Warning: Contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale, and George R.R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood.
Summary
- House of the Dragon season 2 finale sets up major conflicts for season 3, with armies marching to war and key characters facing tough decisions.
- Alicent and Rhaenyra’s evolving dynamic leads to unexpected choices, hinting at major consequences in season 3’s narrative.
- Daemon’s visions, the White Walker prophecy, and Daenerys’ role suggest significant developments in the future of House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon season 2’s ending makes some surprising narrative choices, and sets up a lot more fire and blood to come in season 3. The season 2 finale is the result of a run of episodes that has brought multiple deaths, twists on both sides, and the Targaryen civil war, aka the Dance of the Dragons, truly beginning. And, as the ending makes clear, it’s just getting started.
There may not be as brutal or shocking a moment as Aemond Targaryen killing Lucerys Velaryon in House of the Dragon season 1’s ending, but the season 2 finale has a lot packed into it. Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower reunite on Dragonstone, Daemon Targaryen has a vision of Daenerys Targaryen and then re-pledges his loyalty to Rhaenyra, King Aegon II Targaryen is smuggled out of King’s Landing by Larys Strong, and, across Westeros, various armies are marching to war. There’s a lot to unpack, and a lot to be excited about for House of the Dragon season 3.
Rhaenyra & Alicent’s Conversation, Decisions & Future Explained
There Will Be Major Consequences For House Of The Dragon Season 3
The crux of House of the Dragon season 2’s ending, as is the case with so much of the story, comes down to Rhaenyra and Alicent. In a reversal of their previous meeting in season 2, episode 3, it is now Alicent who travels to Rhaenyra, hoping to find a path forward that minimizes the bloodshed. And, in turn, it is Rhaenyra who now says it is “too late.” It’s an emotional scene that shows why they’re the bedrock of the show’s narrative, and has major implications going forward.
Why Alicent Agrees That Rhaenyra Can Kill Aegon (& Does It Happen?)
Alicent’s initial hope is that Rhaenyra will take King’s Landing and spare her children, except for Aemond (whom she has realized cannot be turned back from the path he’s on). Rhaenyra, however, knows she won’t be truly accepted as queen by all without killing King Aegon… and Alicent reluctantly, shockingly agrees. In a way, she has no choice: Rhaenyra and her army will try to kill Aegon regardless. But that she does acquiesce is a sign of how far Alicent has fallen.
If Alicent can either have him die, but save the truly good and innocent Helaena (and potentially Daeron too), or risk all of them suffering and perishing, then she is going to choose the former.
Having helped start this war in order to get her son on the Iron Throne, albeit from a misguided notion, she’s now left desperate to save not only herself, but her daughter, Helaena. Aegon is a tragic figure and a victim of his upbringing in many ways, but he is also capable of immense cruelty. If Alicent can either have him die, but save the truly good and innocent Helaena (and potentially Daeron too), or risk all of them suffering and perishing, then she is going to choose the former.
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Alicent has always attempted to put duty first, using ideas of honor, righteousness, and virtue to convince herself she was doing the right thing. Now that cloak has to be removed: Alicent can no longer do the dutiful thing, which would be what best serves her king. She chooses the path of freedom and, importantly, her daughter over her son; the person who least deserves to suffer over the person who has caused so much of it himself. It’s Alicent’s best shot at protecting what matters to her, and perhaps even salvaging some kind of life for herself, too.
The only problem, however, is that Rhaenyra does not kill Aegon, at least according to the book. He has, unbeknownst to Alicent, been smuggled out of the city by Larys Strong, which is also what happens in Fire & Blood. That means he won’t be there when Rhaenyra heads to the capital, and she won’t get the “son for a son” price she demands.
Why Rhaenyra Can’t Go With Alicent & How It Reverses Season 1
As well as Alicent agreeing that Rhaenyra must kill Aegon, she makes a surprising request: asking her former friend to come away with her. It’s a complete reversal of who they used to be: Alicent now the rebellious one longing for the freedom she’s forever been denied, Rhaenyra the one who believes she must stay true to the path laid out for her, the path her father and, as she believes, the gods intended. It’s a mirror of House of the Dragon‘s very first episode, when Rhaenyra told her friend:
“I want to fly with you on dragon back, see the great wonders across the Narrow Sea, and eat only cake.”
It’s a smart decision, because Alicent and Rhaenyra have always been mirror images, best friends who, if things had worked out just a little differently, could have been down the same path together. Alicent has long envied Rhaenyra’s freedom, but she also had the power – as Viserys’ queen – that Rhaenyra herself wanted. Now each is getting what they had coveted in the other, but at one hell of a cost, is a poetic endpoint for this part of their respective stories.
The way the final shots are framed by director Geeta V. Patel also fit with this, showing quite literal mirror images. First we see Alicent from the side, and then Rhaenyra from the opposite side, as though they’re looking back at one another. Rhaenyra is then framed from the distance as though through bars, caged by her duty and pursuit of power, while a similar shot of Alicent that ends the episode is her looking out over the sea, with a sense of freedom.
Of course, the old Rhaenyra is now gone, for the most part. She does still exist – there’s enough of a flicker in her face to show she considers it, or at least wishes she could even consider it, but she also has a higher purpose. Rhaenyra has increasingly been developing a god complex in season 2’s final episodes, watching bastards burn and dragons roar all in her name, all of it feeding into the idea she alone has a divine right to rule, like some kind of religious cult leader. That’s the road she is now on, and she cannot waver from it.
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Does Rhaenyra Take King’s Landing & What Happens To Alicent
Based on Fire & Blood, Rhaenyra does take control of King’s Landing, which is now very likely to happen in House of the Dragon season 3. There is said to be a short yet bloody battle for the city, before Rhaenyra, Daemon, and Addam descend upon their dragons. It is at that point Alicent agrees that the city is now Rhaenyra’s, but even then, warns she won’t hold it long and that Aemond will return for retribution. That’s a marked difference to the show, of course.
After the fall of King’s Landing, Rhaenyra has Alicent and Helaena taken prisoner (it should also be noted that Rhaenyra and Alicent have a bigger age-gap in the book, and were never the close friends they were in the show). Alicent remains a captive in King’s Landing, while Helaena, tragically, eventually takes her own life. Since Alicent is more willingly letting Rhaenyra take the city, it remains to be seen if this will happen in the show, but if not, then it will be a major deviation that completely changes Alicent’s future.
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What Happens To King Aegon After Leaving King’s Landing
His & Larys Strong’s Future, Explained
Larys Strong plans to take Aegon to Essos, where they’ll bide their time, and he can recuperate until Rhaenyra and Aemond have destroyed one another. Then Aegon can return, victorious, as “the Realm’s Delight,” – a nickname that was once used for Rhaenyra herself when she was younger. That alone is quite telling of how tragic Aegon is – that he wanted to be loved like his half-sister was – but his future has bigger plans than Essos.
On [Dragonstone], the king is able to convince several remaining Team Black members, such as Ser Alfred Broome (who betrays Rhaenyra in the finale, wanting Daemon to be king), to help him take control.
In the book, Aegon eventually makes his way to Dragonstone, while his children are spirited away elsewhere. On the island, the king is able to convince several remaining Team Black members, such as Ser Alfred Broome (who betrays Rhaenyra in the finale, wanting Daemon to be king), to help him take control. Aegon and his dragon, Sunfyre, battle against Baela Targaryen, who had remained on Dragonstone, and her dragon Moondancer.
Aegon and Sunfyre kill Moondancer (though Baela survives and is sent to the dungeons), but the king himself is severely injured by having to jump from his own dragon, breaking his legs in the process. This itself was foreshadowed by Helaena in season 1, when she had a bug in her hand and said “the last ring has no legs at all,” perhaps an indication of what has will happen to Aegon.
As for Larys, him leaving with Aegon is a deviation from Fire & Blood. In the book, while he arranges the king’s safe exit from King’s Landing, he himself stays behind. He spends his time during Rhaenyra’s rule conspiring against the queen, spreading rumors and falsehoods that will help bring her down. Since he’s going with Aegon instead, it’s very difficult to say what his story in season 3 will be, but the show may be taking a longer game with it and have more changes before Aegon gets to Dragonstone.
Daemon Targaryen’s Visions & Why He Bends The Knee To Rhaenyra
Daemon’s Visions Include Bloodraven, A White Walker, And Daenerys
Daemon Targaryen has had several visions at Harrenhal throughout House of the Dragon season 2, but the biggest of all was saved for last. Prompted to touch the weirwood tree – which has George R.R. Martin’s face on it, no less – by Alys Rivers, Daemon is given a vision that shows the future of House Targaryen in Game of Thrones. It includes several major characters and surprises, and leads to Daemon bending the knee to Rhaenyra.
Brynden Rivers, aka Bloodraven, Is The Three-Eyed Raven
The first character in Daemon’s vision is a Targaryen-looking man with a birthmark on his cheek, with a raven then appearing as well. This is essentially confirming the Three-Eyed Raven’s identity in Game of Thrones: that he is Brynden Rivers, aka Bloodraven. Brynden is a bastard son of King Aegon IV Targaryen, and is born around 45 years after House of the Dragon season 2’s timeline. The nickname comes from a red wine-colored birthmark on his cheek, said to look almost like a raven, which is also what gives away his identity in the vision.
Game of Thrones never really got into the Three-Eyed Raven’s identity in quite the same way, so it was never clear if the version there was supposed to be Bloodraven or not.
Brynden is an important part of Targaryen history. A legitimized bastard, he fights in multiple rebellions, serves as Hand to two different Targaryen kinds (Aerys I and Maekar I), and then eventually is sent to the Wall, where he becomes Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. He disappears when ranging beyond the Wall, but when Bran Stark meets the Three-Eyed Crow (the show changed it to Raven), there are several clues that reveal who he really is, including him directly telling Meera Reed his name is (or was) Brynden.
Game of Thrones never really got into the Three-Eyed Raven’s identity in quite the same way, so it was never clear if the version there was supposed to be Bloodraven or not. However, Daemon’s vision leaves no doubt that is the case, with the raven itself basically confirming it. How Brynden becomes the Three-Eyed Raven is another matter, of course. The character is part of the Dunk & Egg stories that the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoffA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will adapt, so it’s perhaps something that could be answered there one day.
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The White Walker & Connection To Aegon’s Dream
Daemon’s vision then moves on to the army of the dead, led by a White Walker who, admittedly, looks a bit like what you’d get if you ordered the Night King from Wish. Whether this is actually supposed to be the Night King is unclear: it certainly doesn’t look like him, but the presentation of the scene, with him leading the army, would suggest so. Either way, it’s a clear portent of what’s coming for Westeros, and a reminder of Aegon the Conqueror’s song of ice and fire prophecy.
It’s enough to convince Daemon that the prophecy was right and the threat from the North is indeed real, and for viewers, it’s a reminder of what comes after House of the Dragon in Game of Thrones. That for all the squabbling over the Iron Throne, Westeros must eventually be united. What’s interesting is the White Walker has what looks like Targaryen hair. The Night King was not a Targaryen but, while Walkers have been shown with hair before, this seems a purposeful decision to connect to the house of the dragon.
What is the reason for that? Since this is Daemon’s vision, it could be showing him that, if he doesn’t support Rhaenyra, he will bring about this doom. Alternatively, it could be more broadly reflective of House Targaryen’s mistakes, and how their actions and in-fighting bring about their own downfall. That, driven by a prophecy that demands a united realm, they’ve actually weakened it; that the Targaryen dynasty will collapse and Aegon’s dream will be lost because of the Targaryens themselves.
The Meaning Of Daenerys Targaryen In Daemon’s Vision
In the biggest shocker of the finale, Daemon’s vision then reveals Daenerys Targaryen. This scene takes place right after Game of Thrones season 1’s finale, where she has emerged from Khal Drogo’s funeral pyre with three newly-hatched dragons. Dany is only shown from behind, sitting on the ground, presumably to avoid revealing that it’s not Emilia Clarke in the role.
The implication is that Dany will be the ultimate savior of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
House of the Dragon previously revealed the (possible) origin of Daenerys’ dragon eggs, with Rhaenyra sending them to the Vale with Rhaena. Those dragon eggs appear in Daemon’s vision; Rhaenyra had said they were the future of House Targaryen, and now Daemon is literally seeing that future. Given this comes after the White Walker, and is preceded by a red comet (which, in the book, is a sign of the Prince That Was Promised), then this seems to be confirming Daenerys is the Prince That Was Promised.
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The implication is that Dany will be the ultimate savior of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. That can be debated: it’s Arya who killed the Night King, and Dany had not claimed the Iron Throne by that point. However, she undoubtedly plays her part in uniting the realm to defeat the army of the dead, and it couldn’t have happened without her.
Daemon’s Death & Rhaenyra On The Iron Throne
Daemon’s visions then return to purely House of the Dragon territory, showing the body of his dragon, Caraxes, and then himself lying dead in a body of water. This shows Daemon his own future, as both he and his dragon die in a battle over the lake at Harrenhal.
Daemon’s vision of Rhaenyra, though, is more important for his immediate future and story. It’s what brings it all together: to defeat the White Walkers, to get to the future where Daenerys brings dragons back into the world, Rhaenyra must claim the Iron Throne, and he needs to support her. This, in a sense, is true: it is Rhaenyra and Daemon’s line – from their second son together, Viserys – that House Targaryen continues through to Daenerys. It’s why he bends the knee, even saying “Winter is coming” in High Valyrian.
Helaena then appears to Daemon, within his vision, to tell him that it’s “all a story” and he knows his part in it. That itself is intriguing, and fits with her later comments that the future cannot be changed. It suggests she knows, on some level, these events have happened, that the ink is dry, and that Daemon and Aemond are both destined to die.
What’s more interesting, though, is how Helaena is in Daemon’s vision. She isn’t someone he has a strong connection to, so it doesn’t make sense for her to be appearing the way we’ve seen, say, Rhaenyra or King Viserys. Her clothing, meanwhile, is the exact same outfit she’s wearing when it shows her staring into the distance, as if having a vision herself, before she tells Aemond he’ll die at the God’s Eye (more on that shortly).
This seems to mean that either Helaena was knowingly able to enter Daemon’s vision or, perhaps more likely, she was receiving a similar vision at the exact same time. That while Alys was showing Daemon his fate, Helaena was also seeing the future, whether that’s something she’s shown from the gods, a dragon dream, or if she possesses an even greater power such as greensight.
Helaena’s Prophecies About Aemond & Aegon
She Reveals A Lot About The Future
via HBO
Continuing with Helaena, she has long made vague prophecies, but they’ve become increasingly clear throughout season 2. In the premiere, her comments on being afraid of the rats foreshadowed Blood and Cheese killing Prince Jaehaerys, but now she’s being much more literal and direct (not dissimilar to Bran Stark in seasons 7 and 8, though, again, it’s not clear if Helaena is supposed to be gaining similar abilities, which would be a big surprise). Thus, she offers a chilling warning to Aemond:
“You’ll be dead.
You were swallowed up in the God’s Eye
, and you were never seen again.”
What Is The God’s Eye?
The God’s Eye is a lake located in the riverlands, on the north shore of which sits Harrenhal. As Helaena warns, Aemond’s death in House of the Dragon does come at the God’s Eye, as does Daemon’s. Later in the Dance of the Dragons, they will meet on their mounts, in what’s known as The Battle Above the God’s Eye. It’s an epic clash, and ends with Daemon driving his Valyrian steel sword, Dark Sister, into Aemond’s empty eye socket. All four combatants, however, are killed, and end up in the lake, though Aemond’s body is found years later.
What’s interesting to note again is Helaena’s tense, telling Aemond you “were” swallowed up. It’s another example of how these are events she has seen and how the present and future are becoming intertwined in her mind, and that she is spending more time seeing the latter. It also fits with why she tells Daemon this is a story, because it’s events she knows have happened, just not yet.
What Aegon’s Wooden Throne Is
Helaena also tells Aemond that Aegon will be king again, and that he’ll have a wooden throne. And, once again, she is correct. After Rhaenyra’s death in House of the Deagon, Aegon will return to King’s Landing as Westeros’ ruler. However, the injuries sustained on Dragonstone mean he cannot climb the steps to the Iron Throne, and so instead has a litter placed at the bottom of it, from which he rules. That, presumably, is the wooden throne to which Helaena refers.
Who Locked Otto Hightower In A Dungeon?
Where Is The Former Hand Of The King?
Otto Hightower has been missing ever since Aegon fired him from his position as Hand of the King, but he returns with a twist in the season 2 finale: he’s locked in a dungeon. As it stands, there’s no telling exactly where he is or when this happened, since all we see is the cell and this isn’t taken from the pages of Fire & Blood. However, there are some standout possibilities.
Larys was told by Aemond to send for Otto, as he wanted him to return as Hand. Larys was clearly slighted by that… and would see Otto as a clear threat to his own bid for power…
Perhaps the most likely option is that Otto is locked in one of the Red Keep’s cells. Certainly, it looks similar, and as these are the cells we’ve seen on-screen across both shows more than any other, then it’d be the easiest way to clue audiences in to their location. It’s also very plausible how it happened, too: Larys Strong.
Larys was told by Aemond to send for Otto, as he wanted him to return as Hand. Larys was clearly slighted by that (with Aemond calling him a “toad” in the process), and would see Otto as a clear threat to his own bid for power and attempts to manipulate things to his own end. He would also certainly have the means to have someone, even Otto, locked up in a dungeon.
It does seem like someone is coming to visit Otto at the end, based on what appears to be a torchlight and him looking up. This could just be whoever is in charge of ensuring he is given food and drink to keep him alive, but if it’s a known character, then perhaps someone like Grand Maester Orwyle, who is loyal to Alicent and, thus, Otto.
If Otto isn’t in the Red Keep, then there aren’t a lot of obvious contenders, without it just being any one of a number of houses loyal to Rhaenyra. One such possibility is House Beesbury, which is said to be in revolt for Lord Beesbury’s death at the hands of Ser Criston Cole. Their seat, Honeyholt, is on the way to Oldtown, so that’s plausible in terms of location and motive, but does still feel a little more random than having it be King’s Landing and Larys.
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Does Rhaena Claim The Wild Dragon?
What Happens With Sheepstealer
Rhaena Targaryen only appears briefly in the House of the Dragon season 2 finale, on the hunt for the wild dragon in the Vale of Arryn… and, well, she finds him. This is most likely Sheepstealer, the only wild dragon from Fire & Blood who is known to be claimed by someone. But is that person Rhaena? In the book, no.
House of the Dragon has seemingly cut Nettles and, given season 2 ends with Rhaena coming face to face with Sheepstealer, it certainly appears as though she is going to be the one who claims a wild dragon.
Sheepstealer is claimed by Nettles, a fierce bastard girl of 16, who brings him sheep every morning until he learns to trust her, and then goes on to fly him into battle along with the other dragonseeds. House of the Dragon has seemingly cut Nettles and, given season 2 ends with Rhaena coming face to face with Sheepstealer, it certainly appears as though she is going to be the one who claims a wild dragon.
Dragonseeds & Which Dragon They Claim In Fire & Blood | |
|---|---|
Addam of Hull | Seasmoke |
Hugh Hammer | Vermithor |
Ulf White | Silverwing |
Nettles | Sheepstealer |
Rhaena does get a dragon of her own in the book, called Morning, who hatches from one of the dragon eggs she took to the Vale. However, Morning isn’t big enough to fly in the Dance of the Dragons, so showrunner Ryan Condal and his writers wanting Rhaena to be a bigger part of the action going forward may be why they’re seemingly making this decision.
The Various Armies & Battles Set Up For House Of The Dragon Season 3
There Are Multiple Armies In Season 2’s Ending Montage
House of the Dragon season 2 depicted one major battle, at Rook’s Rest, which included the deaths of Rhaenys Targaryen and Meleys, but there’ll be more to come in season 3. Indeed, the finale shows multiple different forces being mobilized for war, including:
- The Hightower host, accompanied by an unseen (and not-yet-cast) Daeron Targaryen and his dragon, Tessarion.
- The Lannister army, led by Jason Lannister, marching to the Red Fork.
- The Winter Wolves, the “greybeards” sent by Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell, making their way across The Twins and into the riverlands.
- The Velaryon fleet, led by Lord Corlys Velaryon and his bastard son, Alyn of Hull.
- The Triarchy’s warships, led by Admiral Lohar (who has been gender-swapped for the show), and accompanied by Tyland Lannister.
There are multiple battles to be fought here. The Lannisters will first fight in the Battle at the Red Fork, which takes place at a crossing of the river in the western riverlands. The Hightower army, along with Daeron and Tessarion, will fight in the Battle of the Honeywine, which takes place in the Reach against various houses loyal to Team Black, including House Beesbury.
The Velaryon fleet and the Triarchy will meet in the Battle of the Gullet, which is believed to be the biggest, deadliest sea battle in Westeros history.
The Winter Wolves will march into several battles throughout the riverlands, including the Battle at the Lakeshore, aka Fishfeed, which was the bloodiest land battle in the civil war. Meanwhile, the Velaryon fleet and the Triarchy will meet in the Battle of the Gullet, which is believed to be the biggest, deadliest sea battle in Westeros history.
How House Of The Dragon Season 2’s Ending Changes The Book
The Show Has Some Major Differences From GRRM’s Fire & Blood
via HBO
There have been book changes throughout the entire show, which is in part the nature of any adaptation, part because Fire & Blood is told from various conflicting and biased points-of-view, and partly due to creative decisions, and the season 2 finale is no different.
Rhaenyra and Alicent’s conversation on Dragonstone, for instance, doesn’t happen in the book, and there is certainly no indication of Alicent being willing to sacrifice Aegon and going to live a life of freedom with Helaena away from King’s Landing.
There’s a lot here that deviates from the book and/or is pure show invention. Rhaenyra and Alicent’s conversation on Dragonstone, for instance, doesn’t happen in the book, and there is certainly no indication of Alicent being willing to sacrifice Aegon and going to live a life of freedom with Helaena away from King’s Landing. There’s also no record of Daemon’s visions, nor that he considered taking the Iron Throne for himself (indeed, very little is written about his time at Harrenhal).
Helaena is not a dreamer in the book, so those visions don’t happen either. There’s no mention of Otto being taken prisoner by anybody, and Rhaena does not meet Sheepstealer. Aegon does leave King’s Landing, but his remaining children are also sent elsewhere: his daughter Jaehaera’s whereabouts aren’t addressed in the season 2 finale, and Maelor is missing entirely. Despite all of that, the broadstrokes – Rhaenyra setup to take King’s Landing, the various armies, etc, do still align with the overarching narrative.
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What To Expect From House Of The Dragon Season 3
It’s Probably Going To Be A Long Wait
via HBO
House of the Dragon season 3 has been confirmed by HBO, so audiences at least don’t have to face any uncertainty over these events being paid off. When the third season comes around, it can be safely expected that we’ll see Rhaenyra taking King’s Landing, with Daemon by her side, very early on. Likewise, the Battle of the Gullet should also happen in the first few episodes. It’s also just about possible Aemond and Daemon’s God’s Eye meeting will happen too, though they may want to save that for later.
Elsewhere, Aegon taking Dragonstone will presumably happen in season 3, and Helaena’s death occurring as well is quite possible. All the stories in the House of the Dragon season 2 finale are leading to bigger things, after all, and so there will be a lot more to come in season 3.
The biggest question, really, is when we’ll get to see it. There were almost two years between seasons 1 and 2, which is now the norm of large-scale TV productions such as this one. With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms slated to premiere in 2025, then House of the Dragon season 3’s release date being sometime in Summer 2026 is a reasonable bet.
House of the Dragon 
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Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.
Cast Jefferson Hall , Paddy Considine , Fabien Frankel , Ryan Corr , Eve Best , Gavin Spokes , Graham McTavish , Steve Toussaint , Olivia Cooke , Sonoya Mizuno , Bill Paterson , Matthew Needham , Emma D’Arcy , Matt Smith , Rhys Ifans , David Horovitch
Release Date August 21, 2022
Seasons 2
Network HBO Max
Showrunner Ryan Condal
Main Genre Adventure
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