House of the Dragonseason 3 could be the best outing of the HBO series yet, especially if the showrunners' excitement is anything to judge the coming episodes by. WhileHouse of the Dragonseason 3won’t premiere until 2026 at the earliest, the setup of season 2’s finale already has anticipation for its premiere at a high. The fact that Ryan Condal is teasing a “bigger and grimmer” chapter only heightens it (viaEntertainment Weekly).
In fact,House of the Dragonseason 3 could even achievesomething viewers have been waiting for:it could reach the same level of success asGame of Thrones.While the spinoff is one of the betterfantasy TV shows to debut in the 2020s, it has yet to truly match the best seasons of its predecessor. That could change if season 3 lives up to expectations, and there are a few clear-cut ways to ensureHOTDdoes that.
4House Of The Dragon’s Bigger Battle Sequences Could Match Game Of Thrones'
The Conflicts Were Some Of Its Predecessor’s Biggest Draws
With the Dance of the Dragons fully underway,House of the Dragonseason 3 seems certain to have bigger action sequencesthan we’ve seen from the spinoff so far. Condal is already teasing the Battle of the Gullet, a major conflict from George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,so we’ll definitely see that unfold in the coming episodes. ThisimportantHouse of the Dragonbattle is enough reason to get excited about the third outing, and there will be othermajor events from Martin’s booksincluded as well.
Delivering something as well-crafted and epic asGame of Thrones’fights could alter its legacy for the better.
With Condal tellingEWhow much work has gone into the Battle of the Gullet, it seems likeHouse of the Dragon’s upcoming conflict could finally matchGame of Thrones’best battles. Sequences like the Battle of the Blackwater, the Battle of the Bastards, and even the Battle of Winterfell are what cemented the original series as one of the greatest additions to the fantasy genre.House of the Dragonhas some engaging action, but it doesn’t compare. Delivering something as well-crafted and epic asGame of Thrones’fights could alter its legacy for the better.
3Bigger Deaths Will Help The Spinoff Land Similar Emotional Blows To Game Of Thrones
It Will Bring The Spinoff Tonally Closer To HBO’s Original Show
House of the Dragonis just as brutal asGame of Throneswhen it comes to killing characters, butthus far, most of the ones who die aren’t given enough time to make an impact. Rhaenys Targaryen’s season 2 death is probably the most devastating, but Lucerys barely gets development before perishing in season 1. And although the infamous Blood and Cheese sequence is gruesome, it lacks the emotional core that deaths like Ned’s or Robb’s have inGame of Thrones.
Fortunately, after three seasons, viewers are now pretty attached toHouse of the Dragon’s remaining players — andwe know to expect several big deaths, thanks toFire & Blood.The characters expected to die will hit nearly as hard asGame of Thrones’major losses. This will give the spinoff a leg up, bringing it tonally closer to its predecessor.
2House Of The Dragon Season 3’s Politics Getting More Intense Will Help It Match GOT
Relationships Will Pass The Point Of No Return
House of the Dragonhas been somewhat tame in terms of politics so far, lightening the enmity between Rhaenyra and Alicent — and even showing both characters' efforts to prevent a war. This is a controversial change, andit makes the stakes ofHOTDfeel a bit smaller than those ofGame of Thrones,even if other characters are more cutthroat in their actions. ButHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s endingsets the stage for Rhaenyra and Alicent to fall out more fully, and heightening the political tensions will be to the show’s benefit.
1Being Truer To George R.R. Martin’s Source Material Could Help HOTD
This Was A Major Complaint About Season 2
Rhaenyra and Alicent’s relationship changes aren’t the only criticismHouse of the Dragonhas received, andmany of them stem from the series diverging from Martin’s source material. This is especially noticeable in season 2, ascutting a major Targaryenalters the impact of the Blood and Cheese scene, and it will continue to affect the series.Martin himself even pointed out the problemswith the show’s changes, and the author’s blog post didn’t inspire hope that season 3 would fix this issue.
However, ifHouse of the Dragonseason 3 does commit to adapting Martin’s source material more faithfully — as much as it still can, given the changes already in place — it could win fans of the books back over. This will be a must if it wants to have a similar legacy toGame of Thrones.While the later outings of the original show veer off course after running out of source material, the best ones bring Martin’s work to life closely.House of the Dragonshould aim to do so as well.
