There's little doubt that Game of Thrones transformed TV forever. It created a new benchmark for fantasy stories and took us to a realm that still fascinates us. House of the Dragon, the prelude to this show, is doing an amazing job of developing that world and giving us more of the Targaryen history we want. But what if the links between the two shows are stronger than we ever believed they could be? A stunning fan theory says that a new character in House of the Dragon is connected to a prominent figure from Game of Thrones. What's even more interesting is that the cast of the prequel series is publicly backing this hypothesis.
I adore how the world of Westeros feels so real, with its long history and hidden secrets. This makes it much more interesting to think about theories that connect the past and the future. Fans soon compared Alys Rivers, a mystery character with prophetic powers, to Melisandre, the Red Woman from Game of Thrones, when House of the Dragon season 2 came out. Some hypotheses are really out there, but this one has gotten a lot of support, especially from the performers themselves.
Is the theory that Alys Rivers and Melisandre are connected in Game of Thrones true?
It's hard to miss how much these two strange women have in common.
Alys Rivers, who first appeared in House of the Dragon season 2, sticks out right away because of her creepy prophecies and strange presence at Harrenhal. She informs Daemon Targaryen that he will "die in this place." This is a scary prediction that made me think of Melisandre's visions and advice to Stannis Baratheon in Game of Thrones right away. also ladies have the unusual and powerful ability to glimpse the future, and they also seem to be good at black magic.
One of the most interesting things about this idea is how old they seem to be. People say Melisandre is over 400 years old and utilizes a magical necklace to look young. In the same way, George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood says that Alys Rivers looks abnormally young, even though she was about 40 during the Dance of the Dragons. The ability to seem to defy time is a big part of what they have in common. There is even a creepy similarity between the killing of a messenger from Alys in the books, who dies with finger marks on his throat, and Melisandre's shadow baby murder of Renly Baratheon. These aren't just random events; they seem to be echoes that have been going on for hundreds of years.
Why the Cast of House of the Dragon Agrees with This
The House of the Dragon cast's passionate support for this notion is what makes it more than just fan speculation. Entertainment Weekly recently talked to performers like Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Tom Glynn-Carney, Steve Toussaint, Ewan Mitchell, and Fabien Frankel about different fan theories. They didn't believe some of the theories, but they quickly supported the idea that Alys Rivers is Melisandre. Tom Glynn-Carney thought the idea was "cool," and Steve Toussaint pointed out how similar the characters were. Olivia Cooke even said, "I don't want to debunk it," while Emma D'Arcy jokingly said, "I want to bunk it." We shall sleep in that bunk. Don't believe it.
It's not that their support renders the notion canon, as they don't control the story. But it is a good indicator. The cast knows more about what's going to happen in season 3 than anyone else. Their response shows that the show may not directly go against this notion, which means there is still room for more investigation. I wonder if the writers are doing this on purpose to set up a big reveal that will make this huge universe even more connected. "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die," as Cersei Lannister once said. There is no in-between.
The Dubrovnik Shipwreck: A Real-Life Connection to King's Landing
A historic find ties Westeros to our world.
In addition to the interesting fan ideas, the universe of Game of Thrones keeps surprising us with links to the actual world. In Dubrovnik, Croatia, a city that is famous for being the filming setting for King's Landing, an 18th-century wooden shipwreck was found recently. Ivan Bukelic, an underwater builder working on a water pipeline, found the ship buried in the seafloor close to the old harbor. Marine archaeologist Irena Radić Rossi used radiocarbon dating to determine the ship's age, which was in the late 1700s.
Dubrovnik has a long history of its own. It was a prominent trading port in the Middle Ages and was called "the Pearl of the Adriatic." This real-life historical complexity goes wonderfully with the made-up history of Westeros. It's a great reminder of how Game of Thrones used real-life historical aesthetics to make its fantastical world feel real. The old walls of the city, which were the setting for famous events like Cersei's walk of shame, nearly seemed like characters.
How This Find Makes Game of Thrones Even More Interesting
Finding this shipwreck in such a key location for Game of Thrones adds to the show's lasting impact. It reminds us that the show still sparks discussions and discoveries years after its contentious ending, making it hard for its loyal fans to tell what's real and what's not. It's clear that Game of Thrones became a cultural phenomenon that changed everything from how TV shows are made to what people name their babies.
This kind of link to the real world keeps the spirit of Westeros alive and encourages viewers to watch the show again and visit the places where it was filmed. It makes the point that the universe George R.R. Martin made and HBO brought to life will always be interesting. "Winter is coming," as House Stark says, is a term that has become part of ordinary speech, much like the program itself has become part of our collective psyche. These real-world connections make the fantasy seem even more vivid and lasting.
What This Means for the Next Seasons of House of the Dragon
The past and future of Westeros are linked.
The idea that Alys Rivers could be Melisandre, especially with the support of the cast, offers up exciting new possibilities for House of the Dragon season 3 and beyond. This hypothesis says that a strong, ageless magical being has been affecting events in Westeros for hundreds of years, from the Dance of the Dragons to the War of the Five Kings. This would make the story's mysterious parts even better and give you a fresh way to view both series again. It could also suggest that House of the Dragon is making even more direct connections to the original series, not just showing Daenerys or the White Walkers.
HBO is working on more Game of Thrones spin-off projects than House of the Dragon. We know that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is being made and that it takes place 90 years before Game of Thrones. There are also other animation and live-action projects in the works, such as Ten Thousand Ships and a possible Aegon's Conquest series. The world of Westeros is always growing and changing, as shown by these spin-offs and speculations like Alys/Melisandre. HBO is clearly dedicated to keeping this universe alive and connected for many years to come.
In the end, it doesn't matter if Alys Rivers is really Melisandre or not. The hypothesis itself, along with the excited response from the House of the Dragon cast, adds a lot to our comprehension of this complex fantasy world. It's clear that the legacy of Game of Thrones is far from ended when you look at things like the Dubrovnik shipwreck in the real world. It keeps people talking, inspires new tales, and connects with fans in ways that surprise them. This shows that this saga will be remembered as a great example of prestige television for a long time.