Small Details You Missed In The First House Of The Dragon Teaser Trailer

Winter has come and gone — and now it's time to go back to the golden age of one of the most ancient and powerful families in Westeros.

"Game of Thrones" may have come to a particularly unpopular end in May of 2019, frustrating fans with its rushed pace, seemingly unfinished storylines, and complete reversals of popular character arcs, but HBO isn't quite done with its most lucrative piece of intellectual property just yet. Enter "House of the Dragon," a prequel and a spin-off based on the exploits and dramatic intrigue of the Targaryen family, who ruled the Seven Kingdoms for years before their final monarch, Aerys II Targaryen (known as the "Mad King"), was murdered by opposing factions. Though "Game of Thrones" viewers are most familiar with Aerys' daughter Daenerys (played in the original series by Emilia Clarke), they'll likely jump at the chance to see more of her family members, especially when you consider that "House of the Dragon" boasts a stacked cast that includes Matt Smith ("Doctor Who," "The Crown"), Rhys Ifans ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,") Olivia Cooke ("Sound of Metal,"), and more.

Created by original series author George R.R. Martin and "Colony" veteran Ryan Condal, "House of the Dragon" is sure to make a splash when it finally arrives on HBO in 2022 — and with a brand new inaugural teaser, fans are going wild over all of the tiny details found within. Here's everything you missed in the first "House of the Dragon" teaser.

The first trailer for "House of the Dragon" is short, but there's plenty in the teaser to get excited about, including the first sighting of the Hand of the King, even if it's literally just a shot of the man's hand and pin. 21 seconds into the teaser, this first look shows a man adjusting his shirt, to which is pinned the ill-fated Hand of the King symbol. All "Game of Thrones" fans are well aware of how badly things can go for someone in this position, with Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) and Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) the only two to survive throughout the series.

In "House of the Dragon," this role will be filled by the character Otto Hightower, played by Rhys Ifans, who is most known for playing the Lizard in "The Amazing Spider-Man," Xenophilius Lovegood in "Harry Potter," and Spike in "Notting Hill." According to HBO's official character description, Hightower "loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm," but he greatly dislikes the king's brother, Prince Daemon, who he sees as "the greatest threat" to the kingdom. Of course, like Ned Stark (Sean Bean), this instinct and intense concern could easily lead to his death, because although he is the Hand of the King, we all know how hard it is to stop a Targaryen from getting what they want.

One of the most intriguing shots in the trailer shows off Paddy Considine's King Viserys I Targaryen sitting on the Iron Throne, clutching a pretty unique sword. The weapon in question is actually the Blackfyre sword, made out of Valyrian steel. Not only does this make it incredibly strong, but anyone who watched "Game of Thrones" knows that it's also one of the few materials in the world that can kill White Walkers.

The Blackfyre sword is the ancestral blade of the house, although it's worth knowing that House Blackfyre is a separate 'cadet' house built out of House Targaryen — and they've fought against their own family a number of times over the years. It's entirely possible that the show might include the Blackfyre Rebellion. However, "House of the Dragon" is building up to the main Targaryen civil war which eventually spells doom for the family, known as 'Dance of the Dragons.' It seems likely that the Blackfyre sword will cause plenty of in-fighting, depending on who wields it.

The trailer gives fans a very brief glimpse of the Iron Throne during a banquet scene involving the Targaryens and House Velaryon, but a later shot reveals that it has a vastly different look in the spin-off series. The last shot of the trailer shows a mysterious white-haired person strolling towards the Iron Throne in the Red Keep's Great Hall. But it's much bigger than fans of the main series were expecting.

It stretches outwards on both sides, with a sea of swords extending down the steps and spreading further into the hall. The Iron Throne was originally forged by Aegon the Conqueror, who used his dragon Balerion the Black Dread to melt 200 swords together before it was shaped into the iconic seat of power. The light shining on to the throne gives it a particularly dramatic look, most likely so it intimidates anyone who approaches the King. Honestly, it looks like a huge health and safety risk, if you ask us.

In a blink-and-you'll-definitely-miss-it moment 42 seconds into the teaser, we catch a glimpse of an image any "Game of Thrones" fan would be able to identify in their sleep: the wolf of the Stark sigil. During the scenes at the joust, the Stark banner can be seen as a horse carrying a rider gallops past. However, the Starks aren't the only family represented in those scene — in another shot, you can clearly see the familiar banners of House Tarly, which feature a red huntsman on a green background. Their size and placement leads us to believe the Tarlys are likely hosting the joust, and we quickly see a member of the family participating against a member of what appears to be House Cole (might this be Ser Criston Cole?). The lion sigil for House Lannister is also seen, as is a banner featuring a golden sunburst on a blue background, though it doesn't seem to be as easily identifiable as the others.

It's clear based on what we've seen that the house sigils have changed and evolved over time as they don't all match up perfectly with the versions that appeared in "Game of Thrones," which takes place 200 years after the events of "House of the Dragon." Even the Targaryen sigil seen elsewhere in the teaser is different: it features a dragon with four legs instead of just two. The changes are small, but they're a smart way to signify we're not in the same version of Westeros.

At 0:41, the teaser trailer provides fans with the first major look at actress Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, and it's safe to say that she does not look happy. Alicent is the daughter of the Hand of the King, described by HBO as "the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms." The young woman is very charming and capable, using her ability to expertly navigate social situations and manipulate people to gain political power and become a key member of the king's inner circle. Fans of the "Game of Thrones" universe can expect Alicent to play a very important role in the new series.

In the short clip shown in the "House of the Dragon" teaser, Alicent appears to be distraught, running through what is likely one of the main meeting rooms of the castle wielding a dagger with a ruby in the hilt. With little to go off of, it's hard to guess exactly what's going on here, but there are a few possible scenarios. One of the first that comes to mind is that Alicent is attempting to assassinate someone with the dagger, rushing through the surprised crowd to take revenge for something that happens earlier. Another possibility is that she finds the dagger somewhere — whether in someone or on its own — and is bringing it to King Viserys's attention.