The Dance of Dragons (Histories & Lore)

"The Dance of the Dragons" is part of the Histories & Lore, a special feature in the Blu-ray of Season 5 of Game of Thrones.

Adaptation
As the featurette is only 20 minutes long, it understandably only gives a concise overview of the most important events which occurred during the Dance of the Dragons - though it is a very accurate overview of the events it does cover. Many major subplots and character groups are not mentioned at all, however - the story of the civil war could easily sustain an entire live-action prequel project. It also only covers the first three quarters of the war (which lasted two years) ending with Rhaenyra's death, only briefly explaining that Aegon II died six months later.

To put this in perspective, in terms of he main Game of Thrones TV series it would be roughly comparable to making a 20 minute summary video attempting to recap the entire narrative of the first three seasons, which as a result focused purely on the main Stark-Lannister military conflict (with major figures such as Eddard, Robb, Tywin, and Cersei), then ending with the Red Wedding and not explaining how the war progressed after that. At the same time this would also completely omit all of the other subplots: Jon Snow and the Wall, Daenerys in Essos, the Greyjoys, the Tyrells, Arya Stark in the Riverlands, and the storylines of both Baratheon brothers (including the Battle of the Blackwater).

Some of the other subplots from the wider Dance of the Dragons which were condensed in this featurette include:


 * It is mentioned that Aegon II's faction controlled four dragons: his own, his Aemond's, and his wife's.  It makes no mention that Aegon II and Aemond actually had a younger brother, a young teenager named Daeron the Daring.  Daeron rode the younger dragon Tessarion in campaigns in the Reach, and became a valiant hero in the war.
 * The actions of the four "Dragonseeds" form major subplots. How they tamed their dragons, and their actions on campaigns in the war.  The video only briefly mentions then and doesn't refer to any of them by name.  The fourth dragonseed doesn't specifically appear on-screen at all:  Addam of Hull, a bastard son of House Velaryon who becomes a great hero of Rhaenyra's faction, determined to prove that not all bastards are traitors (in some respects Addam is loosely analogous to Jon Snow in both his character and his impact on the war).
 * It is only briefly shown that an enemy fleet attacked the ship carrying Rhaenyra's younger sons across the Narrow Sea - this is also a larger subplot in which the Greens allied with the "Kingdom of the Three Daughters" (an alliance of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh) as a counter-balance against the power of the Velaryon fleet. The resulting Battle of the Gullet was actually stated to be one of the largest naval battles in recorded history, involving the entire Velaryon fleet, and the dragonseeds riding into battle.

Characters

 * Grand Maester Munkun (mentioned)
 * King Viserys I Targaryen
 * Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen
 * Queen Alicent Hightower
 * King Aegon II Targaryen
 * Ser Otto Hightower
 * Ser Criston Cole
 * Lord Lyman Beesbury (unnamed)
 * Ser Tyland Lannister (unnamed)
 * Lord Jasper Wylde (unnamed)
 * Lord Larys Strong (unnamed)
 * Grand Maester Orwyle (unnamed)
 * Queen Helaena Targaryen
 * Prince Aemond Targaryen
 * Prince Daemon Targaryen
 * Lord Corlys Velaryon
 * Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
 * Prince Jacaerys Velaryon
 * Prince Lucerys Velaryon
 * Prince Joffrey Velaryon
 * Prince/King Aegon III Targaryen (unnamed)
 * Prince Viserys Targaryen (unnamed)
 * Lord Borros Baratheon (first name unmentioned)
 * Blood
 * Cheese
 * Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen
 * Princess Jaehaera Targaryen
 * Prince Maelor Targaryen
 * Hugh Hammer (unnamed)
 * Ulf the White (unnamed)
 * Nettles (unnamed)
 * Addam Velaryon (unnamed)
 * The Shepherd
 * Hobb the Hewer (unnamed)

Noble Houses

 * House Targaryen
 * House Hightower
 * House Lannister
 * House Baratheon
 * House Staunton (unnamed)

Institutions

 * Blacks
 * Greens
 * Small council
 * Hand of the King
 * Master of Coin
 * Kingsguard

Locations

 * Seven Kingdoms
 * The Crownlands
 * King's Landing
 * Red Keep
 * Maegor's Holdfast
 * Dragonpit
 * Flea Bottom
 * Rook's Rest
 * Dragonstone
 * Dragonstone (castle)
 * The Vale
 * The North
 * The Stormlands
 * Storm's End
 * Shipbreaker Bay
 * The Riverlands
 * Harrenhal
 * Gods Eye
 * The Reach
 * Tumbleton

Events

 * Dance of the Dragons
 * Dance over Storm's End
 * Siege of Rook's Rest
 * Sack of Tumbleton
 * Fall of King's Landing
 * Dance over Harrenhal
 * Storming of the Dragonpit

Titles

 * King of the Andals

Miscellaneous

 * The Dance of the Dragons, A True Telling
 * Dragons
 * Vhagar
 * Arrax
 * Meleys
 * Sunfyre
 * Stormcloud (unnamed)
 * Vermax
 * Caraxes
 * Syrax
 * Vermithor (unnamed)
 * Silverwing (unnamed)
 * Sheepstealer (unnamed)
 * Shrykos (unnamed)
 * Morghul (indirectly mentioned)
 * Tyraxes (indirectly mentioned)
 * Dreamfyre (unnamed)
 * Dragonseeds
 * Valyrian steel
 * Dark Sister
 * Kingdom of the Three Daughters (written out as "The Triarchy")
 * Timeline
 * Measuring time: "Hour of the owl"
 * Milk of the poppy