If there’s one thing we tune into House of the Dragon for, it is dragons. And, as the tension between the greens and the blacks slowly bleeds into an all-out war, we’re getting way more dragon action in season two. In episodes two and three of House of the Dragon season two, though, we saw one particular dragon flying across our screens, Seasmoke. Seasmoke then became very important in episode six of House of the Dragon season two when it claims a new rider in Addam of Hull. But which dragon is Seasmoke again, and why is its presence significant? Let’s dive into this House of the Dragon dragon.
Seasmoke Appears on the Scene Early in House of the Dragon Season 2
In House of the Dragon season two, episode two, “Rhaenyra the Cruel,” we pause the political machinations and children’s funerals for a moment to enjoy a peaceful scene on the beach. A new character we only just met in this House of the Dragon episode, Addam of Hull, is fishing for food in the ocean when a dragon flies overhead. The casual viewer might not recall which dragon this is exactly. So, for the curious, we’re happy to confirm that the beach-side dragon in House of the Dragon season two, episode two, is Seasmoke, Laenor Velaryon’s dragon.
In episode three of House of the Dragon season two, we again see Seasmoke flying around as Rhaenyra and Mysaria meet on Dragonstone. Mysaria cryptically comments that the dragon might be lonely. But it’s not until episode six of House of the Dragon that these hints come together in the form of a new rider for Seasmoke.
Here’s why this dragon’s presence is significant and what happens between Seasmoke and his riders.
What Happened to Seasmoke and Laenor Velaryon in House of the Dragon Season One?
For those who need a quick House of the Dragon season one refresher, Rhaenyra Targaryen had a husband before she married Daemon. Laenor Velaryon and Rhaenyra were forced into a political marriage while her father, Viserys, was still alive. Neither of them wished to be in the marriage, with Rhaenyra’s heart elsewhere and Laenor being a gay man. Ultimately, Rhaenyra, Laenor, and Daemon conspired to fake Laenor’s death so he could flee to live in freedom and Rhaenyra could marry Daemon.
That seemed like a sound solution for all involved. Of course, at the time, the Targaryens were not engaged in a civil war. So it did not seem so crucially important that Laenor, now on the run, could no longer ride his dragon Seasmoke on House of the Dragon. Laenor, of course, could not take his very conspicuous dragon with him as he headed into hiding. Seasmoke, meanwhile, lived in the House Velaryon stronghold Driftmark without a rider after Laenor vanished in House of the Dragon season one. In season two, we see the dragon at the start of the season.
Civil War Makes Dragons Imperative, and That Includes Seasmoke
Of course, now that the greens and the blacks are poised for full-on war, every dragon counts. Dragons fighting dragons became the very heart of this chapter of the story. With Laenor and Seasmoke, Rhaenyra would have had an additional dragon at her side as she faced Alicent, Aegon, and the rest. And one dragon can make an immense difference. However, at the start of the season, while Seasmoke was present, his rider was not. And, with Laenor missing but not dead, Seasmoke seemed unable to be ridden; at least, that’s what Game of Thrones‘ dragonrider lore implied.
Does House of the Dragon Honor the Dragon Rider Lore of the Books?
In the Game of Thrones universe, a dragon can only have one dragonrider at a time while both still live, and that rider must have Valyrian blood. If House of the Dragon season two abided by these dragon rules, it would mean that as long as Laenor remains absent but alive, no one else can ride Seasmoke and fully command the dragon in battle.
Of course, HBO’s live-action Game of Thrones has hinted that it might be flexible with the letter of dragonrider lore before. And neither Game of Thrones nor House of the Dragon have fully established how stringently the one-rider-only rule is followed in the live-action universe. After all, Jon Snow rode Daenerys’ dragon. House of the Dragon appears to follow in the tradition of Game of Thrones, creating its own dragonrider lore for the series and allowing Seasmoke to claim a new rider who isn’t Laenor. House of the Dragon hasn’t fully addressed this change yet in its episodes, but we bet we’ll kind of explanation for its internal logic before the series comes to end.
Although we don’t know for sure, we are going to go ahead and assume that Laenor is not dead. Death would seem a poor fate for someone who the show purposefully kept alive, breaking with the previously known canon. But as mentioned, House of the Dragon doesn’t set up Laenor’s return to ride Seasmoke, instead Seasmoke finds a new rider in Addam Hull.
Addam Hull Becomes Seasmoke’s New Dragonrider on House of the Dragon Season 2
It wasn’t just anyone who kept seeing Seasmoke fly through the clouds; it was Addam of Hull. Hull, of course, is the recent surname given to bastards born in the town of Hull, which, like Seasmoke, sits on Driftmark. In episode two of House of the Dragon, Addam additionally feels that Lord Corlys “owes” Addam and his brother Alyn something. Now, why would that be? Over the course of House of the Dragon season two, we learn it’s because Addam and Alyn are the sons of Lord Corlys Velaryon, making them very suited to ride a dragon.
In House of the Dragon episode six, all the teases connecting Seasmoke and Addam of Hull finally culminate in Addam becoming Seasmoke’s new dragonrider. Unlike any other dragon and rider connections that we’ve seen so far on House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones, Seasmoke actually seeks out Addam of Hull and claims him as its rider. (Instead of the other way around. Typically, a human rider would approach a dragon and try to claim them.)
Honestly, we love this for them both. We don’t know exactly what motivated Seasmoke to break with the usual dragon and rider way of things, but we’re excited for this match-up. Perhaps Seasmoke could sense how closely related Addam of Hull and Laenor are in terms of blood and ancestry. Perhaps Seasmoke simply liked Addam’s vibe. Whatever the reason, Seasmoke decided that Addam of Hull would become his new rider, and so he has.
But How Is Addam of Hull Able to Become Seasmoke’s Rider?
And still, we are left with the question of how was Addam of Hull able to become Seasmoke’s rider when we most strongly assume that Laenor Velayron is still alive? The series did not fully address this question. But when asked, Clinton Liberty, who plays Addam of Hull, had this response about why Addam is able to bond with the dragon Seasmoke on House of the Dragon.
He notes, “I feel like it’s a combination of different things, because as we saw, Steffon Darklyn, he had the blood and the highborn sort of family. But Seasmoke could sense that the essence of the human wasn’t quite what Seasmoke was looking for, which made me understand, ‘Oh, it’s more than just blood — it’s also the essence of who the human is.’ Because if we see Laenor and Addam, yes, they both share the same blood and similar blood, but when you look at them as people, they’re actually just really good, nice, lovely human beings. It’s funny to say that in a world of hard-hearted people who are trying to claim glory, win whatever the cost is.”
Additionally, he credits Seasmoke with being intelligent enough to know who it wanted as its rider, in this case Addam. He offers, “I feel like that’s also an important factor for a dragon to choose a human to bond with, because dragons are very intelligent. They know who the essence of the human is behind the facade the human’s trying to portray. So I think it’s a mixture of blood — but it’s also who this human being is.”
The similar heritage of Laenor Velayron and Addam of Hull could also have factored into Seasmoke’s decision. Liberty shares, “We’re both from technically the same family. And there’s a way that you are in the Hull/Velaryon household, and it just seeps through. I feel like Seasmoke, having been bonded with Laenor previously, senses that in Addam. But he also senses this kind of person who wants to achieve these amazing things in an honest way, and not try and kill anyone. He senses the purity in Addam.”
But Is Laenor Velayron Still Alive on House of the Dragon?
On the topic of whether Laenor Velayron is still alive on House of the Dragon, Liberty and Addam of Hull couldn’t say. Liberty concludes, “Do you know who that is a great question for: [“House of the Dragon” showrunner] Ryan Condal. That’s the guy you need to talk to. To be honest, when I was working on this, all I was literally focused on was the mind of the character, because Addam doesn’t know.”
Perhaps the matter of House of the Dragon‘s dragonrider lore, Addam of Hull, Seasmoke, and Laenor Velayron will receive more clarity when House of the Dragon returns for season three.
Originally published on June 24, 2024.
