Is Ulf from HOUSE OF THE DRAGON really the son of a famous Targaryen?

House of the Dragon may be a story about a Targaryen king and queen battling for the Iron Throne, but the latest episode introduced a family member who is most definitely not of royal blood. At least, that man claimed to be a dragon in “The Burning Mill.” A commoner named Ulf said he was the illegitimate brother of King Viserys and Prince Daemon. Was the gregarious, popular bar patron telling the truth? Or was he telling a tall tale when he said he was Rhaenyra’s unrecognized uncle? Whether Ulf is who he says he is is not as important as whether he really believes he is a Targaryen.

Ulf first appeared in the second episode of House of the Dragons second season, he wanders the streets near the Red Keep. There, he inquires about the rat catchers hanging on the walls. But the next episode reveals that he is much more than just a random resident of the city. He visits a tavern/brothel in King’s Landing, which he obviously frequents, and begins greeting many patrons who are happy to see him arrive. Ulf was there too, and wanted a free drink. To get one, he entertains his table neighbors, including a complete stranger, with something he is supposedly not even supposed to tell. It’s a story he made up all on his own.

“They say even Dorne mourned my grandfather’s death,” Ulf told the Dornean who had ordered him a mug quietly. “They call him the Conciliator.” That was one of the many nicknames of King Jaehaerys, the longest-reigning Targaryen king in Westeros history. House of the Dragon showed the beloved old king in his first episode at the Great Council. There, Jaehaerys called together all the lords of the realm to appoint his heir.

One of the many reasons Jaehaerys had no obvious successor was that the very father Ulf claimed as his own had died. “I am the son of Baelon the Brave,” Ulf said. Baelon was Jaehaerys’ second son. Until he died of appendicitis, he was also briefly the King’s heir to the Iron Throne after the death of Baelon’s older brother.

Could the famous, noble, heroic Baelon Targaryen have fathered a bastard son named Ulf? Absolutely. It’s not as if other good men in Westeros haven’t committed adultery by the millions, including members of the royal family. Baelon was also a young widower, so it’s possible that he didn’t cheat on his wife at all, but fathered an illegitimate child either before his marriage or after his wife’s death. It’s also very possible that Ulf’s mother simply lied when she said his father was a Targaryen. Or she could have lied because his father was a different, less important Targaryen. (His unusual hairstyle at least suggests some Targaryen blood.)

Why lie about Baelon when she slept with another Targaryen? Maybe she told Ulf that Baelon Targaryen was his father when he was heir to the Iron Throne.

However, if Ulf is telling the whole truth about his father, he is actually an uncle of Rhaenyra, whom he called “the one true queen.” Or at least he was until his supposed nephew Aegon showed up and a terrified Ulf quickly shouted, “Long live the king!”

Was anything Ulf said 100% true? At least one thing was. After claiming that “the blood of the dragon runs through his veins,” Ulf said, “Men would rip my head off for that.” He then called himself a “dragonseed,” a common term for Targaryen bastards, usually used for children born on the family’s ancestral home island. (Dragonseeds are countless there, but after a century, King’s Landing definitely has its own share. We may have seen one of Aegon’s bastard children in the children’s fighting arena in Season 1.)

Ulf also said that a dragonseed must “look after his own neck unless he has a white warden to do it for him.” That’s not usually true, but now, during a Targaryen civil war, it’s definitely true. Anyone in King’s Landing foolish enough to claim – to strangers, no less – that he’s Prince Daemon’s brother is putting his life on the line. Even if he’s lying and saying it in jest for free wine and ale, it could be a death sentence.

So why do it? Free drinks are always nice, but they’re hardly worth the risk of losing your head. (Further down the street, they hang rat catchers for seemingly no reason!) Being a little more popular with the bar patrons isn’t worth that kind of risk either. Besides, Ulf doesn’t seem brave enough to make such a bold claim, even in a bar where he’s popular. He’s not exactly brimming with courage.

Ulf is obviously not that smart, but he is obviously not completely stupid either. He was smart enough not to speak too loudly. And he correctly assessed the danger he was putting himself in. Yet he did it as if he felt compelled to share his “secret” against his better judgment, just as he felt the need to openly support Rhaenyra (until he got scared). All of this suggests that he might actually believe what he said about his father.

House of the Dragon obviously included this scene for an important reason. Ordinary people are not characterized that strongly in the Seven Kingdoms unless they are important. Ulf – known as “the White” because of his hair in George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood– is obviously a character worth paying attention to, even if you don’t know what’s in store for him in the future. But even if you do know, all viewers should pay attention to whether he really believes what he’s saying.

Mikey Walsh is an editor at Nerdist. You can follow him on Þjórsárden and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere where someone reviews the Targaryen kings.