House of the Dragon is centered around the Targaryen family, so some of them naturally are directly related to one of Game of Thrones' main players, Daenerys Targaryen.
As the opening card of House of the Dragon Season 1 stated, the show takes place around 172 years before Daenerys' birth, so there are quite a few generations in between those seen in House of the Dragon and the Breaker of Chains herself.
Which House of the Dragon Characters Are Directly Related to Daenerys Targaryen?
Obviously, all of the Targaryen family in House of the Dragon are related to Daenerys Targaryen in some form or fashion, but here is every character in the HBO series who is related to her and how:
King Viserys I Targaryen - Seventh Great-Grandfather
King Viserys I Targaryen appeared in nearly every episode of House of the Dragon Season 1 and is a direct ancestor of Daenerys Targaryen through his daughter, Rhaenyra.
Although Viserys I only had one child with his first wife, Aemma Arryn, and four with his second wife, Alicent Hightower, his lineage eventually passed through Rhaenyra instead of any of his children with Alicent.
Rhaenyra Targaryen - Sixth Great Grandmother
It may seem like Daenerys' time came far after Rhaenyra's, but the two are closer than one might think. After all, six generations are not that far apart.
Like her father, Viserys, Rhaenyra was officially married twice, with both of them already featured in House of the Dragon.
In her first marriage with Laenor Velaryon, she had three children, and another three (including one stillbirth) with her uncle and second husband, Daemon Targaryen.
However, none of the three children Rhaenyra gave birth to with Laenor ever had any children of their own. Rhaenyra's line only continued through her two sons with Daemon, whose names were Aegon III Targaryen and Viserys II Targaryen, both of which have been featured as babies in House of the Dragon.
Daemon Targaryen - Sixth Great-Grandfather and Eighth Great-Uncle
Daemon Targaryen, who was the second husband of Rhaenyra Targaryen (his third wife) would be both the sixth great-grandfather and eighth great-uncle of Daenerys Targaryen.
Since Daemon was married to Rhaenyra and one of their children (Viserys II) was a direct ancestor of Daenerys, that would make him her sixth great-grandfather. However, since he was the brother of Viserys I, considering he is Daenerys' seventh great-grandfather, it would also make him Daenerys' eighth great-uncle.
Like many other characters, Daemon also had children with his second wife, Laena Velaryon, but neither of their two children (Baela and Rhaena Targaryen) ever gave birth to children.
Viserys II Targaryen - Fifth Great-Grandfather
Viserys II Targaryen is the second and youngest son of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen.
Aegon III Targaryen (the eldest son of Rhaenyra and Daemon) fathered four children, two of which ascended the Iron Throne and were crowned king, but neither of those two ever had any children, so the Iron Throne eventually passed to Viserys II since he was Aegon III's brother.
Viserys II only fathered two sons, but the eldest went on to become king after Viserys II, and also was a direct ancestor of Daenerys Targaryen.
Viserys has been briefly featured in the first two seasons of House of the Dragon, but he is still only an infant at that point in the timeline, so he has not yet made a major impact on the story.
However, since he is the son of Rhaenyra and Daemon and his son eventually became king, his line can be followed down to Daenerys. Therefore, Viserys II is Daenerys' fifth great-grandfather.
Aegon III Targaryen - Seventh Great-Uncle
Like Viserys II, Aegon III has only been briefly featured in House of the Dragon as he is only an infant at that point in the timeline.
However, Aegon III is the brother of Viserys II and the eldest son of Rhaenyra and Daemon, making him the seventh great-uncle of Daenerys Targaryen.
How Is Daenerys Related to the Rest of House of the Dragon's Major Characters?
Since Viserys I's lineage to Daenerys travels through Rhaenyra, Daenerys is not related to any of the children Viserys fathers with Alicent (Aegon II, Aemond, and Helaena Targaryen).
However, since they are technically half-siblings with Rhaenyra, one could argue that they are all very, very, very distantly related since they share the same blood through Viserys, but they are not closely enough related to mention as a true ancestor.
Rhaenyra's three children with Laenor Velaryon (Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey) are the same way in that, they technically share the same blood through Rhaenyra, but they are not closely enough related to warrant them being mentioned as ancestors.
Who Are Daenerys' Other Ancestors After House of the Dragon?
Since Viserys II is Daenerys' fifth great-grandfather, that would make his eldest son, Aegon IV Targaryen (who was also king at one point) her fourth great-grandfather, or her great-great-great-great-grandfather in other terms.
His only son and child, Daeron II (once again, who was also king after Aegon IV) would then be Daenerys' great-great-great-grandfather.
Daeron II had three sons (all of which served as king at one point), but his youngest, Maekar I, is the only one who is Daenerys' full ancestor.
So, Maekar I would be Daenerys' great-great-grandfather, and his fourth son, Aegon V Targaryen, would be Daenerys' great-grandfather.
It is also worth noting that Aemon Targaryen, who was a member of the Night's Watch in the Game of Thrones show, was Aegon V's brother (and Daenerys' great-great-uncle).
Aegon V's second son, technically known as Jaehaerys II, then became king, and, due to his lineage, was Daenerys' grandfather.
Jaehaerys II had a son named Aerys Targaryen (who fans will also remember from Game of Thrones), who was Daenerys' father. Aerys was also known as the Mad King.
Then, of course, Aerys had three children in total with one of them being a daughter who was named Daenerys.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max, and new episodes are released on HBO and on Max every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.
Read more about House of the Dragon:
House of the Dragon: How Many Seasons Will There Be In Total?
Did Aegon Die In House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4? His Fate Revealed
Does Daemon Die in Harrenhal? Alys Rivers’ Prophecy Explained
The Dragons of House of the Dragon: Visual Guide to Every Dragon and Their Rider (Photos)
