House of the Dragon season 3 is here, and after the premiere's Battle of the Gullet, it's already looking like the Game of Thrones spinoff's biggest chapter yet — well, at least until its fourth and final season debuts on HBO. Despite Rhaenyra and Alicent's tenuous truce at the end of season 2, the war between the Blacks and Greens continues to escalate. It's only going to get worse after the devastating opener, which sees Rhaenyra losing yet another son.
In Fire & Blood, this is one of many things that pushes Rhaenyra to become a brutal and tyrannical leader. House of the Dragon makes a number of changes to its characters, but it seems headed in a similar direction with Emma D'Arcy's lead. And with the Targaryen civil war still on, we can anticipate more clashes before House of the Dragon season 3 is through. In fact, Matt Smith promised two "splendid" ones, one of which is obviously the Battle of the Gullet.
From Fire & Blood, we know that several of them will precede Rhaenyra taking King's Landing, a development teased in the season 3 trailer. However, some of the most important conflicts actually happen after the city falls, the Battle by the Lakeshore among them.
The Battle by the Lakeshore takes place after the fall of King's Landing
In Fire & Blood, there are numerous conflicts before Rhaenyra Targaryen takes King's landing, but House of the Dragon may not depict all of them on-screen. However, much of what comes after deserves proper attention, including the Battle by the Lakeshore (also dubbed the Fishfeed). This conflict unfolds soon after Rhaenyra takes the city, so realistically, we'll probably see some version of it in season 3. That's an exciting prospect, as the Battle by the Lakeshore is regarded as the bloodiest land conflict of the Dance of the Dragons.
For comparison, the most devastating sea battle of the Targaryen civil war is the Battle of the Gullet. Needless to say, the Battle by the Lakeshore is a fairly big deal in George R.R. Martin's book. It's an important point for the Winter Wolves, and it leads directly into other big developments from Fire & Blood. That said, it doesn't heavily feature any main characters, which could see it downsized for the sake of House of the Dragon's budget and runtime.
The battle pits the Lannister host against the Winter Wolves and Riverlords
The Battle by the Lakeshore unfolds in the Riverlands, and it's fought between the Lannister army (on behalf of the Greens) and the Winter Wolves and the Riverlords (fighting for the Blacks). The Lannister host is led by Lord Humfrey Lefford, and it gets backed into the Gods Eye by the enemy forces. Surrounded on all sides, the Green army is forced to go on the defensive. Its attempts to send for help are thwarted by the opposition, and the Blacks are able to launch a full-scale attack on them. It results in a large number of losses, with many Green soldiers being forced into the lake and dying there.
The Winter Wolves and Roddy the Ruin play a prominent role in this battle, which would be one reason to depict it on-screen. Roddy the Ruin is one of House of the Dragon season 3's new characters — the man who declares he's come to "die for the dragon queen" in the premiere — and he's already looking like one of the more interesting additions this season. He'll lead the charge during the Battle by the Lakeshore, though the Winter Wolves also see significant losses. The Lannister army faces more, however, as it's more or less destroyed in this fight.
The Battle by the Lakeshore's outcome leads into other major fights in the Dance of the Dragons
The Battle by the Lakeshore sees devastating losses on both sides, but Team Black technically wins this conflict. That has a larger impact on the Dance of the Dragons going forward, as it forces Prince Aemond Targaryen and Criston Cole to forfeit Harrenhal. And their departure from the castle brings both characters a step closer to their Fire & Blood fates.
Following the Battle by the Lakeshore, Aemond and Vhagar take the former's frustrations out on the Riverlands. Aemond's brutal campaign eventually leads to another one of the most iconic fights in the Dance of the Dragons: Aemond vs. Daemon in the Battle Above the Gods Eye. This is where both characters fight to the death, a development that alters the course of the Targaryen civil war by removing two of its most powerful players.
While Aemond goes on his rampage, Criston Cole leads his remaining forces toward Lord Ormund Hightower's army. They never actually reach them, though, as they're attacked by soldiers loyal to Rhaenyra. Criston meets his end at another battle dubbed the Butcher's Ball, which will also undoubtedly feature in House of the Dragon. Just like Aemond's, Criston's death directly results from the Battle by the Lakeshore, proving what a turning point it really is.
House of the Dragon premieres new episodes Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
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