Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the book Fire & Blood and the end of the Dance of Dragons.Game of Thrones reached a level of popularity that only a few shows manage, and as a result, HBO is not finished with Westeros. While several spin-offs were discussed, and likely some are still on the way, only one has been made so far. House of the Dragon is a prequel inspired by Game of Thrones. Taking place generations before the original the new show tells the story of the ancestors of Game of Thrones characters during a civil war between the Targaryen family known as the Dance of the Dragons. House of the Dragon is not shy about referencing the first show, with an intro that explains the years until Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the appearance of the all-important Catspaw dagger, and a focus on the Prophecy of Ice and Fire, which foretells the events in Game of Thrones.

But, as Game of Thrones hasn't happened yet, none of these references are actual spoilers for the original show. In fact, despite the easter-eggs sprinkled in for fans, House of the Dragon is far enough removed from Game of Thrones that there is little opportunity for crossover. No matter who survives House of the Dragon, they are long dead before Game of Thrones, so the prequel can't include spoilers. But the reverse is not true. With a few mentions of the Dance of the Dragons, Game of Thrones now contains spoilers for its own spin-off show. And yes, at one point, Game of Thrones goes as far as to spoil the inevitable end of House of the Dragon.

How Does Game of Thrones Spoil the Prequel?

Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Beratheon in Game of Thrones
Image via HBO

House of the Dragon covers an important historical event in Westeros, so all the characters in Game of Thrones know what happened. During the original show, no one knew there would be a prequel, so the story of Rhaenyra and Aegon is used as world-building. Game of Thrones discusses the Dance of the Dragons a few times. But one moment, in particular, stands out as it spoils what will be a major death in House of the Dragon. This spoiler comes from Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) because, of course, he would be that cruel. In Season 3, Episode 4, "And Now His Watch Is Ended," he shows Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) around the Great Sept as they prepare for their wedding. During the tour, Joffrey gleefully describes the horrific death of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). Joffrey explains that the queen was killed by her half-brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney). More specifically, she was eaten by his dragon while her young son watched. He even notes that her remains are in the building. As one of House of the Dragon's leads, this may be a shock to those who don't know the ending. The gruesome death is bound to happen by the end of the series. And thanks to Joffrey, it won't be a surprise even to those who haven't read the book.

Though not as egregious a spoiler, Shireen Baratheon (Kerry Ingram) discusses the events of House of the Dragon as well. In Season 5, Episode 9, "The Dance of Dragons," Stannis (Stephen Dillane) asks his daughter about a book she is reading. She explains that it is a history featuring the Dance of the Dragons, and Shireen describes the war of succession between Aegon II and Rhaenyra, saying each thought they should rule, and their war divided Westeros. Shireen gives more of a summary rather than spoiling any certain event for the prequel series. Though, she goes on to say that the Targaryens never fully recovered their power, a fact that will be significant to the end of House of the Dragon. After she summarizes the war, Stannis asks a question that many House of the Dragon fans have struggled with: Who would you support? Shireen's answer is arguably the biggest spoiler she gives as she says, "It's all the choosing sides that made everything so horrible." As the second season of House of the Dragon will deal with the choosing of sides, this horribleness is coming. But because Shireen didn't mention what that entailed, it's not much of a spoiler.

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The Bigger Issue is the Parallels Between the Series

Matt Smith and Emma D'Arcy in House of the Dragon
Image via HBO

Although these passing references reveal a lot about the future of House of the Dragon, the biggest way Game of Thrones impacts the new series is through the plot parallels. House of the Dragon is based on George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood, a supplementary novel meant to enhance the original series, so it is riddled with foreshadowing. Both series feature a queen who is trying to pass her illegitimate children off as heirs to the throne and the subsequent wars resulting from that decision. Fire & Blood and, by extension, House of the Dragon set up the dangers of Targaryen madness as well. The novel tracks the family throughout their history, showing many examples of Targaryens falling into madness, similar to Daenerys. Rhaenyra's fate is reminiscent of Daenerys'. In their quest for the throne, both women are killed by a relative and rival claimant.

Game of Thrones even sets up Westeros' resistance to a ruling queen, a fact that plays an important role in the House of the Dragon. Additionally, when House of the Dragon mentions houses significant in Game of Thrones, this will obviously lead to many comparisons between Game of Thrones characters and their House of the Dragon ancestors. This was certainly true for when the Lannisters appeared in House of the Dragon. This will only continue as Season 2 introduces Cregan Stark. With Game of Thrones setting expectations for House of the Dragon, people are already theorizing about how greenseers of whitewalkers may factor in, as they play an important role in the original series.

As the two shows are set in the same world, fans will always expect House of the Dragon to be like Game of Thrones. But the more direct references have raised debates about what to watch first. Concerned about the spoilers, some fans have attempted to skip the offending scene as they watch (or rewatch) Game of Thrones. Of course, you can avoid the direct spoilers, but the prevalence of the parallels between the series makes it impossible to avoid it entirely. However, knowing the end of the story doesn’t ruin House of the Dragon. In truth, the series has taken its own path, using the book’s unreliable narrators to its advantage and surprising even those who know the end.