Team Black's 5 Biggest Mistakes in HotD Season 1, Ranked By How Dumb They Are
Number 1 is inexplicable.
Team Black made plenty of mistakes throughout the first season of House of the Dragon. And they played a major role in creating the situation that would eventually lead to the Targaryen Civil War.
These are their 5 biggest mistakes in rank order:
5. Allowing Aemond to claim Vhagar
Vhagar was more than just a huge dragon; she was a status symbol. Ridden by Visenya alongside Aegon the Conqueror, Vhagar became a visible sign of royal power. She should have been claimed by Team Black the minute Laena died. Instead, Aemond bonded with her – just not strong enough to prevent Luke's death and start the war.
4. No PR
Both Rhaenyra, as heir to the throne, and Daemon, as commander of the Goldcloaks, were given positions that allowed them to be at the centre of the action in Westeros. Rhaenyra should have been on public display alongside Viserys, cementing her position as the rightful heir. Meanwhile, aside from a brief clampdown at the beginning of his reign, Daemon seemed largely anonymous in his role. Had he been seen as the champion of justice and protector of peace in King's Landing, the two would have made a formidable partnership.
3. Failure to hold Luke accountable for mutilating Aemond
The kids on both sides of the family followed their parents and bickered constantly. This should have been stopped early on. The failure to do so can be put down to poor parenting. But when Luke's actions severely injured his cousin, the quarrel became a matter for the kingdom. By not holding him accountable, the tension was ratcheted up.
And we all saw what happened when revenge and testosterone were combined. This was more than poor parenting. It was weak leadership.
2. Overreliance on dragon power
Viserys made it very clear to Rhaenyra that the idea of the Targaryens controlling dragons was an 'illusion.' But both she and Daemon seemed to think that just because they had fire-breathing beasts on their side, they would be respected. An attitude that was particularly naive considering that the other side would always have dragons on their side as well.
1. Not living in King's Landing
All of the above was exacerbated by not living in King's Landing. This allowed Otto and Alicent to exert their influence over the inner workings of the Small Council and form alliances. Team Black did not have this opportunity. Nor did they make any attempt to come to court and gain supporters. The reason for this is not really clear, since they had dragons and could have easily travelled to the capital on a regular basis.