The Big Picture

• Game of Thrones spin-offs don't follow a chronological order, creating confusion about the timeline.
• Each series corresponds to a specific time in Westeros, detailed in George R. R. Martin's fictional universe.
• Multiple spin-offs are in development, each focusing on different eras in the history of Westeros.

Game of Thrones rapidly moved from series to franchise, with one spinoff already popular and several more on the way. However, these shows are not coming out in chronological order. Game of Thrones introduced the world at one time, and House of the Dragon goes back hundreds of years. Each new series announced exists during a specific period in time, but not all are immediately clear. As the timeline of Westeros is filled in haphazardly, how everything fits together can be confusing. Worse, the order is important to keep in mind, considering that most series detail a fight for the same throne, and the main families exist throughout all the series. The sprawling world often references its history, making it crucial to know where any given show falls in the timeline.

But to discuss the timeline, there must be a unit of measurement. Luckily, this is provided by author George R. R. Martin. In Westeros, the years are measured by their relation to Aegon's Conquest, either Before the Conquest (BC) or After the Conquest (AC). This provides a clearly defined event to measure the passage of time and, as a bonus, establishes how long the Targaryen family has ruled Westeros in each series. With so much going on, it's no surprise that the timeline is growing complicated, but with the right information, it all fits together well.

'Game of Thrones' (2011-2019)

298 A.C.

Serving as the introduction to Westeros, Game of Thrones did not need to establish the year clearly because, at the time, it was the only series. Yet, the show does have a date in the timeline, largely due to the detailed information in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books. Ned Stark (Sean Bean) moves to King's Landing to become Hand to King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) in 298 AC. This date provides plenty of time for the rise and fall of the Targaryen dynasty, which happened a few decades before the series, giving Robert time to be king. But that is only the beginning of the series.

From there, the story continues, showing the fallout of Robert's death and the inevitable war as the White Walkers venture south. Though the growth of the young characters shows the passage of time, other evidence of the progression is lacking. Years in Westeros are not as clear as fans are used to, as there is no regular changing of the seasons. Instead, the seasons are controlled by magic, corresponding with the events of the world and sometimes lasting years or even decades. The Stark's iconic words, "Winter is Coming," warn of dark times ahead, as do the chiding meme-friendly words, "Sweet summer child." The series ends in 305 AC, seven years after it began.

'House of the Dragon' (2022-Present)

112 A.C., 186 Years Before 'Game of Thrones'

House of the Dragon goes back generations before Game of Thrones to explore the Targaryen dynasty at its height, before the death of the dragons or their destruction in Robert's Rebellion. The two shows share several connections, with Game of Thrones characters clearly descending from those in House of the Dragon. To highlight that, the first episode of House of the Dragon establishes the date in relation to Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), the most prominent Targaryen in Game of Thrones, revealing that the new show takes place 172 years before her birth. Of course, Daenerys is not an infant in the series, putting 186 years between the beginning of each series as House of the Dragon starts in 112 AC.

However, House of the Dragon is a particularly difficult addition to the timeline as the first season includes many time jumps. Season 1 ranges from 112 to 129 AC, showing Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) reach adulthood and become mothers before the Dance of the Dragons begins. The upcoming second season will continue a little further, but with the time jumps at an end, it will not cover as much time. After the events of House of the Dragon (which will presumably end at the end of the Dance of Dragons), there were many changes before Game of Thrones officially starts, including the extinction of the dragons, the acquisition of Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms, and the loss of the Prophecy of Ice and Fire.

'The Hedge Knight' (2025)

209 A.C., 80 Years After 'House of the Dragon', 90 Years Before 'Game of Thrones'

House of the Dragon is only the beginning of the expansion of the universe. Between the first two stories is the upcoming series The Hedge Knight, which is coming in 2025. Though there is little information on the series, we do know that it is based on Martin's novella series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which introduces the general story of Ser Dunk the Tall and his royal squire Aegon "Egg." The series also provides a date for the story, though the adaptation could potentially shift slightly from the source material if they adjust ages like House of the Dragon.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ranges several years, but it begins in 209 AC, making it roughly 80 years after House of the Dragon and 90 years before Game of Thrones. Splitting the difference between the two previous shows, The Hedge Knight has the opportunity to overlap characters with either show. The youngest characters in House of the Dragon could potentially be elderly in The Hedge Knight, and the show could introduce young versions of Game of Thrones' oldest characters. Namely, Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) and Walder Frey (David John Bradley) are established in Martin's writings to be old enough to appear.

What About Other 'Game of Thrones' Spinoffs?

HBO is continually adding more potential series, making a long list of spin-offs that we may see, and some we won't. Each will take on a different point in time, as seen by the several currently in development. Some of these spinoffs correlate specifically with other shows, like the series centering on Jon Snow (Kit Harington), which would continue his story after Game of Thrones. Though the exact date of that series, like almost everything about it, is a mystery, it would take place in the early 300s AC, shortly after the character was last seen in the Game of Thrones finale.

Another spinoff about a familiar character in the works is Nine Voyages, which features House of the Dragon's Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) in his youth. According to Martin, this is now in production as an animated show as it details Corlys' famous trips around the world. Though the exact dates of these voyages are unknown, the companion novel Fire & Blood reveals that he began his famed voyages by 77 AC and completed them by 90 AC when he married, making this story roughly 30 years before the character appears in House of the Dragon. Of course, the series may change the dates, especially if it includes his romance with his eventual wife, Rhaenys (Eve Best), who was only 16 when they married in 90 AC.

Other series under development would venture further back in time. Recently, HBO confirmed that a show about Aegon the Conqueror is in the works. Detailing the events that define Westeros' timeline, this would take place in 0 BC as the first Targaryen King wins his crown. But that still isn't the earliest series.10,000 Ships is expected to tell the story of Dorne's founding, which, according to Martin's extensive history, would be set 700 years BC, making this the furthest removed of all the shows.

The only show still in development without a confirmed place in the timeline is The Golden Empire, which ventures outside of Westeros, making its connection to the others unclear, especially as there is little information confirmed about it. With potential new series ranging throughout the timeline, more of the world will certainly be filled in, making the order more convoluted than ever.

Game of Thrones is streaming on Max in the U.S.

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