One of the most significant changes 'House of the Dragon' has made to George R.R. Martin's 'Fire & Blood' is the quiet removal of Maelor Targaryen, a book character whose absence from Season 2 and confirmed exclusion in Season 3 has reshaped one of the saga's darkest storylines without ever putting him on screen.
That character is Maelor Targaryen, the younger son of King Aegon II and Queen Helaena Targaryen. HBO removed Maelor from the adaptation before Season 2, a decision that prompted a notably strong public reaction from Martin.