A Subtle Way House of the Dragon is Trying to Retcon Game of Thrones

Indeed, the showrunners have opted to involve George R. R. Martin far more heavily than he was in later seasons of GoT as they seek to ensure the prequel is more aligned with literary canon than seasons 5-8 of the hit series that promised so much and disappointed so many.

And that subtle retcon begins in season 1, episode 1 with the revelation that the prophecy of the Prince Who Was Promised was known to Aegon the Conqueror. Ok, so the showrunners may have chosen not to make a huge issue of this fact or keep it as a key part of Dragon. Nonetheless, this completely reframes everything we thought we knew about Game of Thrones.

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Throughout the original series, everything pointed to the fact that the motivation behind the quest for the throne was no more than a lust for power. But Aegon’s understanding of the prophecy puts a whole new slant on the founding of the Seven Kingdoms.

Now we are privy to the fact that the prophecy was revealed to him, we are forced to conceive of the idea that his plan was not centred on his own personal pursuit of power, but on saving the world and protecting the fate of the human race.

Just think about that for a moment, a single scene in the first episode of the prequel may have just blown apart the central story of an entire 8-season series!

But what does this mean for the franchise?

First off, it means nothing is certain anymore. Straight away, the prequel has turned the history of Westeros upside down. Clearly, nothing is off the table – and with further prequel shows expected, the showrunners have set out their stall early to show they can do anything they like.

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Secondly, it indicates that there are more layers to the overarching story than we knew about. Upcoming relationships, betrayals, and deaths must now be viewed in a new light. How many generations did the prophecy pass on to? Does it die in the Dance of the Dragons? Was it revealed to later generations? All these questions are yet to be answered - but they will certainly make us think.

And if the prophecy did die, fade or become distorted, were future generations really still battling for supremacy to honour Argon’s true and noble intentions? Or, as we initially suspected, was it all about nothing more than personal glory?

We simply don’t know. But it’s going to be interesting to find out.

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And maybe, just maybe, this is the first hint that fans might get their way, and that Game of Thrones – or at least the final episode - may be rewritten at some point in the future.