House of the Dragon season 3 release date speculation, cast, plot, and more news

Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3 — (Image credit: HBO)

House of the Dragon season 3 should – hopefully – be coming our way in a matter of months. HBO hasn't announced an official release date yet, but we know that the Targaryens will continue their civil war on our screens this summer.

With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms wrapping up soon, all eyes are on our next visit to Westeros, when we'll find out what happens next in the Dance of the Dragons, with the conflict between Team Black and Team Green amping up. Season 4 is already in the works, too, so the future of the show is surer than the line of succession.

House of the Dragon season 3 release date speculation

Aemond and Alicent in House of the Dragon season 2 episode 8 — (Image credit: HBO)

House of the Dragon season 3 doesn't currently have a release date, but we do have a release window. HBO content chairman and CEO Casey Bloys shared an update at last year's Emmys. "I think it'll be just outside of [the 2026 Emmy eligibility window]," he said. As the Emmy window closes on May 31, 2026, that means we can expect The House of the Dragon any time from June 2026. When the show was renewed for season 4, a summer release window was confirmed again, too.

House of the Dragon season 3 has now wrapped filming, too, so we're closer than ever to the release. Season 2 wrapped in late September 2023 and was released in June 2024, so it looks like season 3 will follow a similar schedule.

Season 4, meanwhile, is marked for 2028.

Is House of the Dragon season 3 the final season?

Vermithor in House of the Dragon season 1 episode 10 — (Image credit: HBO)

No, House of the Dragon season 3 won't be the final season – but season 4 will be. Showrunner Ryan Condal confirmed that things will wrap up after four seasons in a press conference after the season 2 finale and HBO boss Casey Bloys confirmed the news in February 2026.

"The idea has always been to follow the history of the Targaryens. If you know the books, you know how the Targaryens end up. So there is a natural end to this particular history of that House of the Targaryens," he said.

House of the Dragon season 3 cast

Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon — (Image credit: HBO)

There were some big casualties in the second season – including Eve Best's Rhaenys and some of the younger Targaryens (thanks to Blood and Cheese, need we say more?) – which means there will be some changes to the House of the Dragon season 3 cast.

We have some new arrivals in the third outing as well, including James Norton appearing as Ormund Hightower, after he was name-dropped at the end of the season 2.

Check out the full cast list as it stands below.

Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon Targaryen
Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower
James Norton as Ormund Hightower
Matthew Needham as Lord Larys Strong
Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon
Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen
Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon
Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull
Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull
Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen
Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen
Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer
Jefferson Hall as Jason/Tyland Lannister
Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers
Freddie Fox as Gwayne Hightower
Tom Bennett as Ulf White
Simon Russell Beale as Simon Strong
Tommy Flanagan as Ser Roderick Dustin
Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly

House of the Dragon season 3 plot speculation

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon season 2 — (Image credit: HBO)

The season 2 finale of House of the Dragon set up some very key plot points to resolve when it returns – and we now know that season 3 will have eight episodes to do it. The main narrative thread was all leading to the big battle on the way across Westeros. From where we leave things, Rhaenyra has the clear advantage thanks to her dragonseeds. This means that after Daemon bent the knee, she has seven dragons (potentially eight if Rhaena manages to secure Sheepstealer).

Her fighters are preparing to make the approach on King's Landing, where Alicent has told them that they'll be allowed in to take control of the city. However, we're not totally sure that it will all go as smoothly as that... In the final moments, we see Aegon and Larys heading out of the city, Helaena all but agreeing to mount her dragon, and Tyland Lannister's new fleet on their way.

Aemond and Vhagar have their eye on Harrenhal too, and we know better than to bet against Vhagar...

Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin (who also penned House of the Dragon's source material, Fire & Blood) seemingly has some issues with what's to come, though. "There are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if House of the Dragon goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4…" he wrote in a now-deleted blog post (which contains a possible major spoiler for the new season).

So far, one of the only things we know for sure about House of the Dragon season 3 is that Rhaenyra will have a weapon. At least, that's what actor Emma D'Arcy is pushing for, as they explained in the podcast Happy Sad Confused on December 11.

Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon season 2 — (Image credit: HBO)

"The petition I’ve put in is I want a weapon. Like it’s getting ridiculous. I don’t even mind if it’s like a little dagger, a short sword. I don’t really care. All the men in the show don’t have to worry about where they put their hands because they’re constantly holding the pommel of their sword. That obviously sounds like innuendo and you can do with that what you will, but that is true. And all the rest of us are going, 'Where do we put our fucking hands?' Anyway, next year one hand is going to be taken care of. That’s what I want," they said.

The third season is also due to begin with a bang, depicting a major battle in its opening episode. HBO‘s head of drama series and films Francesca Orsi confirmed it will start with The Battle of the Gullet. "I’m really excited. I think you’re going to be in for a great surprise on how we start the [season] with an exciting battle," said Orsi to Deadline.

Alicent actor Olivia Cooke also confirmed that the season will start big. "Well, I think I can say... it starts off with a bang," the actor told Collider. "The first two [episodes] were essentially supposed to be our finale last year. So you can just imagine coming into that sort of energy. It's bigger and more ferocious than ever before."

Showrunner Ryan Condal has also teased a "conceptual" episode in the new season that will see the show go in a slightly different direction. "We got to have a little fun this season, and there’s a conceptual episode that I’m really excited about that [Sara Hess] wrote, and that’s all I’m gonna say about it," he said during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. "It isn’t in the traditional vernacular of what we have laid out. It’s very character-driven, I think it’s really great and I’m really excited to see it rendered."

Is there a House of the Dragon season 3 trailer?

Coming In 2026 | HBO Max - YouTube

Watch On

Although there's no trailer yet for House of the Dragon season 3, we got a first brief teaser on HBO's 'Coming in 2026' video, released in December 2025 – you can watch the footage in the video above (from 1:19 to 1:27, to be exact). In it, we get a first look at James Norton as Ormund Hightower, and the Winter Wolves.

"Rhaenyra will do what she has to do, and what she has to do will be dire", we can hear Alicent saying, before the video jumps to the next HBO show.

It's still early to get a full trailer, but this is a great start. Keep this page handy for when it drops.

For more on House of the Dragon, check out our House of the Dragon timeline and our breakdown of the Targaryen family tree.