Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Fire & Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based.House of the Dragonseason 3 is set to be bigger than ever. That’s not a prediction, but comes directly from showrunner Ryan Condal, who said things would be even"huger,“in the next run of episodes. That’s a promise that both makes sense and is welcome afterHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s ending, which faced some criticism for concluding with more of a cliffhanger rather than a major set piece.
Such set pieces should feature heavily inHouse of the Dragonseason 3. Indeed, along with promising things would be bigger than before,Condal teased"four major book events"in season 3, and that, specifically, they’re"really exciting on a scope-and-scale perspective.“Based on the book, what happened in season 2, and the tease very much suggesting it’ll be big battle sequences, then there’s a pretty good idea of where things are headed.
4The Battle of the Gullet
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Directly Set This Up
Had things gone differently, theBattle of the Gulletwould have already happened.WithHouse of the Dragonseason 2 being reduced from 10 episodes to eight, there were reports of a major sea battle being cutfrom the initial plan and pushed back to season 3, which is the Battle of the Gullet. This is something that was also clearly set up by season 2, episode 8, which saw the Triarchy aligning with Team Green to sail and smash the Velaryons' blockade of the Gullet, a key route between Dragonstone and King’s Landing.
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The ships are already sailing to battle, so it’s likely this will happen early in season 3, and make for one of the biggest starts to a season we’ve ever seen in theGame of Thronesfranchise. InFire & Blood, the events are really set in motion when a ship carrying Princes Aegon and Viserys Targaryen (two ofRhaenyra Targaryen’s children) to Pentos is set upon by the Triarchy’s fleet. This leads to the Blacks' dragons joining the fray alongside the Velaryon fleet, including:
With the Velaryon fleet, 90 Triarchy warships, and five dragons,The Battle of the Gullet is one of the largest, deadliest sea conflicts in Westeros history, which should make it an absolutely massive episode of TV. It’ll be an awesome spectacle, and have at least one pretty devastating death.
3The Fall of King’s Landing
The Stage Is Set For Rhaenyra To Take Westeros' Capital
InFire & Blood, Rhaenyra Targaryen takes King’s Landing relatively quickly once she decides to take that action, with the city falling in less than a day. There’s not actuallythatmuch fighting, but I still think it must be one of the major events Condal was talking about, because it is such a significant moment, does involve armies and dragons, and seeing Rhaenyra finally sitting on the Iron Throne (and, if it follows the book, being cut by it) will be one of the biggest plot developments so far.
House of the Dragonseason 3 is expected to release on HBO and Max sometime in 2026.
The book sees Rhaenyra and Daemon circling the city on their dragons, Syrax and Caraxes, while the Velaryon fleet arrives to help take care of matters on the ground, alongside the city watch, whose gold cloaks have turned to support Rhaenyra and Daemon. With King’s Landing’s defenses weakened due to the absence of Criston Cole, Aemond Targaryen, and Vhagar, there’s little chance of stopping the city from falling.
Emma D’Arcy wants Rhaenyra involved in more action, and this could be how it delivers, making it bigger in scale than the book.
However, things will be somewhat different inHouse of the Dragonseason 3.The season 2 finale saw Alicent Hightower promise Rhaenyra she could have the city, so long as Helaena and Daeron were spared. That should mean it’s even easier for Rhaenyra to become queen but, with King Aegon II Targaryen having secretly escaped, there will be some anger and drama that could lead to more violence and bloodshed.Emma D’Arcy wants Rhaenyra involved in more action, and this could be how it delivers, making it bigger in scale than the book.
2Butcher’s Ball
Criston Cole Is Going To Have A Major Moment
An event in Westeros doesn’t get a name like Butcher’s Ball without good reason, and it certainly wasn’t anything to do with purveyors of quality meat. The battle comes with Ser Criston Cole marching a weakened Green army south through the riverlands, hoping to join up with the forces of Ormund Hightower andDaeron Targaryen. At this point, Aemond Targaryen is flying Vhagar on a one-dragon path of destruction elsewhere in the riverlands.
Criston attempted to parlay with his rival commanders, offering his surrender and then to face them in single combat, before being struck down by a number of arrows.
The Blacks' forces, including the Winter Wolves sent byLord Cregan Stark of Winterfell, used a variety of tactics against the marching Greens, including disguising themselves as corpses to mount a surprise attack. During the battle that became known as the Butcher’s Ball,the Blacks outnumbered the Greens by 2-1. Criston attempted to parlay with his rival commanders, offering his surrender and then to face them in single combat, before being struck down by a number of arrows.
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With the death of Criston Cole and the huge numerical advantage, what followed next was a bloody, brutal victory for Team Black, which was described as"butchery, not battle.“Hundreds of members of the Green army were killed, and Criston being murdered too made this an extremely decisive victory for Team Black. With Cole being one ofHouse of the Dragon’s main characters, and having already set up marching"to oblivion"in season 2, and no real way or reason for season 3 to avoid it, this should be a major moment and a very satisfying one.
1First Battle Of Tumbleton
Hugh Hammer & Ulf White Will Have A Big Role
The First Battle of Tumbleton is another dragon-heavy battle that fits within the likely timeline ofHouse of the Dragonseason 3, so I think it makes a lot of sense to be one of the sequences Condal was referring to. Tumbleton, which was referenced in season 2 as Hugh the Hammer’s wife has family there, is a market town and becomes a key stronghold for the Blacks between the Reach and King’s Landing, as a means of holding off the forces of Ormund and Daeron.
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Even without the involvement of dragons, this is a huge-scale event:the Blacks' army numbers at least 6,000 men, and the Greens over 9,000. Things actually go extremely well for Rhaenyra’s side, as the leader of the Winter Wolves, Roderick Dustin, kills Ormund Hightower in battle, and things appear to be heading towards a victory for the Blacks - until a major double-betrayal.
Hugh Hammer and Ulf White join the Greens, and turn their huge dragons upon the town of Tumbleton, in what’s a shocking switch and a big turning point for the momentum of the civil war. In the book, Hugh expresses a desire to become king; that could hold true in the show but, given the setup, I imagine his wife is going to die at the hands ofTeam Black inHouse of the Dragonseason 3, leading to him changing allegiance. This will likely happen late in the season, giving it one of its last huge moments.
Could Daemon Vs. Aemond Happen In House Of The Dragon Season 3?
There’s one other event thatcouldhappen inHouse of the Dragonseason 3, and would certainly be major - and is, perhaps, the single biggest showdown of the entireDance of the Dragons, at least in terms of hype and meaning: Aemond vs. Daemon. The fight between the pair was foreshadowed in season 2, and in the book, involves them clashing atop their two dragons, Vhagar and Caraxes.
However, while timeline-wise it might be possible to include it, I think HBO and Condal will wait forHouse of the Dragonseason 4, which will be the show’s final outing. That gives it a “save the best for last” kind of feel, and will allow them to have two of the best characters - and, in Matt Smith, one of its biggest stars - around to build excitement for that farewell run. This should be absolutely massive, but it doesn’t need to rush through things to get there.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
