Why It’s Called 7 Kingdoms (When There’s Really 9)

Summary

• The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros were formed by Aegon’s Conquest, combining seven separate realms under one ruler.
• Each of the Seven Kingdoms has unique landscapes and cultures, showcasing the diversity of Westeros on the show.
• A new spinoff series focusing on Aegon’s Conquest will delve deeper into the reshaping of Westeros and the formation of the Seven Kingdoms.

Throughout eight seasons, Game of Thrones only explored certain regions of Westeros, leaving the lingering questions of what the Seven Kingdoms are and why they are called that if there are nine of them. The Seven Kingdoms make up a huge part of the show and its spinoff series, House of the Dragon, despite also exploring regions of Essos as well. Given its importance to the Game of Thrones universe and the amount of times the Seven Kingdoms are referred to, it is surprising the shows never explain this odd little piece of nomenclature.

While the various kingdoms have been discussed on the show, it can be a little confusing with all the history of Westeros. Finding the genesis of the Seven Kingdoms involves going back to the time of Aegon’s Conquest, which happened before House of the Dragon‘s Targaryen civil war, and around 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. When Aegon Targaryen landed at Blackwater Rush with his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya, it was part of a Westeros that was divided into seven separate realms:

The Seven Kingdoms Explained

The Kingdoms Showcase The Different Climates And Cultures Of Westeros

The Seven Kingdoms feature vastly different landscapes and political practices, despite being ruled under one head. The North, led by House Stark, was one of the main locations shown in Game of Thrones, along with King’s Landing, but House Tyrell’s Highgarden wasn’t really seen. However, it was described as a beautiful place filled with flowers. The mountainous Vale had an interesting form of punishment for their prisoners, in the form of a gate on the floor that would force their inmates to fall to their deaths. Dorne is a mixture of desert and tropics, featuring a rather standard-looking prison.

Meanwhile, Casterly Rock was only seen a handful of times in Game of Thrones, and House Tully’s Riverlands were featured in several episodes, including being the location of the deadly Red Wedding. A stark contrast to these is the Iron Islands, which are dark and stormy, a perfect complement to the dangerous seas surrounding them. The rest of Westeros remained largely unexplored in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon hasn’t added much more to the context of those other areas.

How Game Of Thrones’ 7 Kingdoms Became 9 Realms: The Full History

The Expansion And Addition Of Kingdoms Took Place Over Centuries

The Seven Kingdoms were the seven lands that Aegon set out to conquer and unite before House of the Dragon, which he mostly did over the course of the next two years, bringing them together under the rule of House Targaryen and the Iron Throne. When Aegon was eventually crowned at the Starry Sept in Oldtown, he was proclaimed ‘Lord of the Seven Kingdoms,’ although it wasn’t entirely true even then. The Dornish resisted Aegon’s attempts to conquer them by hiding out in the Mountains and engaging in guerilla warfare, and Princess Meria refused to yield.

It wasn’t until 187 years after Aegon’s Conquest that Dorne officially joined the Seven Kingdoms thanks to a peaceful marriage pact between Dorne’s leader at the time, Prince Maron Martell, and the younger sister of King Daeron II Targaryen, Princess Daenerys Targaryen (not to be confused with the central character on Game of Thrones), thus finally making the realm whole. However, this was actually turning the Seven Kingdoms into nine, because Aegon had long since made some big changes to his newfound empire.

The Riverlands, which had long ago been independent, were ruled by House Hoare during Aegon’s Conquest. However, as a reward for supporting the Targaryens against the Hoares, the Kingdom of Rivers & Isles was split into two: House Tully was granted lordship over the Riverlands. At the same time, House Greyjoy assumed control of the Iron Islands. That made it into eight kingdoms, while Aegon Targaryen also decided to make King’s Landing and the surrounding area into a principality of its own, known as the Crownlands, which was loyal solely to the crown.

Because of their service during the Conquest, command of the Reach passed to House Tyrell, while House Baratheon was granted the Stormlands. Therefore, House of the Dragon should feature all nine kingdoms at some point, considering it takes place at the beginning of the end of the Targaryen reign and the book includes the majority of them.

The Current 9 Realms Of Westeros

Game Of Thrones Fans Were Introduced To A Different Look At Westeros

So, the Seven (or nine) official Kingdoms of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are made up as follows:

If that looks familiar, it’s because it’s a status quo that existed from the events of House of the Dragon until Robert’s Rebellion. At this point, the Baratheons took the crown, and then further changes were made following Game of Thrones‘ War of the Five Kings. The Seven Kingdoms as people know them were established with Aegon’s conquest, or when Dorne officially joined and remained so throughout the entire run of Game of Thrones until the finale.

How House Of The Dragon Explored The Seven Kingdoms

The Spinoff Series Has Kept A Contained Story

The Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon has branched out its locations, which allowed the in-story world to expand. The TV show kicked off with the seeds being planted for the Targaryen civil war, so most of the series focused on King’s Landing. The show also included several characters from places like Oldtown and Dorne, but they haven’t been a significant part of the series thus far. However, House of the Dragon did expand to show the Steptones and even Storm’s End.

Season 2 of the series sees the war between the two factions continuing as the Black and the Greens seek out new allies and engage in battles in key locations. The second season of the show took the viewers back to a familiar-looking location as Jacaerys Velaryon visited the Wall and Winterfell was seen. The crownlands were further explored with a memorable battle at Rook’s Rest while The Twins, home of the Freys, were also revisited.

The Aegon The Conqueror Prequel Can Tell The Story Of The Seven Kingdoms

A New Spinoff Series Will Deal With The Reshaping Of Westeros

While Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon were able to get away with diving too deeply into the history of the Seven Kingdoms and its name, a new spinoff series is sure to address the story head-on. A prequel series focusing on Aegon’s Conquest has been confirmed, meaning it will show how Westeros was shaped through the arrival of the Targaryens and their dragons.

A lot of the focus of the series will be on the battles waged in bringing the realm under one ruler as well as the truth behind Aegon’s Dream, which has become a prominent part of House of the Dragon. However, the show would need to give some explanation as to how the reality of Westeros that existed when Aegon arrived was transformed into the one that audiences were introduced to at the beginning of Game of Thrones.

This would include seeing Aegon bend the kingdoms to his rule, the allies he forms from this war, and Dorne’s ability to withstand the invasion. Even if it is not the main focus of what this story is about nor is it what fans will likely be most interested in, the formation of the Seven Kingdoms is an essential part of the story that can fill in a lot of background information.