Game Of Thrones: House Of The Dragon - 10 Reasons To Be Excited

7. Betrayal (Because It's Still George RR Martin)

Over the course of a record setting run on HBO, Game of Thrones quickly became known for its sheer shock factor.

When “The Rains of Castamere” arrived on screens in 2013, Game of Thrones shattered minds and hearts with the iconic Red Wedding sequence. Fans watched open mouthed with abject horror as series mainstays Robb and Catelyn Stark were butchered along with their army in one of the most appalling twists in television history.

Oberyn Martell’s shocking death at the hands of the Mountain, Joffrey’s poisoning at his own wedding, and the betrayal and murder of Jon Snow by his own men at Castle Black also left the viewers utterly speechless. Those watching practically felt a sense of betrayal towards the writers; lulling them into a false sense of security, before ripping the metaphorical rug out from under them when all appeared to be going to plan.

Without spoilers, the Dance of Dragons features a litany of events just as shocking as those depicted in Game of Thrones, if not more so. Characters that seem integral to the story are chopped down without mercy or warning, and more than one horrendous demise by dragon occurs over the course of the civil war. The unbelievable amount of emotionally rich source material available to the show runners means that House of the Dragon has the potential to build upon yet to be matched shock factor of Game of Thrones.