The Velaryon house was race-swapped with Black actors like Steve Toussaint as Corlys, a deliberate change justified by creators to avoid 'a bunch of white people' on screen, persisting into season 2 and drawing criticism for performative diversity and clashing with Valyrian lore descriptions. Emma D'Arcy, identifying as non-binary and using they/them pronouns, leads as Rhaenyra, with their identity highlighted in promotions and interviews as representation.

Season 2 amplifies feminist messaging, centering arcs on patriarchy, sexism, and women as inherently more diplomatic or victimized by male violence, with dialogue and subplots delivering explicit critiques of systemic gender barriers and 'biology as destiny' that feel like modern activist framing rather than organic lore. Audience reactions include backlash labeling it feminist self-insert or overt DEI/social justice intrusion, with complaints of heavy-handed lectures prioritizing ideology over plot momentum in the civil war narrative. These elements influence character portrayals and subplots significantly without fully collapsing the dragon-and-throne premise, marking a clear step up in intensity from neutral fantasy adaptation.