House of the Dragon was a huge undertaking for HBO. Not only did it cost a decent amount to produce the CGI-heavy series, the series had to win back the crowd after Game of Thrones' controversial ending. Many fans found the ending of Game of Thrones to be lackluster, nonsensical, and lacking in explanations of the mysteries in the world. Magic increasingly took a backseat throughout the show, and by the end, viewers were unsure what the White Walkers and the Night King even wanted. There was a vague explanation given about wanting to kill the Three-Eyed Raven, ostensibly to erase a living repository of the world's memory, but little else was revealed about the more mystical aspects of the series.
George R.R. Martin has previously stated that he had 'concerns' with the Game of Thrones production, revealing that he had little-to-no involvement with the later seasons of the show. Martin has also made off-hand references to his concerns that the show cut too many characters and storylines, which affected the overall endgame to a great degree. Now that he has more creative control over at House of the Dragon, it seems that the show is more willing to dive into the magical aspects of the world of Westeros.
While its main focus is the political intrigue surrounding the Iron Throne, House of the Dragon has introduced a concept that has thus far only been present within the novels, and which was essentially ignored in Game of Thrones. Fans may recall that the Valyrian dagger Arya uses to kill the Night King is an important Targaryen artifact in House of the Dragon. King Viserys reveals that, when heated in fire, the dagger contains a message from Aegon the Conqueror himself, which reads: “from my blood come the prince that was promised, and his will be the song of ice and fire."
Who is the Prince That Was Promised?
The Prince That Was Promised, to put it in simple terms, is the Chosen One. Mentioned very briefly in Game of Thrones, the Prince (or Princess; the term is High Valyrian, which is not a gendered language) is a prophesied savior who will lead the world away from the darkness of the Long Night. The Prince That Was Promised appears to be synonymous with several mythological heroes in the history of the setting: the First Men of the North have a tale of the Last Hero, who went on a journey to meet with the Children of the Forest in order to defeat the White Walkers. The Red Priests of R'hllor have the story of Azor Ahai, who forged a legendary sword called Lightbringer by sacrificing his beloved wife. In the third novel of the series, Melisandre of Asshai states, "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt."
The Targaryens in House of the Dragon are apparently convinced that this legendary hero must come from their lineage. Indeed, in the books, a woods witch prophecizes that the Prince will come from the line of the Mad King Aerys and his Queen, Rhaella. Though there has been no official confirmation, two strong candidates for the Prince or Princess emerge from this coupling: their daughter, Daenerys Targaryen, and their grandson, Jon Snow.
In the show's canon, neither of these characters appeared to end the threat from the North. It was none other than Arya Stark who killed the Night King and ended the threat of the undead. While Daenerys and Jon Snow can be said to have united the realm against the threat as best they could, it was Arya who struck the final blow, ironically with the very dagger that prophecized the need for a Targaryen to accomplish this.
What is the Song of Ice and Fire?
The Prince That Was Promised is said to have a song. The book series is actually named after this song; as a whole, the series is not titled Game of Thrones, but A Song of Ice and Fire. Curiously, it has come up sparingly within the novels. Daenerys Targaryen has a vision of her brother, Rhaegar, who thought his eldest son Aegon must be the Prince That Was Promised. The vision of Rhaegar stared directly at Daenerys and said, "He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire."
The song is mentioned in House of the Dragon as Rhaenyra reads the inscription on the Valyrian dagger aloud, but there is no elucidation about what the song actually is. There has been some speculation that the song is actually "Jenny's Song" - the song that Podrick sang in the final season of Game of Thrones, which many considered to be a highlight of the season. "Jenny's Song" is about a girl who becomes so enamored with the past that she's lost that she stays forever in the ruins of her beloved home, dancing forever even as her surroundings crumble to ruins. It is a sad song, which would fit with many of the themes of both the books and the show - it speaks to the burdens of power and the losses inflicted by it.
Another theory holds that the "Song of Ice and Fire" actually refers to a story. There are two alternate interpretations in this view: that the Song of Ice and Fire refers to the result of the union of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon Snow, or that the song refers to Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen together. Both interpretations lean into metaphor to make their case: House Stark is the very personification of Ice, House Targaryen of Fire. Jon Snow could therefore be said to be of both "Ice and Fire". But Jon Snow is also associated more closely with his Stark heritage, while Daenerys is pure Targaryen. A possible romance between the two could be the fabled "song".
Why Does House of the Dragon Bring This Up Now?
It's admittedly a curious thing for House of the Dragon to bring up the Prince That Was Promised and the Song of Ice and Fire now. Game of Thrones ended without the Targaryens being the ones to end the Long Night, but there is one stark possibility for its inclusion: the Jon Snow sequel. The plot of the sequel is being kept tightly under wraps, but is it possible that the sequel will finally address these aspects of the series?
HBO is keen on expanding the Game of Thrones brand with numerous spin-offs, sequels, and prequels. House of the Dragon is only the beginning. It makes sense that the Game of Thrones ending may be tweaked a bit if HBO wishes to move forward with the universe; many fans just found it flat-out unsatisfying. In order to justify creating more content in the world, the worldbuilding needs to be brought up to par with that of the books (the books feature various ancillary material that fleshes out the world, such as Fire & Blood and The World of Ice and Fire). The Prince That Was Promised is likely the linchpin of the entire universe - the centerpiece that the world has been building towards this entire time.
House of the Dragon will air its season finale this Sunday at 9 PM EST on HBO and HBO Max.