Who is the rider of this dragon: what is the significance of its return in 'House of the Dragon'

In the episode of this week of House of the Dragon we saw a funeral procession, deaths and dismissals, but among all these intense moments of machinations and political intrigue prior to the war there was a dialogue-free scene where a dragon soared the skies of a lonely beach that raised questions among viewers, as they understood it was important, but couldn't remember if it was connected to something they had seen before.

Considering that the first season of the series premiered two years ago, it is more than normal that we have forgotten the details of some plots and the identity of the dragons if they are not accompanied by their rider, as is the case here.

What we do know is that with a great war looming, these majestic and powerful winged creatures are more important than ever, so we are going to remember which dragon specifically this is, what we know about it so far and what its return might mean at this moment.

Bruma (Seasmoke)

Which dragon appears in the episode

The dragon flying over Driftmark is Bruma, described in the books as a dragon with pale silver-gray scales that is half the size of Vermithor, the female dragon that visited Daemon at the end of the first season, and that is the largest and oldest in Westeros after Vhagar.

In the first season of the series, Bruma appeared for the first time in the third episode, when ridden by Laenor Velaryon he joined Daemon and Caraxes in the battle against the Crabfeeder. 

Since Laenor's departure in the seventh episode of the first season, Bruma had not been seen flying again.

Lucerys and Jacaerys Velaryon.

What happened to Laenor in the series

Laenor Velaryon and Rhaenyra were forced into a political marriage of convenience, in which both had reached a tacit agreement to live their private lives separately, she with Harwing Strong and he with other men. 

Years later, when Rhaenyra and Daemon considered uniting their Targaryen blood in marriage, they plotted a plan that would guarantee all three the freedom to live their lives: pretend Laenor's death. An agreement where all involved got what they needed: the Targaryens the freedom to marry and Laenor the freedom to live without the responsibilities of his name.

They staged a scene in which Daemon provided the body of a victim that, after a fight with witnesses and a fire, left no evidence but also no doubts that the corpse was Laenor's, who left incognito for the Free Cities leaving his dragon abandoned on Driftmark. 

Laenor and Qarl heading to the Free Cities.

Can another rider claim Bruma?

The series chose to fake Laenor's death, but in Fire and Blood the character dies stabbed, so in the book the bond between rider and dragon is broken from that moment on and Bruma is free to establish a new one with another rider.

In the universe of A Song of Ice and Fire it is widely accepted as canon that a dragon bonds with its rider for life, but there is nothing set in stone.The House of the Dragon has already made several important changes in the adaptation (for example this one) so it wouldn't have a problem finding a justification for someone else to claim Bruma, even though the last time Laenor was seen he was still alive. 

Another option is that Bruma's return to the skies represents that due to its strong bond with Laenor it sensed his death in some way, something that could be confirmed in future episodes, leaving the door open for it to be claimed by a new rider in the Dance of the Dragons. 

Addam de Hull

Who is the man watching him

After the introduction of Alyn de Hull in the previous episode, this week the series introduces his brother, Addam, also a shipwright in service of House Velaryon.

Both will play a very important role in the Dance of the Dragons, which we will not comment on in this text because they are spoilers from the book and the series, but you can read a little more about the topic in this other article if you are curious. 

*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence