House of the Dragon Season 3 opened with a bang, featuring an iconic battle from the books and a massively consequential death. The Game of Thrones prequel series is now marching full steam ahead into the Targaryen civil war, even if the creative team has made some notable changes while adapting the Fire & Blood novel. A few months after A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms debuted on HBO with its more quaint Season 1, audiences are getting a pretty different taste of Westeros – one that is as grand, explosive and expansive as ever.
If the season premiere revived your fandom after a two-year hiatus, here is everything you need to know ahead of Season 3 Episode 2:
When does House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 come out?
Season 3 Episode 2 will premiere on HBO at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 28. It will be available to stream on HBO Max at the same time. The episode is expected to have a runtime around 68 minutes, but its title remains unknown.
Like Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and most other major HBO titles, House of the Dragon is releasing one episode a week – all on Sunday nights. There will be eight episodes in Season 3, as there were in Season 2. After that, HBO has greenlit a fourth and final season with a scheduled release date of 2028.
(Warning: Spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 1, Game of Thrones and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 ahead.)
Who will show up this episode?
Barring any flashbacks or corpses at a funeral, House of the Dragon‘s ensemble cast just took a major hit. Beyond Rhaenyra’s heir, Jacaerys Velaryon, dying in the Battle of the Gullet, Triarchy leader Lohar also bit the dust in the conflict. Tyland Lannister may have died on the water, as well, while we got confirmation of identical twin brother Jason Lannister’s death at the hands of the Winter Wolves at the Battle of the Red Fork. All of that being said, here is a look at who is confirmed to be part of the cast for the remainder of Season 3:
- Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
- Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
- Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen
- Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen
- Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen
- Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen
- Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
- Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
- Jefferson Hall as Tyland Lannister
- Kurt Egyiawan as Orwyle
- Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer
- Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull
- Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull
- Tom Bennett as Ulf White
- Ellora Torchia as Kat
- Freddie Fox as Gwayne Hightower
- Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers
- Phil Daniels as Gerardys
- Max Wrottesley as Lorent Marbrand
- Nicholas Jones as Bartimos Celtigar
- Vincent Regan as Rickard Thorne
- Archie Barnes as Oscar Tully
- James Norton as Ormund Hightower
- Tommy Flanagan as Roderick Dustin
- Dan Fogler as Torrhen Manderly
- Tom Cullen as Luthor Largent
- Joplin Sibtain as Jon Roxton
- Barry Sloane as Adrian Redfort
- Annie Shapero as Alysanne Blackwood
What to expect in House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2
The Battle of the Gullet is over, and it came at a cost to both sides. The Blacks lost Jacaerys and his dragon, Vermax, plus their castle in High Tide and a massive chunk of the Velaryon fleet. Team Black added a dragon to their ranks when Rhaena claimed Sheepstealer, although the wild dragon has done harm that good so far. Neither Rhaenyra nor the three dragon seeds – Ulf, Hugh Hammer and Addam of Hull – were able to make it to the battle. On the other hand, Lord Corlys lived and his bastard son, Alyn of Hull, killed Sharako Lohar. The Triarchy had basically turned on the Greens in favor of enacting revenge on Corlys, anyways, dumping Tyland Lannister in the drink amid the fighting.
Rhaenyra is going to have to pick a new heir, now that her two oldest sons are dead. Her only two naturally-born children are toddlers who she sent to live in the Erie in Season 2. Rhaena was supposed to look after them, until she ran away to claim a dragon. Rhaenyra will almost certainly put the Queensguard that locked her in her room to the sword, too. She also still has Alicent’s word that she can take King’s Landing without bloodshed, but those terms may have changed since the Season 2 finale.
Elsewhere in Westeros, Ormund Hightower has an army of 15,000 men in the Reach. He initially planned to march to King’s Landing, but he just got a letter signed by Aemond – which was actually written by his cousin Alicent – telling him to wait there. Alicent’s third son, Daeron, was raised as Ormund’s squire in Oldtown. Since we saw a dragon in Ormund’s camp in Episode 1, it may not be long until we finally meet Daeron.
Criston Cole and Gwayne Hightower also have a host in the Riverlands ready to join forces with Aemond and Vhagar. Alicent convinced Aemond to fly off to Harrenhal and take the stronghold from Daemon, who has the Tullys and an army of Northmen on his side. Rhaenyra tasked Ulf, Hugh and Addam with waiting on the shores of the God’s Eye with their dragons to surprise attack Aemond when he makes it out there.
Otto Hightower remains unaccounted for, presumably being held prisoner by an unknown party. Aegon Targaryen and Larys Strong are also captives after getting intercepted by Rhaenyra’s men.
Here is the trailer for weeks ahead on House of the Dragon Season 3:
House of the Dragon FAQs
When does House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 come out?
Season 3 Episode 2 will premiere at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 28. The next six episodes will drop once a week at the same time.
Where can I watch House of the Dragon?
House of the Dragon Season 3 is available to stream on HBO Max. The first two seasons are also available on the streaming service if you are looking to catch up, as are all eight seasons of Game of Thrones and the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Will there be another season of House of the Dragon?
HBO confirmed in November that House of the Dragon would return for a fourth and final season in 2028.
When does the next Game of Thrones spinoff come out?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2, which will adapt The Sworn Sword novella, is scheduled to come out in 2027. The Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest film is in development, although Warner Bros. has yet to lock down a theatrical release date.
