For the longest time, we've heard that men are nothing when the dragons start to dance, and that premise finally became true with the release of House of the Dragon season 3.
The Battle of the Gullet and the First Battle of Tumbleton became devastating events in which countless members of the Blacks and the Greens lost their lives in the most gruesome ways possible at the hands of dragonriders. Now, both parties are seemingly at their lowest point, and it remains to be seen for non-book fans who exactly will be sitting on the Iron Throne once the dust settles.
House of the Dragon season 4 will mark the end of HBO's acclaimed show. As such, all eyes are on this final chapter to answer every lingering question that remains unanswered, such as who will rule the Seven Kingdoms or which other characters will inevitably meet their demise. Unfortunately, we have a two-year wait ahead of us before we finally witness the culmination of this era of Targaryens. So while we wait, it's time to go over five big mysteries that the next season of House of the Dragon has to answer.
But before we begin, it's important to point out that most of these questions already have an answer in George R.R. Martin's novel, Fire & Blood. However, we'll keep things spoiler-free here in case you want to be caught off guard by the many surprises that lie in store.
- What was the prophecy depicted in Helaena's tapestry?
- Where is Vhagar?
- What happened to Daeron Targaryen and his dragon, Tessarion?
- How will the rest of the dragons die?
- What will happen to Hugh and Ulf after their sudden betrayals?
What was the prophecy depicted in Helaena's tapestry?
The finale of House of the Dragon season 3 was packed with many shocking moments, and the most heartbreaking was the death of Helaena Targaryen—one of the kindest souls we had ever seen in Westeros. But before she jumped off her balcony to the ground far below, Helaena left one last gift behind: a tapestry that depicts events yet to come.
During the events of House of the Dragon, it was established that Helaena had dragon dreams, prophetic visions exclusive to those with dragon blood. Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) was keen to discover whether she appeared in any of Helaena's dreams, looking for divine clues that suggested she was indeed meant to be queen of the Seven Kingdoms. However, there's a reason people often say you should be careful what you wish for.
Rhaenyra did appear in Helaena's dreams, as the queen was depicted on the tapestry, sitting on the Iron Throne and wearing a crown. However, something was… off. There were flames everywhere, dragons seen seemingly burning in the background, and Rhaenyra herself appeared to be covered in blood. So, what exactly does this mean? Will the queen burn her enemies, or will she find herself in danger? Well, hopefully season 4 will clear this mystery up.
Where is Vhagar?
There are many claimed dragons of fighting age in the Seven Kingdoms, but only one of them can be crowned the largest, and that is Vhagar. But despite the creature's enormous size, she has seemingly disappeared, leaving just a few trails behind.
After Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) arrived at Harrenhal and was stabbed by one of Ser Simon Strong's sons, Vhagar simply vanished. It hasn't been revealed exactly why the fearless dragon fled away, but Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) theorized it could've been to protect her dragonrider.
After all, queen Rhaenyra put a bounty on Aemond's head, and dozens across the Seven Kingdoms wanted to end his life. The one thing working in his favor is that almost no one knew his whereabouts, and finding him became especially tricky since he was completely separated from the one giant being that could give away his position: Vhagar.
The large dragon should still be alive, and she might just be trying to buy Aemond a little more time. But where exactly is she? While there are a couple of prominent theories, we won't get some much-needed answers until the release of House of the Dragon season 4.
What happened to Daeron Targaryen and his dragon, Tessarion?
As was to be expected, the finale of House of the Dragon season 3 featured multiple shocking deaths. But the only thing worse than watching our favorite characters perish on the small screen is having to endure two years without knowing their true fate, and that's exactly the scenario we're facing with Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Tessarion.
Near the end of episode 8 of House of the Dragon season 3, Daeron stated he would ride Tessarion across the skies and burn Rhaenyra's army in an attempt to keep the citizens of Tumbleton safe. But when the war eventually unfolded, the two disappeared. We never got to see them in battle, but we don’t see their corpses either. As such, we have no alternative but to wait until the next batch of episodes to learn their true whereabouts.
If we were to assume Daeron lived, it will be interesting to see what he'll do next now that Ormund Hightower (James Norton) isn't around to manipulate him anymore. On the other hand, if he actually died at the first Battle of Tumbleton, then Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) will likely be devastated about losing her two favorite children in the span of a single day.
How will the rest of the dragons die?
House of the Dragon is the tale of how the Targaryen dynasty began to crumble, including losing nearly all of their dragons. By the time Game of Thrones takes place, these majestic creatures are considered to be extinct, and it isn't until Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) is gifted three dragon eggs that they come back into the picture.
Furthermore, we know the Mad King didn't command any dragons, or he would've probably burned the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms. As such, something deeply terrible must happen in House of the Dragon season 4.
Rhaenyra, Daemon (Matt Smith), Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), Aemond, Daeron, Ulf (Tom Bennett), Hugh (Kieran Bew), Addam (Clinton Liberty), and Baela (Bethany Antonia) all have dragons of fighting age. Furthermore, there are plenty of eggs being hatched in the Dragon Pit in King's Landing. At first glance, it would seem impossible for these creatures to go extinct. However, they nearly disappear after Rhaenyra's reign comes to an end. As such, the next season of the HBO show needs to explain why dragons aren't around in upcoming eras of Westeros.
What will happen to Hugh and Ulf after their sudden betrayals?
It's fair to say Ulf the White has dug his own grave. After all, not only did he betray Rhaenyra by siding with the Greens in the finale of House of the Dragon season 3, but he then he went and betrayed the Greens, too. That begs the question: What does the future hold for his character? After all, chances are the queen will put a bounty on his head, and the Seven Kingdoms as a whole will try to find him. Ulf may have to face the full wrath of Westeros, but at the very least he won't have to do it alone.
Hugh Hammer also apparently betrayed Rhaenyra in the finale of House of the Dragon season 3 — even if it wasn’t obvious — so we can only imagine the increasingly paranoid queen won't be kind to him. To make matters more complicated, Hugh's wife, Kat (Ellora Torchia), was killed during the First Battle of Tumbleton.
The entire world of these two dragonriders has been turned upside down, and now House of the Dragon season 4 is tasked with giving us a proper resolution to their respective storylines.
House of the Dragon season 4 is expected to release sometime in 2028.
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