Daemon Targaryen's Dark Sister, and Viserys I's Blackfyre are the ancestral Targaryen swords in Game of Thrones lore. Fashioned out of Valyrian steel, Blackfyre was in possession of the late King, Viserys I at the beginning of House of the Dragon, and it looked every bit as exquisite as it is described in the lore. While Viserys' younger brother, Daemon (Matt Smith in House of the Dragon) used Visenya Targaryen's slender blade, Dark Sister to slay his enemies, Blackfyre regalia acted as a symbol of authority and dignity for the king.
Game of Thrones lore says that Aegon the Conqueror used Blackfyre to kill the Lord of Volmark and the head of House Volmark, Qhorin during the invasion of the Iron Islands. Aegon flew on dragonback to Great Wyk during the Targaryen invasion and after slaying Qhorin, granted his infant son the inheritance of Volmark. Both Blackfyre and Daemon's Dark Sister feature in HBO's House of the Dragon, they disappeared later during the Blackfyre Rebellion. The lost swords were once multi-faceted symbols of power and glory for the Targaryens.
Aegon I Targaryen And His Blackfyre Sword
Aegon Targaryen carried Blackfyre during the Conquest, and afterward, he used it to slay Lord Toland's champion, unaware that it was actually the mad fool of Ghost Hill. This incident took place during the First Dornish War, as the Principality of Dorne was still out of the fold. Aegon and his sister-wives were able to conquer six of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Besides the wars of invasion, Aegon was swift with his Blackfyre and thought his guards were enough to protect him from the threats of sitting the most dangerous seat in the Seven Kingdoms. But in the wake of the Dornish assassination attempt on him and Visenya in King's Landing in 10 AC, the latter opined that Blackfyre and the guards were simply insufficient. To prove her point, Visenya sliced his cheek before his guards had the chance to react. Thus, Aegon allowed the formation of the first Kingsguard, and Visenya modeled the order of the Knights and chose the seven members herself.
Game of Thrones lore states that the worst of the Targaryen kings, Aegon IV aka Aegon the Unworthy bestowed Blackfyre upon his illegitimate son, Daemon Waters instead of his lawful son, Daeron. Aegon the Unworthy also legitimized all his unlawful children on his deathbed, and this move sparked the Blackfyre rebellions that plagued the Targaryens for decades. Daemon founded the cadet branch of House Targaryen, took its name from the sword - Blackfyre, and was known as Daemon I Blackfyre. Although Daeron II Targaryen succeeded his father, his half-brother, Daemon Blackfyre laid claim to the Iron Throne, thus leading to the First Blackfyre Rebellion. Daemon was killed in the Battle of Redgrass Field but the Blackfyre sword as well as Dark Sister were lost in this rebellion.
Aegon II Targaryen And Blackfyre In House Of The Dragon
The heirloom blade of House Targaryen, Blackfyre is carried by important figures, namely Viserys I and later his son, Aegon II in the House of the Dragon. The latter/ usurper drew the Targaryen blade at his coronation held at the Dragonpit in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 9 "The Green Council." The Septon anointed him, Ser Criston Cole placed the iron-and-ruby crown of Aegon the Conqueror on his head, and the crowd hailed him as Aegon the King. He drew the Targaryen regalia and hoisted it several times high in the air in response to the crowd cheering for him.
It is pertinent to mention that Aegon II's coronation serves as a real inflection point for his character. He finally embraces the previously unwanted position as the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. He has his moment after being formally invested with the Blackfyre sword and the iron crown. Although this scene from House of the Dragon's "The Green Council" looks every bit glorious, the fact is that Aegon II Targaryen is an incompetent, and thankless king who dies a disgraceful death in the lore. More importantly, he is simply undeserving and unworthy of the legendary Valyrian steel sword, Blackfyre, and the Conqueror's crown.
Bastard Swords In Game Of Thrones Lore
Blackfyre was a bastard sword, in that, it was somewhere between a broadsword and a greatsword in size. A bastard sword is also known as a hand-and-a-halfer, and one such prominent example in Game of Thrones lore is Jon Snow's Longclaw. Jeor Mormonts finds Jon worthy of his ancestral Valyrian steel sword and the latter uses it to slay countless enemies throughout the show. Jon's Longclaw has a long grip that allows two-handed use. Though bastard swords have slightly longer blades than longswords, they are light enough to be wielded by a single hand as well. This aspect of bastard swords also draws a sharp contrast with the greatswords that require two hands to use.
It remains to be seen how well HBO's House of the Dragon will write the legendary Blackfyre into the show's screenplay.