5 Things You Must Remember Before House of the Dragon Season 3
If A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was a little too light and sweet-natured for you, then fear not – the bloodthirsty world of House of the Dragon is returning to our screens this summer.
Given that we were on the brink of all-out war last time we saw the Targaryens, Season 3 of the Game of Thrones spinoff will be one hell of a ride. But this show is also characteristically very dense. There’s so much going on in all corners of the kingdom that it can be hard to keep track of it at the time. It’s even more difficult to recall all the key plot points more than a year later.
So, if you don’t fancy diving into a chunky YouTube recap or rewatching the whole series again, we can save you a great deal of time by breaking down the five most important storylines that’ll play into House of the Dragon Season 3.
Daemon Targaryen Is Losing His Mind
One of the most popular yet problematic characters in House of the Dragon is Daemon Targaryen. Over the course of two seasons, he’s endured a fractured relationship with his brother, engaged in an incestuous romance with his niece, and has conquered a nice bit of land for good measure.
He spent most of his time during Season 2 at Harrenhal building out the Blacks’ army for Rhaenyra. Unfortunately, the castle is cursed, and ghostly spirits and nightmarish visions tortured Daemon. While this initially sent his mental state spiralling out of control, the influence of the mysterious Alys Rivers ends up being a positive for Daemon, who realises he is part of a bigger plan for the Targaryen bloodline.
Despite harbouring his own ambitions for the Iron Throne, Daemon puts this aside and rekindles his troubled relationship with Rhaenyra to swear fealty to her and her right to be queen. It doesn’t mean he’s a good guy just yet, but at least his loyalty is now in the right place.
King Aegon Was Betrayed by His Brother
At the heart of all this conflict, of course, is the matter of who should sit on the Iron Throne and rule Westeros. The current king – thanks to a misunderstanding of Viserys’ final words – is Aegon, but he’s not really in a fit state to control the kingdom. In one of the most shocking moments in Season 2, Aegon’s younger brother, Aemond, turns his dragon on the king during the Battle of Rook’s Rest, leaving him severely burned and crippled.
This was no accident, though. Aemond intentionally wanted to take out his brother so that he could ascend to the throne in his place. When we left the show at the end of Season 2, he’d done just that, wearing the crown as Prince Regent and dismantling the Small Council that Aegon had put in place. Aemond’s ruthless nature is the main reason the Targaryen Civil War is about to explode, and he doesn’t look like he’s about to back down any time soon.
Rhaenyra Has a New Army of Dragonriders
Rhaenyra Targaryen may be the rightful heir to the throne, but she’s going to have to fight to the death to get there. Despite her dragon, Syrax, being one of the most formidable beasts in Westeros, she’ll need a bit of help. So, in a fascinating subversion of Targaryen tradition, she invited what are known as dragonseeds – bastards with Targaryen blood – to her castle to see if they are capable of becoming dragonriders.
There were a few casualties along the way, but Rhaenyra did find three suitable allies who could tame the fire-breathing beasts. Hugh Hammer forged a connection with the mighty Vermithor (the second-largest dragon in the kingdom behind Vhagar), Addam of Hull was able to ride Seasmoke, and the oafish Ulf the White somehow hitched a ride on Silverwing.
Alicent Hightower Has Already Offered to Surrender
While various characters have fuelled the fire leading to the Dance of the Dragons, it was Alicent Hightower who started it all. Her interpretation of Viserys’ dying words led to Aegon taking the Iron Throne, but now, she clearly regrets it all. By the end of Season 2, she even told her old friend Rhaenyra that she would surrender peacefully and get Aegon to step aside.
It was an incredible turn of events, but this clandestine meeting is not going to be enough to stop what has already been set into motion. The problem is, Alicent is not nearly as powerful as she once was. With Viserys gone, Aegon weakened, and Aemond now calling the shots, she is not someone who can enforce big decisions among the Green council. Nice try, Alicent, but chaos is brewing whether you like it or not.
Rhaena Targaryen is Looking For a Deadly Dragon
One of the lesser-featured members of the House of the Dragon cast, Phoebe Campbell, should find herself with a bigger role to play in Season 3. The daughter of Daemon and the late Laena Velaryon, she was previously sent away from the heart of the war to take residence in the Vale of Arryn. However, there, she discovers something that could change the course of history entirely.
A dragon known only as Sheepstealer has been feasting on flocks across the Vale, but Rhaena looks set to tame the dragon and make it her own. In the book, George R. R. Martin had a character called Nettles flying Sheepstealer, but the show will diverge from this. Regardless, the wild, violent dragon will likely fly alongside Daemon in the hunt for Aemond and Vhagar, which we can be pretty sure will only end in absolute carnage.
