A familiar tune accompanies new visuals.
After introducing its first episode without traditional opening credits, House of the Dragon has revealed its full opening sequence, and it's sporting a familiar theme that long-time fans will be happy to hear again.
Co-creators Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochni told ET that they opted to forego an opening sequence in House of the Dragon's first episode as a “creative choice” so as to “get on the tell the story.” As such, episode one functioned as a cold open for the series.
However, the second episode of the Game of Thrones prequel finally introduces an opening sequence that combines the original series' nostalgic theme song with a fresh take on its visuals.
the opening of #HouseoftheDragonpic.twitter.com/PrsbAa15Lj
— house of the dragon scenes (@sceneshotd) August 29, 2022
Returning composer Ramin Djawadi's famous Game of Thrones theme plays over the opening credits of House of the Dragon as it greets viewers with an aesthetically similar visual style to the original show, albeit much darker. This time around, the focus is on heavy foreshadowing – a trail of blood makes its way through Valyria, eventually splintering in various directions as it encounters different sigils, each alluding to an important moment in the long and storied history of the Targaryen bloodline.
Reactions on Twitter and elsewhere have been mixed, with plenty of users liking it for its nostalgic vibe and plenty of others wondering why House of the Dragon didn't go with something new.
I'm enjoying House of the Dragon well enough so far, but I do think they should have created a new opening theme song.
— DAEMON (@DaemZero) August 29, 2022
House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones and follows the Targaryens during a period of turmoil that eventually leads to the war of succession known as the “Dance of the Dragons.” To the surprise of some, the show has started its run with largely positive reception and has already been renewed for a second season.
In our review of the premiere episode, we said, “House Of The Dragons is here to stake a claim to its progenitors’ title at the pinnacle of peak TV, and this first episode makes a solid case.”
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Billy Givens is a freelancer at IGN with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. His work can also be found on GameSpot, USA Today, Digital Trends, Tom's Guide, and more. You'll find him blabbering on about video games and more on Twitter at @mektige.