Everything You Need to Remember Before Watching 'House of the Dragon' Season 3: Recap

The third season of House of the Dragon premieres on HBO Max on June 21. This time, the Game of Thrones spin-off promises fans not only intrigue, but also large-scale battles.

The eight episodes will be released weekly through August 9. To refresh your memory before the premiere, we recall the key events of the previous two seasons, from King Viserys' tragic choice to the bloody clash in the skies.

What Happened in 'House of the Dragon' Season 1?

It all began with a succession crisis. After losing his wife and newborn son, King Viserys I Targaryen defied centuries-old traditions by naming his eldest daughter, Rhaenyra, as his heir. This decision shattered the fragile peace at court.

The king's second wife, Alicent Hightower – formerly a close friend of Rhaenyra – came to see the princess as a threat to her children, especially her son Aegon. The court fractured into two factions: the Blacks, Rhaenyra's supporters, and the Greens, Alicent's supporters.

The series' creators used time jumps to show how the conflict escalated. Young Rhaenyra received a prophecy from her father about the threat of the White Walkers. She entered into a marriage of convenience with Laenor Velaryon, bore three dark-haired sons (whose true father was her lover, Harwin Strong), and ultimately married her uncle, Prince Daemon.

The season culminated in Viserys' death. On his deathbed, the king murmured the name Aegon while speaking of the ancient prophecy. However, Alicent interpreted his final words as a wish to bequeath the throne to her son.

While Rhaenyra was delivering a stillborn child on Dragonstone, Aegon II was being crowned in King's Landing. The first blood was spilled when Aemond, Alicent's son, killed Lucerys, one of Rhaenyra's sons, in a fit of rage while riding the dragon Vhagar. War had become inevitable.

What Happened in 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?

The second season, which received mixed reviews, told the story of how vengeance breeds even greater cruelty. Guided by the principle of "an eye for an eye," Prince Daemon sent a duo of mercenaries nicknamed Blood and Cheese to the Red Keep.

The assassins murdered Aegon II's heir and forced Queen Helaena to choose which of her children would die. This atrocity turned the populace against Rhaenyra and sowed paranoia throughout the court.

Daemon set out to conquer the Riverlands, but he became bogged down for a prolonged period at Harrenhal. There, he was tormented by hallucinations – visions of his parents and Daenerys and the White Walkers. While visually impressive, these scenes dragged out the narrative.

The only large-scale engagement was the Battle of Rook's Rest, where Aemond directed Vhagar's flames at his own brother, the king, as well as the enemy. Aegon was grievously injured, his dragon Sunfyre barely survived, and Princess Rhaenys died.

Realizing that the enormous Vhagar was virtually invulnerable, Rhaenyra took a desperate measure. She offered amnesty to criminals and bastards who could tame wild dragons. Several brave souls were burned alive in the attempt, but the Blacks gained two new dragons: Vermithor and Silverwing.

Meanwhile, the Greens' camp was crumbling from within. Helaena had gone mad with grief, Aemond had stripped Alicent of her authority, and Alicent herself had secretly slipped away to Rhaenyra. She offered to open the capital's gates in exchange for the lives of her daughter and granddaughter.

However, it was revealed that the crippled King Aegon had already been smuggled out of the city. The third season will begin with this tension: who has the rightful king, and how will Rhaenyra respond?