Warning! Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2, ahead!
And once again, House of the Dragon makes a significant change to George R.R. Martin’s canon story. This has been a point of controversy throughout the series, especially since Martin himself has been outspoken about his views on these changes and adjustments. Still, it must be recognized that a book like Fire & Blood presents many challenges for adaptation. Many changes have been entirely necessary, while others are a bit more puzzling.
The most controversial changes in House of the Dragon are those that directly link to HBO’s version of Game of Thrones. A prime example is the addition of the castpaw dagger and its supposed connection to Aegon’s dream and the Prince That Was Primised prophecy. Martin never indicated that any of this played a part in the Dance of the Dragons, but House of the Dragon suggests that the Targaryens passed along the dagger and knowledge of “A Song of Ice and Fire” for centuries as preparation for the Long Night.
House of the Dragon season 2 doubled down on this concept when Daemon Targaryen had a series of visions revolving around Aegon’s prophecy. He saw who could only be Daenerys Targaryen naked and charred with her three newly hatched baby dragons. He identifies her as the Prince(ss) That Was Promised, and determines that she will only come to exist if Rhaenyra is queen. This brings us into House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2, when Daemon officially tells Rhaenyra about the Targaryen girl he saw and what the vision means for her destiny.
House Of The Dragon Season 3 Uses Daenerys As A Reason Rhaenyra Takes The Throne
Daemon tells Rhaneyra about his vision upon his return to Dragonstone following Jace’s death at the Battle of the Gullet. The queen is devastated over the loss of her son, and, knowing that both Jace and Luke died so she could take the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra completely loses interest in flying to King’s Landing. Daemon urges her to move forward in House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2, reminding his wife that she can’t allow her sons to die in vain. Then, he brings up the prophecy.
Daemon reminds Rhaenyer that the only way the Targaryen girl from his vision can unite the realm against the threat to the North is by finishing what she started. If Rhaenyra doesn’t take King’s Landing and the Iron Throne, Aegon’s prophecy will never be realized. It’s this that successfully gets the queen out of bed, on her dragon, and into King’s Landing. She’s weary and teary-eyed, but she claims the throne to ensure the future of this girl with baby dragons at her breast.
Of course, there’s some terrible irony here. Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing with minimal bloodshed. The dragons leave the people alone, and Rhaenyra reluctantly executes Otto Hightower and sits upon the throne with her face wet from tears. All of this happens so that Daenerys can one day help stop the Night King, certainly, but also so that she can then fly to King’s Landing and burn the Red Keep and thousands of innocent people to ashes. It’s not quite the future Rhaenyra gave up so much for.
Daenerys As The ‘Prince That Was Promised’ Could Present A Problem For The Game Of Thrones Franchise
There’s something painfully poetic about Rhaenyra peacefully taking the Iron Throne while specifically motivated by a vision of Daenerys Targaryen. The contrast between this queen’s arrival in King’s Landing and that of her descendant in Game of Thrones is poignant and significant. It’s a demonstration that it took hundreds of years of sacrifice and tragedy for Game of Thrones to come to its conclusion.
Still, there are a few problems here. Game of Thrones never really confirmed that Daenerys was the Prince That Was Promised. House of the Dragon seasons 2 and 3 seem to suggest that she was, but the truth remains that it was Jon who united the realm and Aria who used the castpaw dagger to kill the Night King. Daenerys’ role at that stage in the story was frustratingly minimal. So, the fact that Daenerys stands out as a motivation for Rhaenyra pushing through her grief and agony to fulfill her duty is rather terrible.
It’s also important to remember that Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series isn’t finished yet, so the canon story has yet to establish who the Prince That Was Promised will be (or whether it’s even just one person). Regardless, House of the Dragon is committed hard to its bit, drawing lines between one non-canon detail and another. This will mean trouble for Game of Thrones’ future down the line, as more spinoffs have to remain cohesive with this newly invented version of events. If Martin ever finishes his book series, it will almost certainly challenge HBO’s interpretation of things.
- Release Date
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June 21, 2026
- Network
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HBO
- Episodes
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8