Are Targaryens fireproof? Not in House of the Dragon, sometimes in Game of Thrones

(Image credit: HBO)

Are Targaryens fireproof? It's a fair question, considering Game of Thrones repeatedly showed Daenerys Targaryen escaping from flames unscathed. They don't call her "The Unburnt" for nothing. But, House of the Dragon seems to point the other way, with more than one Targaryen revealed to be susceptible to heat. So what's the truth?

We explain all right here, with some help from both shows and the words of George R.R. Martin. But, be warned, the following delves into House of the Dragon episode 6 and Game of Thrones spoilers, so turn back now if you're not up to date!

Are Targaryens fireproof?

Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith in House of the Dragon — (Image credit: HBO)

In Game of Thrones, Daenerys was absolutely, without a doubt, fireproof. She walked from a funeral pyre unharmed, burned the khals' temple to the ground without so much as a blister, and is even shown gripping hot metal and sinking into a scalding bath without a flinch. "Fire cannot kill a dragon," she says, after her brother Viserys (not the same one as House of the Dragon's King Viserys) is killed with a pot of molten gold poured over his head.

Naturally, that might lead you to believe Targaryens are fireproof – though, in Game of Thrones season 1, Jon Snow, who is truly Aegon Targaryen, yelps in pain when he picks up a burning lantern. But, according to George R.R. Martin, Targaryens definitely aren't fireproof.

"TARGARYENS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO FIRE!" Martin stressed in a Q&A way back in 1999 (via Time). "The birth of Dany's dragons was unique, magical, wonderous, a miracle. She is called The Unburnt because she walked into the flames and lived. But her brother sure as hell wasn't immune to that molten gold." In the books, Daenerys gets her hair singed off more than once, though, curiously enough, never seems to burn her skin. Perhaps she's the one exception?

House of the Dragon is making sure we know Targaryens aren't fireproof, too. For one thing, reference is made to Viserys' wounds being cauterized in episode 1 – if he was immune to fire, that would never work. Then, Daemon appears to be burned by a flaming arrow during the War for the Stepstones in episode 2, and the scar is present throughout the rest of the series.

call_me_dumb_but_i_just_realized_its_a_burn_scar from r/HouseOfTheDragon

Then there's Laena Velaryon. She might not be a Targaryen, but she is a dragon rider with Valyrian blood. But, in episode 6, Laena commands Vhagar "dracarys" when her childbirth goes horribly wrong. Vhagar is reluctant, but eventually does as she's told – and Laena is burned to a crisp.

So, the answer to "are Targaryens fireproof?" is no, unless you're the Mother of Dragons herself.

See our House of the Dragon release schedule to find out when the next episode arrives in your time zone – and fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix shows streaming now.