The Westeros capital, King’s Landing, differs from that depicted in the parent series Game of Thrones because HBO’s “House of the Dragon” is set in a very different era. On August 21, House of the Dragon made its HBO debut, showcasing King’s Landing in all its splendor as the city prepared to welcome King Viserys I Targaryen’s (Paddy Considine) future heir. When the dragon Syrax and its dragonrider, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock), were returning to King’s Landing, one of the opening sequences in “House of the Dragon” episode 1 showed a dragon’s eye perspective of the presumably lavish capital of Westeros.
The tragic conclusion of Queen Aemma’s (Sian Brooke) birth scene left Viserys I without a fresh heir and a wife, and “House of the Dragon“ episode 1 began establishing the key figures who would vie for the kingdom at the time of the King’s passing. Daemon (Matt Smith), Viserys’ brother and the heir to the Iron Throne, would probably challenge Rhaenyra for the throne given how episode 1 ended with Viserys ordering his brother to leave King’s Landing and proclaiming Rhaenyra as his heir. The King’s Landing “House of the Dragon” that spectators saw was very different from the one in Game of Thrones while Viserys grieved the loss of his wife and son and put his succession preparations into motion in order to prevent conflict after his death.
The main reason King’s Landing looks different in “House of the Dragon” than it does in Game of Thrones is that “House of the Dragon” is set in a different era. King’s Landing in “House of the Dragon” is significantly more sumptuous than in Game of Thrones, and there are differences in the throne room, the city’s layout, and even the clothes. King’s Landing from the original series appeared to be far wealthier than any other Westeros location featured in Game of Thrones season 1. However, it is nothing compared to the Westerosi capital of “House of the Dragon.” Viserys I, the sixth Targaryen to sit on the Iron Throne, assumed the throne following the calm 55-year rule of his grandfather Jaehaerys I. As depicted in the prologue, King’s Landing appears opulent and wealthy. Thus, the Targaryen dominion was at its height before to the Targaryen civil war, which will be the subject of “House of the Dragon.”
What Will Change in King’s Landing Between “House of the Dragon” and Game of Thrones
The less opulent King’s Landing from Game of Thrones will also be influenced by Westeros’ past. As “House of the Dragon” will demonstrate, after Viserys I dies, a civil war will break out within House Targaryen, with Rhaenyra opposing Viserys I’s son from his second marriage’s claim to the throne. While the civil war will significantly lessen the Targaryens’ influence because it will cause the dragons of Westeros to vanish. The Blackfyre Rebellions will continue to test the Targaryen reign after that war is over, making the period between the time period described in “House of the Dragon” and Aerys II’s rule in Game of Thrones particularly unstable. Game of Thrones’ King’s Landing, which is less opulent, has a shattered Dragonpit and a considerably smaller Iron Throne that doesn’t inspire as much fear as it did in “House of the Dragon,” illustrates this instability.
The Dragon’s House King’s Landing might appear different as well because the prequel’s filming locations are different from those used for Game of Thrones. While King’s Landing in Game of Thrones was first filmed in Malta and then in Dubrovnik, Croatia, exterior shots of King’s Landing were shot in Cáceres and Trujillo, Spain, for “House of the Dragon.” King’s Landing during the Targaryen Golden Age, which was a metropolis devoted to reminding who reigns and what the Targaryen name stands for, may be seen in a different light thanks to its immaculately maintained medieval town squares. A King’s Landing more akin to Game of Thrones’ may soon be seen by viewers, given how the events “House of the Dragon” is bound to reveal will reduce the Targaryen influence and possibly demolish King’s Landing.
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