What is the Blackfyre Rebellion in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

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HBO’s new show, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is a prequel to the popular Game of Thrones, and it returns audiences to the world of Westeros in a fresh and compelling time period.

The newest show based on George R.R. Martin’s work follows the journey of Ser Duncan, a tall knight nicknamed ‘Dunk’ (played by Peter Claffey), and his young apprentice, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), as they compete in a tournament hoping to win money and fame.

The show offers a surprisingly realistic and entertaining story set in a new era, marking a departure from previous installments as it’s the first to feature no dragons – the last one having died centuries ago in 153 AC.

I’ve been following the story, and it’s fascinating to learn that this new series takes place about 80 years after the Targaryen war we saw in House of the Dragon. It’s set almost 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and things seem pretty peaceful in Westeros right now, with King Daeron II Targaryen on the throne.

However, the Targaryen family hasn’t always had an easy time. Like before, they’ve faced plenty of internal conflict and trouble, especially after the Blackfyre Rebellion.

This covers all the important details about the Blackfyre Rebellion as told in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

What is the Blackfyre Rebellion in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

The Blackfyre Rebellion was a significant civil war within the Targaryen family, caused by a dispute over who should inherit the throne after King Aegon IV died. It seems they hadn’t learned from their previous civil war, the Dance of Dragons!

Aegon IV is widely seen as a terrible Targaryen king because, just before he died, he declared all of his illegitimate children legitimate heirs. This created chaos in the line of succession and ultimately led to war.

This caused Daemon Blackfyre, one of the king’s acknowledged sons, to claim the Iron Throne for himself, believing he was the rightful heir instead of his half-brother, King Daeron II Targaryen, and thus began another war.

Things became even more strained when Aegon IV gave Daemon the Blackfyre, a Valyrian steel sword that had long been a treasured heirloom of the Targaryen family.

Daemon Blackfyre rebelled against King Daeron II Targaryen, and in a defiant move, used the colours of House Targaryen reversed as his own banner, becoming known as ‘the Black Dragon’. This sparked a year-long conflict that divided the kingdom.

The first Blackfyre Rebellion began in 196 AC, about 65 years after the Dance of the Dragons (the events shown in House of the Dragon, which concluded in 131 AC), and approximately ten years before the story of The Hedge Knight.

Which Houses took part in the Blackfyre Rebellion?

The Blackfyre Rebellion was mainly a conflict between the great houses of Westeros – some supported the ruling Targaryen family, while others sided with the Blackfyre rebels.

Several things led people to support Daemon Blackfyre. Some questioned whether King Daeron II was the rightful heir, while others disliked the growing power of Dorne at court. King Aegon IV’s decision to give Daemon the family sword, Blackfyre, also played a role, as did the perception that Daemon looked more like a traditional Targaryen than his half-brother, the trueborn son.

The books indicate that almost half of the kingdom supported Daemon. He received the most significant backing from the Reach, the Riverlands, and the Stormlands, specifically including:

  • House Peake
  • House Osgrey
  • House Bracken
  • House Yronwood
  • House Butterwell
  • House Costayne
  • House Shawney
  • House Strickland
  • House Sunderly
  • House Cockshaw
  • House Risley

King Daeron II Targaryen continued to have the support of several strong and loyal noble families, such as:

  • House Targaryen
  • House Martell
  • House Arryn
  • House Corbray
  • House Hightower
  • House Oakheart
  • House Tarbeck
  • House Lothston

Although the First Blackfyre Rebellion ended with the fierce Battle of the Redgrass Field – a victory primarily due to the skill and tactics of Baelor and Maekar Targaryen – the conflict between the Black and Red factions continued to cause division in Westeros for many years.

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What is the timeline of the Blackfyre Rebellions?

Although Daemon I Blackfyre died at the Battle of the Redgrass Field, ending the initial Blackfyre Rebellion, his family launched four more major rebellions in attempts to take the Iron Throne from the Targaryens.

The timeline of the rebellions is as follows:

  • 196 AC – The First Blackfyre Rebellion
  • 211–212 AC – The Second Blackfyre Rebellion
  • 219 AC – The Third Blackfyre Rebellion
  • 236 AC – The Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion

The War of the Ninepenny Kings, fought in 258 AC, effectively ended the Blackfyre rebellion. Maelys the Monstrous, the last claimant to the Iron Throne from the Blackfyre family, was killed during the conflict while fighting against King Jaehaerys II Targaryen and his allies, known as the Band of Nine.

This finally brought the long-running Blackfyre struggle to a decisive end.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs weekly on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

You can watch all eight seasons of Game of Thrones and the first two seasons of House of the Dragon on Sky and NOW. Learn how to subscribe to Sky TV to start watching.

Authors

Nicola AustinFreelance Writer

Nicola Austin is a freelance journalist with a passion for sci-fi, fantasy, and animation. She’s written for many publications, including Empire, Digital Spy, and SciFiNow, covering TV and film. She’s a firm believer that The Mummy is a classic 90s film.

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2026-02-02 14:05