House of the Dragon has a chance to confirm a massive maester theory from the A Song of Ice and Fire book series and Game of Thrones. House of the Dragon season 1 has proven to be a worthy successor to Game of Thrones, as it follows the turbulent Targaryen family and details one of the worst civil wars in Westerosi history. The Game of Thrones franchise is critical to HBO’s success, so the popularity enjoyed by House of the Dragon is crucial.
House of the Dragon immediately showed that it is not afraid of including popular book theories by confirming the long-standing theory that Aegon the Conqueror took Westeros because of a prophetic dream about the Long Night. There is a huge selection of popular theories out there regarding the expansive history of the franchise, plenty of which take place in the House of the Dragon timeline. This maester theory is one of the most popular of those theories, and it is one that House of the Dragon has an obvious chance to confirm.
Game Of Thrones’ Maester Conspiracy Theory Explained
The maester theory essentially states that the maesters contributed to the death of dragons in Westeros because they favor a world ruled by science and logic. Moreover, the maesters seek the destruction of all forms of magic, which they see as unpredictable, dangerous, and a threat to their place in the world. The most revealing piece of evidence comes from the following quote from A Feast for Crows, the fourth book in A Song of Ice and Fire, when Marwyn the Mage is speaking to Samwell Tarly at the citadel:
“Who do you think killed all the dragons the last time around? Gallant dragonslayers armed with swords? The world the Citadel is building has no place in it for sorcery or prophecy or glass candles, much less for dragons.”
Marwyn, who is one of the most brilliant, if unorthodox, maesters at the Citadel, certainly believes it was the maesters who killed the dragons. The maesters of Oldtown have plenty of secrets, and it seems impossible to figure them out without being a maester, but that just makes Marwyn’s quote even more impactful. The idea that the maesters, who might seem harmless to show fans, would be capable of killing dragons might seem far-fetched. However, the maesters actually hold an enormous amount of power, and have the ear of virtually every lord and lady in Westeros.
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Furthermore, the maesters have the greatest accumulation of knowledge in the world at the Citadel. They may not have the prowess to ride into battle against a dragon, but it is easily conceivable that they could find ways to poison dragons or stunt their growth in some way. It is said in the books that the last of the Targaryen dragons – before Daenerys, that is – were small and stunted. This is the only account of sickly dragons in the entire series, which points to some sort of foul play. The maester theory may seem unlikely initially, but with all the evidence stacked side by side, it becomes much more plausible.
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HOTD Is Already Setting Up The End Of The Dragons
The dying of the Targaryen dragons is already an inherent aspect of the civil war depicted in House of the Dragon, which will be known to history as the Dance of the Dragons. While not every dragon is killed in the Dance, most of the oldest and largest are, and those who remain don’t last long. Because the collapse of the Targaryen dragons is already an essential characteristic of the Dance, House of the Dragon is a natural place to confirm the maester theory, should it turn out to be true.
The Targaryen dragonriders are the foundation of their dynasty, so it is fitting that the Dance begins the decline of not only the dragons, but of the Targaryens as well. The apex of Targaryen power comes under the rule of Jaeherys I, depicted in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 1, and his grandson/successor, Viserys I. Ironically, it is during this time that the seeds of the Dance and the Targaryen collapse, are sewn. Under Jaeherys I, the Targaryens had more than 10 adult dragons and dozens of eggs. Just 50 years after Jaeherys’ death, the last Targaryen dragon was dead.
How House Of The Dragon Could Confirm The Maester Conspiracy
One subtle way of hinting at the maester conspiracy would be to show the maesters playing the Blacks and the Greens off of each other, pushing them towards war. If the maesters really are seeking the death of dragons, then dragon fighting dragon in a Targaryen civil war would be a positive development for them because one of the few ways for a full-grown dragon to be killed is in combat with another dragon. Showing the maesters making a clear attempt to foment the Dance could be a sneaky way of confirming the maester theory.
Fire and Blood, the source material for House of the Dragon, provides another way for the show to confirm the maester conspiracy. In the book, King’s Landing suffers profoundly from the Dance of the Dragons, and the small folk are rallied in the thousands by a street preacher known as the Shepard. The Shepard preaches the evil of the Targaryens and their dragons, eventually convincing thousands of small folk to storm the dragon pit, where they manage to slaughter every dragon present. House of the Dragon could easily show the maesters propping up the Shepard in some way or encouraging the storming of the dragon pit, confirming the maester conspiracy.
Another way to confirm the maester conspiracy, and perhaps the most likely way, would be to show the maesters poisoning or planning the poisoning of the few dragons and hatchlings still living at the end of the Dance. House of the Dragon could also show the maesters doing something to the remaining dragon eggs after the Dance. Until Daenerys’ dragon eggs hatch in Game of Thrones, no Targaryen eggs show any sign of hatching. That is another particularly conspicuous detail that could point to the maesters corrupting the eggs somehow.
Why House Of The Dragon Should Confirm The Maester Conspiracy
House of the Dragon should confirm the maester conspiracy because it would add a new level of depth to the maesters and House of the Dragon as a whole. Show-only audiences have never really been introduced to the scheming side of the maesters that is so prevalent in the books. Making the maesters into players in the Dance, rather than innocent bystanders, would make them much more interesting and add an important new layer to a war that affects all of Westeros, not just the Targaryens. Moreover, this theory is a fan favorite, and it would garner a lot of attention.
As House of the Dragon season 2 approaches, the show runners should consider beginning to create some doubt concerning the maesters’ real intentions. Confirmation of the maester conspiracy would not necessarily need to happen in season 2 – however, it is at the least a good opportunity to start dropping the breadcrumbs. Should House of the Dragon decide to confirm this theory, it is likely to begin with a slow-burn, starting in season 2.