Seasmoke Taking the Matter of His New Riders Into His Own Wings Was Incredible, Actually

Even though I greatly enjoy a good deal of things in House of the Dragon—that were both already found in canon and that were modified specifically for the show—I do maintain that the dragons are hands down the best part of it all, bar none.

Every scene that includes a dragon front and center—and not fighting and dying—is my favorite scene ever. And boy oh boy did “Smallfolk” deliver on this front.

Spoilers ahead for the events of the sixth episode of the second season of House of the Dragon, “Smallfolk.” Be warned.

One of the storylines from this episode focuses on the idea that Rhaenyra and Jace had about having other people that aren’t necessarily part of the Targaryen family tree—or family shrub, honestly, considering how circular it is—try and claim the riderless dragons that live between Dragonstone and Driftmark, what with Vhagar being a formidable weapon for the Greens and the Blacks having lost Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys.

The show had also already established that Seasmoke was restless, prompting Mysaria to say that maybe “he was lonely” after Laenor Velaryon’s supposed death-slash-departure for Essos—and so it’s Seasmoke the first dragon on which Rhaenyra tried her new plan. But of course, dragons don’t just accept any rider and poor Ser Steffon Darklyn of the Queensguard ends up roasted.

After that, Seasmoke clearly decides to take matters into his own hands—or paws, or wings—and go and look for his own new rider himself. Something that is an absolutely brilliant writing choice that shows off how dragons really do have different personalities and whims.

So who claims Seasmoke in House of the Dragon?

Seasmoke’s chosen new rider is, of course, Addam of Hull—while the show doesn’t exactly show him riding Seasmoke in episode six, it’s very heavily implied and pretty much confirmed by the trailer for episode seven. And he claims him by literally scaring the living daylights out of him, chasing him around, and probably making him believe that he’s about to end up as the entrée for a very hungry dragon.

Addam becomes Seasmoke’s second rider in the book canon as well, even though the way things are set up in the show does make some potential changes to the lore. In the book, the so-called dragonseeds could all trace their lineage back to the Targaryens—this is said to be mainly because of the custom of the first night, which the Lords of Dragonstone continued to uphold even though Jaehaerys I outlawed it pretty early into his reign. 

And that’s true for Addam and his brother Alyn as well, since in the book they are introduced by their mother as Leanor’s bastard children rather than Corlys’s—and Leanor has Targaryen ancestry through his mother Rhaenys, which Corlys technically lacks. But only technically. The Targaryens and the Velaryons had very close ties, especially in the first century of Targaryen rule and even before Aegon and his sisters conquered most of Westeros—so Corlys could very well have a Targaryen ancestor himself somewhere up in his family tree.

Otherwise, Addam becoming Seasmoke’s new rider would mean that it’s not so much Targaryen ancestry the one that matters but some form of wider Valyrian heritage—which includes but is not limited to the Targaryens. And then, of course, the dragon in question has to like your vibes specifically because just having Valyrian blood does not a dragonrider make.

Then again, whether or not the dragonseeds had actual Targaryen ancestry—and whether it was that ancestry that allowed them to master dragons—remained uncertain even in the book version of the Dance so there’s still some wiggle room for the different canons not to clash completely. The bond between dragon and rider remains one of the most mysterious parts of the entire ASOAF lore, after all, as is how the Valyrians first tamed dragons—there are several theories floating around the fandom but very little confirmed information.

What’s undisputed, though, is the fact that Seasmoke taking on a new rider also means that Leanor Velaryon has died somewhere in Essos, since dragons were never seen accepting a new bond if one was already in place. Sure, only Rhaenyra and eventually Daemon will realize this since everyone else has believed Leanor dead for years, but it’s definitely worth noticing.