Mapping the bloodlines across Westeros requires tracking centuries of strategic marriages, sibling unions, and hidden parentage. If you've ever lost track of who is related to whom during the War of the Five Kings, you aren't alone. The web of kinship spanning House Stark, House Lannister, and House Targaryen forms the backbone of every political betrayal in George R.R. Martin’s universe.
Understanding these dynastic connections cuts through the confusion of the television series and books. This guide breaks down the core family trees, untangles the most notorious secret lineages, and maps out how blood and marriage shaped the fate of the Iron Throne.
House Targaryen: The Dragon Dynasty
House Targaryen ruled Westeros for nearly three hundred years, maintaining their royal purity through systematic incest. Brother-sister and uncle-niece marriages were standard practice to keep the dragon-riding bloodline untainted.
King Aerys II, known as the Mad King, married his sister Rhaella Targaryen. Their union produced three children who survived into the core timeline: Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys.
- Rhaegar Targaryen: The eldest prince, married Elia Martell and fathered Rhaenys and Aegon. Later, his secret annulment and marriage to Lyanna Stark rewrote the dynastic succession.
- Viserys Targaryen: Spent his youth in exile across the Narrow Sea, ultimately trading his sister Daenerys to Khal Drogo for an army.
- Daenerys Targaryen: The Mother of Dragons, who outlived her siblings to reclaim the Targaryen name before her dramatic downfall.
The single most disruptive branch in this lineage stems from Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark. Their union wasn't public knowledge, meaning their son grew up labeled as a northern bastard while holding the true claim to the Iron Throne.
House Stark: The Wardens of the North
Based in Winterfell, House Stark values honor above political maneuvering, yet their family tree is defined by tragedy and separation. Lord Rickard Stark and his wife Lyarra produced four children: Brandon, Eddard (Ned), Lyanna, and Benjen.
Ned Stark married Catelyn Tully of Riverrun, anchoring a vital alliance between the North and the Riverlands. Together, they had five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon.
- Robb Stark: The Young Wolf who was proclaimed King in the North before being betrayed at the Red Wedding.
- Sansa Stark: Survived political imprisonment in King's Landing to eventually become Queen in the North.
- Arya Stark: Trained as a Faceless Man and ultimately assassinated the Night King.
- Bran Stark: Survived a crippling fall to become the Three-Eyed Raven and, eventually, King of the Six Kingdoms.
- Rickon Stark: The youngest son, killed by Ramsay Bolton during the Battle of the Bastards.
Ned also returned from Robert's Rebellion with a supposed bastard child named Jon Snow. For decades, the family tree concealed the reality that Jon was actually Aegon Targaryen, born of ice and fire.
House Lannister: Gold, Power, and Secrets
Tywin Lannister ruled Casterly Rock with ruthless pragmatism, cementing his family's wealth and dominance over the crown. Following the death of his wife Joanna during childbirth, Tywin raised three children: Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion.
The Lannister tree twists dangerously inward through the royal marriage of Cersei to King Robert Baratheon. While Robert fathered numerous bastards across Westeros, none of the three children born to Cersei—Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen—carried Robert's blood. They were born of an incestuous relationship between Cersei and her twin brother, Jaime.
- Cersei Lannister: Queen Regent whose relentless ambition triggered the destruction of her own children.
- Jaime Lannister: The Kingslayer whose complex redemption arc ended beneath the collapsing Red Keep.
- Tyrion Lannister: Despised by his father for causing Joanna's death, Tyrion utilized his intellect to serve as Hand of the King to multiple rulers.
House Baratheon and Interlocking Alliances
House Baratheon seized the Iron Throne after Robert’s Rebellion, backed by ancestral ties to the Targaryen line through their grandmother, Rhaelle Targaryen. Robert, Stannis, and Renly made up the three Baratheon brothers at the start of the conflict.
Because Robert's recognized heirs were biologically Lannisters, his true line persisted primarily through unacknowledged or legitimized descendants like Gendry. Meanwhile, auxiliary houses like the Tullys, Tyrels, and Martells expanded or collapsed based on marriage pacts gone wrong. Catelyn Tully connected the Starks to Riverrun, Lysa Tully married Jon Arryn to secure the Vale, and Margaery Tyrell cycled through multiple royal marriages to grasp the crown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Jon Snow's actual parents?
Jon Snow is the biological son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Ned Stark raised him as his own illegitimate son to protect him from Robert Baratheon, who sought to eradicate every remaining member of House Targaryen.
Are Cersei and Jaime's children legitimate heirs?
Legally, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen were recognized as Baratheons. Biologically, they were born of the incestuous relationship between Cersei and Jaime Lannister, meaning they had no legal right to the throne.
How are Daenerys and Jon Snow related?
Daenerys is Jon Snow's paternal aunt. Rhaegar Targaryen (Jon's father) was the older brother of Daenerys Targaryen, making Jon her nephew.
Why did House Targaryen practice incest?
Targaryens married within their family to preserve their magical bloodline, ensure dragon-riding capabilities, and prevent their silver-gold traits and ruling authority from diluting through outside houses.
