We're officially into 2026, and you know what that means: it's the year we get not one, but two new seasons of Game of Thrones spinoffs. On January 18, HBO will premiere the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, introducing viewers to a different era in Westeros with very different characters and adventures. Then in the summer, House of the Dragon will return for its third season...but don't expect it to feel exactly like last time.
According to a brief tease shared by an official HBO Max social media account, we'll witness "a new queen" in season 3. Ominous!
A new year. A new season. A new Queen. #HouseoftheDragon pic.twitter.com/SUfUjOsXn7
— HBO Max Nordic (@StreamMaxNordic) January 1, 2026
My first reaction on seeing this teaser was "Oh my god, is that new footage?" But alas, it is not. This scene is taken from Daemon's vision in the House of the Dragon season 2 finale, where he saw Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne and the silhouette of Daenerys Targaryen with her three dragon hatchlings thanks to the effects of the weirwood tree in Harrenhal.
That said, there's is absolutely more to this tease than a simple nod back to a season 2 scene. If you've read Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, you know exactly what this fun little post from HBO Max Nordic is referencing. And if you haven't...well, flee now or read on for SPOILERS.
Rhaneyra Targaryen will finally sit the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon season 3
Thus far in House of the Dragon, the Greens have maintained control of King's Landing and the Iron Throne, while Rhaenyra and her Blacks have waged their campaign from the ancestral Targaryen stronghold on the island of Dragonstone. That's going to shift in a major way in season 3, and at long last, we'll see the Black Queen ascend to her rightful throne.
Following a devastating loss at the Battle of the Gullet, Rhaenyra finally decides she's had enough of half-measures in the Dance of the Dragons civil war. She swiftly enacts a plan to head straight for King's Landing with a few of her dragonriders, taking advantage of a key moment when Aemond Targaryen and his massive dragon Vhagar have been lured away. With Aemond gone and the loyalty of the Gold Cloaks swayed by Rhaenyra's husband Daemon, she easily seizes the city.
Rhaenyra taking the Iron Throne is a major turn essentially functions as the halfway point for the story. She quickly dispenses judgment on those who forced her into exile, taking Alicent Hightower and her daughter Helaena prisoner and ordering the execution of Alicent's father, Otto Hightower. Whether Otto will suffer the same fate in the show remains to be seen, as we last saw him being held captive in an undisclosed location. But no matter how you slice it, Rhaenyra taking the Iron Throne is too big a plotline to change, and there's no doubt that House of the Dragon will dive full-on into that material in season 3.
How Rhaenyra rules, however, is much more of an open question. The Dance of the Dragons is a tragedy, so don't expect things to go exceedingly well for her, even when she finally does gain that seat she's coveted for so long. Suffice to say, Rhaenyra sitting the Iron Throne does not mark an end to the war, and more bloodshed and betrayal awaits down the line. This is a Game of Thrones show, after all.
It won't be long before we'll get to watch it all unfold for ourselves. House of the Dragon season 3 is expected to premiere by August of 2026, if not before. We'll be watching closely for updates.