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With the greatest of Game of Thrones fans still reeling from the show's finale and looking for something to fill the void the show left behind, they may finally have a suitable replacement—a prequel to their beloved show.
This August, HBO will release House of the Dragon, which focuses specifically on the power struggle of one family and will be more of a slow-burn than its predecessor.
Most importantly, this show will be much more representative than Game of Thrones, especially for the LGBTQ+ community.
One of the primary characters on the show will be actor Emma D'Arcy, starring as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, who is an ancestor of fan-favorite Daenerys in Game of Thrones, portrayed by Emilia Clarke.
D'Arcy, who uses they/them pronouns, shared in an interview how they related to their character, Rhaenyra, on a personal level and how their own exploration of their gender fueled their understanding of their character's struggles.
D'Arcy reflected:
"She's someone who I think is at odds with her gender as a result of the position she finds herself in. I suppose I'm interested in all gender questions."
"Rhaenyra has an ongoing battle with what it means to be a woman and is a fundamental outsider. She's terrified of getting locked into motherhood and is aware of how her position would be different if she were male."
"I'm a nonbinary person. I've always found myself both pulled and repelled by masculine and feminine identity, and I think that plays out truthfully here."
D'Arcy's personal connection to the character was met with enthusiasm.
\u201cAllow #HouseOfTheDragon stars Emma D\u2019Arcy and Matt Smith to introduce the Targaryens!\nRead our full @HouseofDragon cover story: https://t.co/CxzTG8HMbG\u201d— Entertainment Weekly (@Entertainment Weekly) 1657729980
\u201c@EW @HouseofDragon HOTD IT'S ALREADY EPIC\ud83d\udd25\u201d— Entertainment Weekly (@Entertainment Weekly) 1657729980
\u201c@EW @HouseofDragon emma is the only one that matters, the only one that really gives off the targ vibes. I knew it \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\u201d— Entertainment Weekly (@Entertainment Weekly) 1657729980
\u201cI didn\u2019t know Emma D\u2019Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen in the GoT Prequel show) is a they/them. WIN FOR FANTASY GAYS.\u201d— Theta Chun | \uc804\uc218\uc815 (@Theta Chun | \uc804\uc218\uc815) 1658393536
\u201cBefore the show kicks off please remember that Emma D'Arcy is a non-binary actor who goes by they/them pronouns! I\u2019m beyond excited to have them as our newest Targaryen Queen \ud83e\udd7a #HouseOfTheDragon\u201d— titan (@titan) 1657985017
\u201c@stormovertitan Personally I think Emma will crush this role. Never seen anything they've made, but I got optimism. To Queen Rhaenyra!\u201d— titan (@titan) 1657985017
\u201c@stormovertitan Love the representation \u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udc09\u201d— titan (@titan) 1657985017
\u201cI might give that new dragon show a chance for one reason: Emma D\u2019Arcy.\u201d— Lucifer Evenstar (@Lucifer Evenstar) 1658413514
\u201c-What drives Rhaenyra?\n\u201cFire, I think Rhaenyra is fueled by that old Targaryen stuff and I think the journey she goes on in the series is when to let that fire burn and when to dampen it.\u201d - Emma D\u2019Arcy\nRHAENYRA HAVING THAT DRAGON BLOOD RUNNING HEAT IN HER VEINS\u201d— karenofhousetargaryen (@karenofhousetargaryen) 1658687317
You can watch the trailer for the upcoming show here:
The show will feature the King Viserys I portrayed by Paddy Considine, the King's brother Daemon portrayed by Matt Smith, the King's daughter Rhaenyra and Rhaenyra's best friend Alicent portrayed by Olivia Cooke.
Alicent will marry the King and become the Queen, which will cause an internal rift among the family, also leading Game of Thrones fans to ponder how the storyline will arch from this internal struggle to the show they previously committed years to.
The show is set to premiere on August 21 and can be viewed on HBO Max.