house of the dragon‘s fifth episode is an eventful one. But between the weddings, feasts and fights, the most important moment was when all eyes were on Alicent Hightower’s dress.
While the show itself gave a small explanation of its historical significance, it plays an important role in the rest of the series’ story. So let’s talk a little more about Westeros’ most famous green dress.
[Ed. note: This story contains spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 5.]
Actually everything in it house of the dragon through episode 5 led up to Alicent coming to Rhaenyra’s wedding in a light green dress. While the Queen’s late arrival was noted by all, perhaps it fell to Larys Strong house of the dragon‘s smartest character to let the audience know why the shade of the dress actually matters.
For starters, green is as far removed as possible from the traditional black and red colors of House Targaryen, symbolizing a lack of support for the family – and Rhaenyra – from the queen. More importantly, as Larys explains, the light at the top of the Hightower in Old Town (the home of Alicent’s family and the building that gives them their name) glows green as a symbol of war, a bit of information added to the show his source material, that of George RR Martin, was not available Fire & Blood.
In other words, Alicent’s perceived betrayal of Rhaenyra and her husband King Viserys, who also drove her father Otto out of King’s Landing and his position as Hand of the King, was severe enough for Alicent to declare war on House Targaryen. As her first true act of independence, Alicent has decided to end the uneasy – and always unequal – friendship that once shared Rhaenyra and Alicent.
Of course, this massive division will likely force the rest of Westeros to choose a faction of House Targaryen, but more importantly, it will also force the two sides to find ways to identify. This is where the dress itself comes into play again.
Without giving away too much about what’s to come, it’s probably worth knowing that Alicent’s followers will be known as the Greens, while Rhaenyra’s cohort will be the Blacks, retaining the traditional colors of House Targaryen. And these two sides will form our two main factions as the Dragon Dance progresses.
