House of the Dragon season 3 is almost here, and fans will be looking for answers. The first of the Game of Thrones spinoffs, House of the Dragon has delivered a rich and epic look into a dark period in Westeros’ past with the civil war between the Targaryens. Season 3 will see that war heating up even more, but the story has also set up a number of questions that need answering.
House of the Dragon season 2 set the stage for the conflict to reach its bloody peak, with characters moving all around the board with the Iron Throne up for grabs. There are also plots in play that could tip the scales of the war, depending on how they unfold. With so much intrigue set up, the answers coming in House of the Dragon season 3 are bound to be wild.
1. Where is Otto Hightower?
Otto Hightower originally seemed as though he would be House of the Dragon’s version of Tywin Lannister. The cunning and cold father of Alicent Hightower seemed fine with allowing others to sit on the Iron Throne while he pulled the strings. However, his power was somewhat cut off when Aegon impetuously dismissed him as Hand of the King and replaced him with Ser Criston Cole.
Otto left King’s Landing but had every intention of staying in the fight, with Alicent advising him to go to High Garden. After being absent for most of season 2, it was then revealed that Otto’s whereabouts are unknown, and the finale montage revealed him in some unknown dungeon. Was Otto taken by the Tyrells when he went to High Garden? Could there be a traitor among the Greens responsible for removing him from the game?
2. Will Alicent stand by her deal with Rhaenyra?
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of House of the Dragon is the destroyed friendship between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. These best friends now find themselves on opposite sides of the brutal civil war. However, the end of season 2 suggested these two may have reached an uneasy and dark compromise.
In order to bring an end to the fighting, Alicent agreed to allow Rhaenyra into King’s Landing to take the throne, even reluctantly agreeing to let Rhaenyra have her son, Aegon. While House of the Dragon season 3 will almost certainly see Rhaenyra moving on to King’s Landing, will Alicent stay true to her word, or will she turn on her old friend one last time?
3. Where is Aegon going?
As the war rages over the Iron Throne, it is odd to remember that the man who has actually claimed it is unable to physically sit on the throne. Aegon was horrifically injured in battle when his brother Aemond nearly killed him. Aegon knows that Aemond will want to finish the job, but Larys Strong convinced him that he should flee for the time being.
The end of the season sees Aegon, the King of Westeros, being secreted away in the back of a chicken cart along with Larys. Certainly, being the king of Westeros will make it hard to hide, especially now that most of his body is burnt. Where could Aegon be going to ride out the war, and what are Larys’ plans for the king in the end?
4. Are Rhaenyra’s dragonriders an advantage or a liability?
In this civil war between the Targaryens, dragons are the ultimate weapon. The side with the most dragons to fly into battle stands the greatest chance of victory, and Rhaenyra took a big step in that direction in season 2. Knowing that there were plenty of others out there with Targaryen blood, she sought them out and gave them some of the untamed dragons.
The gamble worked, in so much as Aemond found himself outnumbered by Rhaenyra and was forced to flee. However, how much can these new dragonriders be trusted? Ulf the White claimed Silverwing, but the power already seems to be going to his head and he doesn’t seem to have much loyalty to the Blacks. Meanwhile, Hugh the Hammer is a man filled with rage. Is this an experiment doomed to backfire on Rhaenyra?
5. Will Rhaena tame the wild dragon?
Claiming a dragon is a rite of passage for Targaryens, and remaining dragonless is a shame that none want to experience. Unfortunately for Rhaena, that is exactly the situation she has found herself in. As a child, she was poised to take over her mother’s dragon Vhagar, only for Aemond to take it for himself.
Uninterested in remaining without any longer, season 2 of House of the Dragon found Rhaena seeking out the mysterious riderless dragon of the Vale, Sheepstealer. It would seem that Rhaena is being set up to take the place of the missing character, Nettles. However, can she really tame such a wild dragon after being without one for so long? How would this tip the scales of war?
6. Will Helaena fight?
Helaena Targaryen is perhaps the most tragic character in House of the Dragon. Not interested in war or even the throne, Helaena has been dragged along through this conflict unwillingly, suffering greatly and seemingly losing some of her sanity along the way. However, she is still a dragonrider, and those are important things in this war.
Even amid her mourning and pain, Aemond approached Helaena and demanded that she mount a dragon and join him in battle to even the odds. Helaena doesn’t seem to have much fighting spirit in her, and there doesn’t seem to be a side of the conflict she would be eager to fight for. However, with Aemond threatening her life, how will Helaena respond?
7. What role will the Starks play?
House of the Dragon obviously focuses heavily on the Targaryens, but many other prominent Westerosi houses have played a role in the story. One of the Great Houses that fans are still waiting to see make a bigger impact is the Starks. Everyone’s favorite Northern heroes have appeared with Cregan Stark as a recurring character who has pledged his allegiance to the Blacks.
However, we are still waiting for the Starks and the other Northmen to make their presence felt in the war. Several of the new House of the Dragon characters are tied to the North. Could they help swing the balance in the war’s remaining days?
8. How will Daemon interpret his visions?
One of the most divisive aspects of House of the Dragon season 2 was Daemon Targaryen’s storyline. The majority of the season saw him wandering the halls of Harrenhal, having nightmares and brooding over not being king. However, it all leads to a final vision for the king consort that could have big consequences for what’s to come.
The vision shows Daemon the future of House Targaryen, including the fact that Rhaenyra will sit on the Iron Throne. It also confirms Brynden Rivers as the Three-Eyed Raven and even hints at Daenerys Targaryen’s journey ahead. How will Daemon take all this information? Does he understand his place in the story? Is he now willing to make a sacrifice to ensure this future becomes reality?
House of the Dragon season 3 premieres June 21 on HBO and HBO Max.
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