While I do love dragons, the Targaryens, and everything to do with fire and blood in House of the Dragon, I must admit that the Starks (or more so, the North) forever hold a place in my heart. Watching the House of the Dragon season 3 finale, I felt the winds picking back up and blowing my allegiance back to those direwolves.
Back when Game of Thrones was on, I must admit I was a big Stark supporter from the very beginning. I had a whole banner in my room and everything. While I did love Daenerys and all she stood for until the very end (we don’t need to talk about that), there was something about the Starks that cemented their place in my heart.
House of the Dragon basically ignored the Northerners and focused on the dragons and civil war, and rightfully so. Having the Winter Wolves fight in the Battle of Tumbleton, led by Ser Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan), reminded me of why I love the Starks so much and why they really are the best part of Westeros.
The Winter Wolves marched ready and willing to die
The one thing I love about the Winter Wolves (the 2000 Northmen that Cregan Stark sent to fight for Rhaenyra) is that they are probably the most passionate warriors we have seen on this show. It’s not just simple battle cries or unthinkingly running into battle on a horse. These elderly, veteran warriors eat, sleep, and breathe blood and destruction. It is their right to defend their rulers, and they love doing it and dying for it.
Just marching that far South to partake in this war already shows their dedication, but in all honesty, they were ready to throw hands the moment they met up with Daemon and his group. And that is only further illustrated in the season 3 finale.
Ser Roderick Dustin was a standout character
One of my biggest criticisms of House of the Dragon season 3 is that we didn't see enough of Ser Roderick Dustin. Because my god, I was enthralled by Roddy the Ruin.
Let’s talk about how fantastic a leader he is first, because the way he hyped up his men, got their blood flowing, and somehow used all that as an intimidation tactic was brilliant.
He isn’t just some leader who sits back. No, he charged right into the fire alongside his men, climbing the ladders to get into Tumbleton and taking down soldiers one by one with an axe in hand. Did he make some, ah, questionable kills while doing so? Maybe a little, but he didn’t care. He had a mission, and he was going to do it with proud Northern blood running through his veins and his men at his side.
Then, there was his last fight against Ormund Hightower (James Norton). Roddy the Ruin took Ormund on top of the wall. He had his arm cut off by Ormund and still somehow managed to shove a sword right through Ormund in a place that we shall not talk about. Then, he fired off an incredible joke. I was just laughing the entire time because how does one man who just had his whole arm chopped off still somehow crack a joke as he’s killing someone? Only a real Northerner, that’s who.
Unfortunately, Roddy was one of many killed in the finale, but he went out smiling and laughing like a maniac while killing Ormund as Ulf White (Tom Bennett) flew by on his dragon and burnt the wall down they were standing on. Fly high, my crazy Northern maniac. Fly high.
From here on out, the Starks and the North probably won’t have much more of a role in the show going forward, as the Winter Wolves were the main battle forces sent, but it will just depend on where House of the Dragon ends. In Fire and Blood, Cregan Stark and his army do march south to aid in the cleanup after the war.
So, the Starks do have a rather important presence coming up. It's just a matter of where Ryan Condal and the writers draw the line on this series.
Either way, the House of the Dragon season 3 finale brought one of the great stories of the series to a close. It's definitely one I will certainly want to relive when I rewatch this series.
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