantee. People who enjoy online discussions or other fan content will be unable to avoid Game of Thrones spoilers when looking at House of the Dragon information. Be it character comparisons or parallels in the plot, Game of Thrones always comes up in discussions about House of the Dragon. If watching self-contained, the new series will not spoil Game of Thrones, but that isn't realistic. Yet House of the Dragon is happening now; it's exciting and a common topic of conversation. Waiting for another season only means more spoilers will be available when you get there. So what's the best way to approach it?

While either series would make sense to view independently, the best thing to do is start with Game of Thrones. As it was made first, it is meant to be seen before House of the Dragon. Despite the brief spoilers for the new series, starting with the old one will provide a wider context for the world and allow a better understanding of the families in House of the Dragon. The new show is based on , which is structured as a history book of sorts, compiled from different accounts of events. These unreliable sources lead to contradicting stories that the show must choose between to adapt — which means that there's no telling which version of the story House of the Dragon will tell, even for viewers who are familiar with book spoilers.

Overall, Game of Thrones serves as a better introductory course to Westeros because it covers more distance and includes a larger selection of families in its cast. Yet that doesn't mean that House of the Dragon is dependent on another show to make sense. Navigating spoilers is a real danger, but as far as the show's text is concerned, skipping Game of Thrones in favor of the prequel is an option — just not the most recommended one.

Both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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