It has been more than a week since HBO’s House of the Dragons (HOTD) wrapped its first season. The series complied with its predecessor (Game of Thrones, GOT) in its story grandeur, fantastic worldbuilding, and amazing visual effects. As soon as the first season ended, speculations and waiting has begun for the next season. HOTD, however, took some major liberties from its source material – George R. R. Martin’s Fire And Blood. Here we list all of the major changes that the show made as opposed to that depicted/mentioned in the book.

HOTD S1xE1: The Heirs of the Dragon

• Princess Rhaenys Targaryen has black hair (from her Baratheon mother), not silvery-grey (as shown in HOTD).
• The members of House Velaryon are fair-skinned.
• King Jahaerys, the Old, never attended the Great Council of 101 AC.
• Lord Corlys Velaryon never served as the Master of Ships in the small council of King Viserys.
• Alicent Hightower is around nine years older than Rhaenyra Targaryen.
• Rhaenyra and Alicent were never very close (prior to Alicent and Viserys marriage) as shown in the show.
• Alicent’s brother Ser Gwayne Hightower is actually younger than her but in the show, he is shown to be older during the tourney.
• According to the book, the sigil of House Velaryon is a sea horse, but in the show, it is actually a horse with a tail.
• According to the book, the sigil of House Targaryen is a three-headed dragon with two legs. But in the show, it is shown to be a three-headed dragon with four legs (sometimes two-legged sigil is also visible).
• There was no tourney held for Prince Baelon’s birth in the books.
• Queen Aemma Arryn’s death is absent in the books, it is just merely mentioned.
• According to the book, Aegon I conquered the six kingdoms purely out of ambition and not because of a prophetic dream of white walkers. This idea for the show was suggested to the showrunners by the author George R. R. Martin himself.
• Rhaenyra never chooses Ser Criston Cole, rather he was selected as Rhaenyra’s personal white knight after he defeated Daemon twice.
• According to the book, Syrax was a court dragon and was not kept at Dragonpit like other dragons, rather Syrax was kept at one of the stables at Red Keep, heavily chained.

HOTD S1xE2: The Rogue Prince

• In the book, Laena Velaryon is older than Rhaenyra and younger than Alicent.
• Apart from the House Targryen and House Velaryon, House Celtigar was also of Valryrian descent (which survived Doom of Valyria).
• King Jaherys, the Old had earlier declared Princess Aerea as his heir until he had children of his own.
• Mysaria does become pregnant with Daemon’s child.

HOTD S1xE3: Second of his Name

• King Viserys hated hunting.
• Ser Vaemond Velaryon is the nephew of Ser Corlys in the book, instead of his brother (as shown in HOTD).
• Instead of Ser Otto (as in HOTD), it is Alicent who suggests the wedding of Aegon and Rhaenyra.

HOTD S1xE4: King of the Narrow Sea

• In the book, it is Samwell Blackwood (not Willem Blackwood) and Ser Amos Bracken (not Jerrel Bracken) who duel, and no one dies.
• Daemon, after killing the Crabfeeder, returns to a tourney and not to the Red Keep i.e. the tourney and Queen Aemma’s death happen after the Battle at Stepstones, not before.
• Alicent always defends the claim of her eldest son Aegon.

HOTD S1xE5: We Light The Way

• Daemon does not kill Lady Rhea, rather she dies after falling from a horse. During her death Daemon was at Stepstones.
• Joffrey Lonmouth is killed by Daemon at a tourney and not at the wedding feast of Rhaneyra and Laenor.
• Rhaenyra weds Ser Laenor to strengthen her claim.
• Daemon does not attend Rhaenyra’s wedding.
• Alicent wears the color green at her and King’s fifth marriage anniversary and not at the wedding.

HOTD S1xE6: The Princess and The Queen

• Baela and Rhaena Targaryens are of fair skin.
• Laena does not die from Dragonfire in the middle of delivery, but instead, she delivers a baby (which dies within an hour), and she herself dies three days after.
• It is never distinctly mentioned that Ser Larys was the one behind the burning of Harrenhal (the death of his father and brother).
• Ser Erryk Cargyll was the sworn shield of Rhaneyra and not Ser Harwin Strong.

HOTD S1xE7: Driftmark

• Prince Aemond loses his right eye instead of the left (as shown in HOTD).
• Ser Laenor really does die at the hands of Ser Qarl Correy because of a personal feud. He never faked his death, nor did Rhaenyra and Daemon help him.
• The children’s fight takes place only between Aemond, Jacaerys, and Lucerys. Damon’s daughters (Baela and Rhaena) are not present.
• Ser Corlys never declares Lucerys to be his successor to Driftmark before his death.

HOTD S1xE8: The Lord of the Tides

• Ser Vaemond Velaryon never comes to King’s Landing to discuss Driftmark’s inheritance, only his dead body is brought by Daemon, thereafter Viserys removes the tongues of his sons.
• The illness of King Viserys is drastically different – he does not lose an arm or half of his face, he only loses two fingers, until his peaceful death.

HOTD S1xE9: The Green Council

• Ser Erryck leaves to serve (as sworn shield) Rhaenyra long before the death of Viserys and was never present during Aegon’s coronation.
• Around seven to nine days passed between King Viserys’s death and Aegon’s coronation and Viserys’s corpse is not removed from his bedchambers until when it starts to smell and makes everybody suspicious.
• Lord Larys Strong of Harenhal is a member of the Green council as the Master of Whisperers, however, in the show, he is absent from the council.
• Ser Criston Cole too is the commander of the Kingsguard on the green council, but in the show, he is just the sworn shield of Queen Alicent.
• Ser Criston slits the throat of Ser Beesbury during the green council, in the show, however, his head is smashed on the table.
• Initially reluctant, Aegon accepts the crown after Ser Criston Cole convinces him that if Rhaenyra becomes the queen, she would kill him and all of his family.

HOTD S1xE10: The Black Queen

• Rhaenyra’s stillborn daughter Visenya had a tale and a hole where her heart was supposed to be.
• Late King Viserys’s stolen crown is brought to Rhaenyra by Ser Steffon Darklyn Does instead of Ser Erryck Cargyll.
• Instead of Rhaenyra, Lord Corlys Velaryon suggests attacking King’s Landing with dragons.
• Otto Hightower never visits Dragonstone to bring peace terms to Rhaneyra, it is brought by Maester Orwyle and two knights.
• Prince Aemond never tried to stop Vhagar from killing Prince Lucerys nor did he lament it, rather it was an intentional act of his.