Breaking down 9 new photos from Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon

The Great Council of Harrenhal

EW's exclusive look at HBO's House of the Dragon, the first successor show to the Emmy-winning Game of Thrones, comes with nine new photos from the prequel series. So let's jump right in.

Set hundreds of years before the time of Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), House of the Dragon dramatizes the events of the Dance of the Dragons. The name was given to one of the most devastating civil wars Westeros has ever seen that divided the great Targaryen empire at its height. The early seeds of this conflict were planted decades earlier with the Great Council of Harrenhal, seen in this first photo.

As King Jaehaerys Targaryen (seen in the center by way of actor Michael Carter) neared the end of his life, there were too many claimants to the Iron Throne. So the peaceful ruler assembled a council to determine succession. To the right is Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), flanked by her husband, Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) of House Velaryon. She had the most direct blood claim to the throne, but because she was a woman, the Council named King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) the next Lord of the Seven Realms. (Viserys is seen on the left with his wife, Aemma Arryn.)

Eagle-eyed fans of author George R.R. Martin's books, especially Fire and Blood, will note King Jaehaerys wasn't actually present at the Great Council. There may be a reason for that. According to House of the Dragon co-showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal, "The book is the subjective account [of Targaryen history] because of the nature of how it was written, which is one maester drawing from three different sources that did or did not witness the events that they were writing about. Sort of like the way the Bible was put together." The show, Condal adds, will be "the objective account."

Note: Aemma seems to be pregnant at the time of the Great Council. We'll get to her child shortly.

BFFs

The events of the Dance of the Dragons unfold over the course of years, according to Martin's books. "Our solution was that, for a very complex story, it required a simple structure, which meant a more linear passage of time," Condal tells EW. That means even though Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke are the leads of House of the Dragon as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, respectively, the show will first see actors Milly Alcock (right) and Emily Carey (left) play them as teens before the adult stars take over.

In her youth, Rhaenyra, daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma, served as her father's cup-bearer and rode the dragon Syrax. Her best friend was Alicent, who grew up in the Red Keep as the daughter of the Hand of the King.

"These two women are at once credited and also blamed with this particular war," Condal says of the coming Dance of the Dragons. "Because the history is written by men, we were really interested in the dynamic forces that a certain medieval level of innate chauvinism puts on the two women."

Note: To show just how different the world of Westeros was at this time in history, there appears to be a weirwood tree in King's Landing. We first saw one in the godswood of Winterfell back in Game of Thrones.

A seat fit for a queen

The Iron Throne is quite different than the one we saw on Game of Thrones, though co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik, who directed some of the most beloved episodes of the original, says you can still see the first one's basic design if you look closely.

This new look for House of the Dragon is closer to how Martin once described it in the pages of his books as a symbol of conquest forged by the surrendered swords of Aegon the Conqueror's defeated foes. It's also a symbol of the age. This is a time of decadence and great wealth — before things come crumbling down.

A young Rhaenyra is shown standing before the seat of power. Her father Viserys chooses her to succeed him as Queen of Westeros when the time comes. But there are forces that come into play — even that Great Council of Harrenhal — to complicate the matter.

Father knows best

Cooke describes a young Alicent as being "hermetically sealed" in the castle with her father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), the Hand of the King. As an "anxious rule-follower," the actress says she maintains an unyielding love for her dad, though it's not necessarily always reciprocated.

"He's an astute, high-functioning political creature," Ifans says of Otto. "He knows the machinations of this court better than anyone. He's kind of his own CCTV system, in terms of knowledge of what's going on at any place with whom at any time. He's ruthless, but he struggles with some of the decisions he is forced to make as Hand of the King."

There's one thing that's top of mind for Otto at the start of the series...

The brother

Otto does not want to see Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), brother to King Viserys and another heir to the throne, rule Westeros. A skilled warrior, Daemon isn't the most benevolent of the Targaryens, though he's close with his niece, Rhaenyra. He's seen here in full jousting armor, which bears a nod to his dragon, Caraxes, one of the most fearsome creatures at the Targaryens' disposal. Images of dragons also adorn his breastplate and collar.

Tourneys! Lots of 'em!

This next photo sheds more light on a moment glimpsed in the House of the Dragon trailers: the handsome Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), a common-born swordsman of Dornish descent, battles Prince Daemon during a tourney event. Will his mace be able to overcome the Targaryen's Valyrian steel blade, Dark Sister?

Waking the dragons

This time period saw the most amount of dragons roaming the skies of Westeros, and the fire breathers have become part of Targaryen culture. Some royals have ornate saddles for their winged beasts, while the egg hatching is of particular note. As Martin describes in Fire and Blood, newborn Targaryens are commonly laid into their cribs next to dragon eggs to help the bonding process should the creatures hatch. Smith's Prince Daemon is seen here holding one such egg.

Rulers of the deep

There's probably a reason HBO is already in the early stages of making a Game of Thrones spin-off focused on Lord Corlys Velaryon, who will first be played by Steve Toussaint on House of the Dragon.

Corlys, nicknamed the Sea Snake after his famed ship, is the most well-known member of House Velaryon, the second wealthiest House in Westeros apart from the crown. The Targaryens rule the skies on dragonback and the Velaryons rule the seas with their fleet. "No one wants to f--- with him," Toussaint tells EW.

Despite his intimidating status, Corlys' heart lies with his wife, Best's Rhaenys Targaryen. She's dubbed "the Queen Who Never Was" due to the events of the Council of Harrenhal. "Sea Snake and his wife are the ones you most root for because they're actually about love," Toussaint says.

If you know, you know

There are many layers to the Dance of the Dragons we won't get into to preserve the surprise for anyone who hasn't read a certain passage in Martin's Fire and Blood. Condal also confirms the producers are taking a more linear approach to the story, so it's fair to presume we won't get into some of the more notable events until a bit later in the season. But for those in the know, here's an image of what appears to be the moment that has become known as "eye for an eye."

Even if you don't know what that means, we finally see D'Arcy (left) and Cooke (right) portray Rhaenyra and Alicent as adults. There's lots more drama in store when House of the Dragon premieres on HBO this Aug. 21. As we know, Targaryens with their incestuous heritage are messy individuals.

For more on House of the Dragon, check out EW's exclusive cover story.