In anticipation of House of the Dragon's return to HBO and Max, fans have started to wonder if and when Season 3 of the hit series will be released.
The Game of Thrones spin-off wowed fans upon release in 2022 as the TV drama transported audiences back into the politically tinged fantasy world of author George R.R. Martin.
Taking place over 100 years before the mainline Game of Thrones series, Season 2 of House of the Dragon will dive head-first into a civil war amongst the ruling House Targaryen, following the events of Martin's Fire & Blood book.
[ House of the Dragon Season 2: Release, Cast & Everything We Know ]
When Will House of the Dragon Season 3 Be Released?
While having not been officially announced at the time of writing, there has been plenty of talk about House of the Dragon Season 3 and its eventual release.
According to those involved in the series, the team is working under the assumption Season 3 will be greenlit.
Deadline reported in March 2023 that the reason behind Season 2's shorter episode order had Season 3 in mind, as showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik map out a third season.
Months later, Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin revealed he had been working on a "third and fourth season" in a December 2023 blog post, telling fans, he is having "lively, fun discussions" with the HBO team:
"It was not all tromping through sets, though. I also spent two days locked in a room with Ryan Condal and his writing staff (Sara Hess, Ti Mikkel, David Hancock, and Philippa Goslett) talking about the third and fourth seasons of 'House of the Dragon.' They were lively, fun discussions, and we got some good work done… though two days was not nearly enough. There is so much ground to cover that I am not sure twenty days would have been enough."
The latest fans heard came in January 2024, when it was reported (via Redanian Intelligence) that active development on Season 3 had gotten underway to start the year.
This all means a Season 3 release could be coming sooner than one may have expected.
Season 2 is set to debut this summer, hitting Max and HBO on June 16, roughly two years after Season 1 debuted.
If Season 3 were to follow a similar timeline, that would put that series' Season 3 release sometime in mid-2026.
A 2026 release would make a lot of sense for House of the Dragon Season 3, The other Game of Thrones spin-off, Dunk & Egg, is expected to be released in 2025 with filming supposedly set to begin this spring.
Who Will Appear in House of the Dragon Season 3?
It is assumed that much of the primary House of the Dragon Season 2 cast will return for Season 3; however, one can never tell when it comes to this particular series.
Season 1 of the hit HBO drama notably featured a lengthy time jump, bringing in whole new actors to bring its core cast of characters to life.
While Season 2 likely will not do the same, there is always the chance, as the precedent for such an occurrence has been set.
Also when predicting who will be in Season 3 or not, one has to take into account the mortality of Game of Thrones characters. Even the most safe-feeling names amongst the cast can be taken out at a moment's notice.
In any case, names like Matt Smith's Prince Daemon Targaryen and Emma D'Arcy's Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen will likely be back as they continue to war within their family.
And standing opposite the Targaryen Blacks will likely be Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Queen Alicent Hightower (aka the Greens).
Here is a full list of expected House of the Dragon Season 3 characters:
- Emma D'Arcy - Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Matt Smith - Prince Daemon Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke - Queen Alicent Hightower
- Rhys Ifans - Otto Hightower
- Eve Best - Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
- Steve Toussaint - Lord Corlys Velaryon
- Fabien Frankel - Ser Criston Cole
- Sonoya Mizuno - Mysaria
- Graham McTavish - Ser Harrold Westerling
- Matthew Needham - Larys Strong
- John MacMillan - Laenor Velaryon
- Clinton Liberty - Addam of Hull
- Abubakar Salim - Alyn of Hull
What Will Happen in House of the Dragon Season 3?
It is hard to predict what exactly will happen in House of the Dragon Season 3 without the context of Season 2, but there are some indications of where the series will go next.
One can assume - given the HBO series is ultimately an adaptation of the Fire & Blood book - House of the Dragon will continue to follow the plight of the House Targaryen at the height of their power
Season 3 will likely see the Targaryen civil war - that was set up in Season 1 - march along, as the dragon-riding family slowly lose their grip on Westeros.
According to Deadline's initial report about the Season 3 plan, a few major story beats had been shuffled around, moving from Season 2 to Season 3.
This included a major battle that was initially set to happen near the end of the series' sophomore efforts.
Rumor has it, that Season 2 may have, at one point, ended somewhere around the flight of Aegon II and Rhaenyra taking King’s Landing.
If this is the case, then fans of the book the series is based on will have some idea of where Season 3 will go.
Following the fall of King's Landing, the war effort continues. There are several big battles, but one of the biggest of these beats is the battle for Dragonstone.
This conflict sees King Aegon II on the run after losing the Iron Throne, taking refuge on the island settlement known as Dragonstone. From there, a bloody battle ensues, as Aegon's enemies discover the disgraced king's location, with the former ruler of Westeros emerging victorious.
While not nearly the big beat the fall of King's Landing is that is assumed to end Season 2, this Dragonstone plotline feels like a prime place for Season 3 to head, before going into a dramatic fourth season that would mark the end of the Queen Rhaenyra's quest for power.
Will House of the Dragon Season 3 Be the Last?
From what the people behind House of the Dragon are saying, Season 3 will not be the last.
Despite even the third season not having been greenlit, names like showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik seem to be working as if Season 4 is a guarantee.
And a fourth season would make sense for the hit HBO show. Thus far, it seems like each season of the series will cover about a quarter of the Fire & Blood book, so why not make it a four-season run to round out the George R.R. Martin story?
As a part of the blog post describing his work on Season 3, Martin revealed a "fourth season" was being ideated by the House of the Dragon brain trust.
Whether the show gets the chance to explore that potential Season 4 story, remains to be seen, but given the popularity of the franchise, it seems like only a matter of time before it, and Season 3, are officially announced.
House of the Dragon Season 2 begins streaming on HBO and Max on June 16.
Read more about House of the Dragon:
Is House of the Dragon Season 2 the Only HBO Game of Thrones Show In Development?
House of the Dragon Cast and Characters: Explore the Players of the GOT Prequel Series
Matt Smith Throws Shade at Game of Thrones' House Stark
Jon Snow Sequel Show: Release, Cast & Everything We Know About Game of Thrones' Spin-Off
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