It’s been a hot dragon flame minute since we last saw Rhaenyra’s forces clash with her half-brother Aegon’s on House of the Dragon. What’s the current state of the Targaryen civil war on the Game of Thrones prequel? How did both sides end up spreading fire and blood across the Realm in the first place? And what awaits both factions when the series returns? Here’s everything you need to remember before House of the Dragon season three.
The Dance of the Dragon, the Targaryen civil war at the heart of the show, takes place around 130 years after Aegon conquered Westeros. That’s about 90 years before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and 170 years before Game of Thrones. Each side of the family is vying for the Iron Throne following the death of King Viserys.
If you need a complete refresher of what led to this violent war of succession in the first place, we already have you covered. Check out these pieces from our past coverage:
- What You Need to Remember for House of the Dragon Season 2
- Every Major Character Death From House of the Dragon Season 1
- Who Are House of the Dragon‘s 17 Dragons?
- House of the Dragonn Houses That Didn’t Appear on Game of Thrones
In season two, Rhaenyra’s side found itself stuck in place. For Rhaenyra, that meant being mostly confined to Dragonstone. She had very little support there among the men of her small council. They also refused to let her fight, since Rhaenyra’s death would likely mean they all lost their heads. Without her, their faction would have a very weak claim since everyone knows—even if they won’t say it lest Daemon cut off their head—that her son and heir Jacaerys “Jace” is bastard born. (As is Prince Joffrey, her other surviving son she had with the late Harwin Strong. Rhaenyra also has two boys with Daemon, her own Aegon and his younger brother Viserys.)
Ultimately, Rhaenyra turned to her new unlikely adviser, Mysaria. The White Worm concocted a plan to turn the people of King’s Landing against King Aegon and his side of the family to set the stage for Rhaenyra’s planned return to the capital city. The two also shared an unscripted kiss, in case the Queen’s reliance on Daemon’s former paramour wasn’t complicated enough.
Meanwhile Rhaenyra and her son Jace came up with a plan to find more dragonriders after the death of Princess Rhaenys. Rhaenyra put out word that anyone with Valyrian blood could try to claim a dragon. During “The Red Sowing,” many died, but Targaryen bastards Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White each claimed a large dragon and joined Rhaenyra’s side. Hugh is the grandson of King Jaehaerys, who ruled before Viserys. He rides Vermithor, second largest dragon in the world only behind Aemond’s Vhagar. Ulf is believed to be the bastard brother of Viserys and Daemon. He mounted Silverwing.
Rhaenyra also found a third dragon rider when her not-actually-dead husband Laenor’s dragon Seasmoke claimed Addam of Hull. (Yes, the dragon claimed the rider, a piece of dragonlore the show created.) Addam himself is of Valyrian stock as the bastard son of Ser Corlys Velaryon. As is Addam’s brother, the great seaman Alyn of Hull. Neither Addam nor Alyn have a good relationship with their absentee father, but Corlys did recruit a standoffish Alyn into his service during season two.
Corlys was ready to quit the war after the death of his wife Rhaenys, but instead he accepted the position as Hand of the Queen after his granddaughter Baela pushed him to keep fighting. Baela also rejected his offer to become heir to Driftmark, seat of House Velaryon. She said as a dragonrider (of Moondancer) she is made of fire and blood. He needs some of salt and sea to take the mantle of House Velaryon.
Baela does not have a good or close relationship with her father, Prince Daemon. It only got worse after the death of her mother Laena, who was Daemon’s second wife. (Rhaenyra is his third.) Baela is betrothed to Jace and an important part of Rhaenyra’s fighting force.
Baela’s sister Rhaena has never been able to claim a dragon and was shipped off to the Vale under the protection of Lady Jeyne Arryn. But rather then be sent off to Pentos, Rhaena ran off to chase after a wild dangerous dragon named Sheepstealer. She ended season two cold and alone in the mountains of the Vale at the end of season two.
After a huge blowout with Rhaenyra on Dragonstone, Daemon went off to rally the lords of the Riverlands. A paranoid Daemon claimed Harrenhal from a compliant Ser Simon Strong. But the Prince then upset the rest of the lords when he allowed Willem Blackwood to commit war crimes against his family’s ancient foe, House Bracken. Daemon also suffered from terrible nightmares inside the haunted Harrenhal. There he also met possible-witch Alys Rivers. She seemed to know about events, past, present, and future she shouldn’t have been able to. With her help (and by beheading Willem), Daemon eventually gained the Riverlands support for Rhaenyra.
Alys also led Daemon to the sacred weirwood tree where he saw a vision. It included the Three-Eyed Raven, Daenerys Targaryen, and the White Walkers. Once he learned about Aegon the Conqueror’s Song of Ice and Fire, he gave up his own ambitions to rule and fully and finally supported his wife’s claim. The duo rejoined with renewed focus and energy in the season two finale.
Things on the other side of the war are somehow even more complicated.
An overmatched, unprepared King Aegon reacted to the brutal death of his son and heir by the assassins Cheese and Blood with foolish rage. He ordered the death of every ratcatcher in King’s Landing. His heinous crime completely wasted all of the work his grandfather, Otto Hightower, did in using the child’s death as a way to earn goodwill from the Realm, which blamed Rhaenyra for Daemon’s vengeance.
Aegon made things worse when he ultimately fired Otto Hightower as Hand of the King. He then gave the title to Ser Criston Cole, who almost as quickly began working with Aemond to win the war without Aegon’s input. The two hatched a plan that knocked out one of Rhaenyra’s best dragonriders, but at a huge cost.
Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys died during Ser Criston Cole and Prince Aemond’s surprise attack on Rook’s Roost. But when Aegon, eager to prove his worth to everyone, including his mother, arrived at the battle, his brother tried to kill him. Aemond wants to rule instead. Half of Aegon’s body suffered severe burns, but he barely survived thanks to Grand Maester Orwyle’s care. Larys Strong the Clubfoot then tried bonding with the injured Aegon by talking about how others would now view the King the way they view Larys. Ultimately Larys helped sneak Aegon out of King’s Landing to keep him safe from his brother Aemond.
Criston Cole continued his attacks against Rhaenyra’s supporters with the help of Alicent’s brother, Gwayne Hightower. However, he lost hope after seeing what Aemond did at Rook’s Roost. Cole seems certain they will all burn in dragonflame.
Otto Hightower went missing after being relieved as Hand. Aemond ordered Larys Strong to find his grandfather when he become Prince Regent following his brother’s injuries. No one could find the missing Otto, but we saw him locked away in a dark dungeon during season two’s final moments.
Aemond also tried to recruit his sweet innocent sister, Aegon’s sister-wife Queen Helaena, to join the war efforts with her dragon Dreamfyre. She refused. Season two also revealed Helaena has prophetic visions, possibly because she is a “dreamer” like others throughout House Targaryen’s history. Her visions spoke of doom for Aemond, just as Alys told Daemon the first time she spoke to him that Daemon will one day die at Harrenhal.
The Prince Regent sent small council member Tyland Lannister to Essos to recruit the Triarchy fleet to Aegon’s side. Daemon and Ser Corlys spent many years fighting the Triarchy over the Stepstones, an important archipelago in the Narrow Sea. There, Tyland met with commander Sharako Lohar, a flashy male-presenting warrior played by trans actress Abigail Thorn, who ultimately agreed to fight for Aegon. Tyland was returning with Lohar and the Triarchy to take on Rhaenyra’s fleet led by Corlys and his first commander, Alyn of Hull.
Tyland’s older identical twin brother Jason is also leading his own force for Aegon in the West. Lord Ormund Hightower, with Alicent’s never-seen son Daeron, is also marching from Oldtown. But Rhaenyra also has her own allies headed towards war. Lord Cregan Stark is sending old grizzled warriors to honor his oaths as he prepares his people for winter. They crossed to the south via the Twins Jace secured House Freys support earlier in season two.
What no one knows, though, is that Alicent has already agreed to let Rhaenyra win. The two met in secret in King’s Landing during season two. There Alicent realized she misunderstood her dying husband when the King was speaking about the Song of Ice and Fire. Once she realized Viserys never wanted Aegon to rule, that he was talking about why Rhaenyra must protect the Realm from the dead, Alicent became disillusioned with her life of service, which somehow led to her being Larys’ personal foot fetish and Criston Cole’s paramour.
In the season two finale, Alicent snuck off to Dragonstone to meet with Rhaenyra. In exchange for Alicent and Helaena’s safety and a chance at a quiet peaceful life, Alicent will open up the gates to King’s Landing and her own son Aegon’s head. Alicent also knows this will certainly mean the death of Aemond, too.
Rhaenyra plans to accept the offer, but will anyone else? We’ll find out when season three begins. And until it does read more of our coverage from season two to get caught up.
- Every Major Character Death in House of the Dragon Season Two
- Every Major New Character on House of the Dragon
- The Most Brutal, Shocking, and Gross Moments of House of the Dragon Season 2
Oh yeah, and George R.R. Martin is so upset with the series’ changes and his (now non-existent) relationship with showrunner Ryan Condal that the author publicly scorched both with a blistering screed.
Will Condal and Martin meet under a banner of peace before the show ends? There’s not much time left for that to happen. The last thing to remember about House of the Dragon season three is that it’s the show’s penultimate outing. It will end with season four.
But before it says goodbye….
Fire and blood is returning to HBO. Now you’re ready for it.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.