After a painfully long wait, House of the Dragon is finally here! It has everything Game of Thrones fans could want and is packed full of interesting and morally ambiguous characters. But many fans are curious about one of its more obscure characters. They are asking “who is Baelon Targaryen?” and “what happened to Baelon Targaryen?”
Before we get into that, it’s important to explain the context of House of the Dragon within the wider Game of Thrones world.
House of the Dragon takes place almost 200 years before its predecessor. The new prequel series follows the heyday of the House Targaryen, back when they were the rulers of Westeros and sat on the Iron Throne at King’s Landing.
The House Targaryen is led by patriarch King Viserys I. The series begins with his ascension to the throne before skipping forward nine years into his reign. As the show explains, this is 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.
In House of the Dragon, Viserys is shown as being desperate for a male heir. He already has a daughter, Rhaenyra, but he hopes for a son to succeed him to the Iron Throne.
In the first episode, ‘The Heirs of the Dragon’, Viserys I’s wife, Queen Aemma, tragically dies in child birth. Their new son passed shortly after, too. This led to Verserys declaring Rhaenyra as his heir and Princess of Dragonstone (a seat that would one day be held by Daenerys Targaryen).
Viserys and Aemma’s son was named Baelon Targaryen. But he wasn’t the first to carry that name. So, who is Baelon Targaryen and what happened to him? Let’s take a look…
Baelon Targaryen – Who Is He and What Happened To Him
The world of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon has a rich history which can be difficult to fully understand. That’s mainly thanks to its complex family lineages.
In the Targaryen family tree, there were two people named Baelon Targaryen.
Who is Baelon Targaryen?
The first Baelon Targaryen was the son of King Jaehaerys I and father of King Viserys I. He became heir to the Iron Throne after his elder brother Aemon’s death but himself died after a stitch pain in his stomach progressed to fatal appendicitis.
Baelon’s death triggered a succession crisis which culminated with his son, Viserys, being named Jaehaerys’ heir over Aemon’s daughter, Rhaenys.
The second Baelon Targaryen was the child of King Viserys I and Queen Aemma. He was named after Viserys’ father.
As depicted in the first episode of House of the Dragon, the second Baelon Tarygaryen died soon after being born. This led to his elder sister Rhaenyra being named heir.
Tragically, both Baelon Targaryens would have become king had they not met their premature deaths. Alas, the world of Game of Thrones is cruel and unforgiving.
What did you think to House of the Dragon? Were you sad at the death of Baelon Targaryen? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
