Get ready to delve into the life of the Targaryen family – an all-powerful dynasty that has ruled over Westeros for 100 years at the start of House of the Dragon.

Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon focuses on a game-changing moment in Targaryen history – one that ultimately prompts a civil war known as the Dance of Dragons.

With the Iron Throne strongly in their hold, to rule Westeros is to have absolute power. But with long-held traditions of only male heirs assuming the throne, things are about to be set in motion that could change the world as they know it forever – or cause it to completely collapse. Game On.

House of the Dragon season one is available to watch now.

Season two will air Sunday, June 17 – at the same time as it airs on HBO in the US – and new episodes will follow weekly.

Sky is the UK’s exclusive home of the entire House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones franchises, so it is not available on any other service such as Netflix.

You can watch the series on Sky Atlantic, on demand via Sky Go or by streaming on NOW.

All eight seasons of Game of Thrones, which is set approximately 200 years after the events of House of the Dragon, are also available to watch now.

Read more about Game of Thrones here.

The key stars and cast of season one are:

• Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers, Wanderlust) as adult Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One, Vanity Fair) as Alicent Hightower
• Paddy Considine (Peaky Blinders, Informer, Hot Fuzz) as King Viserys I Targaryen
• Matt Smith (Doctor Who, Morbius) as Prince Daemon Targaryen
• Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, Nyad, Elementary) as Ser Otto Hightower
• Steve Toussaint (Small Axe, It’s A Sin) as Lord Corlys Velaryon
• Eve Best (Lucky Man, Nurse Jackie) as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
• Fabien Frankel (The Serpent, Last Christmas) as Ser Criston Cole
• Graham McTavish (Preacher, The Witcher, Outlander) as Ser Harrold Westerling
• Matthew Needham (Sanditon, Great Expectations) as Lord Larys Strong
• Jefferson Hall (Oppenheimer, Tenet) as twins Lord Jason and Ser Tyland Lannister
• Harry Collett (Dunkirk, Dolittle) as Prince Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon
• Tom Glynn-Carney (The Last Post, SAS: Rogue Heroes) as Prince Aegon Targaryen
• Ewan Mitchell (Saltburn, The Last Kingdom) as Prince Aemond Targaryen
• Phia Saban (The Last Kingdom) as Princess / Queen Helaena Targaryen
• Bethany Antonia (Stay Close, Nolly) as Lady Baela Targaryen
• Newcomer Phoebe Campbell as Lady Rhaena Targaryen

As the series jumps through time, the initial episodes have the following stars playing younger versions of the leading roles:

• Milly Alcock (Upright, Reckoning) as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Emily Carey (Wonder Woman, Casualty) as Alicent Hightower
• Ty Tennant (War of the Worlds, Tolkien) as Prince Aegon Targaryen
• Leo Ashton (Red Rose, The Bay) as Prince Aemond Targaryen
• Eva Ossei-Gerning (The Snow Spider) as a Rhaena Targaryen
• Newcomer Evie Allen as Princess Helaena Targaryen
• Newcomer Leo Hart as Jacaerys Velaryon
• Newcomer Shani Smethurst as Baela Targaryen

Season one of House of the Dragon is composed of ten episodes. In the prologue, recounted by a future Rhaenyra, we’re told of the calling of a Great Council by King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, who needs to decide who should take the throne next. Opting to continue the male lineage, the Council votes Viserys Targaryen, the eldest grandson, over Princess Rhaenys, the eldest grandchild as successor.

Ten years into King Viserys’s reign, Queen Aemma is heavily pregnant with their second child. Their teenage daughter Rhaenyra tells best friend Alicent Hightower she hopes it’s a son so she can lead a simpler life, while Viserys’s antagonistic and violent brother Daemon hopes it’s not, believing he’ll be next in line.

Viserys is easily influenced by his small council, ignoring threats to Westeros’s shipping lanes from the Triarchy, an Essos-based army led by a man known as “The Crabfeeder”.

As Aemma goes into labour, a jousting tournament is held, with common-born soldier Ser Criston Cole emerging as a talent, even beating Daemon.

But as the celebrations occur, inside the castle Aemma is struggling, forcing Viserys to make a horrifying decision to save his potential heir. When both his wife and son, Baelon, die as a result, he is left vulnerable.

Hand of the King, Otto Hightower, seizes the opportunity to manipulate Viserys, pushing Alicent to befriend Viserys and offer comfort, and stirring conflict between King and Daemon.

Viserys cuts his hand on the throne as he casts Daemon out, and officially names Rhaenyra as his official heir.

In the months that pass, the Crabfeeder and the Triarchy have caused chaos in the Westeros area of the Stepstones, as Lord Corlys had warned.

Back in King’s Landing, Viserys and Rhaenyra both have decisions to make for the sake of their “duties” and the future of the realm.

Alicent and Viserys continue to get close, but hide their friendship from Rhaenyra.

As Viserys is pressured to take a new Queen, proposed matches make themselves known.

Meanwhile, Daemon has been using his time away to strengthen his own allegiances, stealing a dragon egg in order to antagonise his brother into action.

When Otto and a team head to Dragonstone to reclaim the egg, Rhaenyra shows her first hint at ability to rule by flying there on her dragon, Syrax.

When Viserys announces who he shall wed, his decision tests long-held allegiances.

Three years on, an increasingly sickly Viserys and his new wife, Alicent, have successfully sired a son, Aegon, with a second child on the way. Alicent and Rhaenyra’s friendship has disintegrated as a result of the new union, with Rhaenyra growing resentful of her two-year-old brother.

While Viserys asserts she is still to be his heir, pressure mounts on the 17-year-old to marry in order to preserve the Targaryen lineage and build alliances.

However, the Hightowers, now with a stronger foothold on power, make plans of their own.

Daemon, eager to prove himself as a leader, has spent the past years defending the Stepstones with the help of the Valaryon fleet.

When Viserys, after years of ignoring the issue, finally sends aid, Daemon makes a dramatic move in order to win the battle before his brother can.

Despite pleas from the King, Rhaenyra is still not wed after months touring King’s Landing in order to find a noble husband that could strengthen power.

At the same time, Daemon returns with a new moniker – King of the Narrow Sea – and surprisingly relinquishes his claim to the throne to pledge allegiance to his brother.

Later that evening, Daemon takes a young Rhaenyra out of the Red Keep into the town, but when his plans for her fall short, she’s left seeking solace with Ser Criston.

The next morning, Otto gets word back to Viserys about the night out to separate the brothers once more, prompting Alicent to confront Rhaenyra about his claims.

Tired of waiting and wanting to prevent gossip, Rhaenyra’s decision for a husband is made for her by Viserys.

Otto gives a dire warning to his daughter Alicent, about the safety of her sons should Rhaenyra become Queen, before departing King’s Landing.

With Rhaenyra’s marriage looming, the Princess and her husband-to-be come to a surprising secret agreement to suit them both.

At their engagement dinner, Alicent makes it clear she’s ready for war should it come to it.

Meanwhile, an ashamed Ser Criston is left with his own personal battle, when the pressure of a secret that could leave him disgraced to the kingdom threatens to come to light.

Daemon gets rid of his own loose end by murdering his wife, Rhea Royce, before announcing his intentions to claim her land.

A hasty decision leaves a desperate Ser Criston forging a new alliance.

Jumping forward almost a decade to the future, Rhaenyra is now mother to three sons - all of whom are suspected to not truly be the descendants of their father.

However, King Viserys ignores Queen Alicent’s doubts on his grandchildren’s legitimacy, as she prepares Aegon to one day claim the Iron Throne for himself.

Daemon has a new wife, Laena Valaryon, and two daughters, and together they head to Pentos to form an alliance as they prepare for battle against the Triarchy. But the pregnant

Laena makes a decision in childbirth that results in tragedy.

Rhaenyra makes efforts to subside family friction, as those faithful to Alicent make a bold move in order to help re-establish the Hightower’s hold on power at King’s Landing.

King Viserys and his court head to Driftmark, but the family reunion is a far from happy one.

While Rhaenyra and Daemon’s reunion is intimate, the bad blood between Visrerys and his brother remains unhealed.

There’s also a growing rift between Rhaenyra’s three children and Alicent’s three children over claiming dragons, resulting in Aemond Targaryen losing an eye.

Alicent is enraged by the accident, causing a new fight between her and Rhaenyra as Viserys continues to be a pacifist even in arguments among his family.

Knowing Rhaenyra’s children are not Laenor’s, Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys make new plans for the future of the family, as disaster seems to strike Laenor in battle.

The divide between the Hightowers and Targaryens widen, with Otto and Alicent staying strong against Daemon and Rhaenyra - who later privately marry.

Jumping forward a further six years, the Stepstones is still a location of war, with Lord Corlys wounded in the latest battle, prompting Ser Vaemond to make pleas to name him his brother’s heir.

Rhaenyra and Daemon are forced to return to the capital as rumours continue to circulate about the lineage of her children.

King Viserys is a shadow of his former self, leaving Queen Alicent and Otto Hightower practically in full control of royal matters and the Kingdom.

As her children become teenagers, Alicent is forced to deal with son Aegon’s ill behaviour.

Knowing her father is soon to die, Princess Rhaenyra begins to rally her allies as she prepares to fight for her claim to the throne.

Ser Vaemond’s brazen accusations turn bloody in court as the realm begins to divide between the two heirs, which later spills over to family dinner as Aemond incites a fight.

Muttered words on Viserys’s deathbed results in Alicent taking action.

The Hightowers use their influence to hide news from the realm, as they pull every sting they can in order to ensure Aegon is announced as King.

However, he and Alicent are forced to halt their scheme in order to locate the missing Prince and have him stake his claim.

Those resistant have to think face in order to save themselves and the Kingdom at large as a coronation is quickly organised.

Princess Rhaenys arrives at Dragonstone with news from King’s Landing, prompting Rhaenyra and Daemon into quick action.

A coronation occurs, effectively splitting the Targaryen family dynasty in two.

As the noble houses pledge their alliances, the battle of Blacks vs Greens begins to commence, with devastating consequences as long-standing rivals Lucerys and Aegon go head-to-head on dragonback.

Now knowing what she has to lose, Rhaenyra looks set to declare all out war against her brothers as the fight for the Iron Throne truly commences.

Blacks or Greens: Pick a side.