Within the original series of Game of Thrones, numerous character names overlapped, and “House of the Dragon” contains a few characters with the same names, which will be strange for fans to acclimate to. The first new Game of Thrones series since the disputed season 8 finale, “House of the Dragon”, will be under a lot of pressure to make up for the franchise’s shortcomings in the eyes of viewers. The new HBO series will launch in 2022, following House Targaryen’s climactic civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons, in which the entire kingdom is divided over which Targaryen should ascend the iron throne.
Specific characters will not cross over because “House of the Dragon“ takes place over 170 years before Game of Thrones, but the families and namesakes of the latter show’s characters will. Multiple characters with the same name, such as Robb Stark being named after Robert Baratheon, Bran after important Brandon Starks, and Jon Snow after Jon Arryn, were already a difficult component of Game of Thrones to keep track of. While the namesakes of most of the core characters were kept out of the original series, House of the Dragon will feature many of them as prominent characters, making it more difficult to distinguish between the recognized Game of Thrones character and the “new” character.
One “House of the Dragon” character, in particular, based on his name, will be the hardest for Game of Thrones viewers to acclimate to Joffrey. Joffrey Baratheon, now regarded as one of television’s greatest villains, was a vicious, sadistic adolescent who rose to (unjustly) become King of Westeros during the first four seasons of Game of Thrones. When someone says Joffrey, the first thought that comes to mind is of a nasty, ruthless man, therefore the character of “House of the Dragon” will be harmed by this association.
Joffrey Velaryon, the third-born son of an important character and protagonist Rhaenyra Targaryen, is the protagonist of “House of the Dragon”. Joffrey will also be a child or teenager at the time of “House of the Dragon”, albeit he is known to be good and kind, unlike the wicked Joffrey from Game of Thrones. It will be tough for Game of Thrones fans to equate the name Joffrey with a sympathetic character.
Another major character in “House of the Dragon” will have the same problem, though not with the same severity. The Game of Thrones prequel series actually begins with the death of King Viserys I Targaryen, whose children Rhaenyra and Aegon II vied for his position as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Viserys of the “House of the Dragon”, unlike his descendant of the same name, isn’t considered a villain, unlike the new Joffrey. Viserys was introduced as a villain in the opening episode of Game of Thrones, and he became Daenerys’ main enemy for the first season. Because both series’ Viseryses are from the same bloodline, Game of Thrones viewers will find it difficult to see the prequel character in a positive light.
Aegon II Targaryen of the “House of the Dragon”, whose name will clash with sympathetic Game of Thrones figures like Jon Snow (born Aegon Targaryen) and Maester Aemon’s loving brother Aegon V “Egg” Targaryen, will suffer the same fate. Though the kind-hearted Maester Aemon’s devotion for his brother presents him as a good image, which will be significantly different from how “House of the Dragon’s” Aegon II is seen, the latter character was not seen in Game of Thrones. Aegon II will be Rhaenyra’s antagonist brother, attempting to usurp the throne from her after Viserys I had already decided she would be his heir, sparking a civil war between the two that will serve as the central battle in “House of the Dragon”.