Game of Thrones vs. House of the Dragon (comparison): George R.R. Martin achieved what most authors dream of achieving in their entire lifetimes. He created a world so iconic that it spawned five novels (2 more on the way) and two massively successful television shows that kept the audience at the edge of their seats. Set in the cut-throat world of Westeros, where the Iron Throne symbolizes the greatest power and trust, which are scarce commodities, the Houses will do anything to reach the top. The line between good and evil often blurs, settling the characters into a morally grey swamp.
Game of Thrones put HBO on the map by attracting the channel’s highest-ever viewership. Capitalizing on the opportunity (much like the cunning Houses in Game of Thrones), HBO greenlit House of the Dragon to dive into the rich history of the mighty Targaryens. While the shows—Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon—have carved a distinct niche for themselves, certain threads bind the two together. Here’s a comprehensive analysis of the similarities and differences between the two iconic fantasy series.
Game of Thrones vs. House of the Dragon: The Similarities
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Theme
The overarching theme in both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon is the quest for power. Whether it’s a birthright to claim the Iron Throne or an ambition beyond the realms of reason, there’s always a power-play afoot with numerous players in the running. Game of Thrones witnesses warring houses that don’t stop even when the entire country is facing extinction, thanks to the White Walkers. At the same time, House of the Dragon dismisses all familial and best friend ties to make it a death match. The resonant aspiration for the crown is certainly mirrored in both shows.
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Character Traits
The characters from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon can be seen as peas in a pod. They sing the song of betrayal frequently enough to hear it coming, even when it’s miles away. Everything is fair in the battle for the throne, from backstabbing and incestuous relationships to murdering cousins and switching allegiances as often as changing clothes. The characters in the show do everything to serve only one motive, and that is, you guessed it, to sit on the coveted Iron Throne.
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Setting
Both shows indeed give us a glimpse into various fictional and alluring destinations like Dorne, Qarth, Dragonstone, Winterfell, and Highgarden, among others, but the undisputed fact remains that the two shows are centered around Westeros. This is primarily because the Iron Throne sits in King’s Landing in Westeros, where Aegon the Conqueror landed after consolidating the seven kingdoms.
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Incestuous Relationships and Romance
An underlying desire in the history of the narrative is to keep the bloodlines pure. When one house cannot trust another house for longer than a moment, it’s only understandable that people would want to keep marriages within their own house. This made incest a natural course of action for the characters in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon alike. If someone married outside their house, it was mostly to form an alliance or serve the ulterior motives of cinching the throne. The two shows also put considerable focus on romance and relationships. The Iron Throne may control everything in the land of Westeros, but it cannot possibly extinguish the passionate flames of love.
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Iron Throne is the protagonist.
Kings and Queens come and go in both shows, but the Iron Throne endures all changes in the winds and weather alike. From grave tragedies to desperate victories, it has witnessed it all with great interest. There would be no game without the throne, no mighty house without the driving ambition. It’s not just about the throne being a permanent fixture in both shows; it is also often the tipping point that shows how the characters are made and eventually broken. The crown burdens Tommen enough to die by suicide, and it drives Daenerys mad with rage, setting Westeros on fire and making Joffrey Baratheon the most hated man on the continent. Well, the last one had more to do with Joffrey as a person than the power of the throne, but you get the point.
Game of Thrones vs. House of the Dragon: The Differences
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Pace
Both shows maintain a steady storytelling pace to give the viewers an insight into the intricate world of dragons, power-hungry Houses, and evergreen rivalries. However, after closer inspection, we realize that Game of Thrones moves at a swifter pace, given the abundance of characters and their respective points of view. It does not dawdle over subtle nuances or attempt slow-burn tropes that take a moment to settle in. Game of Thrones adopts a faster storytelling speed to cover the expansive situation. On the other hand, House of the Dragon is all about one single House that rises to power despite all odds. It focuses on a small group of central characters and charts their growth from beginning to end. It gives the show more time and space to delve into the intricacies of their lives and the complexities of their individual characters.
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Variety of Characters
A crucial element that impacts the aforementioned pace of the show is the variety of characters in both shows. When plotting the development of the story in Game of Thrones vs House of the Dragon, we experience a wider range of characters and their journeys in Westeros. From Arya becoming one of the faceless men, Sansa enduring traumatic alliance-led marriages, and Jon Snow coming back to life to Cersei’s ceaseless attempts to claim the throne, Daenerys’s inspiring Westward journey and Theon’s ultimate redemption, Game of Thrones blossoms in variety rather than plummeting under the burden.
House of the Dragon, in comparison, focuses on select characters’ viewpoints since it follows one family’s trajectory. This can be one of the reasons why House of the Dragon did not fare as well as fans might have hoped. However, season 2 of House of the Dragon makes up for the lack of multiple POVs by introducing us to the ancestors of other famous houses.
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Inspiration / Source material
One of the foundational differences between the two shows is the source material from which they have been adapted. House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire And Blood, whereas Game of Thrones has been adapted from the entire A Song of Fire and Ice series, which details the events of Westeros. The show ended before GRRM could finish the book series. However, he is currently working on the last two books to cap the series with a much more satisfying ending, namely The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring.
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Popularity
While this may be a contested claim, we have to work with what we have at hand. If we only compare the first seasons of both shows, Game of Thrones season 1 is not far behind with a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, whereas House of the Dragon has an impressive 93% score. However, many fans believe Game of Thrones, when viewed on the whole, is better than House of the Dragon, given its variety of characters and faster pace. All we have to say to those fans is wait and watch because we have big hopes for House of the Dragon season 2. The recent trailer shows more houses entering the foray and pledging their allegiance to either Rhaenyra or Aemon. The dance of the dragons is afoot with plenty of excitement and drama.
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Heroes and Villains
When we are introduced to the characters in Game of Thrones, we see a certain trait shining above all else. In fact, in the very first episode, we see Jaime throw Bran out the window, Robert’s evident debauchery, and Ned Stark’s code of honor. These aspects make a clear distinction to the viewers between good-natured heroes and menacingly selfish villains from the get-go. It makes it easier for the viewers to support and despise characters based on their allegiances. However, what makes House of the Dragon stand out in this respect is its combination of equally wavering personalities. Nobody is a true saint, as they all dabble between self-righteousness and outright cruelty. This makes it harder for the audiences to box characters in one category. At the same time, it opens the doors for a more complex character arc away from the ordinary.
The comparison between Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon is endless. Diving deeper into the nuances of both shows will mean unraveling the complicated web of narratives woven by GRRM. Away from the humdrum of routine life, fans find solace in the faraway fantasy land where dragons are as real as the ambition and power that reign supreme.
