The House of the Dragon Season 3 teaser trailer gave us a release month for the show and promised a lot more dragons—and drama. But hidden within the short teaser trailer are plenty of shots that book fans will recognize and dread. With the war in full swing, some of the most devastating moments in the book will jump to the screen.
Just like Game of Thrones before, House of the Dragon has already deviated from the books a fair bit, but that doesn’t mean the end of the story will change all that much. It was, after all, already spoiled in Game of Thrones for us. The Dance of the Dragons is too big a part of Westeros history for the show to really change it all that much. Our first look at House of the Dragon Season 3 already gives us a hint of a couple of big moments from the books and how they will be adapted.
Here are some of the biggest book spoilers in the House of the Dragon teaser trailer. If you don’t want to know, turn back now. Otherwise, let’s get spoiled!
The Battle Of The Gullet Is Here, And It’ll Be Even More Devastating
A few shots in the House of the Dragon trailer clearly show the Battle of the Gullet, one of the bloodiest naval battles in the history of Westeros. The trailer, at one point, focuses on Jacaerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s oldest son and heir, and his dragon, Vermax, flying over the ships. But he’s not the only one. In a departure from the books, we also see Baela Targaryen and her dragon, Moondancer. Corlys Velaryon is also shown a few times on his ship, alongside his bastard son Alyn of Hull.
In the books, the Battle of the Gullet begins when the Triarchy fleet ambushes a Velaryon fleet escorting Rhaenyra’s youngest kids, Aegon and Viserys, to Essos. In the show timeline, Rhaenyra has bade goodbye to the two, sending them to the Free Cities. So, this might suggest that they get caught in the middle of the battle, or the show might change this completely and have the battle not involve Aegon and Viserys II, especially considering what needs to happen to another important character.
The Battle of the Gullet is a big turning point in the war, not just because the Velaryons lose a great part of their fleet, but also because Prince Jacaerys Velaryon dies in battle after his dragon, Vermax, is killed. That part is unlikely to change, and to make it worse, it looks like Baela Targaryen will be there to watch Jace, her betrothed, die. Of course, this was already sad in the books. However, it seems House of the Dragon just wants to make it sadder.
A New Queen Sits On The Iron Throne
The poster already gave us a big hint that Rhaenyra might be sitting in the Iron Throne this season, and some shots of the House of the Dragon trailer reinforce that idea. One quick moment sees Daemon fighting in what looks to be the Red Keep. There’s also the fact that Alicent promised Rhaenyra she would surrender King’s Landing at the end of Season 2. And there’s also a shot of Rhaenyra in what looks to be the throne room. Seems pretty clear that we’re going to have a big battle in King’s Landing, likely early in the season.
In the books, Rhaenyra retakes King’s Landing pretty easily as Aemond is busy fighting in the Riverlands. In the show, Aegon and Larys have clearly fled the city, Sunfyre is badly injured, and if Aemond decides retreat is the best option, only Helaena and her dragon will remain. But Helaena is not a fighter. She doesn’t want to be, which means the Blacks will have the advantage. At this point, the question isn’t if Rhaenyra and the Blacks are taking King’s Landing, it’s if they can hold the city.
Big Deaths Are Coming In ‘House Of The Dragon’
Other moments in the House of the Dragon trailer promise that Jacaerys Velaryon might not be the only big death we see this season. There’s a shot of the Winter Wolves, the Northern Army, in battle. Yes, the Starks are coming to House of the Dragon. Or, well, at least this specialized army from the North. Combined with other shots of Criston Cole in the trailer, that probably means we’re getting the Butcher’s Ball. What is that? Only the battle where one of the most hated characters in Game of Thrones franchise history will meet his end. Oh, well, it’s not like anyone will miss Criston Cole.
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. So far, most of the big losses have been on the side of the Blacks. That’s about to change. Another big death is very, very likely to come early on in the season. In the books, as soon as Rhaenyra retakes King’s Landing, she orders the beheading of Otto Hightower. And it sure looks like she’s retaking King’s Landing pretty early on. So, goodbye Otto and Sir Criston Cole? We’re starting to run out of characters here. But some big names still remain and are likely to make it into the fourth and final season of the show. Then all bets are off.
