House of the Dragon Family Tree: Season 3 Connections

TL;DR — The House of the Dragon family tree is a web of dragonlords bound by blood, marriage, and grudges, and Season 3 leans into every broken branch.

The House of the Dragon family tree centers on House Targaryen, with the Velaryons and Hightowers threading through almost every major marriage and succession crisis. The two rival branches in HBO's prequel — Team Green and Team Black — are not strangers; they are siblings, in-laws, and cousins twice over, which is precisely why the Dance of the Dragons burns so hot. If Season 2 was about picking sides, Season 3 is about paying for the picks.

Why the House of the Dragon family tree is so tangled in Season 3

The Targaryens spent roughly 300 years marrying brother to sister to keep bloodlines "pure," but by the late reign of Viserys I they were forced to look outward. The Velaryons, an old Valyrian seafaring family, and the Hightowers, the wealthy Westerosi house that runs Oldtown, became the two most useful matchups. Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake, married into the family twice; Otto Hightower served as Hand of the King. Every major player on the Season 3 chessboard shares at least one grandparent with someone on the other side.

The Targaryen branch: Viserys, Daemon, and their heirs

King Viserys I (Paddy Considine's role in Seasons 1 and 2) tried to keep the peace by naming his daughter Rhaenyra as heir — a decision the Hightowers never accepted. His younger brother Daemon (Matt Smith) married Rhaenyra after his first wife Rhea Royce died, and together they have sons Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey — the "Strong boys," whose paternity is the dynasty's loudest open secret. Across the aisle sit Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carley), Aemond, and Helaena, the children of Viserys and Alicent Hightower. By blood they are half-siblings; by court, mortal enemies.

How the Velaryons connect Targaryens and Driftmark

Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) is the richest man in Westeros and the father-in-law of both Rhaenyra (through Laena) and Daemon (also through Laena, his first wife). His surviving son Alyn of Hull — a bastard legitimized in the books — becomes central to the war's naval campaigns, and his grandson Addam pilots the dragon Seasmoke in Season 2. House Velaryon is effectively the Westerosi navy, and Season 3 leans on that monopoly heavily.

The Hightower faction: Alicent, Otto, and Oldtown's reach

Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) was Queen consort to Viserys and the architect of Team Green. Her father Otto was fired and rehired as Hand, executed in the books for treason; her brother Gwayne commands Hightower troops in the capital. The Hightowers bring continental money, the Faith of the Seven, and the largest standing army in the Reach to the Greens' cause. In the family tree they sit on the throne by marriage — and that marriage is what Team Black says disqualifies Aegon II from the line of succession.

Who is on which side: Team Black vs. Team Green at a glance

Team Black (Rhaenyra): Daemon, Jacaerys, Lucerys, Joffrey, Cregan Stark, the Velaryon fleet, and most northern houses.
Team Green (Aegon II): Aemond (Vhagar's rider), Helaena, Criston Cole, the Hightower host, and the Lannisters.
The contested middle: House Baratheon, the Arryns of the Vale, and Lord Borros Baratheon, whose Stormlands host could tip the war in Season 3.

What changes in Season 3 for the House of the Dragon family tree

HBO has confirmed that Season 3 adapts the fall of King's Landing, the battle of the Honeywine, and the early campaigns of Cregan Stark in the North. Expect bastard legitimizations, a Hightower marriage alliance aimed at the Stormlands, and at least one dragonrider death that reshuffles who can claim a mount. By the end of the season the family tree will be visibly shorter — and far more brutal.

Why this family tree still matters when the show ends

Even after the Dance ends, every Targaryen king from Aegon III through Daenerys is a direct descendant of the survivors. Skip the genealogy in Season 3 and the cleanest reading of the original Game of Thrones becomes impossible. The current showrunners have signaled that the broader HBO universe will explore later Targaryen eras, so the lines you trace this season are the lines Daenerys will eventually claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is in the House of the Dragon family tree for Season 3?

Season 3 centers on the surviving Targaryens — Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their sons Jacaerys, Joffrey, and the late Lucerys — plus Aegon II, Aemond, and Helaena. The Velaryons (Corlys, Alyn, Addam) and Hightowers (Alicent, Otto's legacy, Gwayne) thread through every major marriage. Bastard claimants and northern allies like Cregan Stark also join the tree as the Dance widens.

How are the Velaryons related to the Targaryens?

The Velaryons are an old Valyrian family, so they share Valyrian blood with the Targaryens. Corlys Velaryon married twice into the family: first to Rhaenys Targaryen, and his daughter Laena married Daemon Targaryen, while another daughter Laenor was wed to Rhaenyra. By Season 3 the Velaryons are the naval backbone of Team Black and supply two dragonriders through Alyn and Addam of Hull.

Why are the Hightowers important in House of the Dragon?

The Hightowers run Oldtown, the seat of the Faith of the Seven and the Citadel. Otto Hightower was Hand of the King twice, and his daughter Alicent became Queen to Viserys I. Their wealth, their army from the Reach, and their claim that Aegon II is the rightful king make them the political engine behind Team Green in Season 3.

Are Rhaenyra and Alicent related in House of the Dragon?

Not by blood — Rhaenyra is Viserys I's daughter, and Alicent Hightower was Viserys's second wife and childhood friend. But Alicent's children Aegon II, Aemond, and Helaena are Rhaenyra's half-siblings. That is exactly what makes the succession fight a civil war inside one household rather than a contest between rival dynasties.

Which dragons does each family claim in Season 3?

Team Black rides Syrax, Caraxes, Vermax, Arrax, Moondancer-adjacent riders, and the newly bonded Seasmoke through Addam of Hull. Team Green controls Vhagar (Aemond), Sunfyre (Aegon II), Dreamfyre (Helaena), and Tessarion via Prince Daeron the Daring. Dragon numbers, not birth order, are how the family tree actually wins or loses the war.

References

https://www.hbo.com/house-of-the-dragon
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/House_Targaryen
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-hbo-1235874123/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Dragon_(TV_series)

Nexus Stream

House of the Dragon Season 3 Family Tree: How the Targaryens, Velaryons, and Hightowers Connect