It's an exciting day in Westeros, because today HBO announced that it has officially renewed House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms! These early renewals mean we can watch both Game of Thrones spinoffs next year with the comfort of knowing they'll be back for more.
To go along with this news, HBO also released some new images for both series. In the case of House of the Dragon in particular, these stand as the first look we've ever gotten at the fantasy drama's upcoming season. And what a season it shall be! The Dance of the Dragons civil war is fully in swing, and battle is being joined. Let's take a look at them, because one of these pictures in particular has me very hyped.
Rhaenyra ascendant
Our first image shows the Black Queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) contemplating her crown. She's wearing garb more fit for battle than holding court, so I'd wager this is Rhaenyra on Dragonstone, likely in one of the first episodes of the season. The crown she's holding is that of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, which has been her crown throughout the war.
This season we'll finally see Rhaenyra take wing and leave Dragonstone following the Battle of the Gullet, but this scene probably takes place beforehand. The weight of the crown will wear heavy on our dragon queen in season 3, as beloved figures fall and the stakes of the war climb ever higher.
Daemon makes war in the Riverlands
Our second and final picture shows Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) in the Riverlands, leading an army into a bloody battle. We see banners for House Tully waving proudly at the front of the host. It's hard to make out the other banners, but the white one looks like the plowman of House Darry to me, and the green one in the back could have the bat of House Lothston. Neither of those banners is the right color for the house, but the designs seem to fit so perhaps House of the Dragon is switching up its heraldry a bit.
Of note in this image is the young man standing at Daemon's shoulder — that's Oscar Tully, played by Archie Barnes. He put on a strong showing for a young lord in season 2, but I have a feeling season 3 will open his eyes to the brutality of war in a way that will be formative for the lordling.
Horrific battles in the Riverlands are coming in House of the Dragon season 3
Now let's talk about what exactly is happening in this image of Daemon. There are a number of notable battles that happen in the Riverlands during the Dance of the Dragons, and I'm expecting just about all of them to happen during season 3 before the focus shifts elsewhere during the show's fourth (but perhaps not final) season.
The main battles I'm expecting to see in the Riverlands are the Battle of the Red Fork, where the Lannisters come up against a host of Northmen at its namesake river; the Fishfeed, also called the Battle of the Lakeshore, where the remnants of the Lannister host are brutally cut down against the God's Eye lake outside Harrenhal; and the Butcher's Ball, where a certain much-hated character finally meets their end.
Daemon doesn't actually take place in any of these battles, because by this point in the book he's left the Riverlands behind to join Rhaenyra in the Crownlands. But the show has switched things up a bit to have its main cast better represented around the map. As such, it seems all but certain that Daemon will appear in at least one of the battles above, especially with this first image of him drenched in blood at the front of a host of Rivermen.
My guess would be that this is the Fishfeed. We left season 2 with Jason Lannister's army about to reach the Red Fork, and a host of Northmen known as the Winter Wolves marching to meet him. It's possible that Daemon's army will make haste and join the fray there, but I think it's more likely that the Battle of the Red Fork will happen very early in the season — likely without a ton of screentime — and lead into the Fishfeed shortly afterward where Daemon mops up the remnants near Harrenhal.
The Fishfeed is one of the bloodiest land battle in the entire war, with the Green army standing basically no chance as they're backed up against the lake and cut down to a man. That sort of horror matches what we see in the image, with Daemon covered head-to-toe in blood and Oscar Tully petrified by what he's witnessing.
Of course, there's always a chance that this image is from some minor skirmish in one of Daemon's first scenes of the season. But since we know that these battles are coming, I think it's a safe bet that this is part of one of them.
We'll find out next year! House of the Dragon season 3 premieres in summer 2026.