House of the Dragon

Based on the books by George R.R. Martin, House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. At this time, the Targaryen dynasty rules over the Seven Kingdoms, but is on the brink of an inter-family feud that could tear their entire legacy down from the inside.

Devastated by the death of his wife and infant son, King Viserys sends shockwaves through the kingdom when he declares his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra, his heir.

However, the ailing king’s marriage to Alicent of House Hightower, encouraged by her father and Hand of the King Otto Hightower, results in a male heir – Aegon Targaryen - putting Rhaenyra’s claim on the Iron Throne into question.

Upon King Viserys’s death, a fight for the Iron Throne commences – resulting in a civil war marked in Westeros history as The Dance Of Dragons. All must choose a side: The Hightower Targaryens (Greens) and The Velaryon/Targaryens (Blacks).

Fighting over who has the rightful claim to the Iron Throne, soon the entire Seven Kingdoms are drawn into the fray, where there can be only one victor.

Marked in the Westeros history book known as Fire and Blood, we will see the house that dragons built – and learn how they tore it all down.

The first ever spin-off to Game Of Thrones, House of the Dragon first launched in 2022, and has been confirmed to be ending with its fourth season, currently set to air in 2028.

House of the Dragon's characters are split into two factions – the Blacks and the Greens.

The main stars of Team Black are:

• Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers, Wanderlust) as Rhaenyra Targaryen

• Matt Smith (Doctor Who, Morbius) as Prince Daemon Targaryen

• Steve Toussaint (Small Axe, It’s A Sin) as Lord Corlys Velaryon

• Eve Best (Lucky Man, Nurse Jackie) as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen

• Harry Collett (Dunkirk, Dolittle) as Prince Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon

• Bethany Antonia (Stay Close, Nolly) as Lady Baela Targaryen

• Sonoya Mizuno (Ex-Machina, Maniac, Devs) as Mysaria

• Abubakar Salim (Jamestown, Raised By Wolves) as Alyn of Hull

• Clinton Liberty (Red Election, Normal People, Smother) as Addam of Hull

• Gayle Rankin (The Greatest Showman, GLOW) as Alys Rivers

• Kieran Bew (Warrior, Liar, Rellick) as Hugh

• Tom Bennett (Phone Shop, After Life, A.P. Bio) as Ulf
  

The main cast of Team Green are:

• Tom Glynn-Carney (The Last Post, SAS: Rogue Heroes) as Aegon Targaryen

• Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One, Vanity Fair) as Alicent Hightower

• Ewan Mitchell (Saltburn, The Last Kingdom) as Prince Aemond Targaryen

• Phia Saban (The Last Kingdom) as Princess / Queen Helaena Targaryen

• Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, Nyad, Elementary) as Ser Otto Hightower

• Fabien Frankel (The Serpent, Last Christmas) as Ser Criston Cole

• Matthew Needham (Sanditon, Great Expectations) as Lord Larys Strong

• Jefferson Hall (Oppenheimer, Tenet) as twins Lord Jason and Ser Tyland Lannister

• James Norton (Happy Valley, Playing Nice) as Lord Ormund Hightower

• Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (The Legend of Zelda, Son of a Critch) as Daeron Targaryen

• Freddie Fox (Slow Horses, The Great) as Ser Gwayne Hightower

• Abigail Thorn (The Acolyte, Django) as Sharako Lohar
  

Earlier episodes, set a decade before the main events of the series, star:

• Paddy Considine (Peaky Blinders, Informer, Hot Fuzz) as King Viserys I Targaryen

• 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
  

Explore the House of the Dragon character guide.

To date, there have been 26 episodes of House of the Dragon – 10 in season one, and eight in seasons two and three.

Season four is currently slated to air in 2028, with its episode count unconfirmed.

Find out more about each season here:

• Season 1 Guide
• Season 2 Guide
• Season 3 Guide
• Season 4 Guide

If you want more of the world of Westeros, Game Of Thrones ran for 73 episodes over eight seasons, while the newest addition to the franchise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms launched in January 2026 and has six episodes, with a second season confirmed for 2027.

Find out more:

• Game of Thrones
• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

The official rating of House of the Dragon in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 18 for the overall series.

This means the show has been deemed suitable for adults only.

Reasons for this rating include:

• Graphic depictions of sex and sex acts – including instances of incest, scenes involving sex workers and orgies

• Graphic and prolonged scenes of full-frontal male and female nudity

• Frequent graphic blood and gore – including blood spray, graphic violent injury and creative kills

• Scenes of child murder some may find upsetting

• Frequent use of other weaponry – most prominently swords

• Scenes of peril and imminent threat - including from dragon warfare

• Violent depictions of childbirth including scenes of miscarriage some may find upsetting

• Profane language is used in every episode

• Scenes of disease, illness and injury that some may find upsetting

House of the Dragon has already been widely celebrated and critically acclaimed, earning widespread awards recognition.

For the first season alone, the show was nominated for 70 awards, winning 13 including a Primetime Emmy, and a Golden Globe for Best Drama Television series.

Season two won the series a further 9 awards, including another Primetime Emmy.

It currently stands at an impressive 8.3/10 rating on IMDb, as rated by 555,000 users (as of August 2026).

House of the Dragon can be watched on Sky Atlantic, HBO Max and NOW.

All eight seasons of Game of Thrones and the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms can be found on HBO Max, included as part of the Sky Ultimate TV bundle.

House of the Dragon can still be watched on Sky.

Sky Atlantic will continue to air upcoming seasons of much-loved HBO shows that have previously aired on Sky, such as House of the Dragon, The Last of Us and The White Lotus, alongside homegrown Sky Originals and exclusive Peacock Originals straight from the US.

Sky customers with Sky Ultimate TV and Sky Q customers with eligible packages also get HBO Max Basic with Ads included as standard. That gives you the full library of classic HBO series including Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Sex in the City, complete collections of beloved series like Friends, and brand new HBO Max Original titles like the Emmy Award-winning The Pitt. Sky+ customers can also find HBO Max Basic with Ads content through their home page.

Plus, you also get Netflix, Disney+ and all the content from Hayu – all under one easy to manage subscription.

Find out more about everything Sky has to offer

NOW Entertainment & HBO Max customers get HBO Max Basic with Ads included in their membership, bringing even more must-see series from HBO Max alongside Sky Originals and exclusive US shows. To check which NOW membership you have, simply visit ‘My account’ online or in your NOW app.