Hugh Hammer claiming a dragon in House of the Dragon is way more of a power move than anyone realized

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Fans of George R.R. Martin’s works have pointed out the irony in Hugh’s claiming

Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer in House of the Dragon season 2
(Image credit: HBO)

In the most recent episode of House of the Dragon season 2 a central dragonseed claimed his very own dragon, but there's actually more to the story than him just being a Targaryen. 

Warning, major spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 7 follow, so make sure you are all caught up with the series before reading on. 

During the penultimate episode, Hugh Hammer arrived in Dragonstone with other dragonseeds to tame wild dragons and strengthen Rhaenyra’s army. After Vermithor killed most of the seeds, Hugh was eventually able to claim him. But there is more than meets the eye here, as Vermithor's past rider was none other than King Jaehaerys I, Hugh’s grandfather. This makes Hugh's mother Princess Saera Targaryen. 

In Martin’s Fire and Blood, Saera was punished by her father for being disobedient and promiscuous. This led to him banning her from claiming a dragon, and later disowning her before she ran away to work at a pleasure house. Fans have pointed out the irony in this and have been reveling in Saera’s silent win on social media. 

"Hugh being Saera Targaryen's son and claiming Vermithor… that's karma and I love it," tweeted one fan, while another echoed, "The fact that the bastard of the daughter that Jaeherys banished now rides HIS precious Vermithor, oh it's too grand."

To see her bastard son now riding her father's prize possession after he never let her ride a dragon must have felt pretty satisfying for Saera, who actually died not that long after her father did. Hugh’s strong relation to Vermithor’s past rider is probably why the beast accepted the Blacksmith as his new master. See our Targaryen family tree for Hugh's other relations.

However, now the finale is looming it is time for him to really claim his Targaryen name. All that's left to be revealed now is whether Hugh and Vermithor, the second largest dragon in The Realm, are tough enough to take on Aemond and Vhagar.

Megan Garside
Megan Garside
Junior Social Media Editor, GamesRadar+

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.