There is something addictive about Targaryen conspiracies. The moment you hear the words hidden dragon, the brain kicks into gear and suddenly you are five tabs deep in a family tree that looks like someone dropped spaghetti on a parchment map. I blame George R. R. Martin for this. He sprinkled dragon blood across the entire narrative, then acted surprised when readers started trying to track every droplet.
R plus L equals Jon
This is the theory that even your friend who only half watched the show on their phone knows. Jon Snow is not Ned Stark’s son. He is the child of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. The books spend a suspicious amount of time hinting at it, then the show confirmed it outright. The clues always felt a bit too neatly arranged for it not to be true.
Looking back, the whole thing reads like a long form riddle. Ned’s refusal to speak about Jon’s mother, Rhaegar’s strange behaviour before the Rebellion, the Tower of Joy scene, the blue winter roses. It all lines up. Jon is a Targaryen who grew up thinking his place in the world was smaller than it really was, which is honestly the most Targaryen trait possible.
Tyrion the secret dragon
This is the theory that refuses to die. The idea goes that the Mad King had a thing for Tywin Lannister’s wife Joanna, and that Tyrion’s birth was not just an awkward family moment, it was political fallout. Fans point to Tyrion’s fascination with dragons, his strange dream imagery in the books and the fact he looks nothing like his siblings.
The counter argument is strong, though. Tywin’s hatred for Tyrion works perfectly well without any Targaryen blood involved. And Martin loves complicated fathers who are awful simply because they are awful, not because of secret parentage twists. Still, the theory holds a certain chaotic appeal. It would make Tyrion, Jon and Daenerys a strange little trio tied by fire.
Young Griff: Aegon or an impostor
In the books, a young man known as Young Griff appears claiming to be Aegon Targaryen, the supposedly murdered son of Rhaegar. He has the look, the education, the connections and a suspiciously polished narrative. Some fans buy it completely. Others see him as a clever political puppet set up by Varys and the Golden Company.
This is one of those theories where both answers feel satisfying. If he is the real Aegon, it changes the entire endgame. If he is fake, it proves how easy it is in Westeros to bend history into whatever shape suits your ambition.
The Mad King’s final secrets
Aerys II was obsessed with wildfire, prophecy and the idea that burning people could save the future. That alone opens the door for endless theories. Some think the Mad King tried to hide traces of Targaryen bloodlines in unexpected places. Others believe he clung to prophecies about a prince who would bring fire and salvation, and that half the family’s worst decisions were driven by those visions.
The thing with Targaryens is that their prophecies often read like they were scribbled while half asleep. Fans spend years trying to decode what was probably meant to be a vague warning like, do not fly your dragon into a storm.
Daenerys and the prophecy problem
Daenerys carries so many prophetic labels in the story that fans sometimes lose track. The Unburnt. The Mother of Dragons. The possible Azor Ahai reborn. The possible Princess That Was Promised. If someone had told her she was also the rightful heir to a sandwich shop in Flea Bottom, it would barely register.
This cluster of titles encouraged even more theories, many of them about her bloodline being far more entwined with magical destiny than anyone expected. The books lean harder into this than the show, leaving room for speculation about how her lineage might tie back to earlier Targaryens like Daenys the Dreamer.
Are there more hidden dragons
Every time a pale haired character appears, the fandom lights up like someone rang a dinner bell. Could they be a lost Targaryen. A forgotten branch of the family tree. A secret child of someone who died in a battle we barely remember. It is almost become a running joke.
Still, the series loves the idea of scattered royal blood. There are abandoned bastards in taverns, exiled nobles hiding under fake names and political agents with suspicious backstories. It is entirely possible that Martin will reveal another distant Targaryen cousin just to watch readers argue about it for ten more years.
Seven Swords Takeaway
Targaryen theories stick around because they speak to something larger in the story. This world runs on identity, prophecy and reputation, and the Targaryens sit right at the centre of that storm. Their bloodline offers power, danger and the occasional dragon, which is enough to keep fans connecting the dots whether those dots exist or not.
Half the fun is not finding the answers. It is arguing with strangers online at three in the morning and realising you care more about a fictional medieval ancestry debate than your actual weekend plans.
If more secret dragons turn up, you will hear the collective gasp from orbit.
