House Of The Dragon: What Is The Real Difference Between The Green & Black Trailers?

In a fairly unprecedented move, HBO released two distinct trailers for Season 2 of "House of the Dragon" — one focusing on Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and her Green army, and the other on Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her Black faction. So what does that mean, exactly?

As showrunner Ryan Condal told Entertainment Weekly in a full breakdown of both trailers, "House of the Dragon" Season 2 doesn't have a clear hero ... and that's the point. This is a war within one powerful family, and no matter who wins, many, many more will lose. After King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) dies towards the end of "House of the Dragon" Season 1, Rhaenyra and Alicent find themselves on opposing sides. Rhaenyra knows her father named her as his heir, but Alicent — and her powerful, manipulative father Otto (Rhys Ifans) — believes that her eldest son, Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), deserves to be the monarch.

"This is not a story of goodies and baddies, black hats and white hats," Condal said. "It's a story of this family that's been rent open by this dispute over who is meant to wear the crown after Viserys passes. Some people think it's Rhaenyra, some people think it's Aegon, and then there are other people within who think, 'Why should it be one of the two of them? Maybe it should be somebody else. Maybe it should be me!' The fun of this Greek tragedy is seeing, when you introduce a power vacuum to a world like this, how all of these individuals react."

So why exactly are Rhaenyra and Alicent's opposing sides known as the Green and Black factions? It honestly has far more to do with fashion than you might expect. In "House of the Dragon" Season 1, when Rhaenyra — played at that point by Milly Alcock — embarks upon her first marriage to Laenor Velaryon (Theo Nate), a young Alicent (Emily Carey) appears at the wedding reception clad in a striking green dress. That color is extremely important to Hightower lore, and the hue is a clear message to Rhaenyra, Alicent's confidante-turned-rival: The Hightowers are ready to go to war. It's the literal color of the beacon in the family's home of Oldtown that's lit when war is imminent and the town needs to take up arms.

The Black army that rallies behind Rhaenyra is named as such because she and her second husband (and uncle) Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) simply ... wear a lot of black clothing. Plus, the banner representing Rhaenyra and her ilk features a red dragon against a black background. Ultimately, in this fight between family members, colors are the only thing to signify where your loyalties lie — hence the green and black labels.

Besides the fact that the trailers represent each side of the familial conflict known as the Dance of the Dragons, how are the trailers different? That comes down to the overall tone. Let's begin with Alicent, who is filled with regret and mourning, even though she's ready to fight for Aegon to hold and keep the Iron Throne. This makes sense because, at the end of Season 1, her younger son Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) begins the war without really intending to do so. While the Greens and Blacks try to convince various houses in Westeros to support them, Rhaenyra's son Lucerys Targaryen (Elliot Grihault) is killed by Aemond and his enormous, ancient dragon Vhagar. during an airborne battle.

It's also because of this earth-shattering moment that Rhaenyra's trailer is marked by a thirst for revenge. Season 1 closes with a shot of the princess standing at her war table, ready to avenge her lost child, and the trailer makes it clear that Rhaenyra, Daemon, and her older children are out for blood. Beyond Lucerys' death, Rhaenyra also genuinely believes she's being robbed of her rightful place on the Iron Throne, so there's a lot at stake for her.

"House of the Dragon" returns on June 16.