House of the Dragon season 3 has been full of some major deaths so far, and we're expecting a few major deaths in the finale on Sunday, Aug. 9. It looks like we're about to see a major battle in Tumbleton.
House of the Dragon has been building toward this battle in Tumbleton since Alicent's plan stalled Ormund Hightower's march to King's Landing, which led to him taking Tumbleton and systematically causing chaos during Rhaenyra's early days on the Iron Throne.
I don't know everything that happens in George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, but I have read the parts about Tumbleton, so I know a little about where this story is heading. With that said, this part of the story in House of the Dragon is playing out very differently than it plays out in Fire & Blood. So, it's really anyone's guess what is going to happen.
From my perspective, it looks like we're going to get the First Battle of Tumbleton in this episode. For those who don't know, there are two big battles at Tumbleton. House of the Dragon could lump them together and go really big, or they'll split them up and honor that part of the story. We really don't know, but there are some key deaths at Tumbleton.
If you aren't interested in learning about those deaths in Fire & Blood, feel free to turn back and join us to talk about how everything plays out after the season 3 finale.
If you'd like to continue, let's dive in with the characters we're expecting to die in the House of the Dragon season 3 finale.
Ormund Hightower
Ormund Hightower (James Norton) has been marked for death the second he stepped on screen in House of the Dragon season 3. You don't just come out of nowhere and torment Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy), Daemon (Matt Smith), and the Blacks like this without paying the price. It looks like that price is about to be paid in Tumbleton.
In Fire & Blood, Ormund does fall in the First Battle of Tumbleton. He was simply overwhelmed by the smell of the Winter Wolves, and he dropped dead. That's a joke. That's not what happened, but you could see how that could happen, of course.
Ormund gets a better ending than that, but I will be completely and utterly shocked if he survives the season 3 finale. That's just the vibe I'm getting right now.
Obviously, there's a chance that we could see Ormund live through the battle and continue to be a thorn in Rhaenyra's side. He's such a good character that it would make a lot of sense to keep him around in the series for as long as they can, which might be the First Battle of Tumbleton, though.
Roddy the Ruin
Ser Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan) is definitely going to die in the House of the Dragon season 3 finale. He's the one character I'm absolutely convinced will be killed.
We've been talking about it all season. As the leader of the Winter Wolves, he's ready to bow out in battle. That's who the Winter Wolves are. They are some real vikings in that regard. Honestly, I'm surprised he's made it this long, but House of the Dragon hasn't really given Roddy and the Winter Wolves a lot of challenges so far. They tore through the Lannisters at the beginning of the season, and then they were part of the show at the Butcher's Ball.
In Fire & Blood, Roddy does die in Tumbleton, but he throws some haymakers on the way to the grave. He's definitely one of the big characters to watch heading into the season 3 finale because he does some significant damage to the Greens' cause in Fire & Blood.
Daeron Targaryen
Daeron Targaryen is on the short list of characters I'm expecting to die in House of the Dragon season 3. He's in grave danger with the approaching army, and he knows it. He speaks out of turn in episode 7 and questions Ormund's plan. The Winter Wolves are about to be knocking at the door, and Daeron is worried.
And he should be! Remember, there are two battles at Tumbleton. Daeron's future is going to come down to how the writers handle this battle. Are we lumping the sieges together? If so, Daeron really, really needs to be worried.
In Fire & Blood, Daeron dies at Tumbleton, but it's not in the First Battle of Tumbleton. So, that's pretty much the only reason I'm worried about him. In the show, I'm not seeing a lot of signs that we need to be worried about Daeron yet.
I will say that he's kind of in the way of how the rest of the story plays out, so he has to go somewhere. Will it be into the grave? We'll find out soon.
Helaena Targaryen
Of all the characters on this list, Helaena (Phia Saban) is one of the two I'm rooting for to make it out of the episode. Helaena has a very tragic story in Fire & Blood. Sadly, it feels like, after her latest dreams and visions, we are closer than ever to saying goodbye to Helaena.
I don't remember all of the specifics of her death in the story, but there are significant differences between Fire & Blood and what House of the Dragon is doing with Helaena's story. We've spent a lot of time with Helaena this season and understanding what her hopes and dreams are for the future. Now, she's held captive in the Red Keep while she's pregnant.
Basically, Helaena has been tortured to this point with the death of her son, her captivity, and her mother constantly lying to her. Meanwhile, her brother-husband is long gone and believed to be dead. The future that Helaena sees for herself appears to be driving her to do something drastic. I don't want to go into much more detail because it's a very sensitive subject matter, and I don't know how Ryan Condal and the writers will handle it.
Rhaena Targaryen
I don't totally think this is the end of Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), especially after what happened with her dragon, Sheepstealer, in episode 7. But, there's definitely a chance that Rhaena will not make it out of this episode alive.
Look, Rhaenya is clearly losing her grip. What do rulers in Westeros do historically when they start to lose their grip? They kill people. Rhaena is the closest person to Rhaenyra who Rhaenyra can point to and say, "You took something from me." Remember, Rhaena is like at least 25% responsible for Jacaerys (Harry Collett), Rhaenyra's son, dying in the Battle of the Gullet. If there was one way to signify that Rhaenyra has truly reached the point of no return, which is what I think is happening this episode, killing Rhaena isn't like the biggest stretch.
She's not the most likely character to die in the finale, especially if you think her character is basically going to get the ending Nettles had in Fire & Blood, but Rhaena could be killed in this big, symbolic turning point for our queen.
Those are the five House of the Dragon characters I'm most worried about in the season 3 finale. We know the end is near for a lot of major characters, but we're definitely not ready to say goodbye to Rhaenyra, Daemon, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), or Alicent (Olivia Cooke) yet.
Watch the House of the Dragon season 3 finale on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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