"It was green for a reason." The 14 subtle references you missed in House of the Dragon.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. 

After three long years, the world of Westeros is finally back on our screens.

House of the Dragon, HBO's much-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, is one of the biggest shows in the world right now.

Based on parts of the novel Fire & Blood, the series is set roughly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.

Watch the trailer for House of the Dragon. Post continues below.

The prequel has introduced us to plenty of new characters, but it is also packed with a bunch of subtle references and nods to the original series. 

Here are all the Easter eggs we've spotted in House of the Dragon so far.

Episode One: The Heirs of the Dragon

The cold winds in the North.

In the first episode of House of the Dragon, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) references the rising cold winds in the North.

He shares that Aegon the Conqueror, the first king of the Targaryen dynasty, had visions and dreams about the return of the White Walkers. 

Aegon unified six of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in the War of Conquest under the guise that the threat of White Walkers could only be tackled if Westeros stood as a united front.

...As Game of Thrones fans know, this reference points to one of the central plot points of the show.

The Dark Sister.

In the first episode, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) wields the Dark Sister during a jousting tournament against Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).

The Dark Sister is a sword which once belonged to Aegon the Conqueror's sister-wife, Visenya.

In Game of Thrones, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) mentions the sword to Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) while pretending to be a servant.

A reference to Nymeria.

In the episode, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) discuss Nymeria, the fabled warrior who helped to establish the rule of House Martell.

In Game of Thrones, Arya Stark's direwolf is named after Nymeria.

However, it's also believed that this reference to the historical figure is teasing a Game of Thrones spinoff centred on Nymeria's story that is currently in development titled 10,000 Ships.

Episode Two: The Rogue Prince

A reference to Ser Ryam Redwyne.

Episode two of House of the Dragon begins with the death of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Ryam Redwyne (Garry Cooper). Ser Ryam was mentioned several times in the A Song of Ice and Fire books.

In fact, in the books, Jon Snow pretended to be him in sword fights with Robb Stark as a child.

A reference to Vhagar.

In the same episode, Vhagar, the last surviving dragon from Aegon's conquest and the biggest dragon in Westeros, is referenced when Lady Laena Velaryon (Nova Foueillis-Mosé) asks Viserys about the whereabouts of the creature.

In the scene, Viserys admits that he's unsure where Vhagar has gone, potentially teasing an appearance from the dragon later in the show.

Vhagar was one of the three dragons flown by the Targaryens during Aegon’s conquest. The dragon was flown by Aegon's sister-wife Visenya.

We will soon see Vhagar 😍🔥🐉#HouseOfTheDragon pic.twitter.com/HgN7vUxn4P

— House of the Dragon News (@HOTDNewsHBO) September 20, 2022

Episode Three: Second of His Name

The Lannister twins.

In episode three, we meet Lord Jason Lannister and his twin brother Tyland.

In House of the Dragon, the Lannister twins are both played by actor Jefferson Hall, who appeared as Ser Hugh of the Vale in two episodes of the first season of Game of Thrones.

Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall) in House of the Dragon. Image: HBO.

Famous Westeros landmarks.

During the episode, Lord Jason Lannister also name drops a number of key Westeros locations that featured heavily in Game of Thrones, including Casterly Rock, the Wall and the Sunset Sea. 

Ser Harwin appears.

In episode three, Ser Harwin "Breakbones" Strong is spotted for the first time.

Played by Australian actor Ryan Corr, Ser Harwin is a knight and heir to Harrenhall, which is the seat of House Strong in Westeros.

In George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, Ser Harwin is rumoured to be the father of Rhaenyra's three sons with Laenor Velaryon.

While House of the Dragon has hinted towards the storyline, it's unclear yet whether it will come to fruition.

Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) in House of the Dragon. Image: HBO.

The symbolism of the white hart.

When Viserys arrives for the royal hunt in episode three, he is told that a white hart has been spotted. As Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) explains, the white hart is considered the "king" of the Kingswood – a sign that the Seven bless Viserys' one-year-old son Aegon. 

While the white hart avoids the royal hunters, it is later spotted by Rhaenyra, symbolising that the forest finds her – not Viserys or baby Aegon – as worthy of the Iron Throne.

While Ser Criston attempts to kill the animal, Rhaenyra stops him, giving the white hart the freedom she craves for herself.

The White Hart. Image: HBO.

Episode Four: King of the Narrow Sea

Secret castle passages.

In episode four, Rhaenyra receives a map which leads her to a secret passage behind her bed.

After taking the passage, the princess passes the skull of Balerion the Black Dread (the largest of all Targaryen dragons) and meets her uncle, Daemon Targaryen. 

In the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones, Jamie Lannister met his sister, Queen Cersei, in the same secret passage. It was here that the twins died in each other's arms as the castle crumbled above them.

Aegon's catspaw dagger.

Before the end of episode four, Viserys shows Rhaenyra a dagger with an inscription on it.

The king explains that Aegon the Conqueror had experienced visions predicting the Doom of Valyria. The blade reads: "From my blood comes The Prince Who Was Promised, and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire."

Aegon knew that the Great Winter was coming, and that a Targaryen needed to be in charge – a reference to the prophecy that Jon Snow brought to life at the end of Game of Thrones.

The catspaw dagger was also used in the final season by Arya Stark to kill the Night King.

The blade reads: "From my blood comes The Prince Who Was Promised, and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire." Image: HBO.

Episode Five: We Light the Way

The Queen of the Greens.

In episode five of House of the Dragon, a key moment in political history takes place when Queen Alicent Hightower arrives late to Ser Laenor and Princess Rhaenyra's wedding party in a show-stopping green and gold gown.

It's a pivotal moment for Alicent, who normally wears dresses that favour the Targaryen colour red.

As Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) explains in the scene, the colour of the lighthouse lamp at Oldtown is changed to green as a signal that they are being called to war.

Therefore, Alicent's green dress symbolises that she is ready to join the succession fight, opting to support her son Aegon as heir to the Iron Throne over her old friend and her husband's older daughter, Rhaenyra.

As the series progresses, Aegon's supporters will be known as the Greens, while Rhaenyra's supporters will be known as the Blacks.

Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) in House of the Dragon. Image: HBO.

Laena Velaryon is all grown up.

Laena Velayron, who first appeared in House of the Dragon at 12 years old, is all grown up in episode five of the series.

Now played by Savannah Steyn, the teenager flirts with the newly single Daemon at the celebration for Laenor and Rhaenyra’s wedding.

During the interaction, Laena probes Daemon about the recent death of his wife, Lady Rhea Royce (Rachel Redford).

Interestingly, Laena Velaryon is the second wife of Daemon Targaryen in Fire & Blood.

A brief appearance from Mushroom.

George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, which House of the Dragon is based on, is a fictional historical account of House Targaryen's rule over Westeros.

In the book, the source of some of the most salacious stories chronicled is a court entertainer, oddly named Mushroom.

In the episode, a man briefly seen playing the drums at the wedding celebration appears to be Mushroom.

COULD IT BE THE LEGEND MUSHROOM??? #HouseOfTheDragon #HOTD pic.twitter.com/9MGSS83Rsl

— out of context house of the dragon (@oochotd) September 12, 2022

In an interview with Insider, actor Paddy Considine (who plays Viserys) said he fought for Mushroom to come to life in the show.

"The only thing I asked was, 'Can we please have Mushroom at the wedding?'" he said. "That was my thing."

House of the Dragon is streaming now on Binge and Foxtel.

Feature Image: HBO.

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