Editor's Note: The following contains minor spoilers for George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood.
The Big Picture
- The Blacks and Greens engage in a full-fledged war in House of the Dragon Season 2, escalating the conflict.
- New dragons, dragon warfare, and dragonseeds add thrilling elements to the Targaryen civil war.
- Season 2 teases bloody battles and expands the scope of the show, taking Daemon to the Riverlands and Jace to Winterfell.
What’s better than one trailer teasing a new season? Two! This morning, HBO released two new trailers for House of the Dragon Season 2. The new season, set to debut June 16, promises events that book readers of George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood have been anticipating for years, teasing major events in these two trailers. One is set on the side of Team Black, aka the team that supports Rhaenyra Targaryen’s (Emma D’Arcy) right to rule, and another trailer is set on the side of Team Green, aka the team that supports Aegon II Targaryen’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) right to rule. The bloody civil war is known in the book as the Dance of the Dragons. Let’s take a deep dive into these two trailers and see what we can figure out about Season 2. This breakdown contains some very minor spoilers for Fire & Blood.
House of the Dragon
TV-MAFantasyDramaActionAdventureThe reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
- Release Date
- August 21, 2022
- Creator
- Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin
- Cast
- Paddy Considine , Olivia Cooke , Rhys Ifans , Matt Smith , Eve Best , Steve Toussaint , Emma D'Arcy , Milly Alcock , Emily Carey
- Seasons
- 2
- Distributor
- HBO
The Blacks and Greens Officially Go To War
With the death of Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), Rhaenyra is done with diplomacy. As we saw in the finale of House of the Dragon Season 1, Luke’s death was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Clearly, both the show’s marketing team and the series itself are ready to pit one team against the other. As viewers, we know that Viserys (Paddy Considine) died affirming that he wanted his daughter to succeed him, though Alicent (Olivia Cooke) misinterpreted his dying words — and the rest is history.
Rhaenyra and Her Family Mourn Lucerys
We know the season picks up right where we left off as we see Rhaenyra and her children gathered around a pyre for Lucerys. It’s Targaryen tradition to burn their dead, but without a body to burn, it looks like the affair is even more somber.
Blood and Cheese Will Change the War
For those who know, Blood and Cheese is one of the pivotal moments of the early days of the civil war. Without getting into too much detail, a tragedy befalls Aegon II and his sister-wife Helaena (Phia Saban). It’s a devastating blow to the Greens and could likely turn some viewers to their side given the gruesome nature of the crime.
New Dragons and Taking Dragons Into Battle
With the new season comes new dragons. In the two trailers, we see not only shots of Aemond’s (Ewan Mitchell) dragon Vhagar, but also Daemon’s (Matt Smith) dragon Caraxes, Rhaenyra’s dragon Syrax, Baela’s (Bethany Antonia) dragon Moondancer, Aegon II’s dragon Sunfyre, and more. One of the largest visual appeals of House of the Dragon and this Targaryen civil war is the fact that this is the first time in ages that dragon has fought dragon. We got a bit of dragon warfare in Season 1 with Daemon at the Stepstones, but Season 2 promises to rain down fire and blood. Not only do we see Daemon suiting up in armor, but also Aegon II with his conquerer’s crown molded to his helmet. War is already brutal, but suffering under the heat of dragonfire makes it all the more devastating.
Rhaenyra Recruits Dragonseeds
We see a shot of Rhaenyra at a dinner table with her son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Baela at her side, but also some new figures. These are likely the dragonseeds, given the look of them. The dragonseeds are a group of people with Valyrian blood who come to Dragonstone to claim many of the unclaimed dragons on the island in order to fight for Rhaenyra.
Daemon Goes to War in the Riverlands
Judging by the trailer, it seems like the Blacks are scattered this season, which falls in line with Fire & Blood. While Season 1 saw the entire cast largely contained to the King’s Landing or Dragonstone, Season 2 will take everyone further. Daemon goes to the Riverlands and, specifically, some shots in the trailer seem to show him at Harrenhal. Obviously, Daemon is experienced in war and his dragon Caraxes has seen battle, so it makes sense that he would be out there on the battlefield.
1:46Every Targaryen in 'Game of Thrones' and 'House of the Dragon,' Ranked
"Every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin, and the world holds its breath."'House of the Dragon' Is Teasing Daemon vs. Aemond
I have five words for you: Battle above the God’s Eye! Though Season 2 is far too early for this specific battle (do not search this if you don’t want MAJOR spoilers for the show) the show is clearly teasing a rivalry between Daemon and Aemond. We hear Aemond talk about challenging his uncle and it is clear that with Vhagar, Aemond will be in battle the most. Time will tell if we see these two clash on the battlefield this season.
Jace Heads North to Winterfell
We already know that Jace is going north, but this is the first time we’re seeing a shot of Jace with Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), the lord of Winterfell. While several of the lords of the Seven Kingdoms have forgotten their oaths to Rhaenyra (or their fathers made the oath and they are no longer willing to honor them), any Game of Thrones fan knows that a Stark’s word means more, and they hold to their oaths. It will be exciting to return to Winterfell for viewers who last saw the castle almost five years ago.
A Fight Between Twin Brothers
A final small detail that emphasizes the bloody and personal nature of the war is the fact that the Dance of the Dragons pits more than just the Targaryen family against each other. We met the Cargyll twins in Season 1, as members of the kingsguard. But when Aegon II was crowned king, Erryk (Elliott Tittensor) chose to help Rhaenys (Eve Best) escape and side with Rhaenyra, while his brother Arryk (Luke Tittensor) chose to stay by Aegon II’s side.
With just a few more months before the return of the show, it seems that even with a shortened season, each episode will be jam-packed with action, drama, and tons of dragons.
House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres on June 16. Season 1 is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
