Played by Paddy Considine, Viserys I Targaryen is the current King of the Andals and the Rhoynar, the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, having inherited after King Jaehaerys I Targaryen passed away. A gentle, intelligent man, he has long decided his eldest daughter, Rhaenyra, will succeed him. Viserys made his loyal vassals swear to follow his succession plan; however, when the series begins it’s already apparent the chances of a smooth transition of power are low.

The eldest child of the current king, Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Emma D’Arcy in the present day and Milly Alcock as a teen), has spent her entire life preparing to rule. She has done everything her father asked, including marrying Ser Laenor Velaryon over her preferred choices, to ensure it.

However, when Viserys passes, her stepmother, Alicent Hightower, challenges Rhaenyra, claiming her eldest son and Visery’s first-born male heir, Rhaenyra’s half-brother Aegon, should inherit instead. This is what sets off the Dance of Dragons, placing Queen Rhaenyra as the leader of the “Black” faction.

Played by John Macmillan (and Theo Nate as a teenager), Ser Laenor is the son of Viserys’ cousin, Rhaenys Targaryen and her husband Lord Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake. That makes him the second cousin of his wife, Rhaenyra Targaryen. The two married to firm up her claim to the throne, as Rhaenys’ father, the late Prince Aemon, was originally supposed to be next in line. However, Ser Laenor’s true love was Ser Joffrey Lonmouth. Though Rhaenyra gave birth six times (with three children surviving), most assume the children are not Laenor’s.

Played by Harry Collett, Jacaerys is the eldest of Rhaenyra’s children and loyal to his mother. He is named heir to the Iron Throne when his mother is crowned after Viswerys’ passing. Like his siblings, Lucerys and Joffrey, he looks nothing like his parents and is suspected of being the son of Ser Harwin Strong, Rhaenyra’s sworn shield.

Prince Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith, is Viserys’ hotheaded younger brother. He was initially married to Lady Rhea Royce of the Eyrie; however, when Viserys refused to let him out of it to marry Rhaenyra, his wife passed away under mysterious circumstances. He returned to King’s Landing and, as Rhaenyra was married to Laenor, he wed Laena Velaryon, Laenor’s older sister. He’s also been carrying on a long-term affair with Mysaria, the Mistress of Whispers. His loyalty to Rhaenyra puts him firmly on Team Black.

Played by Savannah Steyn, Laena was originally betrothed to a son of the Sealord of Braavos. However, Lord Corlys recognized quickly that her betrothed was a gambler, degenerate, and fool, and put off her wedding long enough that he got another, better offer from Daemon, who then offed the inconvenient fiancé in a duel to seal the deal. When the series starts, Laena has birthed twin girls and is pregnant with a son.

Played by Bethany Antonia and Phoebe Campbell, Lady Baela and Lady Rhaena are Daemon’s twin daughters and young dragon riders. Baela is betrothed to Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Jacerys, when the series begins, while Rhaena is more interested in hatching dragons.

Mysaria, the Mistress of Whispers in King’s Landing, played by Sonoya Mizuno, is not actually a Targaryen. However, she is Daemon Targaryen’s longtime mistress, with whom he has been sleeping since before his first wife passed away. She has a son by him, feeds him inside information, and is considered Team Black.

The opposition leader against Rhaenyra’s crowning, Lady Alicent Hightower, played by Olivia Cooke (and Emily Carey as a teen), was married to Viserys after his first wife, Aemma Arryn, passed away in childbirth. At first, she and Rhaenyra were good friends. However, when Alicent birthed not one but two sons, and Viserys did not make them his heirs, she became embittered and vicious. She is the leader of the plot to put her son on the throne as Aegon II Targaryen. Their faction is known as the Greens.

Played by Tom Glynn-Carney, Alicent’s eldest son, the would-be Aegon II has been told by his mother he should be the one to inherit the throne since he was a boy. As a teen, he is her pawn to put on the throne. Though Alicent is the one actually running the show, Aegon is allowed to be the daring Princeling who goes out and fights as the face of the Greens.

Played by Phia Saban and Ewan Mitchell respectively, these are the younger siblings of Aegon. They support their brother (and mother) in his (her) quest for the throne. They are very popular figures with the people of King’s Landing, especially Helaena, and they find themselves used for PR purposes to push the Greens’ cause.

The hand of King Viserys, Otto Hightower, played by Rhys Ifans, is a serious power player who scored a major coup by marrying his daughter Alicent to Viserys as his second wife. He’s also the one who has pushed hard to keep Daemon from marrying Rhaenyra or getting anywhere near the throne. There are times when it seems like Rhaenyra and Alicent’s friendship was a casualty of Otto’s desire for power, and the clash is as much about his rivalry with Daemon as it is Aegon’s right to inherit.

One might call the story of Rhaenys Velaryon (played by Eve Best) the show’s original sin that led to the Dance of Dragons in the first place.

Known as “The Queen Who Never Was,” Rhaenys Targaryen was Prince Aemon’s only child. When her father passed away before he could inherit, King Jaehaerys I decided instead of making Rhaenys his heir, the Iron Throne would pass to his second son, Baelor. When Prince Baelor then also inconveniently failed to outlive his father, there was a Great Council called, to decide who was next in line. As the firstborn of the firstborn, Rhaenys should have inherited the throne. However, Westeros had never had a Queen, and the desire by Jaehaerys’ advisors for the power to run through the male line meant she was passed over again.

Alicent’s argument Aegon, as Viserys’ firstborn son, should inherit over Rhaenyra stems directly from that council’s decision.

Rhaenys, for her part, is Team Black all the way.

Lord Corlys Velaryon, played by Steve Toussaint, is Rhaenys’ husband. Known as the Sea Snake, objection to him as a possible king is part of why she was passed over twice for the crown. Though Lord Corlys has been loyal to his wife for all these decades as she has been sidelined, he is a power player and likes to be on the winning side.

Played by Fabien Frankel, Ser Criston Cole is the other non-Targaryen on this list. He was born a commoner and made a name of world renown with his swordsman skills. He also fell in love with Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and, at one time, was foolish enough to think she would marry him. When she rejected him and married Laenor instead, he became her sworn enemy and is Team Green.