‘House of the Dragon’ Star Harry Collett Reveals What Kind of King Jacaerys Velaryon Would Have Become If He Survived

Harry Collett believes Jacaerys Velaryon could have become one of the greatest rulers Westeros ever had if he had survived the Dance of the Dragons and eventually taken the Iron Throne.

The actor, who plays Jace in House of the Dragon, recently spoke with Pop Base about what kind of king his character would have been. According to Collett, Jacaerys had the qualities needed to become a strong and caring leader.

“Jace was born to be a good leader. He’s very smart politically and very much a people person and a people pleaser, sometimes,” Collett said.

The actor explained that Jace would have focused on the needs of ordinary people instead of chasing power for himself. He also believes Jace would have tried to avoid unnecessary conflict unless his family was threatened.

“He would’ve thought of the people of the realm first before anything else, and he would’ve only carried on with the drama if somebody else started it. He would never start the drama unless it involved his family,” Collett explained.

Collett also joked about what life might have looked like if Jace and Baela Targaryen had survived the war and ruled together. He said their reign would have been peaceful, even if it might not have created the kind of dramatic stories that fans expect from Westeros.

“We were saying if Jace and Baela made it to be king and queen, we’d have a live, laugh, love sign up in the castle and it would be very drama free,” he said, referring to his conversations with co-star Bethany Antonia.

“Which, to be fair, would probably be quite boring, so no one would ever make a show about it. But boring is safe,” Collett added.

The actor believes Jace’s potential as a ruler is part of what makes his death such an important moment in the story. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, Jacaerys is shown as a promising young heir whose future is cut short during the brutal civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.

Jace grows into a more confident leader during the conflict. He helps Rhaenyra supporters by building alliances and representing her cause across Westeros. He also plays an important role in finding new dragon riders during the search for people with Targaryen blood who can claim unclaimed dragons.

However, his rise is stopped by tragedy. Jacaerys dies during the Battle of the Gullet, one of the most devastating moments of the war. While fighting from the back of his dragon, Vermax, Jace becomes caught in the chaos of the battle when the dragon is badly injured and falls into the sea.

The situation worsened when Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) arrived on Sheepstealer, a wild dragon whose lack of control drove Jace and Vermax dangerously low over the enemy ships. Flying at that altitude put both rider and dragon squarely within range of the Triarchy’s weapons.

Although he survives the crash, Jace is attacked by enemy forces and killed, ending the life of a young man many believed could have changed the future of the Seven Kingdoms.

His death becomes a major turning point for Rhaenyra and the Blacks. Losing her heir pushes the conflict into an even darker stage and adds more pain to an already brutal war.

For Collett, Jace’s legacy comes from the kind of ruler he could have been. While he never gets the chance to sit on the Iron Throne, the actor believes his character had the intelligence, compassion, and political ability needed to become an exceptional king.

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