Spoilers below.
House of the Dragon’s third season is taking shape. HBO announced on June 13, 2024—mere days ahead of the season 2 premiere—that season 3 was officially greenlit, and as of March 2025, the show is in production.
“George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew, have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season of House of the Dragon,” Francesca Orsi, head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said in a statement. “We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart. We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three.”
Season 2 focused on the beginnings of the civil war within House Targaryen, split between the Greens (pro-Aegon and Alicent Hightower) and the Blacks (pro-Rhaenyra Targaryen). Now that we’re certain the story is moving forward, here’s where the series could go next.
What will season 3 of House of the Dragon be about?
Judging from the season 2 finale, we can expect some major battles in season 3—including one potentially at Harrenhal, where most troops seem to be heading. The Greens have the Lannisters, Hightowers (including Daeron and dragon Tessarion), and the Triarchy fleet; the Blacks have at least six dragons (maybe seven, if Rhaena is able to tame a wild one), the Starks, and the Velaryons. The forces seem bound to clash.
But there are a few other loose ends, too: Alicent offers Rhaenyra an easy entry to King’s Landing and Aegon’s life—will she take it? And speaking of Aegon, he and Larys Strong have taken off for Braavos, so season 3 might follow their journey there. Then there’s Otto Hightower, who appeared at the end of season 2 in an undisclosed cell.
“While this season was very much about the fits and starts of an early medieval war, season 3 is clearly going to be about total war,” showrunner Ryan Condal said in an Inside the Episode interview after the season 2 finale.
“I think Team Black are in ascendancy,” predicted Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) in the same episode. Emma D’Arcy said that their character, Rhaenyra, now “has the better hand and an inevitably positive shot at the throne.” However, as Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen) added, “The pendulum could swing either way very quickly.”
Who will be in the season 3 cast?
HBO has yet to confirm the official season 3 cast list, but we can look to the surviving characters at the end of season 2 for reference: There’s Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon), Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole), Matthew Needham (Larys Strong), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen), Harry Collett (Jacaerys Targaryen), Bethany Antonia (Baela Targaryen), Phoebe Campbell (Rhaena Targaryen), Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen), and Jefferson Hall (Tyland and Jason Lannister).
Other season 2 new additions we’re hoping to see more of: Kieran Bew (Hugh Hammer), Tom Bennett (Ulf), Clinton Liberty (Addam of Hull), and Abubakar Salim (Alyn of Hull). And if we’re spending more time at Harrenhal, let’s hope we see more of Simon Russell Beale (Ser Simon Strong) and Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) too.
In early 2025, Variety and The Wrap reported new casting for season 3: James Norton as Ormund Hightower, a character who’s been mentioned in previous seasons of the show without making any on-screen appearances; Tommy Flanagan as Ser Roderick Dustin; and Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly.
When will season 3 of House of the Dragon air?
There’s no release date set yet, but production has officially begun on season 3, per The Wrap. (As a reminder, season 1 premiered in August 2022 and season 2 in June 2024.)
As Entertainment Weekly reported in 2024, Condal confirmed that his team was working on the third season even before HBO’s renewal announcement. At the time, he was already being mindful of how the show would end. “You certainly don’t want to rush to get to an end, but you also don’t want to overstay your welcome,” Condal told EW. “You want to find this very satisfying place to go out that ties up enough loose ends and leaves others intentionally open because, as we know, this history marches on for another 150 years to Daenerys.”
Will this be the last season?
No, but the series is likely set to end with season 4. When The Hollywood Reporter asked in 2024 if the show would run for five seasons, Condal responded, “No, I think it’s four.”
This story will be updated.