The demise of Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) hangs heavy over all of this Sunday's episode of House of the Dragon.
For her niece, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy), Rhaenys' demise isn't just a tragic personal blow, but also a devastating tactical one. Meleys was the largest dragon that Rhaenyra had in her fledgling army and Rhaenys was her most experienced dragonrider. Without the two of them, or much of a ground army to speak of, Rhaenyra grows understandably concerned about how stacked the odds against her seem to be. That is until her eldest son, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), proposes what Rhaenyra deems a "mad idea" of how to balance the scales again.
Warning: Spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5 follow!
Jacaerys’ proposal is simple: The Blacks need to recruit non-Targaryens with Valyrian blood to swear loyalty to Rhaenyra and claim the dragons that reside riderless on Dragonstone. This is a development pulled straight from Fire & Blood, the book that House of the Dragon is based on, and it's one that paves the way for several of this season's disparate storylines (so far) to start coming together.
As of this Sunday's episode of House of the Dragon, there are six grown dragons that reside on and around Dragonstone that have yet to be claimed by new riders:
- Seasmoke, the former dragon of Rhaenyra's first husband, Laenor (John Macmillan)
- Vermithor, the former dragon of King Jaehaerys Targaryen
- Silverwing, the dragon of King Jaehaerys' sister-wife, Alysanne
- Cannibal, a dragon which is — spoiler alert — too wild to be tamed by anyone
- Sheepstealer
- Grey Ghost
The first three are the only ones that have been mentioned on the show thus far, with Vermithor and Silverwing mentioned by Jace during his conversation with Rhaenyra, and Vermithor, aka the Bronze Fury, also briefly appearing in the House of the Dragon Season 1 finale when Daemon (Matt Smith) took a moment to sing to him.
Of all six dragons, Vermithor, Silverwing, and Seasmoke are the most fearsome, but only four total will be claimed in the Dance of the Dragons. House of the Dragon viewers had already met three of the four dragons' future riders, too. Before we disclose their identities, though, it's worth noting that minor spoilers for Fire & Blood lie ahead.
Vermithor will ultimately be tamed by Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew), the King's Landing blacksmith viewers first met in House of the Dragon's Season 2 premiere. Silverwing will be claimed by Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), the drunken man who claims to be a Targaryen bastard in "The Burning Mill." Finally, Seasmoke is destined to be claimed by Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), the brother of Alyn (Abubakar Salim) and whom viewers have already seen watching Seasmoke fly above him in wonder earlier this season. Sheepstealer will also be claimed at one point by a fearless girl named Nettles, who hasn't yet been introduced on House of the Dragon but is destined to play as important of a role on the show as Hugh, Ulf, and Addam.
House of the Dragon Season 2 has so far used Hugh, Ulf, and Addam very sparingly. The former two characters' scenes have all simultaneously offered viewers insight into the current, increasingly worsening state of King's Landing, while Addam's few scenes have mostly just provided a look at his and his brother's relationship. Thanks to Jace and Rhaenyra's latest conversation, though, all three characters are about to become a lot more actively involved in the HBO series' overarching story. That turn should just further help House of the Dragon Season 2 feel even more cohesive in its remaining three episodes than it already has over the past two weeks.
To say much about their overall roles would be to wade too far into spoiler territory, but it's safe to say that Addam, Hugh, Ulf, and Nettles are all going to affect the Dance of the Dragons in their own, seismic ways. Their increased presence moving forward will also, notably, result in even more in-air dragon action. Coming off House of the Dragon's recent, blockbuster adaptation of the Battle at Rook's Rest, that should come as very good to viewers.
