Dalton Greyjoy Clarified; How House of the Dragon Sets Him Up
First referenced in House Of The Dragon's second episode, Dalton Greyjoy is the Lord of the Iron Islands during the Dance of the Dragons. Grand Maester Orwyle raises at the small council meeting that the Greens might require a new Master of Ships once Corlys Velaryon joins the Blacks. With hopes to fight the Velaryon navy using the Iron Islands' fleet, he suggests they present Dalton Greyjoy an offer. He is known as the Red Kraken and as a violent, savage man who exactly embodies the ideal ironborn.
Dalton Greyjoy is another lord who is rather young, much as Cregan Stark. Though he would still have a significant influence on the program should it not skip his story, it is doubtful that he would ever become a key character on the degree of Theon or Euron from Game Of Thrones. House Greyjoy has the most strong navy in Westeros in the parent show; while it's not clear how strong their forces are in House of the Dragon, it's likely that they're still notable enough to make a difference on either side, thus Dalton Greyjoy is a desirable ally even if he would be impossible to control.
Dalton Greyjoy's Part in the Dragon Dance
Dalton Greyjoy contributes a little but significant part to the Dance Of The Dragons in the books. After the Greens invite Dalton Greyjoy to be Master of Ships and fight the Velaryons, Dalton Greyjoy awaits a counteroffer from the Blacks. Daemon advises Rhaenyra to appeal to Dalton's aggressive character; her offer implies that Dalton should merely attack their mutual foes instead of going all the way to Blackwater Bay to help in the capture of King's Landing. Dalton only interacts with characters via letters, hence House of the Dragon would have to adapt.
Accepting Rhaenyra's invitation, Dalton Greyjoy strikes at the ideal point to cause disturbance throughout Westeros. At the Battle at the Red Fork, one of the top Green leaders, Lord Jason Lannister dies and the Westerlands fall apart. The Greyjoys reply as they always do: conduct naval attacks on Lannisport, capture hundreds of women, and pilfers commodities and gold from the major city. During the Dance Of The Dragons, the Lannisters were simple target for Dalton Greyjoy, and the whole incident renders one of the Greens' primary allies dead.
How might Dalton Greyjoy be like Euron Greyjoy?
At least in an idealized form, Dalton Greyjoy possesses several traits in line with Euron Greyjoy. Both of them are quite cruel, bloodlustful Greyjoys who are basically elevated pirate monarchs. They are remarkably competent maritime leaders who exploit this to gather power beyond expectation during times of turmoil, even by ironborn criteria. The main distinction between the two is that, unlike Lord Corlys Velaryon, Dalton is a far younger lord whereas Euron has cruised the globe gaining riches and expertise.
Dalton Greyjoy is an intriguing, erratic X-factor character in House of the Dragon, significantly upgraded from his book performance. With the only restriction being that he doesn't connect with any of the primary characters in the books other from letters, his actions might keep anarchy raging over the realm. Overstretching him too much out of his book position only to produce a memorable character might find the show ending with complaints akin to Euron's in Game Of Thrones.
What went wrong with Euron Greyjoy in Game Of Thrones?
Often regarded as one of the best depictions of what went wrong in Game of Thrones, Euron Greyjoy is notorious for his part in the last seasons of the parent show. Euron debuted in season 8 as a traditional, over-the-top villain with some of the worst quips and one-liners in a TV series known for its complex, well-developed characters breaking down popular fantasy clichés. Not to add, House of the Dragon would have to dodge his fleet apparently roaming Westeros at lightspeed to suit whatever the plot required.
Euron first appears entirely in A Feast for Crows and develops into a fascinating side character in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire volumes. Acting as a pirate warlord with grand plans, his adventures have made him fixated on dark magic and create an erratic menace to almost every character still living. Euron is a fascinating character since he is dangerous in a completely different manner than any character the show has thus far. Should House of the Dragon leverage some kind of that with Dalton, he may be a remarkable supporting actor for the show.
HOTD can make up for the failure of Game Of Thrones and sets up its Euron Greyjoy Replacement.
Already hinting to a persona who can atone for the failure of the Game of Thrones antagonist, House of the Dragon has chosen a replacement for Euron Greyjoy. The second prequel series season is set around 170 years before Game of Thrones events. Though they are not as often mentioned, several of the well-known families from the first series are around at this period. The Targaryens, Hightowers, and Velaryons are the main residences in House of the Dragon; nevertheless, as the Dance of the Dragons intensues, more will continue to be embroiled in the fight.
With many houses supporting both the split Black and Green factions of House Targaryen, the Civil War of the Dragons is waged. Episode 1 of Season 2 finds that the Lannisters and Baratheons have allied with the Greens while House Stark and House Arryn have aligned with the Blacks. Some well-known Game of Thrones names still haven't declared for the Blacks or the Greens, though. House of the Dragon mostly uses Fire & Blood, however The World of Ice & Fire offers some understanding of the location of one key house.
House of the Dragon: An Investigative Study of Westeros' Past
About 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon chronicles the ascent of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to withstand the Doom of Valyria. Milly Alcock and Emily Carey originally starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the adult versions of the characters, took front stage. Along with King Viserys Targaryen, Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine star Rhaenyra's father.
House of the Dragon explores the beginnings of the Targaryen dynasty and the events that preceded the Dance of the Dragons, therefore delving more into the rich history of Westeros. Offering a fascinating and sophisticated examination of a world both known and new, the series presents a new generation of characters, complicated relationships, and political intrigue. House of the Dragon promises to be a suitable successor to Game of Thrones, enthralling viewers and leaving them yearning more with its breathtaking images, gripping plot, and engaging characters.
