Game of Thrones Season 7 Targaryen Family Tree

In Game of Thrones' season vii finale, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen finally consummated their slow-burning passion — fifty-fifty though the season vi finale's confirmation of the "R + L = J" equation surrounding Jon's parentage renders their honey an incestuous i between aunt and nephew.

The finale as well revealed that Jon Snow's real name is Aegon Targaryen — a twist that might have confused readers of the books Game of Thrones is based on, since that'south also the name of Jon'southward long-dead half-brother. Nosotros know this half-brother at least existed in the bear witness'due south universe, because Oberyn Martell famously fought the Mountain partly to avenge his expiry and the death of his sister. It's non clear, however, if he was still named Aegon.

Confused? That's understandable. To know why Lyanna Stark might have wanted to name her son Aegon with her dying jiff, you might demand a refresher course on the immense Targaryen dynasty — the family that ruled for 3 centuries over all of Westeros. And if you're having trouble remembering what role the original Aegon, Jon's namesake, played in this litany of names, y'all're in luck: An enterprising fan artist has drawn the entire House Targaryen family tree, and the results are as educational as they are gorgeous.

DeviantArtist user Maryon B.'s work is a gorgeous have on the complicated, once-mighty dynasty of the Targaryens that doubles as a handy reminder of just where Jon Snow fits into all of this (click hither for the full-size version):

Maryon is a 28-year-old French freelance artist and video game developer currently living in Helsinki. She'due south also a die-hard Game of Thrones fan, which might explain why she's illustrated the entire lineage of House Targaryen (home of i Daenerys, Mother of Dragons) from George R.R. Martin'southward A Song of Water ice and Fire series of novels — even though, as she says in her description of the projection on DeviantArt, "I DON'T EVEN LIKE Firm TARGARYEN WHY DID I DO THIS[?]"

"I actually started the Tree out of spite because all their descriptions (and fan representations) make them look the same — beautiful, silver-haired and purple eyes," she told Vox via electronic mail in 2016, after first drawing the tree, "and it frustrated me to see them every bit elf-clones."

Maryon'south frustration is understandable. The Targaryens are much more pretty blondes with big pets, and their convoluted dynasty has vast repercussions for the present and future of Westeros.

The name "Aegon" invokes the men who united all of Westeros — until Jon Snow'southward father inadvertently helped shatter the realm

Not shown in this pic: Rhaegar's other marriage to Lyanna Stark and the new Aegon (a.k.a. Jon Snowfall).

As Game of Thrones fans have heard time and again, the powerful Targaryen family unit unified the Seven Kingdoms. This is mainly cheers to the first Aegon Targaryen, known as Aegon the Conqueror. Several other Aegons followed — including the wise and kindly Aegon V, improve known to book fans as "Egg" from Martin's Douse and Egg prequel novellas.

Only though Egg stabilized the country and ruled over a harsh winter, the terminate of his reign wasn't exactly a career high point. And unfortunately for Westeros, Aegon V's grandson was the "Mad King," Aerys II, improve known as Daenerys'southward deceased male parent.

Aerys's son, Rhaegar Targaryen — Daenerys'due south blood brother, the crown prince and heir to the throne, whom we now besides know equally Jon Snow's father — fell in dearest with Lyanna Stark, Ned Stark's sister, even though he was already married to Elia Martell. A farther complication: Lyanna was already engaged to Robert Baratheon.

Game of Thrones season seven revealed crucial new context to this backstory: We now know that Rhaegar secretly had his matrimony to Elia annulled so he could marry Lyanna Stark sometime earlier his death and the birth of their son. But Robert believed (or wanted to believe) that Rhaegar had kidnapped and raped Lyanna — and the resulting conflict culminated in a horrific end to the peace between the families, every bit the Mad King burned Lyanna's begetter, Rickard Stark, alive while her blood brother Brandon watched. This led to an insurgence that came to exist known every bit Robert'southward Rebellion, in which the Baratheons joined House Stark to fight and ultimately overthrow the Targaryens.

It was during Robert's Rebellion that Robert defeated Rhaegar in battle. Later Rhaegar'south decease, Robert'due south fearsome henchman Gregor Clegane murdered Rhaegar's wife — or, as we now know, his former wife — Elia Martell, and Rhaegar'south two immature children, Aegon and Rhaenys. The season seven finale revealed that shortly thereafter, Lyanna told Ned Stark that her child, Rhaegar's last remaining son, was also named Aegon.

Will Jon Snow fulfill the reputation of the proper noun of Aegon the Conquistador and Aegon Five? Given all the violence and conflict that led to his nascency, we can only hope.

If you think this role of the Targaryen legacy is confusing, wait til you see the unabridged lineage

The full Targaryen family tree contains more 100 characters and spans 16 generations of entirely fictional history.

Here's a look at just ane character from this broad tapestry: the second Rhaenys Targaryen. Known in the annals of Westeros history as the "queen who never was," Rhaenys was a dragon rider whose merits to the throne was passed over in favor of her brother. She married Corlys Velaryon and died fighting a boxing on dragonback at the age of 52:

Rhaenys Targaryen

poly-m / DeviantArt

Rhaenys's great-grandmother was Alyssa Velaryon, who joined the Targaryen dynasty by marrying Aenys I, a politically wily man who took the throne amongst slap-up upheaval. They had half dozen children before Aenys was killed and Alyssa taken hostage by her husband's half-brother Maegor. (And from there, things get really complicated.)

"Dead Targs, dead Targs everywhere."

poly-m / DeviantArt

Further down the family unit tree, there'south House Blackfyre, an illegitimate house sanctioned by the lust-ridden Rex Aegon Targaryen Iv, who'south by and large considered the worst rex ever. His decision to legitimize all of the bastard children he fathered with his many mistresses — announced from his deathbed — prompted five generations of battles for the throne known as the Blackfyre Rebellions.

House Blackfyre

poly-k / DeviantArt

Maryon says she got into Martin's Vocal of Water ice and Fire novels and related writing during the long hiatus between seasons ii and iii of Game of Thrones. She started the Targaryen family tree project more or less on blow after drawing Baelor Breakspear and Maekar, characters who figure prominently in Tales of Dunk and Egg, Martin'south aforementioned collection of related novellas set in the Song of Ice and Burn universe. Naturally, the project spiraled:

[I]t got me interested in their ancestors, so I worked from there. At first I never thought I'd practise the whole bunch, but it's when I realized that I was already halfway through simply by making Maekar'south descendants that I gave in: "While I'chiliad at it, might as well do the rest…"

Maryon says the project turned out to be "a very challenging creative exercise, to keep on coming upwards with facial variety all while maintaining the same 'silver hair-majestic eyes' features and some genetic similarities."

"I had to find inspiration and written report some real people's faces and then I learned a lot since I started."

Above all, a look at the total family tree reveals how ofttimes and how strategically the Targaryens secured the time to come of their line by marrying into other powerful families like the Martells, the Baratheons, and the Velaryons, just as many figures in existent-world history take done. And when Maryon was finished, she says she'd actually go fonder of the Targaryens than she was when she began:

"[I]n the cease it made me capeesh Business firm Targaryen much more since now I share a personal story with each and every one of them, and I would suggest anyone who likes Game of Thrones to be curious about them because they take a lot of stories to tell."

Yous can meet these and many more excerpts from the Targaryen family tree, as well as other Game of Thrones portraits, on Maryon's DeviantArt page. She's stated that she hopes to somewhen produce a impress version of the full family tree, but in the meantime she's done a few more complicated Game of Thrones projects, including a set up of Major Arcana tarot cards.

taylorfece1936.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/7/17/15982450/house-targaryen-family-tree-fanart

Share this post