House of the Dragon: What Is House Velaryon’s Fate After The Dance of Dragons

House Velaryon once ruled the seas with unmatched wealth, legendary ships, and the brilliant leadership of Corlys Velaryon—but the Dance of the Dragons changed everything. As House of the Dragon Season 3 plunges into devastating battles and political wars, the mighty naval house suffers many great losses.

With its fleet shattered and the Driftmark succession uncertain, the Velaryons face a fight for survival. So, what becomes of the proud rulers of the sea after the Targaryen civil war? Evidently, we haven’t heard much of them in Game of Thrones, clear proof that the house failed to maintain its power.

House Velaryon’s Decline After Targaryen Civil War, Explained

House Velaryon emerged from the Dance of the Dragons as one of the war’s greatest losers, despite remaining fiercely loyal to Rhaenyra. Her paranoia led her to order Addam Velaryon’s arrest, prompting Corlys to help him escape before being imprisoned for defiance, while Addam later died proving his loyalty at the Second Battle of Tumbleton. With Joffrey Velaryon dead, the Velaryon fleet abandoning Rhaenyra, and the queen herself killed, the house’s political and military power collapsed.

Corlys survived by adapting to the shifting tides of power after Rhaenyra’s fall. Pardoned by Aegon II, he supported the king only after securing a marriage alliance between Aegon the Younger and Jaehaera, then later helped peacefully transfer the throne to Aegon III. Although he finished his life as the young king’s regent, Corlys could not restore the influence House Velaryon had lost during the civil war.

The family’s fortunes stabilized under Alyn Velaryon, the legendary Oakenfist, who rebuilt its reputation through naval victories rather than political dominance. His successful campaigns in the Stepstones, against Dalton Greyjoy, and during Daeron I’s conquest of Dorne proved the Velaryons still commanded the seas. Aegon III’s second marriage to Daenaera Velaryon also kept the family closely tied to the Targaryen bloodline.

Even so, House Velaryon never regained the unmatched power it enjoyed under Corlys the Sea Snake. By the time of the later Targaryen kings, the Velaryons remained respected nobles and continued to hold prestigious positions, such as serving as Master of Ships under Aerys II Targaryen.

After Robert’s Rebellion, they became a minor house sworn to House Baratheon of Dragonstone. While they never regained major influence, House Velaryon didn’t go extinct; Lord Monford Velaryon and his son Monterys appear in Game of Thrones, and Aurane Waters, Monford’s bastard brother, briefly served as Master of Ships. Their near-total absence from the story simply reflects how far the house had fallen from prominence.

This only means that political relevance in Westeros often depends on military strength and royal alliances rather than lineage alone. Although House Velaryon survived, the loss of dragons and the fall of the Targaryen dynasty effectively erased the house’s prominence.

Upcoming HBO Animated Series Teases Return of House Velaryon

The Velaryon Fleet in House of the Dragon / Credits: HBO

Although House Velaryon’s influence declines after the Dance of the Dragons, HBO may soon revisit the family at the height of its power through the planned animated prequel Nine Voyages.

The project was originally conceived as a live-action series titled The Sea Snake, focusing on the legendary voyages of Corlys Velaryon before the events of House of the Dragon. However, George R. R. Martin confirmed via Not A Blog that HBO shifted the project to animation because depicting Corlys’ globe-spanning adventures and countless exotic ports would be too expensive in live action.

Martin also revealed that Nine Voyages is one of several projects set in the Game of Thrones universe that remain in development. More recently, Steve Toussaint, who portrays Lord Corlys in House of the Dragon, assured fans that the project is still ongoing, adding that the animated format could even allow him to voice a younger version of the Sea Snake.

If the series moves forward, Nine Voyages would explore the adventures that made Corlys the richest man in Westeros long before the Targaryen civil war. Fans could finally see his legendary expeditions to places such as Yi Ti, Asshai, Qarth, and the Jade Sea—journeys that built House Velaryon’s immense fortune and cemented its reputation as the greatest seafaring family in the Seven Kingdoms.

Would you like to know more about the Sea Snake’s adventures? Let us know in the comments!

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max.