It’s been a long wait for ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 3, and it will be longer still. The good news is that the filming is underway and details are emerging about the path the show will take. In essence, the battles that will blow up on screen in this Targaryen saga.
Fans of George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire And Blood‘ books have been waiting for the biggest sea battle, and the show is ready to deliver it in the upcoming season. Yes, we are talking about the Battle of the Gullet, which pits the Blacks against the Greens and their ally,
the Triarchy. It’s going to be epic and bloody.
‘House Of The Dragon’: The Battle Of The Gullet Explained
The Targaryen civil war is heating up, and you can take that literally, as there will be a lot of fire in ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 3. Even the calming waters of the sea will rage up with battles and blood will spill on both sides of the Targaryen family factions. The season 2 finale shook up things at Rook’s Rest and Harrenhal. Now, the Greens’ access to Blackwater Bay is in jeopardy too.
The Gullet – which is located in the Crownlands, stretches from Dragonstone and Driftmark (seat of House Velaryon) in the North side to the edge of Massey’s Hook in its South. Lord Corlys Velaryon, known as the Sea Snake, sealed the Gullet during the Dance of the Dragons. Why? To stop travels and trades to King’s Landing through the ways of the water. Of course, this put the Greens at a massive disadvantage.
Related: ‘House Of The Dragon’: Season 2’s Twisted Finale Explained
King Aegon II Targaryen did not take this blockade sitting down. He launched a massive naval battle in the Gullet with the help of the Triarchy, led by Admiral Sharako Lohar. The deal was made by the diplomatic ploys of Ser Otto Hightower, who offered them exclusive trading rights and the Stepstones. However, a frustrated Aegon has replaced him as Hand of the King, and it’s Ser Criston Cole in the position. Currently, all of their lives hang in the balance.
In the books, there was much destruction during the Battle of the Gullet, but the Greens couldn’t break the Sea Snake’s hold. Sure, the Triarchy will sail into Season 3 with 90 warships, and the greatest sea battle in the history of ‘Game Of Thrones‘ realm will ensue. Showrunner Ryan Condal told EW, “In many ways, the Gullet has been on the minds of the production for about three years now and trying to figure out how we were going to mount it in a way that was both producible and exciting, thrilling. The planning that has gone into this… basically all departments working in concert to really make a thing that nobody has ever done before.”
How ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 3 Is Preparing For The Targaryen War
In case you missed it: Kit Harington Explains Why He Can Never Watch ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel ‘House Of The Dragon’
Ryan Condal has confirmed four major events to take place in the upcoming season of ‘House Of The Dragon.’ There are new additions to the cast, too. Tommy Flanagan will play Ser Roderick Dustin, also known by his nickname, Roddy the Ruin. The man is the leader of savage northerners, who quite aptly go by Winter Wolves. Then, Dan Fogler will portray the knight, Ser Torrhen Manderly. James Norton will be seen as Ormund Hightower, the strongheaded Hightower leading the Green’s army from Oldtown. The missing Daeron Targaryen (Alicent’s son) will also sway into Season 3 to fight for his family.
If you are wondering about King Aegon’s whereabouts, given that he fled King’s Landing secretly with Larys Strong, that’s a mystery the show will unfold soon. Condal confirmed he will be back: “He’s kind of lost to history in the sense that nobody really knows what happened. We took that, as the writers, as a great opportunity to figure out. That was one of the great challenges of writing season 2: figuring out something that would work and be satisfying, but also not cause ripple effects in the narrative and change where the other big pieces are going. Honestly, I think it’s one of the best stories that we cracked this year.“
There will certainly be huge casualties of war, and we will lose many beloved characters. The show certainly is brutal when it comes to delivering the battles – be it on ground on horseback or in the air, riding dragons. ‘House Of The Dragon‘ is expected to release in 2026 and it’s been indicated that the story will conclude by the fourth season.
