The battle for the Iron Throne has begun in earnest in the latest episode of House of the Dragon on Disney+ Hotstar. Episode 9, the penultimate installment before the highly anticipated season finale, sees the plot of this gripping series become more compelling, with the bitter rivalries, deep-seated jealousies and quest for power at an all-time high. With tensions coming to a boil, the story takes some dark and shocking twists in the wake of King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) death, one of the major ones being Aegon II’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) ascension to King of Westeros. 

Speaking about Aegon II’s bid for King, showrunner Ryan Condal says, “I think that’s the big mystery of this episode, which is– who is Aegon, really? Who is this man we’re about to make king?”

Going further, Condal elaborates on the character’s relationship to the throne and King Viserys, “Aegon is an unlikely and unwilling king. He doesn’t think his father ever really loved him enough or respected him enough to think that he was worthy of the job and much like Daemon, Aegon just wanted to know that Viserys loved him and thought him worthy. He’ll never really get that because his father died before he could say anything.” 

Set 200 years before the events that captivated global audiences in Game of Thrones, the series is an independent series that takes us deep into the extraordinary world of Westeros and explores the Targaryen family – the all-powerful dragon riders who are the seemingly invincible rulers of the seven kingdoms. 

Featuring Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Milly Alcock, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, and Rhys Ifans, the show has been directed by Clare Kilner, Greg Yaitanes and Geeta Vasant Patel.