Are the Targaryens Inbred in House of the Dragon?

Inbreeding, or incest, was a common theme that got explored in Game of Thrones. While it was largely considered to be taboo by the time Cersei and Jaime Lannister rolled around, it seems to still be widely accepted during the events of House of the Dragon. So, are the Targaryens inbred in House of the Dragon? Here’s what you need to know.

Are the Targaryens Incestuous in House of the Dragon?

In short, yes, the Targaryens are inbred and incestuous for the most part in House of the Dragon. While it’s not explicitly mentioned in the show, we clearly see the signs for it all over the Targaryen dynasty.

For instance, Viserys was married to Aemma, his first cousin, while his father Jaeharys, was married to his sister Alysanne. In Game of Thrones, we learned that most of the Targaryens were products of hundreds of years of inbreeding, so it’s safe to assume that the characters we see onscreen were inbred.

It’s not till the third episode of House of the Dragon that we finally get a more explicit allusion to their practice of inbreeding, as Otto suggests to Viserys that he betroth Rhaenyra to his newborn son Aegon instead. It’s disturbing on multiple levels, as it’s not just the inbreeding that’s icky, but also the fact that Aegon has only just turned two.

With that line, however, the show makes it clear that incestuous affairs are still kinda widely accepted in Westeros, and we’re nowhere near the time period where it’s said to instill madness in the bloodline and become forbidden by law.

That’s all you need to know about whether the Targaryens are inbred in House of the Dragon. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more news and information on the show, including the existence of pugs in Westeros, and why Rhaenyra got to see the white hart.