10 Best Quotes From House Of The Dragon Season 1 – CBR – Comic Book Resources
House of the Dragon’s compelling characters have made important statements and shared their opinions in the best quotes of Season 1.
House of the Dragon has hit the ground running. Game of Thrones captivated fans with its high-octane pacing and heavy themes. House of the Dragon has had a similar effect, even though it lent more of a focus to its political intrigue in the buildup to the Dance of the Dragons civil war.
House of the Dragon is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood but has been brought to life by its exceptional performances and compelling characters. These characters have produced some memorable lines and quotes throughout the first season. They have perfectly encapsulated specific moments, whether it's an opinion, fact, or statement of the utmost importance to the story.
Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon's first season.
Emma D'Arcy didn't officially join the cast of House of the Dragon until after the time jump, but they did provide the voice-over to kick off the show. While King Jaehaerys was being shown announcing Viserys as his successor instead of Rhaenys, Rhaenyra's words presented some ominous foreshadowing.
The Dance of the Dragons is a Targaryen civil war that House of the Dragon is ultimately building towards. Jaehaerys' words, spoken by Rhaenyra, started the show with the implication of a family set to implode at any given moment.
When Rhaenys Targaryen was disrespected in the very first episode of House of the Dragon, Otto Hightower suggested to King Viserys that he could have Baratheon's tongue for calling his cousin "The Queen Who Never Was." Viserys' dismissive response appeared to be fleeting and unimportant but would resurface in a later episode.
After multiple time jumps, a frail and sick Viserys would be seeking the tongues of anyone who would question the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's children. This then bled into the topic of who was the rightful heir to Driftmark, coming full circle to once again link tongues with not changing the succession. However, this time saw Viserys take the concept seriously.
While he didn't have much to contribute before House of the Dragon's major time skip, Larys established himself as an irredeemable character in "The Princess and the Queen" when he showed his dangerous loyalty to Alicent Hightower. Larys even killed his own father and brother when Alicent simply stated that she wanted her father reinstated as Hand of the King.
In addition to the shock at Larys' despicable actions, these words were symbolic of House Targaryen's love falling apart, which ultimately started the Dance of the Dragons. In killing his own family members, Larys showed his loyalty to Alicent, even if his true intentions were being kept close to the chest.
Corlys Velaryon has not shied away from showing off his ambition throughout House of the Dragon's first season. He has made several plays for power, with most being rebuffed by the likes of Otto Hightower and Viserys Targaryen.
In Episode 7, "Driftmark," Corlys discussed the future of House Velaryon with his wife Rhaenys, showing his resolve in sticking by his grandchildren, despite their illegitimacy. Corlys had previously struck a deal so that Rhaenyra and Laenor's children would bear the Velaryon name, which he saw as being more important than their true blood status.
"We Light the Way" was not just the final episode of House of the Dragon before the major time skip, but it also saw many of the first major steps toward the impending Dance of the Dragons. Alicent felt betrayed and alone, having been lied to by Rhaenyra, and she sought to make a statement. Alicent announced herself at Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding by arriving late wearing a green dress.
This green dress was symbolic of House Hightower, with Larys and Harwin Strong immediately noticing it as a call to arms for those loyal to her. This was where the war started to feel like an inevitability, as the brewing internal conflicts reached their boiling point.
"The Green Council" was an intense episode for everyone still at King's Landing. The death of Viserys and Alicent's interpretation of his final words sent the Small Council into a frenzy as they laid plans to place Aegon as the next ruler, instead of Rhaenyra.
Mysaria, once an ally of Daemon's, returned in "The Green Council," showcasing her established power and influence. She held the cards as the only one who knew Aegon's whereabouts and made an ambitious plea to Otto to put a stop to the child fighting rings in the city. Mysaria's words were stern as she warned Otto that the common people mattered more than he knew.
With House Velaryon commanding the sea, it comes as little surprise that most of their wisdom is rooted in their seafaring knowledge. In Episode 2, Corlys warned the Small Council that actions needed to be taken against the Triarchy and their uprisings in the Stepstones.
Corlys was largely ignored but reaffirmed the necessity of his request, implying that the situation could not be allowed to fester any further. Laenor Velaryon later made another similar reference to the storm, stating "the wise sailor flees the storm as it gathers." It was a fascinating follow-up quote to support his father while sticking to the nautical theme his family was renowned for.
"The Green Council" provided many intense moments following the death of Viserys Targaryen. However, the MVP of the episode was the late king's cousin, Rhaenys Targaryen. Rhaenys was held as a prisoner at King's Landing while the necessary arrangements were made to make Aegon the new king.
Alicent tried to sway Rhaenys to her side, but Rhaenys came back with cold barbs, as she always has done. Rhaenys has never shied away from telling it how it is, which is what she did in this scene. She called out Alicent for being trapped in a predicament of her own making.
"Driftmark" continued the escalation of the family's bickering in House of the Dragon with the aftermath of Aemond Targaryen claiming the mighty dragon Vhagar. Aemond was then confronted by Daemon and Rhaenyra's children. Lucerys Velaryon even slashed and took out one of Aemond's eyes.
Chaos ensued when the families got word of what had happened. Alicent demanded that Lucerys also lost an eye and tried to take it herself. While Alicent regretted her aggressive behavior, Otto enjoyed it. Otto often tried to use his daughter as a chess piece to further his own ambitions, but this showed her fire and worth to him.
House of the Dragon gave fans more of a look at man and dragon's coexistence than they had seen in Game of Thrones. There were several dragons left going into the Dance of the Dragons, but the illusion that they were controlled by their dragonriders was completely removed in Episode 10.
Aemond Targaryen pursued Lucerys Velaryon on dragon-back with the childish intentions of scaring him, but Vhagar and Arrax acted on their own. Luke's young and inexperienced dragon goaded the gigantic Vhagar into retaliating, which she duly did. Aemond accidentally started the Dance of the Dragons while reaffirming what his late father had said at the start of House of the Dragon.
Tom Steel is a writer and list contributor for CBR on all things anime. He is passionate about Pokemon most of all but also all things TV, film, gaming and sports. A University graduate with a degree in German Studies, Tom almost took the path of journalism instead, and is now excited to pursue it in a different capacity. Keep an eye out for his lists and deep-dives into the Pokemon anime and games, along with so much more. Follow him on Twitter at @Steelio307
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