“House of the Dragon” is finally back for Season 2 and the many players in Westeros are deciding whether they’re siding on Team Black with Rhaenyra’s claim for the throne, or choosing Team Green in support of Aegon II and the dowager queen Alicent.
The season picks up after the bloody end of the Season 1 finale. The Dance of the Dragons civil war is about to hit a boiling point and Westeros is once again preparing to leave peace time for war.
Here’s a refresher on the cast and characters of “House of the Dragon” – and who is Team Black or Team Green – as Season 2 rolls out on HBO and Max.
Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
Team Black
Matt Smith plays Daemon Targaryen – the Rogue Prince – in “House of the Dragon.” The second season finds him at odds with his wife and queen Rhaenyra Targaryen following her son Luc’s death.
Smith is most known for playing the 11th Doctor in “Doctor Who.” He also played Prince Philip in Netflix’s “The Crown,” starred as Milo in “Morbius” and was Jack in “Last Night in Soho.”
Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
Team Black
Emma D’Arcy plays Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen – who is trying to shore up allies in her bid for the Iron Throne while also grappling with the death of her son Luc at the hands of Aemond Targaryen.
D’Arcy has also starred in “Misbehavior,” “Mothering Sunday,” and “Truth Seekers.”
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
Team Green
Olivia Cooke plays Alicent Hightower, the dowager queen to her son Aegon II and widow of Viserys Targaryen. Season 2 picks up with her struggling to keep her sons in check as they gain power in King’s Landing.
Cooke starred as Art3mis in Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One.” She also starred in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Thoroughbreds,” and “Sound of Metal.”
Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower
Team Green
Rhys Ifans plays Otto Hightower, Alicent’s father and Hand of the King to the late Viserys Targaryen and his grandson Aegon II.
Ifans has some bonafides in the fantasy/genre space starring as Curt Conners/The Lizard in “The Amazing Spider-Man” and Xenophilius Lovegood in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.” He’s also starred as Spike in “Notting Hill” and Nigel Gruff in “The Replacements.”
Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
Team Green
Fabien Frankel plays Ser Criston Cole, the Commander of the Kingsguard and confidant to both Alicent and Aemond. He was previously in love with Rhaenyra, but when she rebuffed his pitch to run away together, he sided with Queen Alicent.
Frankel has also appeared in “The Serpent” miniseries and “Venice at Dawn.”
Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen
Team Black
Eve Best plays Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was. She is the first cousin of the late Viserys I, but was passed over for the throne in favor of Viserys I.
Best starred in “Nurse Jackie” from 2009-2015. She also appeared in “The King’s Speech,” “Lucky Man,” and as Carole Middleton in the final season of “The Crown.”
Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
Team Black
Steve Toussaint plays The Sea Snake, Corlys Velaryon, who is also married to Rhaenys Targaryen. He is the head of House Velaryon.
Toussaint has appeared in “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, in Prime Video’s “Small Axe,” and “Before We Die” from 2021-2023.
Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
Team Green
Ewan Mitchell plays Aemond Targaryen, the second son of Viserys and Alicent and brother to the king Aegon II. He lost his eye as a child at the hand of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys.
Mitchell played Osferth in Netflix’s “The Last Kingdom from 2017-2022. He also appeared in “Saltburn” and “High Life.”
Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen
Team Green
Tom Glynn-Carney plays Aegon II, the eldest son of Viserys and Alicent and the current king on the Iron Throne.
Glynn-Carney has appeared in “Dunkirk,” “The King,” and “Tolkien.”
Harry Collett as Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon
Team Black
Harry Collett plays Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon, the eldest son to Rhaenyra Targaryen. Officially, his father was Leanor Velaryon who was gay, but rumors swirl that his real father was Rhaenyra’s secret lover Harwin Strong.
Collett has also appeared in “Dolittle,” “Dunkirk” and “Galavant.”
Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
Team Green
Matthew Needham plays Larys Strong, a spy for both Alicent and Aegon II in King’s Landing.
Needham has starred in “Napoleon,” and the Netflix horror film “The Ritual.” On the TV front he’s had a recurring role in “Doctor Who” and appeared in the “Great Expectations” mini-series and “Sherlock.”