who are the blackfyres
Who Are the Blackfyres? (Quick Scoop)
The Blackfyres are a fictional offshoot of House Targaryen in George R. R. Martin’s _A Song of Ice and Fire_ universe, famous for rebelling against the main Targaryen line in a series of brutal civil wars.Origins: From Sword to House
- Blackfyre is originally the name of Aegon the Conqueror’s Valyrian steel sword, a hand‑and‑a‑half longsword and one of the two great ancestral blades of House Targaryen.
- Around a century and a half later, King Aegon IV (“the Unworthy”) gives this symbolic sword to his beloved bastard son, Daemon Waters, instead of to his trueborn heir Daeron.
- Daemon takes the sword’s name as his own, becoming Daemon Blackfyre , and thus creates House Blackfyre , a legitimized but cadet branch of the Targaryens.
In simple terms: a Targaryen king handed the family’s most important sword to the wrong son, and that choice eventually tore the dynasty in two.
What Is House Blackfyre?
- House Blackfyre is an extinct branch of House Targaryen, founded by Daemon Blackfyre after Aegon IV legitimizes all his bastards on his deathbed.
- Their sigil is the Targaryen three‑headed dragon with the colors reversed: a black three‑headed dragon breathing black flame on a red field.
- Like the main Targaryens, Blackfyres share Valyrian features: pale or platinum hair and violet eyes.
| Aspect | House Targaryen | House Blackfyre |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Dragonlords from Valyria, ruling Westeros from Aegon’s Conquest. | [3]Cadet branch founded by Daemon Blackfyre, bastard of Aegon IV. | [5][3]
| Founding Symbol | Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre as royal blade. | [7][3]Sword Blackfyre gifted to Daemon, name taken as house name. | [7][3]
| Sigil Colors | Red dragon on black. | [1]Black dragon on red (reversed colors). | [5][1]
| Political Role | Ruling royal dynasty of Westeros. | [3]Rival claimants, leading multiple rebellions. | [10][5]
| Eventual Fate | Dethroned in Robert’s Rebellion. | [3]Male line wiped out by reign of Jaehaerys II. | [10]
The Blackfyre Rebellions (Why They Matter)
Once Daemon Blackfyre has the sword, a name, and legitimacy, many nobles believe he—not Daeron II—is the “true” Targaryen king.Key beats:
- Aegon IV’s deathbed move
- He legitimizes all his bastards, including Daemon, in one final act of chaos.
* This puts Daemon (a charismatic warrior) in open competition with Daeron (a more bookish, diplomatic heir).
- First Blackfyre Rebellion
- Daemon Blackfyre openly claims the Iron Throne, raising the banner of the black dragon and plunging Westeros into civil war.
* The conflict becomes one of the bloodiest Targaryen‑on‑Targaryen wars, remembered for the Battle of Redgrass Field and the clash of key figures like Bittersteel and Bloodraven.
- Successive Pretenders
- Even after Daemon’s defeat and death, Blackfyre Pretenders (his descendants or claimed descendants) keep reappearing.
* They spark a series of uprisings—multiple Blackfyre Rebellions—that last roughly from Daeron II’s reign to that of Jaehaerys II, when the male Blackfyre line is finally extinguished.
In the book‑lore, these rebellions are a recurring, long‑shadow civil war: the Blackfyres are basically the Targaryen dynasty’s worst internal enemy for about a century.
Blackfyres in Wider Lore & Fan Discussions
- In fandom discussions, the Blackfyres are often talked about as the “what‑if” kings—what Westeros might have looked like if Daemon had won.
- Theories link later characters and plots (like “Young Griff” and shadowy conspiracies in Essos) to possible surviving Blackfyre blood or Blackfyre‑backed schemes, though much of that remains speculative in the text.
- The animated Histories & Lore segment “The Blackfyres,” narrated by Varys, retells their story as a saga of ambition, grievance, and a hunger for power that takes decades to burn out.
In many forum threads, you’ll see them described as “the Targaryens’ greatest enemies—and also their closest kin,” which captures their role perfectly.
Quick TL;DR
- Who are the Blackfyres?
A legitimized cadet branch of House Targaryen, founded by Daemon Blackfyre, a bastard of Aegon IV who was given the royal Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre.
- What’s special about them?
They bear the reversed Targaryen sigil (black dragon on red) and launch multiple major rebellions against the main Targaryen line over about a century.
- Why do fans care?
Their rebellions shape Westerosi history in the background of A Song of Ice and Fire , and they fuel a lot of theories about secret claimants, hidden bloodlines, and long‑term political plots.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
