Image Credit: HBO
House of the Dragon promises to set Westeros ablaze even more in season three. The HBO series will finally show the Battle of the Gullet, known as the bloodiest naval confrontation in the history of the A Song of Ice and Fire universe—which includes Game of Thrones and The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. This conflict is so grand that preparations for it began in the first year of the series.
Preparing for the Battle of the Gullet
The first season of House of the Dragon showed the division of House Targaryen between the Greens, who support King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), son of Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and the Blacks, who have Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) as their queen. Chosen as Queen Rhaenyra’s Hand and commander of his House’s powerful fleet, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) proposed a blockade of the Neck, the maritime entrance to the Crownlands. The idea was to disrupt trade and prevent reinforcements from reaching the opposing side.
The effects of this obstruction were felt throughout the second season, which showed King’s Landing undergoing a serious crisis caused by food shortages and an increase in crime due to scarcity. To break the blockade, Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) negotiates reinforcements with the Triarchy—the name given to the alliance between the free cities of Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh—which agrees to send its fleets to the Narrow Sea in exchange for land and gold. And so the famous Battle of the Narrow Sea begins.
What is the Battle of the Gullet?
The Battle of the Gullet is the battle between the fleets of Corlys Velaryon, representatives of the Blacks and blockaders of the Gullet, and the Triarchy, hired by the Greens to break the blockade. A confrontation that would be bloody in any case, but which becomes even more heated due to a personal component. The book Fire & Blood recounts that while heading for the Neck, the Triarchy fleet crossed paths with the ship carrying princes Aegon and Viserys, sons of Rhaenyra, away from the approaching conflict.
The attempt to protect them ended up leading them straight into the hands of their enemies, kicking off the famous and epic Battle of the Gullet, which involved dragons, caused the deaths of important characters, and had serious consequences for the survivors. We won’t go into details to avoid spoilers and spoil the fun for those waiting to learn about this epic war in House of the Dragon. The surprising and bloody developments of this critical moment in the Dance of Dragons will be shown in the third season, which is scheduled to premiere in June 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.
All about House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon, the first Game of Thrones spin-off, begins by following King Viserys I (Paddy Considine), his eldest daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock as the younger version and Emma D’Arcy as the older version), and the girl’s uncle, Prince Daemon (Matt Smith). After King Viserys marries Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey as the younger version and Olivia Cooke as the older version), daughter of the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), the succession that would go to Rhaenya is threatened.
Together, the couple brings Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) into the world, and the Hightowers believe that Aegon should be king. The second season focused on the clashes between the Blacks (Rhanerya) and Greens (Alicent) through marriages, inheritances, and, of course, dragons. This feud leads to war between houses and changes the fate of all Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
The series has already been renewed for a fourth and final season, which is expected to arrive in 2028.
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