Daenerys Targaryen sits at the center of a tightly traced dynastic line that blends exile, conquest, and contested succession in Westerosi history. This guide maps her direct ancestors and descendants, explains her relationships within the Targaryen family, and distinguishes established lineage from speculation. By tracking her parents, siblings, children, and collateral relatives, the tree clarifies how blood, marriage, and reclaimed crowns shape her claim and legacy.
Core Lineage and Historical Position
Daenerys is a member of House Targaryen, a Valyrian-descended family that ruled the Seven Kingdoms for nearly three centuries before Robert’s Rebellion. Her claim rests on both descent and birth order among surviving heirs at pivotal moments. Understanding her place requires identifying her parents, immediate siblings, and the broader cadet branches that survived the Doom and the rebellion.
King Aerys II and Queen Rhaella
Daenerys’s father, King Aerys II Targaryen, often called the Mad King, sat the Iron Throne until Robert Baratheon’s rebellion ended his rule. Her mother, Queen Rhaella, was his second wife and the mother of three of his children who lived into adulthood. Their union produced several children whose fates shaped the line that would pass to Daenerys.
Viserys and Daenerys, the Last Dragons
Viserys Targaryen, Daenerys’s older brother, was the elder son of Aerys and Rhaella before the king’s erratic rule drove the family into exile. Daenerys, born near the end of the war on the island of Dragonstone, would become the last surviving child of their line. Their bond as siblings defines much of the emotional core of her story, even as their choices diverged under pressure of exile and prophecy.
Parents, Marriage, and Children
Daenerys marries Khal Drogo to secure an alliance, becoming khaleesi of a Dothraki khalasar and later claiming the Targaryen legacy through conquest and blood magic. Her children with Drogo—though not surviving in the world of men—represent the hoped-for union of Valyrian and Dothraki strength. Later dragons, hatched from stone, transform her into a living symbol of resurrection for House Targaryen.
Khal Drogo and Marriage
Khal Drogo is a powerful warlord who takes Daenerys as a bride. Their union initially cements military support for her brother’s cause. After Drogo’s death, Daenerys interprets her survival and the hatching of dragons as signs that her destiny extends far beyond a khalasar.
Dragons and Symbolic Offspring
Daenerys’s dragons—Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion—hatch around her and become both her family and her military force. While not human heirs, they embody the rebirth of the Targaryen dynasty and function as living extensions of her authority in her quest to claim the throne.
Collateral Relatives and Uncle Relationships
The Targaryen family includes uncles and cousins whose choices influenced Daenerys’s path. Her uncle on her father’s side, Stannis Baratheon, follows a legalist claim, while her uncle on her mother’s side, Viserys, prioritizes reclaiming the throne. Their differing strategies highlight the fractured nature of the family by the time Daenerys seeks to return to Westeros.
Stannis and Renly Baratheon
Stannis and Renly Baratheon are legal heirs to Robert after the deaths of older brothers. They are not direct Targaryens but become important foils to Daenerys’s claim. Stannis’s rigid justice and Renly’s charm illustrate the competing visions for the realm that Daenerys must navigate when landing in Westeros.
Elia Martell and Oberyn Martell
ame>Elia Martell, sister of Oberyn, connects the Targaryens to Dorne through tragedy and legacy. Her death at the end of the rebellion fuels hatred in Oberyn and shapes Tyrion’s journey. Daenerys’s interactions with Dornish lords later in her campaign echo this fractured relationship and the importance of southern alliances.
Descendants and Living Relatives
By the end of the main book and series arcs, Daenerys’s direct line includes her nephew and niece of mixed parentage, as well as Jon Snow, revealed to be a Targaryen heir through legitimate lineage. These descendants complicate her claim, expose the limits of conquest-based legitimacy, and anchor her legacy in the broader story of succession.
Jon Snow’s Parentage
Jon Snow, raised as Ned Stark’s bastard, is revealed to be the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. This makes him a legitimate, if initially unrecognized, heir to the Targaryen throne, placing him in direct relation to Daenerys and reshaping the politics of succession.
Rhaegar’s Children and Aegon
Rhaegar Targaryen fathers children with Elia Martell and later with Lyanna Stark. The son claimed by Jon’s allies and later revealed as Aegon Targaryen represents an alternative lineage to Daenerys, highlighting that the family tree includes multiple branches with competing rights to the throne.
Family Tree Summary at a Glance
The table below presents verified or widely accepted relationships involving Daenerys, emphasizing parentage, marriage, and key descendants that define her family structure.
| Relation | Identity | Verified Detail / Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Father | King Aerys II Targaryen (the Mad King) | Book/Show, confirmed |
| Mother | Queen Rhaella Targaryen | Book/Show, confirmed |
| Brother | Viserys Targaryen | Book/Show, confirmed |
| Consort | Khal Drogo | Book/Show, confirmed |
| Known child figures | Dragons (Drogon, Rhaegal, Viserion) | Book/Show, confirmed |
| Nephew (by Rhaegar) | Aegon Targaryen (Young Griff) | Show/interpreted from text |
| Heir by lineage (bases claim) | Jon Snow (son of Rhaegar + Lyanna) | Show/book confirmation post-red wedding arc |
Political and Symbolic Implications
Daenerys’s family positions her as both heir and disruptor: heir because of blood, disruptor because of her reliance on non-ironborn legitimacy and foreign alliances. The Targaryen tradition of marrying within the family to preserve bloodlines contrasts with her marriage to a Dothraki khal, which expands her power in unexpected ways. Her claim is framed not only by descent but by narrative, making her story a case study in how legacy is built through conquest, symbolism, and contested memory.
Key Takeaways
- Daenerys is the daughter of King Aerys II and Queen Rhaella, making her a direct Targaryen heir.
- Her brother Viserys is the only other surviving child of Aerys and Rhaella who reaches adulthood in exile.
- She marries Khal Drogo, gaining a khalasar and eventually hatching dragons that redefine her status.
- Descendants such as Jon Snow and Aegon introduce competing claims that complicate her legacy.
- The Targaryen family tree after Robert’s Rebellion is defined by exile, marriage alliances, and the symbolic power of dragons.
For long-term understanding of Daenerys, treat the Targaryen family as a lineage shaped by both legal succession practices and the stories people choose to believe about rightful rule. Her relationships and descendants continue to influence how power, legitimacy, and identity are interpreted in the realm.