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TARGARYEN is the notorious family of Valyrian descent who have ruled the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in Game of Thrones.

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Its sigil is a three-headed red dragon behind a black background, and their famous house words are fire and blood. Continue reading for all the things you must know about this family - in particular, Jon Snow and Daenerys.

Who was the 'Mad King' Aerys Targaryen and why was he overthrown?

Aerys Targaryen is the 'Mad King' who was overthrown by Robert Baratheon in a civil war that took place around 17 years before the first book or episode of Game of Thrones.

He was the last Targaryen to sit on the Iron Throne after three centuries of rule by the family.

His rule was benevolent at first but the Mad King is legendarily cruel.

During his reign he became increasingly paranoid and murderous, using wildfire to burn his enemies alive because there were no dragons in Westeros then.

Although the Mad King's cruelty is now legend, this is not what caused Robert Baratheon to lead a rebellion against him.

In fact the rebellion started because Aerys's son and heir, Prince Rhaegar, 'abducted' Ned Stark's sister Lyanna, leading Houses Stark and Baratheon to rebel.

They were later joined by other houses and won a decisive victory over House Targaryen.

The decisive moment in the war saw Aerys's own hand Tywin Lannister join the rebellion against him.

Jaime Lannister got his 'Kingslayer' nickname when he put his sword through the king he had sworn to protect as a Kingsguard.

Since the Mad King was overthrown there's been very little stability in the seven kingdoms as myriad dynasties vie for power - from the Lannisters, to the Baratheon brothers, to his own descendants.

How is Jon Snow a Targaryen and is he the heir to the Iron Throne?

The story goes that years before the events of Game of Thrones take place, Ned Stark discovered that his sister Lyanna hadn't been kidnapped and raped by Rhaegar at all.

A flashback in season seven by Three-Eyed Raven, Bran, confirmed that the pair had actually been in love and they secretly got married.

Jon was conceived by the married couple and Lyanna gave birth to him after Robert launched his rebellion.

Ned made a promise to dying sister Lyanna that he would protect the baby she'd had with recently murdered Rhaegar.

The siblings both knew that if ruling King Robert knew of the existence of an heir to the Targaryen throne, then he would be executed without hesitation.

Ned took in young Aegon as his own, renaming him as Jon Snow, to protect him.

The revelation leads Jon to discover that girlfriend Daenerys is actually his aunt.

Who are the other Targaryens?

The Targaryens are a dragonlord family with the sigil of a three-headed dragon breathing flames.

The Targaryen dynasty interbred to keep their bloodline pure and make their powers more potent.

Daenerys's mother Rhaella Targaryen was also her father's sister, while her brother Viserys once commented that had Daenerys been older she would likely have been betrothed to Rhaegar.

The interbreeding also had the unfortunate side-effect of accentuating the madness that ran in the family - as Cersei Lannister pointed out, half of the Targaryens went mad.

After Robert Baratheon usurped the Iron Throne and vowed to destroy House Targaryen there weren't many descendants left.

King Aerys was killed by Kingslayer Jaime Lannister after being betrayed. His wife Rhaella was murdered as well.

Game Of Thrones Complete Family Tree Games

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, heir to the Mad King who 'abducted' Lyanna Stark and started the war, was killed by Robert in battle.

His wife Elia Martell and children Rhaenys and Aegon were killed by The Mountain, Gregor Clegane.

Game of Thrones viewers have met Daenerys and Viserys Targaryen on-screen. They are the Mad King's children, and siblings to dead Prince Rhaegar.

Aemon Targaryen became the Maester to the Night's Watch, and was not involved in the civil war as he was at Castle Black.

Game Of Thrones Stark Family Tree

He was uncle to Aerys and great uncle to Daenerys before dying peacefully at The Wall.

He spent time with Jon but there is no way he could have known that they were related, sadly.

After Viserys was murdered by the Dothraki, Daenerys was left the last surviving Targaryen - before the truth about Jon was revealed.

Is the Night King a Targaryen?

Many fans believe the Night King’s symbol shares uncanny similarities to that of House of Targaryen’s crest.

At the end of the opening episode of season eight, a dead Ned Umber was tacked to the wall surrounded by a spiral made of human hands and arms that look like the crest when set alight.

Then in season seven, Jon shows Daenerys the carvings on the walls of the caves beneath Dragonstone that were inscribed there by the Children of the Forest.

And once again, the familiar symbol was seen near the drawings of the White Walkers.

As we all know, the Night King has a dragon in his army now and fans think this is another clue because the show's creators once claimed that 'only a Targaryen can ride a dragon'.

Plus in the Battle of Winterfell, we discovered that he can't be killed by dragon fire either.

But realistically, the Night King probably isn't a Targaryen in any way because he was created from one of the first men.

In fact, the Targaryen's family line weren't thought to be anywhere near that area at that time in Game of Thrones history.

The White Walkers were created a whole 6,000 years before the Targaryen conquest of Westoros!

Is Tyrion Lannister a Targaryen as well?

Viewers are convinced the character - played by Peter Dinklage - is the illegitimate son of Aerys “The Mad King” Targaryen.

And they've taken to Twitter to make their feelings known.

One wrote: 'Can’t wait til they reveal that Tyrion is actually a Targaryen!'

Another said: 'I wondered if Tyrion was a Targaryen when he was able to enter the crypt where they were being locked away and he wasn’t burnt to a crisp. He was able to speak to the dragons and they understood him. Tywin also questions Tyrion’s parentage.'

This theory would explain his fascination with dragons and fire!

While Game of Thrones' seventh season is coming to a close, there have been a few plots fans are waiting to see wrap up — or heat up — in the finale episode. Season 7 has been building toward a Daenerys and Jon Snow hookup. And after the pair's conversation last week while Jon laid in a bed, shirtless, sensitive, and offering to bend the knee, fans are more convinced of a union than ever. Dany and Jon would be the ultimate power couple in Westeros, or anywhere in the universe. But there is one thing holding fans back from rooting for these two crazy kids. It's just the small matter that Dany and Jon are, you know, sort of related. So just how are Jon and Dany related on Game Of Thrones?

Well, Daenerys Targaryen's father is Aerys II, aka the Mad King. Aerys had three children: Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys. Rhaegar was the eldest and rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms, and also Jon Snow's father, as revealed in Bran's vision last season. So Jon's dad is Dany's brother, which makes Dany Jon's aunt.

But being related hasn't stopped couples on Game Of Thrones before (hello twincest!). It hasn't stopped Targaryens before, either. Dany's mom and dad were brother and sister. And after all, Dany and Jon don't know they are related.

Whether Dany and Jon get together or not, it will still be a twist when/if Jon finds out about his lineage. So how can Jon find out? Well, Bran saw the events transpire firsthand as the Three-Eyed Raven. He's also in Winterfell now, so it wouldn't be hard to get the word out. And Gilly was reading a book aloud at the Citadel this season that held one of the most crucial reveals in Game of Thrones history: Lyanna and Rhaegar were legally married, and therefore Jon is not a bastard.

Before more information was revealed, Gilly was rudely manterrupted by Samwell. C'mon Sam, you know better. If Gilly still has this book, then Jon's secret could become public information. Jon would have claim as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, as he is not Rhaegar's bastard, but his only surviving son from a legitimate marriage. As Rhaegar was Aerys' eldest son, in a twist, Jon has more claim to the throne than Dany.

The Jon and Dany road is full of potential twists and ripe with drama. The two could have a marriage pact. Or there could be Targaryen infighting about who has more claim to the throne. And many fans are curious about Dany's fertility, and if the couple could have children. Having been raised a bastard, I doubt Jon would allow a child to be born out of wedlock. If Dany gets pregnant from an affair, Jon would probably marry her so the child would not suffer the way he did.

As the show has moved on from the storyline of the books, no one can really be sure about what's in store for Jon and Dany. Though the title for this season's finale episode, 'The Dragon and The Wolf,' is certainly starting chatter among fans. Viewers will just have to tune in and see what happens to Jon and Dany in the penultimate season finale.