r/naath

Despite being quite a divisive character, I really love House of the Dragon's Rhaenyra Targaryen. I should make it clear that, though I've read the main series, I haven't read Fire and Blood. I'm sure she's very different and a much better character in the books. That said, I think she is an amazing character in the show. One who was perhaps slightly less compelling in the middle, but is overall a really interesting, complex character. There's a TLDR at the bottom since this is very long.

To start with we have Rhaenyra as a teen, and to be fair I think most people like her then. She's brave, intelligent, impulsive, well-meaning but often self-centred. A really fun character played well by Milly Alcock. It's really enjoyable watching her navigate what it is to be both a woman in the royal family and the heir to the throne - struggling to balance her own desires with the weight of the crown, as well as the ways in which her society limits women and those beneath her.

Then we have Rhaenyra just after the time skip. This is where I think she gets really interesting. Some people think Rhaenyra has changed too much, that she doesn't feel like the same character, which I do understand, but I personally think it makes sense her character would turn out like this. Her very first scene I think provides some good connective tissue. She shows strength despite just going through a pregnancy and being forced to walk through the Red Keep, calls the midwife a cunt, glares at Laenor when he asks if it was painful. That's all very similar to how teen Rhaenyra would act, so at least for me, I found the transition quite smooth. Then as we learn more about her strained marriage, political difficulties and the struggles of covering up the truth about her illegitimate children, it makes sense she would have mellowed out somewhat. She's tired after 10 years of it all. And yet, we still see signs of her old spark, like that initial scene.

"Driftmark" especially works well at creating connective tissue, as we see her reunite with Daemon and she discusses what she felt over those 10 years. We see she still has the same strength she always had when she acts calm while Alicent attacks her. We also see a new, darker side to her that we didn't see before when she and Daemon have a servant killed to fake Laenor's death. I think it makes sense Rhaenyra, after all she went through, would do this. As I will get to later, Rhaenyra's complex and often contradictory views on the smallfolk are one of her most compelling character traits.

Then we have another time skip. Rhaenyra hasn't changed too much, but the weight of being heir continues to lie heavy upon her. When the Driftmark succession is put into doubt, she goes to her father, questioning if she truly wants the crown. After around 20 years of struggling with the expectations and the realm's complex views on it, it makes sense she'd wonder if she'd truly want it. We then get to "The Black Queen". After Viserys supported her, just before his death, and due to her belief in the Song of Ice and Fire, it makes sense she'd initially want peace. Then Lucerys dies, and she glares at the camera, filled with wrath.

This is where things get complicated. To surmise, I think her character in Season 2 is overall less compelling, however, I think there were enough intriguing elements to keep her interesting overall and, because Season 3 seems to be really developing these elements, she is a more interesting character then if she hadn't been portrayed like that in Season 2.

"A Son for a Son" is a strong showing. Rhaenyra only says a single sentence, but it's clear she's filled with grief and wrath. However, over the next few episodes she starts to mellow out again and return to her desire for peace. Now, especially on a rewatch, I do find the little min-arc she has here convincing. Between Jaehaerys' death and Rhaenyra getting blamed for it, the Cargylle twins both dying, and Rhaenys convincing Rhaenyra to read Alicents letters, I think it makes sense Rhaenyra would become more reluctant to wage a war again. It's already had such a large cost and the war hasn't even started in earnest yet. It's also made clear that, while she wants peace, she still hasn't abandoned her desire for vengeance.

That all said, while it's convincing for me, it's not where I wanted her character to go. "The Black Queen" suggested she'd go down a darker route and on the warpath. This little min-arc meant she didn't. Overall, I do think this makes her a more interesting character, especially with how Season 3 is building off of it all, but in the short-term it was less interesting. Her character in retrospect is well-done here, but that doesn't change that on the first watch it does seem like a less interesting route. I also think it doesn't help that "The Black Queen" was the season finale, given the final moment with Rhaenyra more importance. If Season 2 had followed on immediately afterwards, I don't think it would be as initially disappointing a turn.

That all said, I do think there are interesting moments with Rhaenyra in Season 2, before "The Red Sowing". I haven't touched on it yet, but I adore Emma D'Arcy in the role. They are so magnetic, so even when Rhaenyra is at her least interesting, I'm still invested, mostly because of D'Arcy's acting. As for interesting moments, you have her slapping her advisor, which suggested some of her old fire returning. You also had her kissing Mysaria, which I know was divisive (and perhaps shouldn't have been placed after Mysaria explains the past abuse she suffered), but was an interesting change in their dynamic. There's also the meeting with Alicent which, though contrived and part of Rhaenyra's desire for peace, also felt in keeping with her more impulsive younger self, very similar to the scene with Daemon all the way back in episode 2 of the first season.

Then there's "The Red Sowing", where her character starts to really pick back up. She brings the dragonseeds to Dragonstone, speaking to them almost like a cult leader and then effectively sacrifices dozens of them, watching on with determination. This is the dark side I was looking for. This is where two really compelling parts of her character come to the forefront: she desires peace, but is becoming increasingly ruthless to achieve it (an interesting semi-contradiction) and she is becoming increasingly to see herself as an almost Messianic figure. Regarding the latter, you already had her using the prophecy to justify her rule and, all the way back in episode 2 of the first season, her goal to create a "new order". There's some good character development as well. In the very first episode of the show she said that the Targaryens weren't gods, they were just normally people with dragons, but it didn't take long for the exceptionalism to take hold. It also shows her really complex views on the smallfolk - helping them in the last episode (even though it was her blockade that was causing the starvation), yet sacrificing dozens in this one.

In "The Queen Who Ever Was", Rhaenyra still wants peace, but, realising the Red Sowing didn't work as a deterrent, is now willing to burn cities down, if necessary. We then get to the scene with Alicent. Now, I'm not a huge fan of this scene on Alicent's end, though I'm somewhat mixed on how Season 3 is handling it, but I love what it does for Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra saying "A son for a son" made me retroactively consider he entire character this season. She might, after the first few episodes of the season, have lost her desire for war, but she never lost her desire for revenge. She was horrified by Jaehaerys' death, to be sure, but it wasn't enough to sate her need for vengeance. While, yes, there are practical reasons to tell Alicent Aegon had to die, that line makes it clear it's personal.

Season 2, though initially a less interesting turn, established/further established multiple character traits and strands that, if Season 3 followed up upon, would make Rhaenyra a really complex, compelling character. Probably a better character than if she'd been consistently on the warpath from the start. She desires peace, but is becoming increasingly ruthless to achieve it. Despite this desire for peace, she also still desires vengeance. She's also becoming increasingly self-obsessed (and she always was at least a bit) and to start to see herself as almost Messianic. There's also her complex relationship with the smallfolk - in some ways progressive, in some ways just as classist as her peers, and in other ways purely pragmatic. Thankfully, Season 3 would continue all of these.

The first episode has Rhaenyra locked in her room, stropped from entering the battle. Before that, I think she did show a lot of her own spark, nearly giddy that she'll be able to take King's Landing. When she's in her room, it's interesting to see her struggle, though that line taken from Elizabeth I was a bit too on the nose. I thought this made sense as a story beat, fitting with how she struggled to gain respect, in part due to her gender.

Next episode I was somewhat disappointed. She's distraught over Jace dying and briefly gives up on taking the throne. Of course that makes sense, but I wanted to see the fire and darkness that I thought was previously suggested. I wanted her to be angry. That said, Daemon telling her about his vision being what convinced her to take King's Landing was interesting. I know the use of the prophecy is divisive and I partly agree with the complaints, but with Rhaenyra, I think it's interesting because it links so well with her becoming increasingly like a cult-leader. She then takes the city and it was cool seeing her take it side-by-side with Daemon. She's not a fighter, but she'll still risk her life for the crown. Then we get to Otto's execution. On one hand I do get why she'd be reluctant - she'd killed before, but never directly with her own hands. On the other hand, she's killed innocent people before, why is the man who caused all this pain for her so upsetting? She is distraught and sits on her throne.

"Rhaenrya Triumphant" thankfully fixed all my worries and managed to tie all of those interesting traits I mentioned earlier together into an amazing character, while still leading on naturally from the previous episode. She spent so long wanting the throne, but did have her moments questioning it, and here she learns that holding it is different to gaining it. She's mentally exhausted, seeing visions of her son. She still desires revenge, like with that wonderful line about how she'll never get complete vengeance and will have to make do with what she can get. We see her slowly getting more ruthless, like when she really considers attacking Tumbleton, despite the hostages (though she does reconsider, especially since those hostages are her supporters). We see her entitlement and self-obsession, like when she refused to legitimise Corlys' sons. We see her complex relationship with the smallfolk, wanting to help them but also treating the dragonseeds as beneath her. The scene where she feeds the rats to the nobles was great and I loved how Manderly called her out afterward for causing the blockade in the first place. D'Arcy was always great, but I also think this is by far their best performance. They capture every nuance of the character so well and are just so damn magnetic.

This episode made it clear to me that the writers were willing to have Rhaenyra be a flawed, multi-faceted character who is called out over her choices, they just wanted a longer, more complex route there. It also showed that somethings people thought were unintended flaws with the character (like how she seemed to entitled but the narrative didn't really focus on it much) were actually intended. I don't think this episode would have hit as hard were it not for the set up in Season 2.

The most recent episode continues all of this well. I like how she both supports the smallfolk and sends her men to brutalise them.

TLDR/Conclusion: I think Rhaenyra is a very complex, interesting character in the show. I personally felt the progression from her teen self and her adult self was smooth and made sense. I find her compelling throughout the show, though with a dip in Season 2. However, though less interesting at the time, Season 2 did a good job setting up and further establishing really interesting traits and strands with her character that Season 3 has done a wonderful job capitalising on so far.

People complain that adult Rhaenyra has none of young Rhaenyra’s sass or spark, but I actually don’t think the script supports that at all. She served roasted rat to make a point last episode! But older Rhaenyra’s shenanigans are largely received as cringey writing or incompetent character choices by the audience instead of high risk, high reward entertainment.

I absolutely LOVE Emma’s portrayal, and I still find myself laughing out loud at older Rhae’s audacity multiple times an episode. But Emma’s vibe is just different from Milly’s, and it seems like a large segment of the audience isn’t connecting to it.

Milly’s Rhae feels spunky. Her audacity is amusing. Her big swings are charming. Her features, voice, and delivery have a sharpness and specificity that is easy to be hooked by.

Emma’s Rhae is subtler, sadder. Their voice is deep and round. They do fantastic face-work, but the experience of the character as a whole is more obscure. I don’t feel like I know her Rhaenyra as well, so I have to think about the character’s choices longer to understand how I’m supposed to feel about them.

Combined with the clunky writing choices, shortened schedule/budget, writers strike- I can see why some people don’t connect with older Rhaenyra yet.

EDIT
I completely agree it’s reasonable for Rhaenyra’s vibe to change. It’s been decades and she’s experienced a lot of loss and life since then. Of course she’s different, and I think her changes are very realistic to the character they set up in season 1! I love Emma’s portrayal.

My comment was more meta - I don’t actually think the script characterization of her is that different from season 1. But the overall experience of her is very different. There’s various contributing factors, one of which is Emma’s general vibe.