WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based!

Rhaenyra’s admiration of a past Targaryen queen in House of the Dragon season 2 was already emphasized by Milly Alcock’s portrayal of the character in season 1. When Rhaenyra Targaryen debuted on-screen in the hit HBO show, she was portrayed as a teenager by Milly Alcock. After highlighting the headstrong, bold, and fiery nature of Rhaenyra as a teenager learning the duties of being heir to the Iron Throne, Milly Alcock’s Rhaenyra was recast with Emma D’Arcy as House of the Dragon season 1, episode 6 jumped ahead 10 years to the character as a mother growing closer to inheriting her father’s throne.

While Alcock and D’Arcy’s portrayals of Rhaenyra Targaryen are quite different given the ages at which they portray them and the many changes that occurred during the time jump, they also still share many of the same sentiments, even if adult Rhaenyra has had to bury some of them. As she now faces the early stages of war against her half-brother, King Aegon II Targaryen, adult Rhaenyra is returning more to her younger characterization that’s largely been hidden below the surface. In House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2, she even revives an interest from her youth that’s become extremely relevant to the war she must now fight.

House Of The Dragon Season 2 Teases Rhaenyra Becoming More Like Queen Visenya Targaryen

Rhaenyra still admires Queen Visenya Targaryen as she prepares for her own war

Also setting up the moment when Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing in the Dance of the Dragons, House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2 features a brief yet important scene of Rhaenyra reading about Queen Visenya Targaryen. As she looks through the pages, it’s clear that Rhaenyra is intent on becoming a warrior in the Dance in the same vein that Queen Visenya was during Aegon’s Conquest. In House of the Dragon’s timeline, Visenya is the only Targaryen queen consort widely regarded for being a skilled warrior, as her exploits on dragonback and with her sword, Dark Sister, were integral to conquering Westeros and ending the First Dornish War.

Since Visenya was the last renowned Targaryen warrior queen, Rhaenyra now looks to her as inspiration for how to proceed and win the Iron Throne back from Aegon. Rhaenyra wasn’t trained in sword fighting or battle skills in her youth, but now that she is fighting to secure her place on the Iron Throne, she needs to take a page from Visenya’s book. Additionally, becoming fierce in battle is crucial for Rhaenyra given she’s inheriting the Iron Throne. While Visenya’s skills as a warrior helped secure her brother/husband’s throne, Rhaenyra is fighting for her own seat. Not her brother’s, not her father’s, not her husband’s – hers.

Rhaenyra’s Admiration For Visenya Was Already Established In House Of The Dragon’s Pilot

Young Rhaenyra had a great fascination with Queen Visenya Targaryen

The seeds of Rhaenyra wanting to grow into the second coming of Queen Visenya Targaryen were already laid in House of the Dragon’s pilot. As Milly Alcock’s Rhaenyra Targaryen soared through the skies on Syrax and defied her parents’ wishes, she already exhibited some notable traits shared by Queen Visenya. Additionally, young Rhaenyra noted that if her mother had another daughter, she wanted her to be named Visenya, after her ancestor in House Targaryen’s family tree. Rhaenyra would later even name her stillborn daughter Visenya, proving her idolization of Queen Visenya has been ingrained in her character all along.

New episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 release Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.