The House of the Dragon season 3 finale has made a big lore change to Alys Rivers – and it might mean she could show up in the Aegon's Conquest movie.

Warning, the following contains major spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 8! Turn back now if you're not up to date!

In the episode, Alys is revealed to actually be the wife of Harrenhal's original owner Harren, making her hundreds of years old. She was cursed to immortality after attempting to save the life of her son, who was burned by Balerion during Aegon's Conquest.

"ALYS WIFE OF HARREN THE BLACK? ALYS IN THE AEGON THE CONQUEROR MOVIE MAYBE???? Genuinely such a cool idea and origin point for the character" says one fan on Twitter.

An Aegon's Conquest movie is indeed at the works at Warner Bros., from Andor writer Beau Willimon.

In George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, Alys does not have this same backstory, and she is instead a mysterious bastard of House Strong. While she is noted as looking strangely young, she has no connection to Harren.

"Perfect example of deviating from the source material and it actually enriches the story," says another fan.

"I'm 50/50 on this. Sometimes the answer to the mystery isn't as good as the mystery. This is one of those I believe. Beautiful scene. I just need to sit with this for a bit," says another person.

"Would be a cool idea for the Conquest film for continuity," is another person's thoughts.

For more on the show, check out our guide on everything there is to know about House of the Dragon season 4, as well as our House of the Dragon season 3 ending explained.

New Game of Thrones play The Mad King has pretty much revealed the identity of the Prince that was Promised – though with a major twist.

Warning, the following contains spoilers for the new play, so turn back now if you don't want to know the details!

GamesRadar+ attended a performance of Game of Thrones: The Mad King, and we were treated to a major lore revelation.

The Prince that was Promised prophecy has increasingly become a huge deal in the Game of Thrones universe, and it was revealed in House of the Dragon season 1 that Aegon the Conqueror foresaw the Long Night and the threat of the White Walkers – and that a Targaryen would need to be seated on the Iron Throne to combat the danger.

However, the true identity of the Prince that was Promised is somewhat murky. It seemed fairly obvious thanks to the TV show that it would end up being either Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen – with more signs pointing towards Jon, considering Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark are his parents – but ultimately, the Night King (an invention of the TV show) was defeated by Arya Stark.

The Mad King, however, has revealed more about the prophecy. King Aerys believes that the Prince that was Promised must be a third-born child, which explains the significance of "the dragon has three heads" (at least, as far as he interprets it, anyway). Rhaegar originally believes himself to be the Prince that was Promised, but, as a firstborn son, he is ruled out. He then believes his second-born child, a boy named Aegon, is the prophesied prince – though, when he declares this to be so, he sees Daenerys across time (Daenerys is in the House of the Undying Ones, watching the scene herself, as depicted in A Clash of Kings).

Later, after Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen run away to the Tower of Joy together, a red comet appears in the sky. Both Lyanna and Aerys believe this to be an omen, and so they both rush to conceive children.

Aerys's wife, Rhaella, is cruelly abused by her husband, and so as the Kinsguard arrive to take her to him, she declares that she does not wish to birth the prophesied prince, but rather the "scourge of the world" and "a vengeful daughter, whose wrath will return dragons and set the realm ablaze." She ultimately gives birth to Daenerys Targaryen.

Lyanna, meanwhile, gives birth to Jon Snow. In the play, he is not named Aegon, and Rhaegar and Lyanna also do not seem to be married, meaning he's still a bastard (there is some ambiguity here, however).

So, both Jon and Daenerys are third-born children, meaning they both fit the prophecy. There is one caveat, however: Rhaella had multiple stillborn children or children who died in infancy before Daenerys. But the play is pretty emphatic about both Jon and Dany being third children born under the red comet.

So, it would seem both Jon and Daenerys are the Prince that was Promised… or only one of them is, and the other is a red herring. George R.R. Martin has been clear before that only the books are canon, though he was involved in the play, so we can treat this as at least semi-canon. But, we won't know for sure until (or if) George R.R. Martin finishes his books.

Game of Thrones: The Mad King is playing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from now until September 5, 2026. For more on the play, check out our guide to 16 things we learned about Game of Thrones from The Mad King.

You can keep up to date with the world of Westeros with our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

It turns out Jon Snow's Game of Thrones season 8 plot might not be set in stone in George R.R. Martin's books, thanks to a major revelation in new play The Mad King.

Spoilers follow for Game of Thrones: The Mad King, so turn back now if you don't want to spoil the play!

GamesRadar+ attended a performance of the new play in the UK's Stratford-Upon-Avon, and we learned some very interesting news about Jon Snow that contradicts his TV show plot.

In the TV show, Jon is eventually revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. The lovebirds actually got married, as witnessed by Bran Stark, and so Jon/Aegon is officially the true heir to the Iron Throne, displacing Daenerys in the Targaryen line of succession.

However, the play tells a very different story. While Jon is still the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, crucially, the lovers are never actually seen to be formally married. There is some ambiguity here, however, because Elia Martell – Rhaegar's actual wife – makes reference to always being fine with the idea of Rhaegar taking a second wife: one for duty, and one for love. And, a time skip glosses over Rhaegar and Lyanna running away together, with Act 2 picking up with the couple already hidden away in the Tower of Joy. So, it's possible Rhaegar and Lyanna are considered wedded, but, either way, no wedding ceremony actually takes place onstage (personally, I didn't get the impression that they had married).

This means Jon is most likely still a bastard, with no official claim to the Iron Throne at all (though, as Rhaegar's son, he could still make some kind of claim for the crown). Even more importantly, though, is the fact that Lyanna does not actually name her son before dying in childbirth. In the TV show, she told her brother Ned Stark that her son's name was Aegon. In the play, Ned chooses to name the baby Jon after Jon Arryn of the Vale, who fostered Ned and Robert Baratheon as children.

All of this lends credence to the theory that the TV show blended elements of Jon Snow's storyline with Young Griff, AKA Aegon Targaryen – who claims to be the second-born son of Rhaegar (with his wife Elia), thought murdered by the Mountain during the sack of King's Landing but actually swapped with another child and saved. While there's plenty of evidence in Martin's books to suggest Young Griff is a fraud, it still hasn't been confirmed either way. If Young Griff is who he says he is, then he is the true heir to the Iron Throne – and he's named Aegon.

Young Griff was cut from the TV show, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Jon Snow did end up absorbing some of his plot. What exactly that means for Jon remains to be seen, since, in the TV show, his heritage didn't end up being that big of a deal.

But, this all comes with the caveat that Martin has said before that only the books are canon. Martin was involved with The Mad King, however, so we can probably take the play as a semi-canon source with as much legitimacy as the TV show. Ultimately, we won't know for sure until (or if) Martin finishes the books. Here's hoping The Winds of Winter comes soon...

Game of Thrones: The Mad King is playing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from now until September 5, 2026. For more on the play, check out our guide to 16 things we learned about Game of Thrones from The Mad King.

You can keep up to date with the world of Westeros with our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has revealed why, unlike George R.R. Martin's works, the HBO show leaves the Prince That Was Promised prophecy very much out in the open.

Warning, the following contains mild spoilers for the House of the Dragon season 3 finale. Turn back now if you haven't caught up, but make sure to read our House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8 review first.

There has been a lot of talk of The Prince that Was Promised in House of the Dragon. The prophecy comes from Aegon the Conqueror's Dream, which foretold that many years after the death of all dragons, one Targaryen prince would wake the beasts and defeat an evil force from the Long Night.

In Martin's works, the prophecy is kept secret. But in the season 3 finale, Rhaenyra announces it to the world. In a bid to gain the support of the smallfolk and justify her legitimacy, the Queen announces, "I am The Prince That Was Promised!" (admittedly, in High Valyrian, but the cat is already out of the bag before that). However, Condal has his reasons for this.

"It's something that is certainly not in the book, and it's not in the history, but there is a bunch of talk about how Rhaenyra became very despotic and became a tyrant at the end and was very unpopular with the people," explained Condal in a House of the Dragon season 3 press conference attended by GamesRadar+. The showrunner said that this could well have happened, but because she doesn't outright reveal Aegon's dream, and as no one really knows what she is talking about, it wouldn't have made historical record.

"But my sort of toss-off from the historians is 'Oh well, Targaryens say crazy shit all the time'" said Condal, jokingly, adding that the townsfolk probably thought that Rhaenyra was just trying to prove her legitimacy once again. So, why include it at all? "We wanted something that felt like a real seismic change, a sea change in Rhaenyra's relationship to her people," added Condal. The statement also ties in to the shocking murder Rhaenyra is responsible for right before. You can read our House of the Dragon season 3 ending explained for more on that.

"This old Valyrian faith of dragons and fire gods and blood magic, and pronouncing herself as the chosen one, the leader that is going to take them through the fire and out of the darkness." Of course, Game of Thrones fans will know that Rhaenyra is not the Prince That Was Promised.

House of the Dragon season 3 is streaming now on HBO Max and NOW. For more, check out our guide to House of the Dragon season 4, and keep up with all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.

7 years after the controversial Game of Thrones season 8, new play The Mad King might answer a major question about Daenerys Targaryen.

The following will contain spoilers for the play, so turn back now if you don't want to know the details!

GamesRadar+ attended the new play, which has just opened in the UK's Stratford-Upon-Avon, and we learned more about the circumstances surrounding Daenerys's birth. Her father, the Mad King himself Aerys Targaryen, believes that the prophesied Prince that was Promised – who will unite the realm against the threat of the White Walkers, as foreseen by Aegon the Conqueror – must be a third-born child. Aerys already has two children, Rhaegar and Viserys, when a red star appears in the sky. Believing it to be an omen, Aerys demands his wife Rhaella be brought to him. The resulting child is Daenerys.

However, Aerys is a cruel and abusive husband. Rhaella, crying out in rage after the Kingsguard come to take her to him, says that she does not want to birth the prophesied prince, but rather the "scourge of the world," and "a vengeful daughter, whose wrath will return dragons and set the realm ablaze."

Now, in both George R.R. Martin's books and the TV shows, Daenerys brings dragons back to the world by hatching her three eggs in Khal Drogo's funeral pyre. Arguably, this is born of Daenerys's wrath, considering one of the sacrifices she makes to bring her dragons to life is Mirri Maz Duur, the midwife who tricked her into a magical bargain that killed her husband and unborn son. So, that portion of Rhaella's desperate wish is fulfilled.

However, what's not clear is whether Daenerys will fulfil an apocalyptic role in Martin's books, as she does in Game of Thrones season 8. In the final season, Daenerys burns King's Landing to the ground with her dragon Drogon, before claiming the throne (and being murdered by Jon Snow shortly afterwards). Whether Daenerys's book storyline will mirror the show and end in the Mother of Dragons breaking bad and burning King's Landing is still a matter of debate among A Song of Ice and Fire fans.

The Mad King, then, seems to support those who argue that Daenerys will indeed burn King's Landing in Martin's novels, should they ever be completed.

Though, prophecies often trip up Martin's characters, so it's possible this is another red herring. After all, there's a lot of leeway in "set the realm ablaze" – this could be figurative, referring to Daenerys burning down the old structure of power in Westeros, for example. Or, it could refer to riding her dragons into battle. And, Rhaella is overcome with emotion and could simply be screaming her own desires, which don't reflect on her future daughter at all. It doesn't necessarily mean we can expect Mad Queen Dany in the books. (Personally, I've always sided with the theory that King's Landing will burn thanks to Cersei and the wildfire caches).

Plus, Martin has been clear before that only his novels are canon. While the play was made with his involvement, it's still only really a semi-canon source – though we can assume that, like the TV show, it gives us big hints about what's to come in The Winds of Winter and beyond.

So, we can't say for sure if Daenerys will go full dracarys in the books and burn King's Landing and all its people… but Rhaella's words certainly lend credence to the theory that her book arc will mirror what became of the Mother of Dragons in the TV show.

Game of Thrones: The Mad King is playing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from now until September 5, 2026. For more on the play, check out our guide to 16 things we learned about Game of Thrones from The Mad King.

You can keep up to date with the world of Westeros with our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 has come to a fittingly shocking conclusion, and it may well spell doom for Rhaenyra Targaryen.

Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 8 follow! Turn back now if you haven't seen the episode yet!

In the finale, Helaena, who has been held captive and isolated throughout the season, throws herself from the Red Keep to her death. Speaking at a press conference attended by GamesRadar+, Emma D'Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra, expanded on what that means for their character.

"Helaena is the moral heart of the show, I think," D'Arcy reflected. "Maybe the only character who has a proximity to power but remains uncontaminated. And so, I think her death condemns Rhaenyra to the path she's chosen: no way back after that. There's certainly no route back to a more moderate form of leadership. And I don't know where we go from here, but I imagine it's likely to be impassable in her relationship with Alicent, which I think also means Helena's death condemns Rhaenyra to be alone in her pursuit for power."

In the episode, Rhaenyra's tenuous grip on the crown is threatened even further when news breaks that Aegon is still alive. This prompts Rhaenyra to arrange a coronation – and have the High Septon killed when he refuses to play along. Later, Rhaenyra finds a tapestry woven by Helaena – a dragon dreamer who could see the future – that depicts Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne, dripping blood and surrounded by flames and dying dragons.

"I was just thinking about Rhaenyra, her rejection of the Seven and murder of the High Septon, and this attempt to reject other legitimizing institutions," adds D'Arcy. "And in a funny way, Helaena's power of sight is another institution of legitimacy. I guess I just love the simplicity of looking at a document that could be hugely illuminating, but choosing to chuck it on the floor. Feels very odd."

When asked if the window Helaena jumps from is the same as the window Tommen Baratheon stepped to his death from in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal clarifies, "It's a different set," but acknowledges: "Echoes and reflections and parallels, for sure, to be drawn between the two series."

For more on the show, check out our guide on everything there is to know about House of the Dragon season 4, as well as our House of the Dragon season 3 ending explained.

House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal says Aegon had every opportunity to take revenge... but that it wouldn't have signified any growth in his character.

Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8 'The Dragon in Winter' lie ahead.

"That would be no fun," Condal says during a press conference attended by GamesRadar+, when asked why Aegon didn't kill Aemond when the two reunite in the House of the Dragon season 3 finale. "He's learned a lot in Season 3 here, Aegon. And even though he's still angry with his brother and has agendas, I think what he realized in his evolution is that he does deserve a lot of the things that happened to him, probably in some way, and, had to learn how to be a better king, and perhaps that… he needed to be away and walk amongst the people as a pauper.

"I mean, the irony of the season is that Aegon, now not in the proximity of the throne, goes on this incredible character evolution where he becomes a much more dimensionalized man, who is more sympathetic and possibly more suited to rule, and then Rhaenyra in the proximity of the throne, is turned and altered and somewhat corrupted by being in its orbit."

Because Aemond attempted to kill Aegon, his own brother, and his brother's dragon Sunfyre, one could conclude that Aegon then had every right to turn around and kill Aemond in an act of revenge. In House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8, Aemond himself even seems surprised when Aegon decides against it. Instead, Aegon suggests that he, Aemond, and Alys go find Vhagar and enter the battle themselves. However, we don't see Aegon and Aemond again in the episode after this moment.

Condal continues: "So, I think if Aegon had shown up and just killed Aemond, it really would not have marked the growth in the character. It's him seeing Aemond's change, and then realizing where he is standing with his dragon, and suddenly this incredible wind of legitimacy behind him, now that the realm is calling him the, you know, the second… he's basically… he's experienced a messianic return. I think it would ruin and spoil that for him to kill the person that's potentially his greatest and strongest ally."

It's also book-accurate, seeing as Aemond doesn't die until later on in the Dance of Dragons, during what's known as the Battle Above God's Eye. During the battle, Aemond, while riding Vhagar, and Daemon, while riding Caraxes, fight to the death – with Daemon ultimately driving his sword into Aemond's eye (presumably the good one). Aegon outlives his brother, sure, but then is ultimately assassinated via poison towards the very end of the war. Rhaenyra's son Aegon III then takes the Iron Throne.

Since the fourth and final season of House of the Dragon is expected to take us all the way to the end of the war, we can expect to see all of this play out in its true horror on screen.

House of the Dragon season 3 is streaming now on HBO Max and NOW. Make sure you don't miss the season 3 finale with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal says season 4 is going to be the best and biggest one yet... and we're waiting with bated breath after the season 3 finale.

Warning: Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3 episode 8 below!

"We have an incredible season coming," Condal says during a press conference attended by GamesRadar+. "As crazy and big as season 3 was, I think Season 4 is going to be even bigger. It's a great privilege to be able to tell a story, and to be able to control and write the ending, and to control when and where that happens. This is not a given in making television, certainly. We're very excited to get back in. We have new characters, and new dragons and new locations all to come, that I think are gonna make it a very worthy final season. And I'm looking forward to doing it with one of my favorite people in the world, Emma D’Arcy."

House of the Dragon season 3 saw Rhaenyra slowly descend into power-hungry madness as she put on the crown and dared to stop anyone in her path who opposed. In the finale, Rhaenyra goes as far as to order the death of the High Septon, as he refused to anoint her as the true ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Why? Because Aegon is still alive, and if that's not a "sign from the gods," then I don't know what is.

House of the Dragon season 4 will likely take us all the way to the end of the Dance of Dragons, the tumultuous civil war between Team Black and Team Green. I won't tell you what happens to Rhae in the books but, well, it's Game of Thrones. So, naturally, we can expect a largely unhappy ending for every single character (even the dragons).

House of the Dragon season 3 is streaming now on HBO Max and NOW. Make sure you don't miss the season 3 finale with our House of the Dragon season 3 release.

The Targaryens have come to town. The Royal Shakespeare Company's new production, Game of Thrones: The Mad King, is now playing in the UK's Stratford-Upon-Avon, and it's a hugely ambitious, intensely immersive spectacle that every George R.R. Martin fan should experience at least once.

Adapted by Duncan MacMillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, the play is set just before the events of the original novels (and TV show) and chronicles the fateful tourney at Harrenhal. This occasion saw Rhaegar Targaryen crown Lyanna Stark the queen of love and beauty – and kickstart a bloody civil war that ended with Robert Baratheon ascending the Iron Throne and the Targaryen line near-annihilated.

The play is stunningly grand in its approach, choosing not just to adapt the tourney itself but also the entirety of Robert's Rebellion. The result is a breathtaking, engaging, and thrilling 3 hours and 40 minutes of action, drama, and tragedy.

Welcome to Westeros

On approach to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, on a beautiful sunny summer's day in William Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon, a digital sign above the entrance way welcomed me to Westeros. Inside the auditorium itself, the immersion began immediately: moody ambient music played in the background and a brazier in the center of the stage – two intersecting catwalks with the audience seated all around – crackled with flames. It helped that I was seated so close to one of these catwalks that my shoulder was literally touching its edge, truly part of the action.

Indeed, from the very first scene, which introduces Rhaegar Targaryen riding on horseback to the boom of dramatic music and the blaze of bright lights, it was impossible to think of anything but what was unfolding on stage only inches away.

The scale of the production is simply staggering: the horses are massive puppets that move seamlessly down the stage under the guidance of multiple puppeteers, the costumes range from lush gowns to sturdy armor with beautifully painted house sigils, and the action is impeccably choreographed. I was not merely watching Westeros: I was in Westeros, a bystander to legendary points of the Seven Kingdoms' history, powerless to intervene as tragedy and triumph alike unfolded before me.

The production makes full use of its massive set-up, too: one group of characters might be delivering dialogue while two Kingsguard knights lurk in the background, heads bent together, scheming quietly. For while the tourney is a pageant for the ages, it's also a chance for Rhaegar to overthrow his father Aerys Targaryen, better known as the Mad King.

Classic Thrones

The first act of the play recalls classic Game of Thrones – with hints of this year's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, thanks to its tourney setting – because of its interest in such character moments and the realm's complicated politics. Like early Thrones, Act 1 revels in putting its players together and letting them talk. This is where Harmony Rose Bremner's Lyanna Stark shines: Lyanna has always felt like a shadow of a woman in A Song of Ice and Fire to me, since so much of her story is wrapped in mystery and her untimely death. In The Mad King, she is beautifully, joyfully alive, a bold and outspoken sister to the Stark brothers and a wilful character who wants to forge her own destiny, chafing at the life of a traditional highborn lady and her betrothal to Robert Baratheon.

Bremner's Lyanna has true chemistry with Noah Ritter's Rhaegar, too: a standout scene comes when Rhaegar asks her to dance, and Lyanna admits she's more of a fighter than a dancer. Undeterred, Rhaegar teaches her the steps as if they were sparring, and so the spark of a momentous romance and the coming rebellion is born.

Rhaegar, too, comes to fascinating life in the play, a mournful, serious young prince who feels the weight of destiny and duty alike. He believes himself to be the Prince that was Promised, but he also, far more practically, knows his father is unfit to rule and the time to seize the crown is now.

Other standouts include Elizabeth Ayodele's confident and complex Elia Martell, Michael Abubakar's utterly endearing Eddard Stark (who spends Act 1 insisting on being called Ned, worlds away from the grim, duty-driven man we meet in the main series), and Maxim Ays's young, conflicted Jaime Lannister, but it's Michael Shaeffer's Mad King who truly steals the show.

Shaeffer's Aerys is humanized to an almost painful degree, introduced with wildly long hair, fingernails like claws, and covered in gashes from sitting on the Iron Throne. He's a capricious, cruel, and often hilarious monarch, but one who can be overcome with trauma and grief, and one who loves his eldest son – his only redeeming quality. Maybe the most moving scene in the entire play is a quiet but forceful moment between Rhaegar and his father, as Rhaegar cuts the Mad King's unruly hair and trims his horrifying nails.

Robert's Rebellion

It's in Act 2 that The Mad King perhaps finally overreaches itself. Act 1 works beautifully because it's a contained, character-driven story, but when the show expands to the action of Robert's Rebellion, almost by design it loses some of this closeness. Naturally, a stage show can't capture the entirety of a brutal civil war, which means we are served only snapshots. I can't help feeling like something is lost by the play glossing over the actual outbreak of the civil war, instead picking up after Robert's Rebellion has begun, too.

Characters are separated by geography, so conversation is swapped for communicating via raven, and often the players react to things they hear second-hand rather than being directly involved. But the action remains superb (the fateful clash at the Trident in particular is astonishing) and the show still finds time for deeply moving, intimate moments – the women of the play singing a hymn to the Mother, begging for protection for their sons and daughters in a time of war, brought a tear to my eye.

It's here that Ays's Jaime Lannister becomes most compelling, too, as his conscience wars with his duty. Ays's take on the character is more innocent than the Jaime of the main series, and watching his development as the war and the Mad King both spiral out of control is heartbreaking and deeply captivating.

The wars to come

What I was most intrigued by heading into The Mad King was its potential for seismic lore revelations, and I was not disappointed. Mysteries that have fuelled fan speculation for decades are finally unveiled (I even overheard one happy theatregoer telling another that the play answered every question he had on the way out). This means that The Mad King isn't very newcomer-friendly, which is no real surprise, and is also something of a strength: no time is wasted recapping plot points or the relationships between characters we know well already. However, the sheer wonder on display is likely more than enough to enthral anyone less familiar with the lore.

The biggest barrier to watching The Mad King is, of course, its location, and, after being so completely blown away, I'm hoping a West End and Broadway future is on the horizon – as well as a professional recording for those who still can't make the trek – because this extraordinary production deserves to be seen by the biggest audience possible.

But Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, with all their historical and dramatic pedigree, truly feel like the truest of homes for this play: the drama and tragedy are fittingly Shakespearean, after all.

For 3 hours and 40 minutes, I was fully transported to another world of knights and dragons and magic as Martin's incredible fantasy realm came to life before my eyes – and that's worth every mile of the journey.

Game of Thrones: The Mad King is playing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from now until September 5, 2026.

You can keep up to date with the world of Westeros with our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

New play Game of Thrones: The Mad King chronicles the story of the tourney at Harrenhal and Robert's Rebellion, ending around 15 years before the events of the main A Song of Ice and Fire books and the Game of Thrones TV show.

Naturally, that means it reveals plenty about the lore of George R.R. Martin's series – and, below, we've rounded up the 16 biggest revelations from the play. Of course, Martin has said before that only the books are canon, so that means the play might not perfectly match up with revelations in the long-awaited Winds of Winter and beyond, especially considering Martin himself did not write the play. But, considering Martin's involvement in the stage show, we can assume the below is largely in line with his plans.

We'd also say that reading about the plot can't hold a candle to seeing it for yourself, so, if you're able, make your way to Stratford-Upon-Avon and watch The Mad King in all its glory. However, if that's not possible, we've got what you need to know below. That means there are major spoilers ahead, so turn back now if you don't wish to know more.

Everything we learned about Game of Thrones from The Mad King

The Prince that was Promised

In the play, it's revealed that the prophesied Prince that was Promised – who will eventually unite the realm against the threat of the White Walkers, as foreseen by Aegon the Conqueror – must be a third-born child. This is the meaning behind "the dragon has three heads," or at least that's how King Aerys sees it. Rhaegar Targaryen believed himself to be the Prince that was Promised, as he was born amidst the salt and smoke of the doomed Summerhall – smoke of the fire as Summerhall burned, and tears of the grieving.

When a red star appears in the sky later in the play, Lyanna Stark, in the Tower of Joy with Rhaegar, sees this as a sign, as does Aerys. Both Rhaegar and Lyanna, and Aerys and his wife Rhaella Targaryen, conceive a child this night: a third born child for Rhaegar named Jon Snow, and a third born child for Aerys named Daenerys. So, both Jon and Daenerys continue to fit the prophecy.

Jon Snow

Jon Snow is very different in the play compared to the TV show. For one thing, he is not named Aegon Targaryen in The Mad King. Lyanna Stark dies before she can name him, and instead Ned Stark names him after Jon Arryn of the Vale, who fostered him and Robert Baratheon as children. Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna are also not shown to get married in the play, meaning Jon is most likely still a bastard (unlike in the show, where he was revealed to be the true heir) – however, Elia Martell does make reference to always being fine with the idea of Rhaegar taking a second wife, so it's not entirely clear if Rhaegar and Lyanna are considered wed or not. Either way, no marriage ceremony is shown onstage.

Those who know Jon's true identity are Ned, Howland Reed, and Benjen Stark. While Jon is still an infant, Benjen says Jon will never be safe until he joins Benjen at the Wall, meaning it was always the plan for Jon to take the black.

Daenerys Targaryen

On the night Daenerys Targaryen is conceived, her mother, Rhaella Targaryen, raging against being forced to sleep with the abusive Aerys, shouts that she does not want to birth the prophesied prince but rather the "scourge of the world," and "a vengeful daughter, whose wrath will return dragons and set the realm ablaze." In the TV show, Daenerys burns King's Landing, a plot point that remains controversial to this day. Rhaella's declaration in The Mad King certainly lends credence to the argument that Daenerys's book plot is likely headed in a similar direction.

Rhaegar and Lyanna

It might not come as a huge surprise after the TV show, but Rhaegar and Lyanna do indeed love each other, and Lyanna went willingly to the Tower of Joy. What we do learn, though, is that Lyanna is a true believer of the Prince that was Promised prophecy, even after Rhaegar begins to lose his faith. In fact, Rhaegar argues "I made a choice that could not have been foretold" by running away with Lyanna, believing himself in control of his own destiny at last. Of course, he seems to be wrong.

Lyanna also tells Ned, as she lays dying from childbirth, that she wants to go home. This explains Ned's insistence on burying Lyanna at Winterfell, even though Robert Baratheon declares he will never forgive Ned for doing so.

The House of the Undying

In A Clash of Kings, Daenerys Targaryen travels to the House of the Undying Ones after her dragons are kidnapped. Inside, she has fantastical visions – and one is of her older brother, Rhaegar Targaryen, and his second-born child, his son Aegon. When Rhaegar's wife Elia asks Rhaegar to make a song for their son, Rhaegar replies: "He has a song. He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire." Then, Martin writes, "He looked up when he said it and his eyes met Dany's, and it seemed as if he saw her standing there beyond the door."

In the play, when Rhaegar speaks these words, he does indeed look up to see an open door. In the doorway stands a woman with long silver hair, with three dragons behind her. She's not identified by name in the play, but it seems very obvious that this is Daenerys. So, Rhaegar did see his younger sister through time.

Rhaegar and Lyanna's dreams

Both Rhaegar and Lyanna have prophetic dreams. Lyanna dreams of a dragon, and Rhaegar has a vision of Daenerys when Aegon is born, then later sees a dragon and Lyanna while fighting Robert Baratheon on the Trident.

Plotting against Aerys

The tourney at Harrenhal was indeed a smokescreen to hide a plot against Aerys, spearheaded by Rhaegar Targaryen – a popular, semi-textual fan theory. Members of the Kinsguard are in on it, along with Elia Martell. The Starks join Rhaegar before the tourney ends, despite Aerys unexpectedly arriving halfway through, throwing a wrench in the conspirators' plans. Everything soon blows up in Rhaegar's face when he and Lyanna Stark flee to the Tower of Joy together, sparking Robert's Rebellion.

Summerhall

One of the greatest mysteries in the books is what exactly happened at Summerhall. What we do know is that King Aegon V – better known as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Egg – starts a devastating fire while trying to resurrect dragons, and many of the Targaryens die. Rhaegar was born in Summerhall, which is why he believes he is the Prince that was Promised, since he fits the "born amidst salt and smoke" part of the prophecy (the salt of the tears of the grieving and the smoke of the fire). While The Mad King doesn't reveal much more about Summerhall, it does show us that Aerys is still heavily traumatized by what happened, as he speaks of seeing his grandsire, Egg, burn alive. And, Rhaella, Rhaegar's mother, has burn marks from rescuing her son from the blaze.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree

A mystery knight with a laughing tree as their sigil enters the lists during the tourney, inflaming Aerys's paranoia. The Mad King reveals that this mystery knight is none other than Lyanna Stark, a popular fan theory, and that she enters the lists because Howland Reed was attacked by the bannermen of some of the nobles participating. She reveals her identity to Rhaegar, who covers up her involvement with his father. Lyanna uses a laughing tree as her emblem because the Weirwood tree in Winterfell has laughing faces.

Elia Martell

Elia Martell's marriage with Rhaegar is purely political, and she has her own lover, Ashara Dayne. Elia even says she encouraged Rhaegar to take a second wife, as Aegon the Conqueror did, and have a wife for duty and a wife for love. However, Rhaegar and Lyanna running away together causes many, many issues – including for Elia, who ends up a captive, and is then murdered along with her children. Before her death, Elia communicated with Lyanna in the Tower of Joy via raven, urging her to tell Rhaegar to end the war.

Rhaenys's prophecy

Elia and Rhaegar's daughter, Rhaenys, says what Elia thinks is gibberish but is actually a disturbing prophecy. Elia reveals that Rhaenys speaks of a river of rubies and a mountain in their room – the river of rubies refers to the rubies that spray from Rhaegar's armor into the Trident river when he is killed by Robert Baratheon, and the mountain is the Mountain himself, Gregor Clegane, who murders Elia, Rhaenys, and Aegon. So, Rhaenys is foreseeing her parents' deaths.

Jaime Lannister

Jaime Lannister is an enthusiastic member of the Kinsguard at first. What we didn't know about his appointment, though, is that Rhaegar begs his father not to name Jaime to the order, since it would inflame tensions with Tywin Lannister – who is already at odds with the crown. Later, Rhaegar warns Aerys again that Jaime could be dangerous. Rhaegar's feelings on the Lannister knight do change eventually, though, as he tells Jaime to await his return as he departs for the Trident, implying they can overthrow Aerys afterwards (as happens in the books).

The play backs up what Jaime himself reveals in the main series, showing he was truly devoted to protecting the innocent during his early time as a knight of the Kingsguard. He puts himself between his brothers in arms to defend Rhaella, Elia, and Ashara from them – and, of course, later kills Aerys when Aerys demands Tywin's head and King's Landing burned. However, the play differs from the books when Jaime chooses to sit the Iron Throne. In the books, when Lannister men find Jaime and the dead king, they ask whether Tywin, Robert Baratheon, or another Targaryen should be crowned king. In the play, the Lannister men merely ask if they should proclaim a new king, implying the new monarch could be Jaime. Jaime then ascends the throne and dons his lion helm, as if trying it out for a moment, before yielding it when Ned arrives, as happens in the books.

Bran Stark

Ned Stark hears a disembodied voice shout "father" twice in the play, and, the second time it happens, he is at the Tower of Joy. While this has yet to happen in the books, it does happen in the TV show: Bran Stark, watching what happens at the Tower of Joy, calls out to Ned, and Ned hears. So, this seems confirmation that Bran will use his powers to discover the truth of Rhaegar and Lyanna's relationship and Jon Snow's parentage.

Ashara Dayne

Ashara Dayne is not only revealed to have been in love with Elia Martell, but she also had a bastard child with Brandon Stark. It's strongly implied in the books that Ashara and a Stark had a child, but now we know for sure. Sadly, the child was stillborn. So, while Ashara and Ned do dance together at the tourney, there was no attraction between them: it was always Brandon and Ashara.

The Trident

At the fateful battle of the Trident, Rhaegar Targaryen repeatedly tries to get Robert to surrender on the promise of a pardon. Robert continues to fight, consumed with rage. Rhaegar is eventually killed because he has a vision of a dragon, as well as of Lyanna. He calls to her, explaining why her name was his last word.

King Aerys

We learn some fascinating new details about the Mad King, too. He truly loves his son Rhaegar and is devastated to learn of his death, saying, "brave boy, I have him still in my arms," and "all this is for you, Rhaegar, my boy." Not only that, he's also traumatized by Summerhall. He even urges Rhaegar to kill him at one point, though Rhaegar can't bring himself to do it.

Game of Thrones: The Mad King is playing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from now until September 5, 2026.

You can keep up to date with the world of Westeros with our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

One House of the Dragon season 3 fan has worked out just how many characters still need to die before the show ends with season 4 – and it's a lot.

Only one episode remains of season 3, and, if season 4 also has eight episodes, that leaves only nine left for the entire show.

A warning that the following will contain major spoilers from George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, so turn back now if you're not up to date!

"There's only 9 episodes left…. how are they gonna kill off all of these characters and the dragons without it being just a constant run of death scenes? How are they gonna kill Stormcloud when buddy is off in Pentos??" asks one fan on Twitter.

They add: "Literally they have to kill Rhaenyra, Daemon, Joffrey, Mysaria, Addam, Ulf, Hugh, Ormund, Daeron, Helaena, Aegon2, Aemond, all the dragons, and maybe Jaehaera depending on how they end the series. 12 + the dragons, in just 9 episodes."

"They're gonna speed run the ending like D&D did with GOT and it's gonna ruin everything more than it already is," says someone else. "Either that or they're taking the Stranger Things 5 route and making every episode movie-length"

"It's gonna be such a logistical nightmare for writers like why are we stalling," says another person.

"They're probably just not going to hit all those points and people should start making peace with it now lol," says another fan.

However, not everyone is worried. "Daemon, Aemond, Caraxes, and Vhagar all die together. Mysaria, Helaena, and a bunch of dragons will be offed in quick succession. I don't know if the showrunners will want two Battles of Tumbleton, so Hugh, Ulf, and Ormund might not make it to next season," points out one person.

"Ormund, Addam, Ulf, Hugh & Daeron die same episode with their dragons. Aemond & Daemon die same ep. Helaena, Mysaria & Joffrey die same ep, possibly same ep as Aemond and Daemon. Rhaenyra dies penultimate, Aegon dies finale. That's 4, possibly even 3 episodes," argues someone else.

It certainly seems like season 4 will be packed with major deaths – though the season 3 finale also has plenty of scope for a bloodbath.

House of the Dragon season 3 continues weekly on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK, and HBO in the US.

You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, and, for even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

Even when it comes to blogging, George R.R. Martin is not especially prolific. The beloved Game of Thrones creator has posted an increasingly rare update on his Not a Blog blog for the first time since February, and we're still none the wiser about when The Winds of Winter will finally release.

"This year has been… stressful, to say the least," started a sombre Martin, who noted that he has "lost friends" and "battled sadness and depression" during his time away. Back at the beginning of the year, Martin gave an interview to The Hollywood Reporter where he revealed, in frank terms, that his relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal is "abysmal" and that the show is "not my story any longer," no doubt a contributing factor to that stressful year.

It's not all been doom and gloom for Martin, however. He's still closely involved with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as the show's co-creator, and dedicates much of his latest blog post to celebrating that show's nine Emmy nominations, with the caveat that "I was hoping we'd get a few of the acting nominations as well. But there's always next year." A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 is close to completing production. In fact, Egg star Dexter Sol Ansell recently revealed he's already wrapped filming.

What Martin, pointedly, doesn't offer is any kind of update on The Winds of Winter. The long (long) awaited next chapter in Martin's mammoth A Song of Ice and Fire saga is set to follow 2011's A Dance With Dragons. But, over 15 years on, we're none the wiser about when the book will actually release. And it's not even the final Game of Thrones book that Martin needs to write, with A Dream of Spring expected to follow.

At 77 years old, you can hardly blame Martin for slowing down somewhat (OK, a lot) when it comes to his writing. However, he has been keeping plenty busy. As well as a hands-on role with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, that show's co-creator, Ira Parker, has suggested that Martin is currently penning a fourth Dunk and Egg novella. A new Game of Thrones play, The Mad King, is also currently in previews in the UK, and is set in the final years before the events of the novels.

As for The Winds of Winter, Martin previously welcomed imprisonment if he didn't finish the much-anticipated book by a certain deadline. And that deadline passed 6 years ago...

The House of the Dragon season 3 finale releases on HBO Max in the US on August 9, and on Sky and NOW in the UK on August 10. You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.

House of the Dragon has made a number of divisive adaptive choices in bringing George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood ot the screen, but arguably the most significant has been keeping Helaena off her dragon, Dreamfyre. And now one of the show's regular directors has weighed in on the contentious decision.

Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3 episode 7 'The Dragon in Winter' lie ahead.

During the latest episode, dreamer Helaena Targaryen has a series of potentially prophetic visions. In one, Helaena is finally seen on the back of her dragon Dreamfyre, as hundreds of citizens storm the dragonpit in King's Landing. This is noteworthy because the show's version of Helaena, much like her grandfather, King Viserys, refuses to ride her dragon, fearing the corrupting power of controlling a living nuclear weapon.

Now, the episode's director, Nina Lopez-Corrado, has gone some way to explaining the controversial adaptive change, and what that vision could mean. “Helaena has such a strong feeling about the dragons in which she’s torn because she thinks that they do change people and that they’ve changed their whole world, essentially,” Lopez-Corrado told Entertainment Weekly. “So when she sees herself on the dragon and sees Dreamfyre basically take out all of King’s Landing, internally for her it burns deep.... I think she knows that deep down inside, because she is a Targaryen, there almost is no positive outcome to anything that’s happening in regards to this war in this family. And the dragons, as long as they exist, are going to keep this inner turmoil inside of the Targaryens.”

The changes to Helaena's story are something of a sore spot, as they are at the heart of George R.R. Martin's infamous "toxic butterflies" blog post. In the post, Martin explained that seemingly small changes to season 2's Blood and Cheese sequence would have serious repercussions down the line, with the absence of Helaena's son, Prince Maelor, from the scene a particular sticking point.

Showrunner Ryan Condal seems to be making good on his promise to Martin to "postpone" Maelor's introduction, however, as Helaena is currently pregnant with the young prince. Martin, and the fandom at large, however, have been concerned ever since about the show's home stretch in light of such potentially catastrophic deviations.

With just one episode left to go, House of the Dragon season 3 lived up to its title this week. Not only did we get our first proper glimpse of Dreamfyre, but there was also a four-way dragon battle in which Sheepstealer was almost killed. Aegon's dragon, Sunfyre, was also revealed to be alive, though, much like his rider, he's now looking a lot worse for wear after his season 2 run-in with Vhagar.

House of the Dragon season 3 is streaming now on HBO Max and NOW. Make sure you don't miss the season 3 finale with our House of the Dragon season 3 release.

Many years ago, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin promised fans could imprison him if the sixth book in the series, The Winds of Winter, hadn't arrived by a certain deadline – and that deadline is now six years in the past.

"As for finishing my book… I fear that New Zealand would distract me entirely too much. Best leave me here in Westeros for the nonce," Martin wrote on his Not a Blog page in May 2019. "But I tell you this – if I don't have THE WINDS OF WINTER in hand when I arrive in New Zealand for worldcon, you have here my formal written permission to imprison me in a small cabin on White Island, overlooking that lake of sulfuric acid, until I'm done. Just so long as the acrid fumes do not screw up my old DOS word processor, I'll be fine."

Worldcon was held from 29 July to 2 August 2020, however, thanks to COVID, it was switched from an in-person event to virtual.

Now, as you might have noticed, Martin's July/August deadline passed exactly six years ago, and there's still no Winds of Winter.

In fact, the wait for the sixth book has now surpassed the time it took to release all five books so far.

"I would hate that," Martin previously said of the prospect of giving up. "It would feel like a total failure to me. I want to finish. If I wound up doing everything in my head, this could be the longest book in the series."

But, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner Ira Parker has indicated that Martin is currently working on a fourth Dunk and Egg novella. So, here's hoping that arrives in the near future.

House of the Dragon season 3 is currently dropping weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.

A new House of the Dragon character who just killed off a major player in the Dance of Dragons has never actually been introduced to the audience.

Warning, the following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 6!

In the latest episode, Criston Cole is ambushed by Team Black, and his request to go out in a blaze of glory is denied. He is instead shot dead with three arrows – though, the mysterious figure who killed him is actually a mystery to everyone watching along.

Book readers might recognize her as Alysanne Blackwood, AKA Black Aly, though her name hasn't been spoken on the show, and she's only really been in the background until now. She also hasn't actually spoken yet, apart from singing two lines of a song in episode 2 (as pointed out in a now-removed Reddit post).

Still, there are two episodes of House of the Dragon season 3 left, so there's plenty of time for Black Aly to get her proper introduction. After all, now we know her face.

As we get closer to the end of season 3, it looks like Rhaenyra could be in trouble – she cut her finger on the Iron Throne, Aemond Targaryen and Alys Rivers have formed an unusual alliance, and Ormund Hightower has declared Daeron Targaryen the rightful king.

"I think a lot of Daeron's experience through that episode and the upcoming episodes, without spoiling anything, is just, when's the breaking point?" Daeron actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth told us in a recent interview. "He's held a tremendous amount of tension and tremendous amount of patience with Ormund, and now with a figure like Gwayne around, and with his dragon Tessarion, who he has this deep affection and friendship with, who he hasn't been able to see, who has been in the Sept tied up, and so, when is it too much?"

House of the Dragon season 3 continues weekly on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK, and HBO in the US.

You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, and, for even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

As House of the Dragon season 3 continues, a surprise character is emerging as a new fan favorite.

The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 6, so turn back now if you're not up to date!

In the latest episode, Gwayne Hightower reaches Tumbleton after abandoning Criston Cole in the previous installment (with perfect timing, too, considering Criston meets his unceremonious death in the opening minutes of the new episode).

At Tumbleton, Gwayne reunites with his nephew Daeron Targaryen, and it's quickly clear that they have a much closer – and healthier – relationship than Daeron and Ormund Hightower. Plus, Gwayne thwarts an assassination attempt on Daeron (after enduring plenty of insulting comments from Ormund).

"Gwayne has become one of my favorites, I'm so glad he left Cole's side when he did," says one fan on Reddit.

"Him talking in the hallway with Daeron was heartbreaking," says someone else. "For all that people complain about 'filler,' I love this character development."

"Daeron and Gwayne having instant familial chemistry is the mark of really good acting by both of them. They haven't been on screen together yet but the characters have a long history and I definitely felt that in their scene together," is another fan's take.

"Gwayne literally took no shit from Ormund. He wasn't afraid of him or his tantrums, he spoke the truth at his face and really kept his patience with Ormund-the-man-baby," says another fan. "Gwayne has been a treat since the first episode he appeared and I am glad the writing has been consistent about his character."

"Yeah I really disliked him when he first appeared in the show and now he's one of my favorites. A tribute to his actor," is another person's thoughts.

"Yes, he definitely came off as an arrogant ass at first, with the way he spoke down to Criston. You can see how the realities of war really broke down that kind of thinking. In front of dragons, they are all equally and simply men. Great character development," says another person.

"Gwayne is unexpectedly becoming the one person I'm keeping a tight prayer circle for during the Dance alongside Helaena," says another fan.

"Gwayne is probably my favourite character from Team Green. Hoping he survives, however unlikely it seems," agrees someone else.

Gwayne Hightower dies in the fall of King's Landing in the book, which means his future on the show is a complete unknown. Here's hoping he makes it…

"I think they're both parental figures, Gwayne and Ormund, and Gwayne is more brotherly, and Ormund is more domineering, and so we see a different kind of love and a different side of Daeron comes out when he's with Gwayne," Daeron actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth told GamesRadar+ recently.

"Something more transparent, something more true to who he is as a person, and almost this frustration that comes from just this weight that he's been holding of being around Ormund, having to be very calculated about what he says, what he does, when he does it, because he knows that Ormund has this rage that could be unleashed at any moment," he continued. "And Gwayne is someone that he's been able to talk to, but I think the difference being, he's come back war hardened and out the fight, and usually he's his person [Daeron] can confide with.

"And I think just playing those different relationships and being able to explore the different sides of Daeron with Freddie Fox, but then also with James [Norton], has been really fun."

House of the Dragon season 3 continues weekly on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK, and HBO in the US.

You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, and, for even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

It might be hard to believe, but House of the Dragon season 3 only has two episodes remaining.

A big focus of the season has been Tumbleton, which is starting to feel like something of a powder keg. Spoilers for episode 6 follow.

Ormund Hightower is undermining Rhaenyra's authority in King's Landing with his attacks on the gold cloaks and his claims that Daeron Targaryen is the new rightful king, while the dragonseeds Ulf the White and Hugh Hammer lurk outside the town – and, in episode 6, assassins even come for Daeron, but are foiled by Gwayne Hightower.

GamesRadar+ caught up with Daeron actor Benjamin Evan Ainsworth on Zoom to talk about the show, and we asked what's coming up for Tumbleton as the finale gets closer.

"I think every episode, at least for my character, the stakes are raising tremendously," he says. "We go from, I suppose, being a squirely figure in Ormund's life, and then being posed as a king, and then having a coin with his face made on it, to then an assassination attempt in this episode. And I think if you follow that trajectory, Tumbleton's looking like a very hostile place.

"And so, yeah, I think a lot of Daeron's experience through that episode and the upcoming episodes, without spoiling anything, is just, when's the breaking point? He's held a tremendous amount of tension and tremendous amount of patience with Ormund, and now with a figure like Gwayne around, and with his dragon Tessarion, who he has this deep affection and friendship with, who he hasn't been able to see, who has been in the Sept tied up, and so, when is it too much?

"And I think a decision of who he wants to be, and I guess leading with his moral compass, or not, and which direction to go through, I think are the questions in his head at the end of episode six," Ainsworth shares. "You'll have to wait and see how that unfolds."

House of the Dragon season 3 continues weekly on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK, and HBO in the US.

You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, and, for even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

So far in House of the Dragon season 3, young prince Daeron Targaryen has been under the thumb of his guardian Ormund Hightower out in Tumbleton.

But, in the latest episode of the Game of Thrones prequel, the situation gets slightly more complicated. Daeron's uncle Gwayne Hightower comes to Tumbleton after breaking away from Criston Cole, and it's immediately clear that Gwayne is far more of a positive influence on Daeron than the authoritarian Ormund. Spoilers for episode 6 follow.

"So far, any scene with Daeron has had Ormund Hightower within it, which I think says a lot about their relationship, really," Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who plays Daeron, tells GamesRadar+ when we meet over Zoom.

"There's not a lot of space, and, despite Daeron being an isolated character – he was sent away from his family, away from the politics, but also away from his mother, and all that comes with that, for better or for worse – he's also cramped within this position. The image of Tessarion chained up in Tumbleton's Sept feels like a symbol that makes sense for Daeron's internal experience with Ormond.

"And I think they're both parental figures, Gwayne and Ormund, and Gwayne is more brotherly, and Ormund is more domineering, and so we see a different kind of love and a different side of Daeron comes out when he's with Gwayne," Ainsworth continues. "Something more transparent, something more true to who he is as a person, and almost this frustration that comes from just this weight that he's been holding of being around Ormund, having to be very calculated about what he says, what he does, when he does it, because he knows that Ormund has this rage that could be unleashed at any moment. And Gwayne is someone that he's been able to talk to, but I think the difference being, he's come back war hardened and out the fight, and usually he's his person [Daeron] can confide with.

"And I think just playing those different relationships and being able to explore the different sides of Daeron with Freddie Fox, but then also with James [Norton], has been really fun."

Perhaps the most horrifying moment in Daeron and Ormund's relationship so far came when Ormund forced Daeron to execute an innocent man in Tumbleton, down in the secrecy of the Sept.

"It's manipulation at its worst," Ainsworth says of the moment. "And I think there's a certain part of Daeron which is aware of it and has seen it. He is aware of when things are going wrong, we saw that when he sends away the other squire, so he doesn't get hurt by the rage that's about to come out in episode four. I think, as twisted as it seems, it's something [Daeron] feels like he has to do to get out of this situation.

"There's no other option he feels in that moment, but also, there's almost like a pride which Ormund has with him afterwards, which he kind of yearns for as a character," Ainsworth explains. "And it demonstrates how twisted and fractured their relationship is, that Daeron is willing to do what Ormund wants because he doesn't have that loving figure in his life, and so looks for that through Ormund.

"It was really fun to play, but also, I guess, gut-wrenching to then watch back from an outside perspective. But, yeah, it's really lovely to work with people like James Norton because they give you something really specific every single take, and it's different every take, and so you can almost just follow them on the ride and see how the take unfolds," Ainsworth says. "And sometimes it would end in a moment of, almost, love at the end of of that scene, of like a shared affection that [Ormund] was proud of what I had done, and I know what I have done is terrible – and I wouldn't do it – but the pride he feels is shining onto Daeron. So, yeah, it's definitely a turning point. It's when he figures out he's going to be styled as king, which then starts a barrage of new questions of who he is and who he wants to be."

House of the Dragon season 3 continues weekly on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK, and HBO in the US.

You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, and, for even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

One of the most exciting upcoming video game movies is The Legend of Zelda, starring House of the Dragon's Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Renegade Nell's Bo Bragason as Zelda.

GamesRadar+ recently caught up with Ainsworth on Zoom to chat about his role as Daeron Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3 – but, naturally, we had to ask about Ainsworth's trip to Hyrule, too.

"I can't speak too much on the film itself, but I remember vividly when Breath of the Wild came out – and it might show my age – but I remember being quite young at the time when it came out, and so I didn't have a Switch at the time," he admits. "And so, I was watching gamers play it, and watching playthroughs, essentially."

Ainsworth was born in 2008, and Breath of the Wild, possibly the best Zelda game of all time, was released in 2017. Way to make us feel old…

"And then, upon being fortunate enough to play this role, such an iconic character, going back and realizing the 40 years of legacy and history, and the varied tones, the varied stories, the varied renditions and vocal performances of this character as well," he continues. "Yeah, I'm a big fan, and just really excited, because it was an awesome thing to shoot. New Zealand is a wonderful place. But yeah, can't say too much more."

The Legend of Zelda movie arrives on May 7, 2027, while House of the Dragon season 3 continues weekly on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK, and HBO in the US.

You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, and, for even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

Good news for Dunk and Egg fans – a fourth novella is in the works, according to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner Ira Parker.

So far, three Dunk and Egg novellas have been published, but Martin has shared outlines for up to 12 novellas with Parker.

When asked by The Hollywood Reporter about HBO's thoughts on his wish to adapt the three existing novellas then break for a few years to let stars Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell get older, Parker said: "I mostly get eye rolls, though not completely. And look, it'll be a function of how, you know, well the show continues to do, or continues not to do. Every season's going to be a little bit different. What people want in their television shows changes all the time."

Then, he revealed a fascinating tidbit: Martin is writing the series again. "But yeah, I'd love to expand it from three seasons to maybe four or five. Book four, which George is working on, takes place in a very cool location. And five is the last story point of Egg as a boy," he shared. "So it's a very natural ending place for us to take a break and come back when Dexter is older. So then we can do Egg the Prince, do some politics, do some fun stuff in Summer Hall and King's Landing, and get a different vibe where they're not on the road all the time.

"So if the show wraps and people are still OK with everything we're doing and there's still an appetite, let the show evolve along with our leads, with myself and with the rest of our creative team as we grow older and the world changes and we want to say different things. I think that would be a lovely way to tell a story about these two guys through the course of their lives," he said.

Martin notoriously has not finished his A Song of Ice and Fire series, with the wait for The Winds of Winter now surpassing the wait for all five published books so far. The Winds of Winter isn't even the final planned book, either: that would be A Dream of Spring.

"I would hate that," Martin has said of the possibility of giving up. "It would feel like a total failure to me. I want to finish."

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 will arrive next year, while House of the Dragon season 3 is currently ongoing.

House of the Dragon season 3 continues weekly on Sky, NOW, and HBO Max in the UK, and HBO in the US.

You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, and, for even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 got off to an explosive start with the Battle of the Gullet and Rhaenyra finally taking King's Landing, but the Game of Thrones spin-off's pace dropped considerably in the aftermath – and episode 5 is concerning fans.

One person took to Reddit to lay out their concerns about how the show is playing out, saying, "I honestly enjoyed the new episode quite a bit, but I'm growing incredibly concerned about the show's pacing moving forward."

The problem, in their view, is compounded by the shorter season length. "What I just watched didn't feel like the fifth part of an eight part season, or even like the third part of a six part season if you just call the first two the finale of the last season. That felt, to me, like the third episode of a ten episode season. The pace is way too slow for where the story needs to be right now," they say, before noting concerns with how the pacing might affect telling the rest of the story in the confirmed season 4.

"I'm so tired of these short ass seasons," says one person in response, with another saying: "And they take two years between seasons even though they are much shorter. I hate it."

"I don't want the pacing to be faster I want more episodes," says someone else. "I just finished it and I was thinking the same thing. I paused the show to get a refill of my drink and saw I had ten minutes left in the episode and I was just like 'are you f***ing kidding me'. Then I did the math and I was like ok so the next three episodes must be JAM PACKED with action right up until the last second of the season finale otherwise what are we even doing. This is silly as hell. And it's gonna be two years til we get the next season- I'm just so incredibly disappointed. But yes, I agree these episodes are fantastic- just not for an eight episode run"

"I wouldn't be as upset as I have been over the past three nothing burger episodes if we were getting a 15 episode season," says another fan.

"For real. If season 4 has eight episodes that means there are only 11 episodes left. How are they possibly going to wrap it up in 11 episodes?" points out someone else.

The episode mainly seemed to be setting up future problems: the targeting of the gold cloaks, Daeron and Ormund Hightower in Tumbleton, and Criston Cole continuing to march. There was precious little payoff, however.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 continues this week with another episode that teases steadily building tension. While no battles break out in this installment, it looks like a climactic showdown is looming thanks to some seriously ironic foreshadowing.

Below, we've broken down the moment and what it means – but that means there are major spoilers ahead for George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood. Turn back if you don't want the fate of a major character spoiled!

If you're still reading, then you're ready to dive in and find out what the latest episode of House of the Dragon season 3 sets up. For more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review.

House of the Dragon season 3, episode 5 foreshadows an major book death

In the episode, Ser Criston Cole walks for miles with the green army and Alicent Hightower's brother, Gwayne Hightower. Towards the end of the episode, Gwayne realizes that Criston is in fact hoping to march to his death.

Criston gives a rousing speech, in which he declares, "I am the realm's greatest warrior, and I will die as such, clear-eyed, unbent, glorious in battle, and not in their service, finally, but in my own." He even hopes songs of his death reach Alicent.

However, George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood reveals a different fate for the Kingsguard knight. He and his host are confronted by the black army, and Criston unsuccessfully tries to negotiate for the lives of his men if he surrenders.

Criston then tries to battle against his three challengers, declaring, "One of me against three of you. Will that be enough to make a fight of it?" But, he doesn't get the epic death he wants. One member of Team Black, Longleaf the Lionslayer, signals archers and three arrows swiftly strike Criston dead.

"I'll have no songs about how brave you died, Kingmaker," says Longleaf. "There's tens o' thousands dead on your account."

So, Criston's grand hopes in this episode all come to nothing, because an anticlimactic death is awaiting him... and no songs will reach Alicent.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 has introduced a stack of new characters, including Ser Gwayne Hightower, and although he may be Team Green, fans think he is secretly a good guy and would have sided with Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Now, Gwayne, played by Freddie Fox, actually made his House of the Dragon debut in season 2 as Alicent's arrogant brother and Otto Hightower's son. But so far in season 3, it seems as though he isn't that bad. A number of times now he has pulled up Ser Criston on his bizarre choices. This change of heart has led many fans to believe that if Gwayne were in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, he would have done the right thing and sided with Ser Duncan in the Trial of the Seven, just like Baelor Targaryen did.

"I would like to think so. Fits his personality," said one fan on Reddit, and another replied, "He would most definitely be taking Dunk's side if he had to choose," highlighting what the knight said to Criston in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 3, after he caught one of the soldiers assaulting a village girl. Gwayne said, "A punishment is due, but also a statement to the men. That we are not beasts, but knights, and soldiers of honor."

However, others seem to think the apple doesn't fall far from the Hightower. "I don't think he will. As honorable as he is, he is a Hightower, and they don't treat commoners as their equals," added another Reddit user.

The Trial of the Seven is the ultimate test of whether the characters are able to stand up for what is right. After finding Aerion Targaryen beating Tanselle, Dunk strikes the prince. As punishment, the knight is challenged to a trial where he and six of his men must fight Aerion and six of his men. However, when Dunk failed to gather enough soldiers, Baelor Targaryen joined his team and made the ultimate sacrifice in doing so.

We will never know what Gwayne would have done in that situation. However, Hightower has plenty of time to prove himself in House of the Dragon season 2, as he continues to fight for a cause and for a team he doesn't seem to believe in.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. For exact timings, see our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, and keep up with all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows on the way.

The latest episode of House of the Dragon season 3 addresses one of George R.R. Martin's complaints about the show.

Spoilers for season 3, episode 4 follow. Turn back now if you're not up to date!

In the episode, Alicent discovers that Helaena is pregnant. This is quite a big problem for both green women, considering they're currently (very well treated) prisoners in the Red Keep, which is now under the control of Rhaenyra and Team Black.

In Martin's Fire and Blood, Helaena has three children – Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor. Jaehaerys was killed during Blood and Cheese, and Jaehaera is still alive, so it would seem Helaena's pregnancy is introducing Maelor.

Maelor is present during Blood and Cheese in Martin's book, but the show cut him entirely. This was one of Martin's major complaints in his now notorious blog post railing against changes the show made to his source material.

"Will any of that appear on the show? Maybe… but I don't see how," Martin said of Maelor's story in the book, and the butterfly effect of removing him. "The butterflies would seem to prohibit it … From what I know, that seems to be what Ryan [Condal, showrunner] is doing here. It's simplest, yes, and may make sense in terms of budgets and shooting schedules. But simpler is not better … Maelor by himself means little. He is a small child, does not have a line of dialogue, does nothing of consequence but die… but where and when and how, that does matter."

While it's unlikely that Maelor will have much of a storyline, considering he hasn't even been born yet, Helaena's pregnancy does make it seem as if the child will factor into the story in some way. However, Maelor will be a threat to Rhaenyra's reign as a potential rival claimant to the throne, so the new queen might find herself in the middle of another moral quandary – like the question of what to do with young Prince Daeron, who turned out to be a fake anyway.

The show seemed to poke fun at Martin's post with a reference to poisonous butterflies earlier in the season, while another change to the source material might have accidentally erased Daenerys Targaryen from canon.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

The latest episode of House of the Dragon season 3 is all about Rhaenyra ruling – and it has fans wondering if the show has forgotten about a crucial (and bloody) season 2 plot point.

The season 2 premiere depicted the horrific Blood and Cheese, a moment that saw the young prince Jaehaerys decapitated in a scheme set up by Daemon meant to kill his nemesis Aemond, after Aemond killed Rhaenyra's son Lucerys in the season 1 finale.

"Why T.F. Does No One Acknowledge Jaehaerys?!?!" asks one fan on Reddit. "WTAF is wrong with these writers? THE BLACKS SAWED OFF THE HEAD OF A 6-YEAR OLD LITTLE BOY IN FRONT OF HIS MOTHER AND NO ONE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE IT. I will not be gaslit! Complaining about the loss of her sons in front of the mother and grandmother of the innocent little boy who was decapitated on orders from her prince-consort, just…. Unfathomably shit writing."

In the new episode, Rhaenyra does indeed pointedly reference the death of her sons, Jacaerys and Lucerys, in conversation with Alicent and Helaena. Neither of the green women bring up Jaehaerys.

"Rhaenyra sarcastically going, 'Well I couldn't imagine…' as if Helaena wasn't right there? Like at least your sons died in battle or on assignments, her son was a literal baby in his bed and on top of that Helaena literally had to watch her son be killed," points out one fan.

"It's funny outside of Aegon only Rhaenyra for one episode was mad at Daemon about it and unlike her Helaena and Alicent still do not know the details of how it was an 'accident,'" says another person.

"Memory loss, it's the only way this story makes sense," jokes someone else. "Remember how characters like Ned haunted the narrative for like YEARS? Or Elia and her children? Rhaegar? Lyanna? Remember when death mattered? Not in HOTD. Babies get beheaded and everybody just forgets," says another fan.

"Lmao they paraded Jaehaerys' body through the streets, hanged rat catchers and nobody in KL remembers Rhaenyra as a child killer. This show is beyond bad," says someone else.

"Is insane. This type of stuff will follow a character for the entirety of Game of Thrones. And here they were [like], oh sorry there's rats because Aegon killed all the rat catchers. I guess he just did it for the love of the game, not other reason whatsoever," says another fan. Aegon did this because the killers posed as rat catchers.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon season 3, episode 3 entirely revolves around the newly ascended Queen Rhaenyra attempting to rule the Seven Kingdoms, though she's faced with a myriad of problems, from the big (the treasury is empty), to the small (the Red Keep is overrun with rats).

Across the runtime, we see the queen's grip on her composure slackening as the reality of ruling sets in – especially when, in one moment, she mistakes a servant for her son Jacaerys, who perished in the Battle of the Gullet.

While this is a standout episode of House of the Dragon season 3, some fans think we should have seen something like it earlier in Game of Thrones season 8.

"Great episode. My biggest problem with the character arc of Daenerys in the final season of GoT was how abrupt and poorly paced it was, and I couldn't help thinking that an episode just like this one tonight (S3E3) is exactly what Daenerys needed," says one fan on Reddit. "The pans and flashes to rats roaming around unchecked, the music playing all through the episode with small sharp violin/piano notes, all awesome small details to convey sanity and good decision making eroding. If an episode focusing on all the things weighing on Daenerys' mind in the final season of GoT had aired, I think the conclusion to her arc would have felt much better executed"

One of the biggest criticisms of Game of Thrones season 8 is that Daenerys's Mad Queen arc was incredibly rushed, culminating in the Mother of Dragons burning down King's Landing for no real reason at all.

"Daenerys needs this and much, much more in that final season," agrees another person. "Her character felt so well and truly fucked over it broke my heart."

"Daenerys should have overthrown Cersei in the season 7 finale so that the entire season 8 could be dedicated to the White Walker conflict and her Mad Queen arc. Would've been so much better," says another person.

"Yes absolutely this is what she needed in Mereen," agrees another fan. "The whole point is that Rhaenyra is slowly descending into madness. We needed more of an arc for Dany to do that. People point to moments of 'madness' in earlier seasons but she didn’t do any worse than any other male ruler," says someone else.

Not everyone agrees, however. "I'm not sure why people think Rhaenyra is descending into madness. You can be stressed out without going mad," points out one person.

"I don't think the story should have ended with Daenerys losing her mind at all… it means the only female rulers of Westeros were 'mad queens,' which is an unfortunate implication," says another fan.

Emma D'Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra in the show, has previously teased that a downfall might be on the cards, explaining that they and showrunner Ryan Condal were interested in exploring "a movement towards tyranny," adding, "but in particular making that journey legible."

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 has found a very clever way to reference its source material, George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood.

In the new opening credits, the tapestry chronicling the history of the Targaryens is added to each episode with the latest major events from the season. But, if you pay close attention, you'll notice that the artistic rendering of these events is slightly different from what actually happened.

For example, in the Battle of the Gullet, it was Alyn who killed Sharako Lohar, but, in the tapestry, Corlys Velaryon is shown dramatically facing off with Lohar. Similarly, Jacaerys Velaryon is shown being killed by arrows, though the actual circumstances of his death are subtly different in the show to the tapestry (he's falling backwards in the tapestry, while in the show, he was already in the water).

"I love working in the contested history of Fire & Blood into these little flourishes," says one fan on Twitter – and it's true that this seems to be a deliberate nod to Martin's book.

Fire and Blood is a pseudo-historical text that tells the history of House Targaryen, but the twist is it's presented as coming from three different sources who each disagree with each other on the details. That means the truth of what really happened is unknown. So, the tapestry telling a false version of history perfectly fits the book's themes.

The source material has been a hot topic for House of the Dragon season 3 after Martin's infamous blog post about a "toxic" butterfly effect caused by making changes to his book. One change to Fire and Blood might have accidentally erased Daenerys Targaryen from canon (though it's an easy fix), while the show might even have referenced Martin's blog post with a sly Easter egg.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

As House of the Dragon season 3 continues to air, Game of Thrones fans are debating all of the important topics, including who is the best swordfighter in all of Westeros' history.

The debate kicked off over on Twitter when one fan asked, "Who’s coming out alive" in a fight to the death between Jamie Lannister and Daemon Targaryen. Now, not that this would ever happen, as Daemon was born hundreds of years before Jaime, but a lot of fans seem to be backing the Golden Lion over the Rogue Prince.

"George R.R. Martin says Jamie is a top three fighter in the entire history of A Song of Ice and Fire," said one fan, while another added, "If your name isn't Barristan Selmy, Arthur Dayne, Aemon the Dragonknight, Daemon Blackfyre, Robert Baratheon or Aegon the Conqueror, Jamie is killing you within 5 moves."

However, many fans think Daemon has it in him to beat the Lannister, as he has shown just what he can do with a sword in House of the Dragon. Who could forget when he sliced Ser Vaemond Velaryon's head in half with one swipe in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 8, after Lord Corlys' brother badmouthed Rhaenyra. "This is disrespectful to Daemon," added one Twitter user.

Funnily enough, Daemon star Matt Smith has already answered a similar question in the past. But rather than asking if Daemon could beat Jaime in a fight, it was Jon Snow. "Mate, I've got a dragon," said Smith on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon back in 2024. "Jon Snow is a bad boy. Don't get me wrong. Kit Harington, lovely man, lovely guy. I have a lot of respect. But don't get it twisted. I would fuck those brothers up." Well, there you have it.

As for Jaime Lannister, the Knight didn't go out in a blaze of glory, but was crushed under the Red Keep after Daenerys Targaryen invaded King's Landing. Daemon is still fighting strong in his respective show, but as the Dance of the Dragons continues to play out, no one is really safe on Team Black or Team Green.

House of the Dragon season 3 episode 3 hits HBO on July 5 in the US and on HBO Max and Sky on July 6 in the UK. You can find exact timings in our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule. For more, read our House of the Dragon season 3 review, and keep up with upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

Another episode of House of the Dragon season 3 has landed on HBO, and, of course, an eagle-eyed fan has found yet another difference between the on-screen adaptation and George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones book series.

Warning, this article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3 episode 2, so turn back now if you haven't caught up yet.

At the end of episode 2, after the guards follow Alicent's orders and open the gates for Rhaenyra and Daemon, the pair approach the throne room, and Rhaenyra finally sits on the Iron Throne. However, in Fire and Blood, when the Queen first sits on the throne, she cuts herself on one of the swords, and onlookers see her leave the room with blood running down her legs and arms, which does not happen on screen.

Fans have noticed the change, as one said on Twitter, "I wish they had shown the Iron Throne cutting Rhaenyra. Maybe it’s coming in the next episode." The fan added that the reason it "has to happen" is that "she needs to be rejected by the throne bc she is a villain, not a hero." However, other fans pointed out that the show so far has not painted her as a villain, so it may not happen for that very reason.

The Iron Throne cutting Rhaenyra signifies that her rule won't last long, foreshadowing what is to come. However, even though we did not see the throne slice her in episode 2, the Targaryen Queen does suffer a few blunders.

When she entered the throne room, she was hiding behind Daemon, which the Kingsguard pointed out was funny to see. Then later, Rhaenyra says she is unable to kill Alicent's father, ex-Hand, and master manipulator Otto Hightower in place of Aegon as the usurper, and asks Daemon to do it. But when she does try to behead Otto, she fails at first. Whereas Daemon is able to deliver one killing blow to his victim. These actions may nod to Rhaenyra not being fit to rule. But we have to remember that she has just lost another son in battle, and that killing Otto will affect Alicent

This isn't the first change the show has made to its source material. Just this season, the HBO series made major changes to the Battle of the Gullet, and even the opening credits include the incorrect Targaryen sigil sporting a four-legged dragon, which Martin has made it clear that only two-legged dragons exist in his universe, no matter how many heads they have.

House of the Dragon season 3 continues to air weekly on HBO and HBO Max. You can find exact timings in our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule. For more, read our House of the Dragon season 3 review, and keep up with upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 is here, kicking off its junior season with an intense Battle of the Gullet, which differs massively from George R.R. Martin's works, but showrunner Ryan Condal says that was for good reason.

Fans who have read George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones book series will know that The Battle of the Gullet in Fire and Blood is a lot different from what we have just seen in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 1. The naval fight only spans across a few pages in Martin's works, but the show dedicated almost half its premiere episode to the battle. In doing so, the series makes a few changes, adding some characters into the mix, but also leaving out Rheneryra's and Daemon's youngest children, Prince Aegon III and Prince Viserys II.

"That was just one of the many challenges of making the show and telling a story that involves so many children," said Condal to IGN. "We had to compress history a little bit just to make Season 1 take place over 20 years instead of 30 years. So it just meant all of the children in the story are a little bit younger."

The boys are still infants, which makes adapting the book a little tricky. "Her youngest children are just not of an age where you can involve them with complex dramatic sequences, complex action," added Condal. "It's not safe, it's not practical. So it was just something that we had to dispense of rather early on in the process.”

In the book, Aegon and Viserys are caught in the midst of the battle whilst on their way to Pentos for safety. Aegon manages to escape on his young dragon Stormcloud and fly back to Dragonstone, where Jace then sets off to save his other brother, and well, we know how that ends. Viserys is captured by the Triarchy but turns up later on. However, in the series, we presume that the boys are still safe and sound. For more, read our guide on how the Battle of the Gullet in the show is different from the book

However, Condal promises that the duo is still very much involved in the series. "It's not to say that those characters are out of the show," added the showrunner. "We all realize what an important role they play as Rhaenyra's sons with Daemon and the heirs to their particular bloodline and where they sit in the history. So we haven't forgotten about any of that."

House of the Dragon season 3 continues to air weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max and Sky in the UK. See our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our spoiler-free House of the Dragon season 3 review, and guide to upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

As the fantasy series ushers in a darker chapter, House of the Dragon season 3 has a new opening credits sequence, but fans have spotted a mistake in the tapestry.

Towards the end of the opening credits (around the 1 min 31 seconds mark on YouTube), the tapestry includes a four-legged, three-headed black dragon against a red background. This is the Targaryen sigil, which is mentioned in Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin's books and in the main show. However, in Martin's works, the dragon on the sigil has two legs, not four, which Martin has brought up before.

"George R.R. Martin has already said a thousand times that the dragons in his universe have only two legs," said one fan on Twitter, and another added, "Absolute ragebait, this is incredible." You can see it below.

You may be wondering why it is so important that the dragon on the sigil has two legs when it has three heads. The three headed dragon on the sigil represents Aegon the Conqueror and his two sister-queens, Visenya and Rhaenys, who forged the Seven Kingdoms. As for the legs, fewer limbs provide balance and stability, which are key to taking flight.

Martin has shown his distaste for the four-legged beast before. When House of the Dragon season 2 aired, the author took to his blog and wrote, "In my books, the Targaryen sigil has two legs, as it should. Why would any Westerosi ever put four legs on a dragon, when they could look at the real thing and could their limbs?" The author added that Game of Thrones got the sigil right "for the first four seasons and most of the fifth."

"Someone got sloppy, I guess. Or someone opened a book on heraldry, and read just enough of it to muck it all up," added Martin.

However, the reason why House of the Dragon continues to use the incorrect sigil may be for consistency, as Game of Thrones had already adapted it. Nevertheless, Martin does not approve. "Those damned extra legs have even wormed their way onto the covers of my books, over my strenuous objections," said Martin. Alas, at least the living dragons in House of the Dragon do have the correct number of legs.

House of the Dragon season 3 continues to air weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max and Sky in the UK. See our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our spoiler-free House of the Dragon season 3 review, and guide to upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

The latest trailer for House of the Dragon season 3 is full of battles and bloodshed, but there's one blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment that sets up a major tragedy to come from George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood book.

A warning that the following will contain major spoilers for the House of the Dragon source material, including events that will likely be adapted for season 3 and beyond. Turn back now if you don't want to know what happens next!

Season 3 is set to open with the Battle of the Gullet, a naval clash that, tragically, sees the death of Jacaerys Velaryon, who is Rhaenyra's heir.

In the trailer, a voiceover from Daemon is heard saying "You will have an empire unassailable, Rhaenyra, and our children will rule it forever and a day." Right after this line, we see Jacaerys standing behind Rhaenyra.

"The camera focus shifts to Jacaerys, who was meant to be the next monarch, then cuts to him flying off to his death, for those very children to eventually take the throne," one fan on Twitter points out. In Fire and Blood, Rhaenyra's sons with Daemon, Aegon and Viserys, are sent to be fostered in Pentos, and the Triarchy (allied with the greens) take them captive on the way. Aegon is able to escape on his dragon and flies to Dragonstone to warn the blacks. This sparks the Battle of the Gullet.

In the battle, Jacaerys's dragon Vermax is wounded and sent sinking into the ocean, and, while Jace is able to escape drowning, he is swiftly killed by crossbow fire.

After Jacaerys dies, Rhaenyra's next son Joffrey Velaryon becomes heir – though, in Fire and Blood, Joffrey is also ultimately killed. That leaves Rhaenyra's firstborn son with Daemon, Aegon, as heir to the Iron Throne. Aegon does indeed eventually become king, and it is from him that the Targaryen line we know from Game of Thrones is descended. So, Daemon was tragically right that it is his and Rhaenyra's children who will rule their empire, though he was likely referring to Jacaerys and his betrothed Baela (Daemon's daughter).

With the Battle of the Gullet set to come early in the season, that means we'll be losing Jace early, too, which will surely affect the plan Rhaenyra and Alicent devised for the greens to surrender in the House of the Dragon season 2 ending. What happens next remains to be seen, but, judging by the trailer, it won't be easy going for team black or team green as the Dance of the Dragons gets more intense.

House of the Dragon returns this June 21 in the US and June 22 in the UK. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming TV shows to fill out your watchlist.

Warner Bros. has announced that the Game of Thrones movie is definitely happening, and we even know what it will be about.

The movie was first reported in March 2026, with the report indicating the film would possibly be about Aegon's Conquest. Thanks to the new update, we know the movie will definitely be about this seismic event in Westerosi history.

Per Variety, the movie's working title is Game of Thrones: Aegon's Conquest, and it was included on the Warner Bros. slate at CinemaCon in the "2027 and beyond" category.

This Aegon is Aegon I, the original Targaryen king who conquered Westeros and united it under his rule, along with his two sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys.

House of the Dragon has revealed that Aegon did this thanks to the prophecy of the prince that was promised, which meant he foresaw the threat of the White Walkers – and that a Targaryen ruler had to be on the throne to prevent the apocalypse.

Not much else is known about the film just yet, though it was previously reported that Aegon's Conquest was being developed both as a "mammoth Dune-sized feature film" and as a TV show. The Batman 2 co-writer Mattson Tomlin was working on the show, while Andor scribe Beau Willimon is working on the film. Judging by this latest update, the show is no more.

This announcement comes hot on the heels of George R.R. Martin's publisher denying a rumor that The Winds of Winter would release this year, as the wait for the sixth book is about to surpass the wait for all five books combined.

But, if you're missing Westeros, there's plenty coming very soon to tide you over. House of the Dragon season 3 lands this summer, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 will arrive in 2027.

Plus, the stage play Game of Thrones: The Mad King is set to open this July in the UK's Stratford-upon-Avon, telling the story of the pivotal tourney at Harrenhaal, when Rhaegar Targaryen crowned Lyanna Stark the queen of love and beauty.

There's no release date for the Game of Thrones movie just yet, but, while you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows.

Sorry, folks. The wait for The Winds of Winter goes on as George R.R. Martin's US publisher has addressed recent rumors.

"The online chatter you are seeing regarding a supposed leak is false," Bantam Books told Entertainment Weekly.

The leak in question, from a supposed 'production assistant', said that the full manuscript for the sixth book in the Song of Ice and Fire was completed and delivered by Martin in January – with a San Diego Comic-Con announcement and fall release window planned.

As we mentioned earlier this week, we're just months away from crossing into remarkable territory: the wait for The Winds of Winter, as of July 2026, will surpass the total time (14 years, 11 months) it took for Martin to publish the first five novels in the series. But who's counting?

As of January, Martin had provided an update-of-sorts on The Winds of Winter, which is fast becoming pop culture shorthand for a project that will never be completed.

"It would feel like a total failure to me. I want to finish," Martin told The Hollywood Reporter.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of the chokehold the project has over Martin arrived a year ago in a candid admission during an interview with Time.

There, he said: "That's the curse of my life here. There's no doubt Winds of Winter is 13 years late. I'm still working on it. I have periods where I make progress and then other things divert my attention."

Those other things include A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is returning for a second season and House of the Dragon – despite a public falling out with showrunner Ryan Condal.

For more, read our guides on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 and new TV shows.

An adorable blooper reel for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been shared across the official Game of Thrones social media accounts, and the two minute clip is full of laughs – and is proof that no other cast could have brought the tale of hedge knight Dunk and his squire Egg to life.

The clip features Peter Claffey (Dunk) cracking up in laughter, Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg) jumbling his lines, and plenty of moments of the cast just messing around. Check it out below.

If you can't get enough of Dunk and Egg, the good news is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 is currently filming. The story will adapt the second of Martin's novellas, titled The Sworn Sword.

"We're now getting into The Sworn Sword, which is my favorite novella in many ways, with Rohanne Webber or the Red Widow, Ser Bennis, and Ser Eustace, who are these classic characters," showrunner Ira Parker said recently. "I can't say much but we have three absolutely brilliant actors coming in to do these roles. I'm excited. We are cutting some scenes together now, and the directors are seeing some of it, so it feels nice to see [season 2] slowly come together. The show coming out at the same time as we work on it has been a blessing in many ways. It allows you to do what Dunk does by putting one foot in front of the other to focus on the work instead of just focusing on the response."

Next up for Westeros, though, is House of the Dragon season 3. The first trailer recently dropped, and it teases the highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet, and it seems seriously dramatic. Get ready for more fire and blood.

House of the Dragon season 3 arrives this June. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fans are wondering whether one particular line in last week's season finale is a dig – or good-natured joke – at Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin

The line in question comes via a flashback, when Ser Arlan says to Dunk, "A true knight always finishes a story." This is in response to Dunk asking his mentor why he never knighted him, but Arlan dies soon after, so Dunk never finds out why.

"Do you think it’s a shot towards GRRM?" asked one fan on Reddit, referring to the 15-year (and counting) wait for the next A Song of Ice and Fire novel, The Winds of Winter.

"Honestly, I think this was written as a joke between Ira and GRRM. I think George is in on it," said another. Martin is a co-creator and executive producer on the show, so he has some involvement.

"It was very likely GRRM’s idea, as a joke. That’s his type of humor. Or if not his idea, he certainly found it funny and approved," wrote someone else. "Similar to his own self-deprecating reference of 'which plan? That fat man's plan that changes every time the moon turns?'"

Others had given the scene some deeper thought, however. "Okay, so a serious response, it's Dunk speaking to the ghost of Ser Arlan," suggested another user. "And Arlan is telling him that he needs to finish the story he started with Egg. Dunk asked him before this why he never knighted him, and Arlan is essentially responding that if you are truly a knight, then you will see this story through to the end."

Although my interpretation of the scene is that Dunk was never knighted, the ideas was to keep things ambiguous. "There is no confirmation, one way or the other, coming out of that scene. That's exactly how Mr. R.R. Martin requested it. It remains [ambiguous], and people can decide for themselves," showrunner Ira Parker recently teased.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows down-on-his-luck hedge knight Dunk as he attempts to make a name for himself at a tourney after the death of his mentor, Ser Arlan. On the way, he meets a mysterious young boy named Egg, who's determined to be Dunk's squire – whether Dunk likes it or not.

All episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are available to stream now on HBO Max in the US and NOW in the UK. For more on the show, check out our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review or our guide to the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 ending explained.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 has concluded, and it's safe to say there's one big question on every viewers' lips: so, is Dunk actually a knight? Well, according to showrunner Ira Parker, the answer to that was deliberately left "ambiguous" in the spin-off by request of Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.

In episode 6, titled 'The Morrow', we see Duncan (Peter Claffey) ask his mentor Ser Arlan (Danny Webb) why he never knighted him in a flashback – only to never receive an answer, since Arlan seemingly dies shortly after. Though the show leaves the exact timeline of that fairly open-ended, too, which makes way for fans' imaginations to fill in their own blanks with certain theories, says Parker.

"We think it's over. But then, he's back and, as far as we know, the continuation of that scene is, 'Boy, go get me my sword,' and then he knights him," he teased in a new interview with Collider. "There is no confirmation, one way or the other, coming out of that scene. That's exactly how Mr. R.R. Martin requested it. It remains [ambiguous], and people can decide for themselves.

"Look, Danny Webb is a fucking magician. I love him so much. He's just become Arlan. It could have been no one else in this whole world. He was just pitch perfect, all the way up until his death. This whole journey is going to be about what makes a true knight, whether or not you're given the title, or if you have to earn the title even after you're given it. Can you earn it, even if you've never been given it?"

Also starring Daniel Ings, Finn Bennett, Tanzyn Crawford, and Dexter Sol Ansell as Dunc's young squire Aegon 'Egg' Targaryen, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was renewed for a second season before season 1's premiere in November 2025.

The next chapter, which will be based on Martin's 2003 novel The Sworn Sword, is expected in 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to the most exciting new TV shows heading our way.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner has revealed that he thinks Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin would have preferred for Dunk and Egg's story to be told in a movie instead of a TV show.

"I would say it was probably George [R.R. Martin's] preference to do a two-hour movie," Ira Parker said during a roundtable interview (via CBR). "But since HBO came to me with this, they were very amenable to any length or format that we wanted to use."

The show ended up being six episodes long, with each installment clocking in between 30 and 40 minutes. Personally, I think the nature of the story lends itself well to an episodic format – and, at this point, Game of Thrones just feels synonymous with the small screen.

The latest episode, which is the season's penultimate outing, stuck to Game of Thrones tradition by making it the biggest and bloodiest installment yet. Episode 5, titled 'In the Name of the Mother,' saw hedge knight Dunk go head-to-head with Prince Aerion Targaryen in a brutal Trial by Seven, which ended in tragedy for one beloved character.

'In the Name of the Mother' is now one of the highest-rated Game of Thrones episodes ever on IMDb, with only big hitters from the original show like The Rains of Castermere and Battle of the Bastards beating it to the top spot.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs weekly on HBO and HBO Max in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK. Stay up to date with our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule, or get up to speed on our verdict with our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review.

Dexter Sol Ansell, who plays young squire Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, seems to have let slip a major spoiler about events in A Song of Ice and Fire.

While there are only three Dunk and Egg novellas, pieces of their story can be found across George R.R. Martin's other work, which means we know a bit about their ultimate fates. Now, the following will explore book spoilers, so turn back now if you don't want to find out what's coming up for Dunk and Egg!

In the Song of Ice and Fire lore, Egg eventually becomes king, and he dies in a fire at the castle Summerhall. While it's not totally clear what the circumstances surrounding the fire are, it seems likely that Egg was trying to bring dragons back from extinction. The fire was a great tragedy that killed Egg, Egg's son Duncan (named for Dunk), and Dunk himself. Except… it seems that might not be quite true.

"I do know a bit about when Egg's trying to make dragons in the Summerhall, and then there's a huge fire," Ansell said in an interview with Decider, which is currently circulating on social media. "But we know from George, we know Dunk survives, but we don't know if Egg survives yet."

His co-star Peter Claffey quickly added: "We don't know exactly what's happened, but let's just get this season 1 out of the way and we'll see." Watch the moment below.

Not only has Ansell seemingly confirmed that the fire is caused by Egg trying to bring back dragons, but he's also revealed that Dunk survives – something which has never been confirmed before, though readers have speculated over the years that the former hedge knight might have made it out alive.

Summerhall is referenced in the show when a soothsayer gives Egg a mysterious prophecy, and it might also be part of Daeron's dream.

The show has a long way to go before it might catch up to these events, though, so we might never find out for sure what really happened at Summerhall.

You can keep up to date with our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule, or see our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review for our spoiler-free verdict on season 1.

The latest Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is based on George R.R. Martin's novellas that chronicle the adventures of the hedge knight Dunk and his squire Egg.

But, there are only three novellas, and the second season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is already in production – meaning the show will soon run out of source material.

"After the way Game of Thrones ended, some people are understandably worried when they hear that only 3 D&E books have been published," one fan asked showrunner Ira Parker during a Reddit AMA.

"Is there anything you can say to assuage those fears, along with maybe some rough plans for what you guys are going to do after season 3?"

"Look, in some ways, we know a lot more about what happens after these three novellas because of all the supporting material (you like how i referred to asoiaf [A Song of Ice and Fire] as supporting material for d&e ;) ), and so there's less inherent danger... not no danger, just less…" Parker wrote in reply. "Anything beyond book 3 (if we could ever be so wonderfully lucky) would highly involve George."

Parker has already previously revealed that Martin has shared "about 10 to 12 more little outlines for books, for novellas, taking Dunk and Egg all the way through their life," so we can rest assured that the duo are in safe hands.

In the same AMA, Parker also admitted to making two mistakes in the show, including accidentally cutting a major line from the novella.

You can keep up to date with our guide to the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule, or read our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review for our spoiler-free verdict on the whole show.

George R.R Martin wasn't really involved in House of the Dragon season 3, HBO boss Casey Bloys has confirmed.

Instead, the Game of Thrones creator "took a step back" from the tension-filled prequel to focus on developing the small-screen take on his "favorite" A Song of Ice and Fire stories: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

"He definitely took a step back, and I would say he's definitely been focusing on Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," Bloys recently explained to Deadline. "And I will tell you one of the reasons why [head of drama] Frannie [Orsi] and I really thought about the Knight of Seven Kingdoms as an interesting adaptation is, we had always heard and know that it was George's favorite, that was meaningful to us."

While Bloys doesn't elaborate on the reasons Martin has distanced himself from House of the Dragon, beyond favoring A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' story, it's worth noting that the author described his relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner as "abysmal" just last month. "I would give notes, and nothing would happen. It got to a point where I was told by HBO that I should submit all my notes to them and they would give Ryan our combined notes," he said.

Based on Martin's A Tale of Dunk and Egg novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows Ser Duncan (Peter Claffey), a hedge knight who takes on a young squire with a mysterious heritage – which was revealed in episode 3, much to the befuddlement of 1-year-old actor Dexter Sol Ansell – and sets out on adventures across a Targaryen-ruled Westeros. Its run concludes on February 22.

The show, which currently holds an impressive 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, airs on Sundays on HBO in the US and Mondays on NOW/Sky Atlantic in the UK. Never miss an episode with our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule.

House of the Dragon season 3 is expected to release in summer 2026. For more, check out our picks of the most exciting new TV shows heading our way.

In the third episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a mysterious prophecy is given to Dunk and Egg – and it has some fascinating roots in George R.R. Martin's sprawling Westeros lore.

Below, we've broken down what this prophecy is in the show, as well as what it means based on information from the books. Naturally, that means there are A Song of Ice and Fire spoilers ahead, and these spoilers will give away the fates of multiple A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms characters. So, if you don't want to know any more about the show, turn back before the second section of our explainer.

For even more on the show, check out our 4-star A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review for our spoiler-free verdict on the whole show.

What is the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 3 prophecy?

A mysterious woman offering fortunes at the tourney tells Dunk, "you shall know great success and be richer than a Lannister," which he dismisses – after all, it sounds pretty meaningless. However, when the woman looks at Egg, her voice becomes much more serious, and what she says next seems to carry great weight.

"You shall be king, and die in hot fire, and worms shall feed upon your ashes. And all who know you shall rejoice in your dying," she tells the boy, to his horror.

What does the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 3 prophecy mean? *Spoilers*

If you're still reading, then you don't mind encountering spoilers from George R.R. Martin's wider lore, which could end up spoiling very distant plot points for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

As we learn in the final moments of episode 3, Egg is actually Prince Aegon, son of Maekar, and brother of Aerion (read our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Targaryen guide for the full family tree). However, Egg isn't directly in line for the throne just yet, as Baelor and his two sons stand in the way.

In Martin's Hedge Knight novella, Baelor is tragically killed defending Dunk in a trial against Aerion. That makes Baelor's son, whom we've seen briefly in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, next in line. But, both of Baelor's sons later die in the Spring Sickness, along with the king, Daeron II.

The king's brother Aerys I takes over, and from him, his son Maekar (the same one in the show) eventually inherits the throne. When Maekar dies, a succession crisis arises: his sons Daeron and Aerion have both already died, and his other son, Aemon, is at the Wall (we see him in Game of Thrones season 1). Ultimately, a Great Council – like the one shown in the House of the Dragon prologue – is called, and Egg is declared king, making him Aegon V.

However, Egg isn't that popular with the lords of Westeros, as he favors the smallfolk and brings in reforms that the nobility aren't fans of. He also doesn't have any dragons, since they went extinct in Westeros before his reign. Sadly, an obsession with resurrecting dragons is what ultimately kills him.

While the full details of the Tragedy of Summerhall still haven't been revealed, we do know that Egg, Dunk, and Egg's son Duncan (named after Dunk) perish in a terrible fire, most likely caused by an attempt to bring back dragons.

This fire occurs on the day of Prince Rhaegar's birth – he's the older brother of Daenerys, and Daenerys, as we know, will ultimately be the Targaryen who brings dragons back to life – and Rhaegar, born at Summerhall, is one of the survivors of the blaze.

So, the prophecy will indeed be fulfilled. Egg will be king and die in hot fire, and the lords who disliked him will probably rejoice – though, Summerhall is regarded as a major tragedy in Westerosi history, so not everyone will be happy. Either way, it's a sad fate for this young squire.

You can keep up to date with the show with our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule, or see our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows for everything else that's in store.

Former Skyrim lead turned novelist Bruce Nesmith has some rather contrarian advice for Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, who has repeatedly admitted to struggling with finishing his A Song of Ice and Fire series: Just throw in the towel, man.

Having previously served as lead designer on Skyrim, Nesmith left Bethesda Game Studios and the video game industry as a whole in 2021, after which he turned to writing novels. He's since published three books in the Loki Redeemed series as well as a three-book LitRPG series, Glory Seeker. With this considerable experience in fantasy novel writing, Nesmith commented on Martin's dilemma in a recent interview with Press Box PR.

"George gave his story to somebody else and they ran with it and they did an amazing job with it," said Nesmith, referring to HBO's eight-season TV adaptation, Game of Thrones. "I think he'd be wise to say they finished my work and now I want to do something new. Getting the work finished, for me at least, would have precedence over the fact that I had to personally do it.

Fans of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire have been anxiously waiting for the next book in the series, The Winds of Winter, for some 15 years. Martin, 77, has been increasingly candid in recent years about his struggles finishing the next book and series, which is supposed to wrap up with a final entry, A Dream of Spring. HBO's adaptation, while extremely well-received in its first few seasons, famously fumbled the ending at right about the point it diverged from Martin's novels because there was no more source work to draw from. To say HBO did "an amazing job" with its adaptation overall is certainly a take.

If anything, the historic failure of HBO's Game of Thrones is even more of a reason for Martin to correct the record and give the world his original vision for the finale of what has been, so far, a masterclass in high fantasy writing. In my opinion, it would be the best and only way to respond to critics of the show and say, basically, 'Don't look at me. This is my story.' But that's just me.

As for Nesmith, he's just happy to be able to say he's completed his series, even if he'd happily accept an offer from HBO. "I don’t want to go down George’s path unless somebody wants to offer me an HBO deal for my stories, in which I’d be glad to let [Game of Thrones showrunner] David Benioff finish it for me."

Game of Thrones fans are praising A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for "finally" getting one key detail from George R.R. Martin's books right

Game of Thrones fans are celebrating one key detail from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, because it "finally" gets something right from the books that the other shows haven't.

In the latest episode of the new show, we're briefly introduced to two members of the Kingsguard, the elite team of knights who protect the royal family with their lives. Their armor in the show is bright white, which matches the way George R.R. Martin describes it in the books. In Game of Thrones, the Kingsguard armor is gold with elements of white, while in House of the Dragon, it's mainly silver and white.

In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, however, the armor is pure white, with only a very minimal gold detail at the belt.

"OMFG FINALLY THEY HAVE BOOK ACCURATE KINGS GUARD ARMOR LETS GOOOOO," says one fan.

"Finally AKOTSK is doing the Kingsguard's armor justice," says someone else, while another fan says: "ALL WHITE KINGSGUARD ARMOR. I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS."

"This is def the best armor of the Kingsguard that we saw," says another person. But, not everyone is convinced.

"Maybe unpopular opinion here, but seeing them in live action is the best argument why GOT and HOTD didn't make book accurate armor lol," says one viewer.

Game of Thrones fans have also realised that a Kingsguard-related detail in the main show leads to Joffrey spoiling future events involving Knight of the Seven Kingdoms characters, just like he also gave away the outcome of the Dance of the Dragons.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms continues weekly, and you can use our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule to keep up to date. For even more, see our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review for our spoiler-free verdict on the whole show.

Ask almost any Game of Thrones fan, and they'll tell you that things didn't end particularly well for their favorite character. Those who loved Sansa were pleased to see her crowned Queen of the North, sure, and Davos lovers might have been satisfied with him heading off on a sea-faring adventure. The less said about Jon and Daenerys' divisive send-offs, though, the better.

Creator George R.R. Martin, however, says he was planning to conclude things in even bleaker ways in the long-awaited last books in his A Song of Ice and Fire series.

"I was going to kill more people," the author revealed in a candid new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "Not the ones they killed [in the show]. They made it more of a happy ending. I don't see a happy ending for Tyrion. His whole arc has been tragic from the first. I was going to have Sansa die, but she's been so appealing in the show, maybe I'll let her live …"

While Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) was the only character killed in the finale, Cersei (Lena Headey) and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) met their maker in the penultimate chapter, having been crushed by debris as Daenerys and Drogon attacked King's Landing and the Red Keep collapsed.

The siblings' (and lovers) brother Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) lived, and was reinstated as the Hand of the King, but many viewers saw this as bittersweet because his personal success ultimately came at the cost of his family and its legacy, as well as his other personal relationships.

It's been 15 since Ice and Fire readers were treated to a new book, with A Dance with Dragons having been published in 2011. Despite the delay in the next installment, titled The Winds of Winter, though, Martin insisted that he still intends to wrap things up. In fact, he'd feel like "a total failure" if he were to leave things open-ended...

"I would hate that. I want to finish," he stated. "If I wound up doing everything in my head, this could be the longest book in the series."

Game of Thrones is streaming now on HBO. For more, check out our guide to the most exciting new TV shows heading our way or our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review.

George R.R. Martin is still working on The Winds of Winter, which serves as the final book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

"I would hate that," Martin told The Hollywood Reporter. "It would feel like a total failure to me. I want to finish. If I wound up doing everything in my head, this could be the longest book in the series."

The bestselling fantasy author has been working on the sixth and final Game of Thrones book since 2010. In 2022, Martin said the novel was "three-quarters" of the way finished, with a page count of 1,100-1,200 (H/T IGN). The lengthiest Game of Thrones book is A Dance with Dragons, which boasts a word count of 1,056 pages.

Though fans have posited that he should let another writer take over, Martin is less than keen: "If that happens, my work won’t be finished. It’ll be like The Mystery of Edwin Drood." Edwin Drood is the last novel Charles Dickens was working on before his death in 1870. Rather than tap another writer to finish the book, it was published as six installments – though Dickens had always intended for the novel to be put out in 12 installments.

While we wait for Martin to finish The Winds of Winter, we have a brand new Game of Thrones spin-off to watch in the meantime. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, an adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas, is set to HBO Max on January 18 (or January 19 for UK viewers).

For more, read our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review or check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

After George R.R. Martin made waves when he took to his blog to share criticism of the direction of House of the Dragon season 2, the Song of Ice and Fire creator has shared even more candid thoughts about what's going on behind the scenes of the Game of Thrones spin-off – and it seems the disagreement led to HBO asking Martin to step away from the show entirely, though he came back onboard months later.

The post, shared then quickly deleted in September 2024, railed against changes made to his source material that, Martin thought, would have negative knock-on effects as the show went on. "And 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.

The Hollywood Reporter's latest cover story is a mammoth interview with Martin, and in it, Martin spoke frankly about the situation.

When asked how the relationship between Martin and House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal "got so rocky," Martin said: "It's worse than rocky," adding, "It's abysmal."

Martin explained that, after their relationship "was working really well" in season 1 (with Martin reportedly backing Condal at his request during a disagreement with original co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik, who left the show before season 2), things eventually changed.

"Then we got into season 2, and he basically stopped listening to me," Martin said. "I would give notes, and nothing would happen. Sometimes he would explain why he wasn't doing it. Other times, he would tell me, 'Oh, OK, yeah, I'll think about that.' It got worse and worse, and I began to get more and more annoyed. Finally, it got to a point where I was told by HBO that I should submit all my notes to them and they would give Ryan our combined notes."

According to THR's sources, after a Zoom call involving Condal explaining his vision for season 3 saw Martin allegedly share objections and state "this is not my story any longer," HBO reportedly asked Martin to step away from House of the Dragon entirely – though he was brought back into the fold months later.

"George and Ryan had a disagreement on the direction of season three," an HBO insider told THR. "At that point, it was clear that the process and communication with them was broken and needed a reset. So there was naturally a period where everyone took a step back for a while until we could figure out a new way forward."

As for that infamous blog post, THR says Martin himself didn't remove it: instead, it was his assistant, acting after an HBO executive reached out to his manager. "I would've put it back up, but then I would've looked like an idiot,” Martin said, adding: "And 80 percent of it was praise, but that's not what people focused on."

Happily, though, Martin seems to be far more impressed by the next Westerosi spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. "George has been such a wonderful partner in this," showrunner Ira Parker said during a recent roundtable interview attended by GamesRadar+. "I spent a week in Santa Fe with him and some of his favorite writers, and we were just breaking ideas and breaking stories for what season 1 of the show could look like. And there were a lot of surprises that came out of there, just some really wonderful ideas, things that George gravitated towards that we were doing, that we were introducing."

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms arrives this January 18 on HBO in the US and January 19 on Sky/NOW in the UK. House of the Dragon season 3 is also coming this year, expected in the summer.

For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows, or read our 4-star A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review.

George R.R. Martin isn't always such a big fan of his books' adaptations. He had a few choice words for changes made in House of the Dragon season 2, for example, but he's been nothing but supportive of new spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, according to showrunner Ira Parker.

"George has been such a wonderful partner in this," he says during a roundtable interview attended by GamesRadar+. "I spent a week in Santa Fe with him and some of his favorite writers, and we were just breaking ideas and breaking stories for what season 1 of the show could look like. And there were a lot of surprises that came out of there, just some really wonderful ideas, things that George gravitated towards that we were doing, that we were introducing."

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on Martin's novella The Hedge Knight, which follows Dunk (Peter Claffey), a new hedge knight trying to make a name for himself after the death of his master. He enters a tourney, and finds himself with an eager wannabe squire in the form of Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

"I think he really loved the idea of the Baratheon tent and meeting Lyonel Baratheon in that capacity, which was wonderful," Parker continues, referring to the introduction of the audacious Lord of Storm's End.

"I think something really cool with the design of our puppetry came out of those meetings, you know, this big, sort of, almost like War Horse-style puppetry, rather than the smaller hand puppets in the novella," he adds. "It's such a rich creative experience, any time that you get to have him [and] can pull him away from all his other writings, so we got along very well, and he's only been a benefit to the show."

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on January 18. Stay up to date with our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule, or look ahead with our guide to the other upcoming Game of Thrones shows and movies in the works.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner Ira Parker has revealed that George R.R. Martin shared the ideas for up to a dozen currently unpublished novellas that could extend the story of Dunk and Egg for many years to come.

"He has shared with me about 10 to 12 more little outlines for books, for novellas, taking Dunk and Egg all the way through their life," Parker told The National.

"Right now, we’re focused on one, and we’ll see how the world responds to that. We’re making two at the moment," he continued "Hopefully, everybody likes it and we get to keep doing these. Certainly, I love doing it. I love writing in this world, and it’s a wonderful story. So, I hope we get to make as many of these as possible."

As of 2010, Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg series comprises three novellas: The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight. The 85-page Hedge Knight has been adapted into season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Whether those "10 to 12" future installments ever get written is another thing (we're still waiting for The Winds of Winter, after all...), but it looks like we may get to see the duo's adventures continue on screen, at any rate.

The show is set 90 years before Game of Thrones and follows down-on-his-luck hedge knight Dunk (Peter Claffey), AKA Ser Duncan the Tall, and his young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as he attempts to make a name for himself against a host of more prolific knights in a tourney.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO and Sky on January 18. For more on Westeros-set spin-offs, check out our guide to all the other upcoming Game of Thrones shows and movies on the way.

There are tons of upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows in the works, so keeping up with what's to come from Westeros can be a tad daunting.

Now that House of the Dragon season 3 has wrapped up on HBO, there's no better time to get up to date as we await the next offering from the Seven Kingdoms. Below, you'll find all you need to know about the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows, including those that have been scrapped or are seemingly in development hell.

So, while the wait for The Winds of Winter goes on, head on down to our guide and get up to speed on all things Westeros.

Upcoming Game of Thrones movies and shows TBC

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2

Status: Post-production
Release date: 2027

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 is well on its way to our screens. Egg star Dexter Sol Ansell has confirmed on his Instagram that he has wrapped filming, and we know the project is set for a 2027 release.

Filming kicked off in December 2025, before season 1 had even aired, and we can expect the action to take us away from Ashford Meadow and onto Dorne as hedge knight Dunk and his new squire Egg continue their adventures.

Each season of the Game of Thrones prequel is set to be based on one of George R.R. Martin's novellas, so season 2 will adapt The Sworn Sword. With each novella being a standalone story, we can expect a new cast of supporting characters to be introduced next season – but showrunner Ira Parker says never say never to the return of some familiar faces.

Aegon's Conquest

Status: In development
Release date: TBC

There have been talks of both a 'Game of Thrones movie' penned by Andor scribe Beau Willimon, and an 'Aegon's Conquest movie' written by The Batman 2's Mattson Tomlin being in the works. However, it seems as though Warner Bros. has rolled these projects into one, as the 'Game of Thrones movie', which Warner Bros. was said to be "quietly developing" back in 2024 (The Hollywood Reporter ), actually is Aegon's Conquest.

During the studios' presentation at CinemaCon 2026, Warner Bros. confirmed that Game of Thrones: Aegon's Conquest, which is the movie's working title, is officially happening. The film was included in the "2027 and beyond" category. That means we could see the new film in a matter of a few years. Willimon is still on board to write.

While plot details haven't been clarified just yet, we can take some cues from Martin's source material. Aegon's Conquest is pretty much the first event to happen on the Game of Thrones timeline, kickstarting the entire saga. After foreseeing the Doom of Valyria, Aegon took his dragons and sister-wives and flew to conquer Westeros. This established the Targaryen dynasty, which ultimately came to an end with Robert's Rebellion (before the Game of Thrones show). So, this series would be a prequel to pretty much everything.

Snow

Status: In development
Release date: TBC

The scrapped Jon Snow Game of Thrones spin-off that would have been a sequel show starring Kit Harington might be back in development – and Arya Stark might make a comeback, too.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the first incarnation of the spin-off would have seen Jon Snow living north of the Wall with PTSD, without his direwolf Ghost or his sword Longclaw. Jon Snow would've been a broken man who built cabins then burned them down. Harington also apparently wanted his iconic character to die.

According to the publication, HBO unsurprisingly found this too downbeat, so it was put aside. But, reportedly, Drops of God's Quoc Dang Tran has recently joined the project for a fresh take. Nothing is set for definite, but there is a chance of the story taking place in Essos, and Arya might return. Whether this ends up happening, and whether Kit Harington or Maisie Williams return, remains to be seen.

The Sea Snake/Nine Voyages

Status: In development
Release date: TBC

This particular spin-off would follow the adventures of the Sea Snake, AKA Corlys Velaryon. He was introduced to live-action in House of the Dragon season 1, played by Steve Toussaint. However, the show has been switched from live-action to animation, as revealed by Martin himself on his Not a Blog page in 2023. "Budgetary constraints would likely have made a live action version prohibitively expensive, what with half the show taking place at sea, and the necessity of creating a different port every week, from Driftmark to Lys to the Basilisk Isles to Volantis to Qarth to… well, on and on and on. There's a whole world out there. And we have a lot better chance of showing it all with animation. So we now have three animated projects underway."

As for the other two animated projects, it's not entirely clear what they are, or whether they're still going ahead (though we assume one is the Yi Ti animated show titled The Golden Empire). And, like many projects on this list, updates on this project have been scarce.

The latest update we had came from Corlys himself who is still hopeful it will be made.

Ten Thousand Ships

Status: In development
Release date: TBC

Ten Thousand Ships will follow Nymeria, the historical figure Arya named her Direwolf after way back at the start of Game of Thrones. After Nymeria's home of Rhoyne was conquered, Nymeria crossed the ocean to settle in Dorne, marrying Lord Mors Martell (of the same House Martell as the show) and ruling as Princess. Brian Helgeland was originally on board to write the series, but HBO didn't pick up his version. "It came out great, but I think they felt the period of my show was too far removed from the pillars of the original. That’s why it hasn’t been picked up yet, but nothing is ever dead," he told Inverse.

But, Martin revealed in 2024 that a new pilot was in the works, written by Eboni Booth. "She’s an amazingly talented young playwright, and a joy to work with; when not writing and producing her prize-winning plays on- and off-Broadway, she has been kept busy by me and HBO, working on a new pilot for TEN THOUSAND SHIPS, a GAME OF THRONES spinoff about Nymeria and the Rhoynar. We're all very excited about this one… though we're still trying to figure out how we're going to pay for ten thousand ships, three hundred dragons, and those giant turtles," he wrote.

The Golden Empire

Status: In development
Release date: TBC

The Golden Empire is another show we know hardly anything about, but Martin has spoken about it on his Not a Blog page. "Over on the animated side… well, I am not allowed to talk about most of what’s happening, except to say that things are moving very fast, and I love love love some of the concept art I am seeing," he wrote in 2022. "And.. wait, come to think of it, the news leaked several months ago that one of the animated shows would be set in Yi Ti. That's true.

Our working title is THE GOLDEN EMPIRE, and we have a great young writer on that one too, and I think the art and animation is just going to be beautiful. I would tell you more if I could. I don't think I can say a word about the other animated shows. Not yet." Yi Ti is an area we've never seen in the shows before, which lies to the east of Quarth.

Canceled Game of Thrones spin-offs

There have been plenty of Game of Thrones spin-offs that were announced and then cruelly taken from us. So to keep track of all the movies and shows that are no longer with us, we've listed all the now-canceled Game of Thrones spin-offs down below:

• Flea Bottom
• Empire of Ash/a Doom of Valyria spinoff
• Bloodmoon

That's a wrap on upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows. For more on epic fantasy, check out our guide to The Rings of Power season 3. Or check out our list of the best HBO Max shows to watch right now.