5 Things You Must Remember Before 'House Of The Dragon' Season 3
House of the Dragon Season 3 is finally here, and it's a big deal for fans of George R.R. Martin and the Game of Thrones universe. The feud between the Blacks and the Greens reached its boiling point in Season 2, and it's set to explode in Season 3. Anyone hungry for action will get all that and more, with House of the Dragon Season 3 kicking off with the infamous Battle of the Gullet. And you bet it will be just as tense, bloody, and wild as what Martin laid out in Fire & Blood.
Before all that, though, you might need a refresher on House of the Dragon Season 2's major plot points. Who died? Who betrayed whom? And what does Rhaenyra's (Emma D'Arcy) army look like as the big battle draws near? Below, find the five biggest things to remember before booting up House of the Dragon Season 3 on HBO Max.
Big Character Deaths Further Fueled The Targaryen Divide
House of the Dragon Season 2 has a couple of important deaths. The first comes in the season's very first episode, "A Son for a Son," when two assassins, hired by Daemon (Matt Smith), kill Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen. The initial target, of course, was Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), who killed Rhaenyra's son, Lucerys (Elliot Grihault). However, the assassins make do with who they can find, which just so happens to be the unlucky Jaehaerys.
The second major death is Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), aka the Queen Who Never Was. And like Jaehaerys, her death traces back to Aemond. During the Battle of Rook's Rest, Aemond and Vhagar ambush Rhaenys on her dragon, Meleys. And, technically, there are two motives here. One, Rhaenys is a formidable threat to Team Green. Two, Rhaenys, while caught up in her battle with Aegon, realizes Aemond's intentions weren't to save him, but to kill him. Given that this knowledge poses a threat to Aemond's succession plans, he decides Rhaenys has to go.
King Aegon Suffered The Ultimate Betrayal
Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is all about the grapple for the throne. While the main conflict boils down to Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) versus Rhaenyra, due to Viserys' (Paddy Considine) final words creating a big mess, they aren't the only ones vying for power. During Season 2's Battle of Rook's Rest, Aemond unleashes Vhagar's fire on Aegon and Sunfyre, which sends them plummeting to the ground and leaves the king near death.
With Aegon confined to bed, Aemond reigns as Prince Regent and dismantles Aegon's Small Council. Still, Aegon's survival remains a threat to Aemond's takeover. So, Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) whisks the king away to Essos to prevent another assassination attempt. However, Aemond remains in power, which poses major problems for both the Greens and Blacks because this dude is unhinged.
Rhaenyra Bolstered Her Ranks With Dragonseeds
One of House of the Dragon Season 2's major plot points involved Rhaenyra building her army of dragon riders. Not just anyone can bond with a dragon, though, so she invited dragonseeds, aka Targaryen bastards, to Dragonstone to essentially match-make them with dragons. It's a dangerous process that took more than a few lives. However, there were also a few successes.
Now, Rhaenyra has three additional riders with Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) on Vermithor, Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) on Seasmoke, and Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) on Silverwing. Out of all of them, Ulf is the most… questionable. With his love of alcohol, cockiness, and questioning of Rhaenyra, major red flags that could affect House of the Dragon's take on the Dance of the Dragons war.
Alicent Tried To Make A Plea Bargain
Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) remains one of House of the Dragon's most complicated characters—and that's saying something considering that they're all pretty complicated. Once Rhaenyra's good friend, Alicent kickstarted the divide between the Greens and the Blacks by misinterpreting Viserys' choice for heir as her son, Aegon. Since then, her family has crumbled, and in an attempt to save what's left, she visits Rhaenyra at Dragonstone to broker peace.
Alicent agreed to surrender King's Landing to Rhaenyra in exchange for her and her family's safety. However, Rhaenyra won't accept the surrender without executing Alicent's son (and her half-brother), Aegon. Alicent reluctantly agrees, not yet realizing that Larys Strong smuggled him out to avoid Aemond's wraith. This, of course, is a major problem for the "deal" brokered between Rhaenyra and Alicent.
Daemon And Rhaenyra Reunited
Daemon spent most of House of the Dragon Season 2 at Harrenhal. His goal had been to increase Rhaenyra's army, but it spiraled into a much more complicated side quest. Inside Harrenhal's halls and rooms, ghosts and visions plagued Daemon and left him teetering on the edge of sanity. However, Alys Rivers, considered a witch by many in Martin's Fire & Blood, did this all to help Daemon.
It's through these haunting nightmares and mind-bending visions that Daemon confronted his guilt and dark ambitions for the Iron Throne. After, he seemingly comes to terms with his destiny and returns to Rhaenyra with an army of Riverlords and newfound loyalty. Whether it sticks or not is yet to be seen. But it seems Daemon has come to terms with his place at Rhaenyra's side rather than trying to climb above her.
