The first season of House of the Dragon has focused on just three of the show’s royal families: The Targaryens, the Hightowers, and the Velaryons. Such a narrow focus has made the HBO series feel far more insular than Game of Thrones ever did. It’s also allowed House of the Dragon to fully explore a complex and layered story of royal infighting.
But now that the infamous Targaryen struggle known as the Dance of the Dragons is on the verge of breaking out, it won’t be long before the show’s scope gets much, much larger. House of the Dragon will soon have to shift its focus to the regions of Westeros that exist outside of Dragonstone and King’s Landing, including the North.
A Trip to the North — When House of the Dragon premiered, viewers were understandably curious about whether any of the iconic families featured in Game of Thrones would have roles to play. Since then, notable royal houses like the Lannisters and Baratheons have each been folded into House of the Dragon’s overarching story. However, the one iconic Game of Thrones family that’s had little presence in House of the Dragon is, of course, the Starks.
Fans will likely be delighted to hear that the Starks of Winterfell are expected to appear in the Game of Thrones prequel. Cregan Stark, who’s the head of the family when House of the Dragon takes place, plays an important role in the Dance of the Dragons.
Winter is Coming — Given the events that still need to unfold for the Dance of the Dragons to begin, it seems highly unlikely that this week’s Season 1 finale will have the time to reintroduce the Starks or make a trip to Winterfell. However, just because House Stark won’t factor into the events of House of the Dragon’s first 10 episodes, that doesn’t mean the same will be true of the series’ sophomore season.
The Dance of the Dragons will bring with it the continent-spanning scope that House of the Dragon has mostly avoided so far. That means several of Westeros’ notable families will take on much more important roles moving forward, including House Stark.
While we’ll leave as much of Cregan Stark’s role in the Dance of the Dragons as unspoiled as possible, House of the Dragon Season 2 will likely see one of the show’s existing heroes come face-to-face with the Wolf of the North himself. The fallout of said meeting will go on to define part of the Dance of the Dragons.
Game of Thrones fans can rest assured in knowing that the Starks’ presence in Westeros isn’t nearly as inconsequential to House of the Dragon’s story as they may think.
The Inverse Analysis — Those who have read Fire & Blood, the 2018 novel House of the Dragon is based on, are excited to see Cregan Stark make his inevitable debut. While House of the Dragon has wisely taken its time getting to its central Targaryen conflict, it’s only a matter of time before non-Targaryen characters like Cregan Stark start showing up and making an impact.
The Season 1 finale of House of the Dragon airs Sunday, October 23 on HBO.
