An iconic element of the Game of Thrones universe, the coveted Iron Throne still has pride of place in the spin-off House of the Dragon. But this Iron Throne is different from the one seen in the original series.
First spin-off series in a long list of spin-offs from Game Of Thrones, House of the Dragon kicked off its broadcast with an inaugural episode full of twists and turns and a huge reveal. If Game of Thrones fans are delighted to find the universe created by George RR Martin on the small screen, they also have the surprise of discovering novelties and learning more about the mythology of the franchise.
Centered on the Targaryen dynasty, House of the Dragon is a prequel that chronicles the events that sparked a civil war called “The Dance of the Dragons”, which would lead to the loss of the dragons and the beginning of the fall of House Targaryen. The series is set just under 200 years before Game of Thrones, so there are bound to be notable differences.
An Iron Throne more faithful to the books
And one of the major differences between Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon is none other than the famous Iron Throne. In the spin-off, the throne contains many more swords than can be seen in the parent series. And there is a very specific reason for this, the showrunners wanted to be more faithful to the description of the Iron Throne made by George RR Martin in his literary series.
Obviously, it was impossible for the technical teams to build a throne a little less than 5 meters high but that did not prevent them from sticking a little more to the aesthetics thought out by the author. These modifications did not completely alter the Iron Throne, whose base remains the same as that in Game of Thrones if we are to believe the words of coshowrunner Ryan Condal for Vanity Fair :
“It’s as iconic as a lightsaber in Star Wars. What we wanted to do is honor that, but also tell the story of a more decadent time, and also show that 200 years have passed. If you look very closely, you’ll see that the original throne is there. It’s just an embellished version, which suggests that the story changes things at some point.”
HBO
All the kings who have succeeded have brought their touch to the Iron Throne so, during the 200 years which separate House of the Dragon from Game of Thrones, the famous Throne has seen all the colors until its destruction at the end from Game of Thrones.
Meanwhile, in House of the Dragon, the Targaryens are in the sky and their power must be reflected in the Iron Throne, which is as dangerous as it is frightening. King Viserys I cuts himself regularly on the very numerous swords.
However, it will be expected that the Iron Throne will still change depending on the years and over the seasons of House of the Dragon since other kings or queens will sit there.