In 2024, House of the Dragon came roaring back to our screens with a second season that sizzled more than it scorched. But the Game of Thrones prequel maintains its dynastic rule as television's premier fantasy drama, where the emotional stakes and politicking for the Iron Throne is often a bigger spectacle than a winged wyvern soaring among the skies. And, hopefully, House of the Dragon Season 3 can deliver some of the epic action these latest episodes were somewhat lacking, while maintaining the high-stakes drama and intrigue that we can’t get enough of.
Here’s everything we know (or think we know) about House of the Dragon Season 3, from when the release date may arrive to who from the cast will return and what to expect when they do.
What happened in House of the Dragon Season 2?
In House of the Dragon Season 2, childhood friends turned sworn rivals Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) have never been more at odds. The demise of Rhaenyra's son Luke weighs heavy. Late in Season 1, the young prince was swallowed up by the rogue dragon whose rider is Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), Luke's cousin and Rhaenyra's nephew. (If you have trouble picturing him: He's the guy with the long hair and eye patch.)
Early in Season 2, the “Blacks” retaliate against the “Greens” with rogue prince Daemon (Matt Smith) sending lowlife assassins to murder Aemond. Because Aemond was absent from his quarters, the mercenaries instead target the very young Jaehaerys – a son for a son, after all.
With the dust now settled on Season 2, it's high time to look ahead to the future of Game of Thrones' past. Here's all we know about the next, third season of House of the Dragon.
Will there be a House of the Dragon Season 3?
Yes! Season 3 of House of the Dragon is on the way. Prior to the show's Season 2 premiere, HBO announced on June 13, 2024 that House of the Dragon was renewed for a third season.
In a statement released to the press (via Variety), HBO's Francesca Orsi celebrated the show and confirmed a third season: “We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart. We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three.”
What is the House of the Dragon Season 3 release date on HBO?
As of right now, there is no confirmed release date for House of the Dragon Season 3. However, it shouldn't be that far in the future. In an article published by Variety on August 5, series showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal confirmed that episode scripts for Season 3 were in the drafting process and cited “earlyish 2025” as the targeted start date for production. Factoring in the equally grueling and lengthy post-production process, which takes approximately a year or more, fans may not return to King's Landing until some time in 2026.
Thus far, House of the Dragon has followed a two-year cycle between seasons. While this frustrates fans – especially Game of Thrones faithful who tuned in to a new season every year – the show has proved itself to be worth its weight in Valyrian steel.
What is the plot of House of the Dragon Season 3?
Plot details for House of the Dragon Season 3 are unknown – mostly. But fans know one thing that lies ahead: The Battle of the Gullet.
To recap: House of the Dragon is adapted from George R.R. Martin's world famous Game of Thrones literary series, and more specifically his 2018 book Fire & Blood. The show is a prequel to Game of Thrones (you might have heard of it) set 200 years prior. Fire & Blood isn't a novel, but instead an in-universe history book that chronicles the Targaryen dynasty. A rough analogue to Fire & Blood might be The Silmarillion, a published collection of mythology and lore from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Echoing medieval historiography, Fire & Blood's in-universe “author” is an archmaester named Gyldayn who doesn't have the most reliable or consistent sources. For that reason, not all of Fire & Blood may be accurate to how the Targaryen-on-Targaryen conflict— known as the Dance of the Dragons – actually unfolded. Reading Fire & Blood cover to cover isn't the early glimpse into Season 3 one might assume it to be. Still, Fire & Blood isn't a bad place to start. Ryan Condal has said as much, confirming the infamous and bloody Battle of the Gullet is set for Season 3.
During a virtual press conference for House of the Dragon that took place on August 5, Condal explained why the Battle of the Gullet didn't happen in Season 2 and why it's reserved for Season 3. “We were trying to give the Gullet … the time and the space that it deserved,” he said. The showrunner added that, despite the show's blockbuster status and production value, “nobody has infinite time and resources,” and thus they couldn't pull off showing the Battle of the Gullet in the way he feels it deserves. The Battle of the Gullet is a huge naval battle of incredible bloodshed and loss of life that's described in Fire & Blood.
Said Condal (via IGN): “As a showrunner, you're always in the position of having to balance storytelling and the resources you have available to tell that story, and you're also starting to think about — and one of the things that came into play in Season 2 — is, what is the final destination of this series and where are we going? And I think it was a combination of factors that led us to rebalance the story, knowing where we're going and where that endpoint is, to rebalance the story in such a way that we had three great seasons of television [after Season 1]... to round out and tell this story.”
Condal added: “[The Battle of the Gullet] will happen very shortly in terms of the storytelling in House of the Dragon. And it should be, based on what we know now, it should be the biggest thing to date that we've pulled off. And we just wanted to have the time and the space to do that at a level that is going to excite and satisfy the fans in the way it deserves. And we also wanted to build some anticipation towards it.”
Who will be in the cast of House of the Dragon Season 3?
Keeping it light on spoilers here, but you can expect virtually everyone whose characters are still alive to return for Season 3. If there are any cast changes in Season 3, that will be made clear when production starts in early 2025 without those specific actors involved.
While cast changes between seasons are not unusual, House of the Dragon did not have any major cast changes between its first and second seasons. The only major cast change that occurred was in the middle of Season 1, when the show's time-jump advanced its chronology by 20 years and new actors stepped in to play characters like Alicent and Rhaenyra as adults.
Barring any major changes, the principal cast of House of the Dragon Season 3 should still be:
- Emma D’Arcy as Princess/Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke as Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower
- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
- Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen
- Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower
- Phia Saban as Queen Helaena Targaryen
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
- Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
- Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
Is there a trailer for House of the Dragon Season 3?
No, there is currently no trailer for House of the Dragon Season 3.
How many seasons of House of the Dragon will there be in total?
House of the Dragon nears its end, with its fourth season slated to be its last.
During the August 5 press conference, Condal confirmed House of the Dragon would end with Season 4. While that is half the amount of seasons its predecessor enjoyed, “four” has been a magic number baked into its DNA. Back in October 2022, author George R.R. Martin said on his blog he felt House of the Dragon needed four seasons. “It is going to take four full seasons of ten episodes each to do justice to the Dance of the Dragons, from start to finish,” Martin wrote.
Months later in May 2023, HBO executive Francesa Orsi told Deadline the total length of House of the Dragon was “still under discussion. “Is it four seasons? I don’t think from where I sit at this point will be any less than four. But could be more. We’ll see.”
All that said, fans shouldn't have to fear House of the Dragon to suffer the same fate as its predecessor. Because this time, the writers know where to land their dragon.
Said Condal at the press conference: “One of the things that really came into play in Season 2 is: What is the final destination of the series, and where are we going? And I think it was a combination of factors that led us – knowing now where we're going and we know what that end point is – to rebalance the story in such a way that we had three further great seasons of television to round out and tell this story, and we knew where we were going and we know how those things kind of break up and break out.”
