House of the Dragon season 3 is about to kick off as we return to the ongoing civil war between the Targaryens, known as The Dance of the Dragons. Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, this was a prolific time in Westeros and set the scene for how the Targaryen dynasty began to crumble. Starting when King Viserys was in power, the ambitious HBO prequel has so far focussed on how his line of succession caused a split in the household.
Long story short, he named his daughter Rhaenyra Targaryen as the heir to the Iron Thone but when he died, his second wife Alicent Hightower claimed he changed his mind and named their son, Aegon Targaryen, as the one true heir. This caused the dynasty to split into two sides, nicknamed the Greens and the Blacks.
Death and bloodshed have already reigned terror for both and, as we step into season 3, Rhaenyra has Dragonstone and Aegon has King's Landing – but a new battle is set to change the dynamic for good.
Ahead of the new episodes arriving then, we've compiled a House of the Dragon recap featuring all of the major moments that you need to remember so far.
The Triarchy Alliance and lead-up to Battle of the Gullet
Throughout the second season of House of the Dragon, Team Green were hit with a blockage of supplies spearheaded by Team Black. The Velaryon blockade has slowly been starving King's Landing so in order to create a new line of supply, Tyland Lannister was shipped off to Essos to form an alliance with the Triarchy.
When he arrives, he meets Admiral Sharako Lohar who challenges him to an unusual task in order to win their alliance: a mudwrestling match against her. He succeeds and with a hefty sum of gold, they agree to an alliance, setting sail and setting up the Battle of the Gullet.
Dragons: The Dragonseeds and Rhaena's hunt for a dragon
In order to even out the number of Dragons on each side, Rhaenyra comes up with a plan to gain more riders for the remaining dragons waiting in Dragonstone. This is called the Dragonseeds project and sees her and Jace finding Targaryen bastards from around the kingdom.
After a few failed attempts, she secures three new dragon riders, including blacksmith Hugh Hammer who claims Vermithor and drunkard Ulf White who rides Silverwing. The third rider is Addam, who is the half-Valyrian bastard of Lord Corlys Velaryon, who bends the knee to Rhaenyra when he is claimed by Sea Smoke.
Addam's brother is Alyn of Hull, who does not follow in his brother's footsteps to become a dragon rider, but instead becomes First Mate under Corlys. He'll play a prominent role in the upcoming Battle of the Gullet.
It's not only the Targaryen bastards that are new dragon riders either, with Rhaena also busy trying to claim another wild dragon too in the Vale. We last saw her having mixed success trailing Sheepstealer so we're likely to see that story thread continue in season 3 as well.
Daemon's alliances and Harrenhaal vision
After causing all kinds of trouble for Rhaenyra at Harrenhaal, at the end of House of the Dragon season 2, Daemon was shown a very important vision by Alys Rivers at the weirwood tree. She showed him a future that looked all too familiar for Game of Thrones fans, White Walkers approaching from the North, Daenerys Targaryen and her dragon hatchlings, and the three-eyed raven.
This cemented Daemon's loyalty, finally squashing his own desires to rule. He returned home to Dragonstone and vowed to fight for his queen, bringing with him an army from the Riverlands.
Larys and Aegon team-up
Following Aegon's burning at the hands of Aemond, he was left on the verge of death. Larys Strong was the one who helped him recover, and at the end of season 2, he convinces him they must flee.
He's had a concern for a while now that Aemond would be sacrificed at Alicent's hands so they plan to hide out while the war unfolds before making his triumphant return as the one true king when the dust has settled.
Meanwhile Aemond, who has been in charge after Aegon's incapacitation, is now planning to fly to the Riverlands. After trying to recruit his sister Helaena to fly with him, she warned him that Aegon will be king again and that he will die, settling up doom ahead for Aemond.
Rhaenyra and Alicent meet up
After Rhaenyra previously snuck to King's Landing to make a plea with Alicent for peace, the tides turned. Alicent comes to Dragonstone to give her former best friend a warning about Aemond's plans.
She tells her that this will leave Helaena in charge, and they will open the gates for Rhaenyra to take King's Landing. Rhaenyra warns her that to take the throne, she will need to take Aegon's head – and Alicent agrees to this steep cost.
House of the Dragon releases on HBO in the US on June 21, and streams on HBO and HBO Max and Now from June 22 in the UK. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.
