‘House of the Dragon’: Major ‘Game of Thrones’ Easter Egg Front and Center in Premiere Episode

The premiere episode of House of the Dragon featured a conspicuous Easter egg from Game of Thrones that may help bind the two shows together for years to come. If you’ve seen the episode, you likely know what I’m referring to, and if not, fair warning: there are spoilers ahead.

House of the Dragon Episode 1, “The Heirs of the Dragon,” puts an essential prop back on the screen – the Valyrian steel dagger used throughout the original series. In this prequel, the dagger is used prominently by King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), but of course, fans know it will be used by Arya Stark about 200 years later in the Game of Thrones era of the timeline. This dagger will be used to try to assassinate Bran Stark, and will then be used to start The War of the Five Kings by Littlefinger. Finally, it will be plunged into the Night King’s heart, ending the Long Night.

This Valyrian steel dagger is ornate and easy to recognize and is clearly meant to provide some continuity between these two series. Presumably, it will continue to appear throughout House of the Dragon, allowing fans to speculate and try to trace it into the future. Somehow, it must accompany King Robert I Baratheon’s procession from King’s Landing to Winterfell, where a common assassin is hired to use it to try and kill Bran.

The rarity of the dagger is the main reason Catelyn Stark suspects the assassin was hired by House Lannister, fans may recall from the main series. Valyrian steel is sharper and lighter than other metals. It was forged with mysterious spells by the Targaryens’ ancestors so that it never rusts and never dulls. However, the art of making it was lost in the “Doom of Valyria” – a magical cataclysm that left only a few dragonriders left in the world.

George R.R. Martin has not finished his books yet, but in the TV show the dagger reappears in the later seasons when Arya returns to Westeros. She uses it to execute Littlefinger – a symbolic form of justice as House Stark comes to realize it was manipulated. Afterward, Arya continues to carry the dagger, and its mysterious magical properties allow her to end the White Walkers’ assault on Winterfell. Because it was forged with some kind of fire magic, stabbing the Night King with it not only kills him, but all of the wights raised by his sorcery.

In the TV show, things will likely go differently. There is no Night King character in the books, and the TV showrunners have hinted that it was their idea, not Martin’s, to have Arya deal the killing blow to the White Walker army. Many fans speculate that it will go differently in the books, however, the presence of this dagger in House of the Dragon definitely lends it some significance. It could be a hint that Martin still has an eye on this weapon and intends to use it in his grand finale on the page.

For now, we can only theorize and watch out for more clues. House of the Dragon airs on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. Martin’s books, including Fire & Blood, are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.