'House of the Dragon': How Rhaenyra Targaryen Connects to Jon Snow

House of the Dragon may be a prequel to Game of Thrones, but that doesn't mean it's devoid of all references to the original HBO hit.

The new HBO show is set 200 years before its predecessor and yet it makes reference to one character of importance: Jon Snow.

Portrayed by Kit Harington in Game of Thrones, the character was unintentionally referenced multiple times by King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) in conversations with his daughter and heir, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy).

'House of the Dragon': How Rhaenyra Targaryen Connects to Jon Snow

King Viserys I first inadvertently mentions Jon Snow when he shows his daughter his blade, which has the Song of Ice and Fire inscribed onto it and which details Aegon the Conqueror's dream.

Aegon was the first Targaryen in Westeros and he had a prophetic dream of an evil coming from the North that would bring an endless winter, which can only be defeated so long as a Targaryen sits upon the Iron Throne and unites the realm against it. This evil is, of course, the White Walkers.

Not only that, but Aegon's dream also prophesized that it was necessary for a Targaryen to be on the throne to ensure the Prince That Was Promised will come.

In the show's most recent episode, Rhaenyra asks her father again about the prophecy and wonders if it is true that she be his heir so that she can help bring the Prince That Was Promised.

Now frail and old, King Viserys I does not answer Rhaenyra's question straight away but brings it up later in the episode when he believes he is speaking to his daughter, but in actual fact is speaking to his wife, Alicent Hightower.

Through their conversation, Alicent believes that Viserys is referring to their son Aegon and that he is the fabled Prince That Was Promised and that Viserys, upon his dying breath, is telling her to stop Rhaenyra from taking the throne by making her son take it instead.

Putting aside this misinterpretation, fans of George R.R. Martin's books will know that The Prince That Was Promised is said to be the reincarnation of the hero Azor Ahai, though in High Valyrian —the language Targaryens use— the term "The Prince Who Was Promised" is actually gender neutral.

There are several candidates in Martin's books who could be the fabled prince, one of whom is Jon Snow. The other is Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). In the show both Daenerys and Jon fulfil the prophecy, though Melisandre believes that Jon is The Prince That Was Promised after he is resurrected in Season 6. In the books it has yet to be revealed who The Prince Who Was Promised is.

Rhaenyra Targaryen is a direct relation to Daenerys. Clarke's character is related to Rhaenyra through her and Daemon Targaryen's (Matt Smith) second son, Viserys II.

Jon is also related to Rhaenyra and Daemon through this family line, as it is explained in the Game of Thrones TV series that Jon is not the bastard son of Ned Stark (Sean Bean) but is the child of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.

Upon his sister's death, Ned took her son and named him Jon Snow to protect him from being killed, but in actuality his name is Aegon Targaryen. Rhaegar was Daenerys' eldest brother who was killed during Robert Baratheon's rebellion against Aerys II, the "Mad King," and this means he is also related to Rhaenyra and Daemon.

It does not seem to be a coincidence that House of the Dragon keeps making reference to Game of Thrones, and it seems that the show may be suggesting that Jon Snow is the prophesized prince.

Given the character is getting his own spin-off show, perhaps this is the case, though Martin will no doubt enlighten fans of who The Prince That Was Promised is once he finishes writing the Song of Ice and Fire books.

House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.