Westeros was a much different place 200 years ago, and ever since HBO started dropping trailers for House of the Dragon, viewers have been trying to spot as many of those differences as they can. Everything from the Red Keep to the Iron Throne is getting a facelift in the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel. But perhaps the most noticeable change was made to the House Targaryen sigil, which currently appears with four legs instead of the usual two. Now, co-showrunner Ryan Condal is explaining why they made the switch.
Condal discussed the new sigil design with Entertainment Weekly during a House of the Dragon set visit last winter. Some fans may have been thrown off by the extra two legs on Targaryen flags. Regardless, Condal reminds us that the “updated” family crest has shown up in the Game of Thrones universe before.
“I will say every choice we made on this show, down to even smaller minutia than that [sigil], was made with a reason,” said Condal. “I would say stay tuned. But I also say that the sigil that you’re seeing in this show you did see in the original show, as well.”
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As EW points out, the four-legged design began appearing in Game of Thrones season 6. Viewers also saw this version of the sigil during flashback scenes featuring Jon Snow’s birth parents, Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. But Condal says there’s a reason the sigil keeps changing. However, viewers will have to tune in to House of the Dragon to find out what it is.
“The truth of the matter is you think you’ve seen the Targaryen sigil a lot in the original Game of Thrones, but actually it’s not in Game of Thrones that much,” added Condal. “You’ve seen it on books and Funko Pops and things like that. That was how far and high the Targaryen dynasty had fallen, that the sigil did not exist really anymore until Daenerys brought it back about. So we chose to go down a road that I think honored where Daenerys left us off versus where people think it all started. But I will say, stay tuned. Hopefully it will all make sense in due time.”
House of the Dragon will premiere on Sunday, August 21 on HBO.
Which version of the Targaryen sigil do you prefer? Let us know in the comment section below!
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