When House of the Dragon season 3 opens, the characters we’ve gotten to know over the past two seasons will be more spread out than ever. Though Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) have reunited, war has demanded different things of different people, and as the battles continue, we’ll get to see new locations and meet new additions.
We know the highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet will take over the season 3 premiere, but not every important character will be present. Rhaenyra, for example, is headed to King’s Landing to take back her spot on the Iron Throne, while Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) takes off for Harrenhal. Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), of course, has been on a journey away from home since season 2, and we’ll get to see how this new reality takes a toll on him in season 3.
Tom Glynn-Carney discusses Aegon’s internal battle in House of the Dragon season 3
While promoting House of the Dragon season 3, Glynn-Carney sat down with co-star Matthew Needham (who plays Larys Strong) to preview what’s to come. Chatting with journalist Jonatan Blomberg from MovieZine, the English actor, 31, shed light on Aegon’s mindset in the new episodes, calling it a “rollercoaster.” Traveling alongside Larys, the two characters have moments of determination and moments of lost hope.
“We see [Aegon] at the beginning kind of in the throes of withdrawal symptoms from milk of the poppy and a real sort of pessimism, which is to be imagined if he was going through that. But it’s like a rollercoaster,” Glynn-Carney explained. “There are moments where we feel kind of invigorated, inspired, and determined, and other moments where [we think], ‘What was all this for?’ You know? And that’s the kind of dance that we do the entire way through of the season I feel. There are moments of, kind of, great hope, and the opposite.”
At the end of season 2, Larys convinces Aegon to leave King’s Landing, fearing for his survival if he stays. Aegon seems void of any hope for his future, worn down emotionally from his life-threatening injury at the Battle of Rook’s Rest. But Aemond tried to kill him, and it’s possibly he’ll try to do it again if he stays in the castle. This leaves Aegon with very little choice, and he flees. Larys mentions having money at the Iron Bank of Braavos, so it seems that’s where the pair is headed. But where to after that?
In Fire & Blood, the book House of the Dragon is based on, Aegon hides out on Dragonstone. And with Rhaenyra leaving the Targaryen castle, it’s possible Aegon will head there, though his whereabouts are a big question mark leading into the third season.
In their travels, Aegon will endure what might be the biggest battle of his life: himself. His internal struggle of finding the motivation to continue, after all he’s been through, and to make life-changing decisions will see him in a very interesting position, even if he’s not an active participant in the war.
Both Glynn-Carney and showrunner Ryan Condal have teased how great Aegon’s storyline in season 3 is, with the actor previously sharing that he’s got “vulnerability and a fragility” to him this time around. As for Condal, he’s talked about the writing process, telling Entertainment Weekly in 2025:
“[Aegon is] kind of lost to history in the sense that nobody really knows what happened. We took that, as the writers, as a great opportunity to figure out. That was one of the great challenges of writing season 2: figuring out something that would work and be satisfying, but also not cause ripple effects in the narrative and change where the other big pieces are going. Honestly, I think it's one of the best stories that we cracked this year.”
We might not be seeing Aegon flying on a dragon (please don’t be dead, Sunfyre!) or handling a sword anytime soon, but this is your reminder not to discount him in season 3. His journey might just be as compelling as the rest.
Aegon is one of many characters we’re excited to see again when House of the Dragon season 3 premieres on HBO and HBO Max on June 21.
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