Blackfyre Rebellion explained: what it means for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has already referenced the Blackfyre Rebellion within its first two episodes, even though the series is set just 13 years after that war ended.
According to George R. R. Martin's writings, the Blackfyre Rebellion sprang from Aegon IV's tangled family politics: rumors about the legitimacy of his heir Daeron, resentment over Daeron's Dornish ties, and Aegon IV's decision to legitimize many of his bastards on his deathbed.
One favored bastard, Daemon Blackfyre, who resembled Aegon IV and received the Targaryen sword Blackfyre, used that support to press a claim on the Iron Throne. The conflict split parts of Westeros—notably families in the Stormlands and the Reach—and lasted about a year.
The rebellion ended at the Battle of Redgrass Field, where Brynden "Bloodraven" Rivers led archers who killed Daemon and his oldest sons, while Baelor and Maekar, sons of the king, commanded the royal forces; Daemon's descendants escaped with the sword, ensuring the enmity resurfaced in later generations.
In the show the war mainly provides political background—Dunk attends the tourney at Ashford and Egg fantasizes about slaying "Blackfyre bastards" in Episode 2—so the Blackfyre line is not yet an active threat on screen. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has not fully explained the rebellion, and, assuming future seasons follow the novellas, that lingering hatred may become more central.
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