House of the Dragon Season 3 is off to a great start with several surprises to shape up the “Dance of the Dragons.” The Game of Thrones prequel returned for its third outing on HBO on June 21, 2026. Picking up from Season 2’s ending, the new entry continues to follow Rhaenyra Targaryen’s (Emma D’Arcy) quest to reclaim the throne. Season 2 ended with the heir apparent mobilizing for war. Even after her childhood friend, Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower, secretly visited her in Dragonstone to negotiate a truce, Rhaenyra affirmed that Alicent’s son, Tom Glynn-Carney’s Aegon II Targaryen, must die for her to reign.
With Aegon and Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) fleeing the Red Keep, they seemingly truncated Alicent’s move to end the war by betraying her son. Season 3 partly resolved the cliffhanger as the duo was captured by soldiers loyal to Rhaenyra. The new episode also resolved other lingering threads, including Rhaena Targaryen’s (Phoebe Campbell) encounter with the scary, feral dragon Sheepstealer. In all, House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1, hints at another exciting season for the fandom. Here are moments that have set the season up for an explosive outing.
Aemond Kissing His Mother
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Bent on seeing through her truce with Rhaenyra in Season 2, Alicent returns to find her second son, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), sitting on the Iron Throne. He claims Aegon has abdicated the throne, questions his mother’s whereabouts, and declares his intent to stay back and defend King’s Landing against the original plan to seize Harrenhal.
Amid efforts to manipulate the one-eyed Prince into leaving King’s Landing for Harrenhal, Aemond initiates a romantic gesture towards his mother. He leans in and kisses a confused Alicent, delivering one of the most disconcerting scenes of the episode. Yes, the Targaryens are incestuous, but a mother-and-son situation is uncharted territory for the franchise until the Aemond and Alicent moment in House of the Dragon Season 3’s premiere.
Jacaerys Velaryon’s Fatal Act Of Defiance
Convinced Rhaenyra was walking into a trap, Harry Collett’s Jace Valaryon committed treason and paid with his life. After failed attempts to dissuade his mother from joining the Battle of the Gullet, the prince locks Rhaenyra in her chambers. He rides out alongside Baela (Bethany Antonia) with their dragons to support the Velaryon fleet against the Triarchy. The determination to protect his mother and prove himself saw him undermine Rhaenyra’s authority, but he didn’t anticipate perishing at sea. Jace’s death thwarts any hope for a truce, ensuring more “Fire and Blood” as the plot continues to unfold.
The Lannister Twins Meet Their End
House of the Dragon Season 3 proves Tyland Lannister’s (Jefferson Hall) alliance with the Triarchy to be his undoing. He allies himself with the group to end the Velaryon blockade in Season 2’s finale after defeating Admiral Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn) in mud wrestling. While he tolerates Lohar’s excesses, hoping to achieve his goal, the Triarchy leader won’t have him and his men weigh her down. The admiral casually tosses them off her boat to keep up her pursuit of Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint). Elsewhere, Tyland’s twin brother, Jason Lannister (Hall), loses his head off-screen. Daemon (Matt Smith) receives his severed head from the Winter Wolves as they join his army.
The Possible Death Of Lord Corlys Velaryon
With Admiral Sharako Lohar’s resolve to face Lord Corlys, she breaks from the Battle of the Gullet to pursue the Lord of Driftmark. The Sea Snake lures her away into a treachrous path to wreck her ship and rejoin the battle. But then, the admiral sacrifices Tyland and his men to successfully navigate the treachrous path. When she eventually catches up with the famus seafarer, a fierce battle ensues, leading to the possible death of Lord Corlys who falls over into the sea without resurfacing.
While his fate is uncertain, the age-long rivarly between him and Lohar is surely over. After Corlys disappears in the sea, the Triarchy leader and Corlys’ bastard son, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim), squares up in a fight that ultimately claims Lohar’s life. Her death foils the attempt to end the Velaryon blockade but if Lord Corlys perished in the sea, then the blockade might be over as well since he’s the mastermind behind it. Check out answers to the big questions Ready or Not 2 left behind.
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