House Of The Dragon Season 3 Is Finally Showing One Of The Biggest Battles In Game Of Thrones History

The first teaser for House of the Dragon season 3 is here, and the third installment of HBO’s Fire & Blood adaptation promises a lot more of just that: fire and blood. The first two seasons of House of the Dragon have taken their time to get the plot rolling, with most of the story taking place within cold halls.

We’ve been given a taste of dragon fire each season, but it’s only served to whet most fans’ appetites, and the promise of huge battles in the season 2 finale was both tantalizing and a little frustrating. Now, it seems we’ll be getting our fill of battles, including one of the bloodiest in A Song of Ice and Fire storytelling.

House Of The Dragon Season 3’s Trailer Promises The Battle Of The Gullet

Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) flying Syrax in House of the Dragon.

The teaser trailer for House of the Dragon season 3 moves fast, and we’re only given snippets of dialogue and glimpses of scenes, but one that is unmistakable is the Battle of the Gullet. Peppered throughout the trailer are scenes of dragon riders flying above the ocean, in the midst of some battle.

There’s Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia) on Moondancer and a dragon who is most likely Syrax, ridden by Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), though it could be Helaena (Phia Saban) on Dreamfyre. The dragons fly through a massive sea battle, with Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and his Velaryon navy battling against other ships, in what could only be the Battle of the Gullet.

The Battle Of The Gullet Is One Of The Bloodiest Battle In Westeros History

Velaryon soldiers looking over the side of a ship in House of the Dragon.

The Battle of the Gullet is one of the bloodiest in the history of Westeros and a pivotal moment in the Dance of Dragons. There is likely to be a whole episode devoted to the battle in House of the Dragon season 3, and it will be one of the few times we see multiple dragons fighting together.

Without spoiling too much, the Battle of the Gullet is a naval engagement between the Blacks and the Greens. The Blacks are led by Corlys Velaryon and his navy, which has blockaded King’s Landing. The battle is a result of the Greens attempting to break the blockade, an attempt that is costly for both sides.

Why The Battle Of The Gullet Is A Major Moment For House Of The Dragon

Corlys (Steve Toussaint) looking worried in House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon has only had one major battle scene, the Battle of Rook’s Rest in season 2, episode 4. There are a few other violent moments, like the War for the Stepstones in season 1, and the Battle of the Burning Mill, which is alluded to in season 2, episode 3, but no other great clashes.

The Battle of the Gullet should be to House of the Dragon what the Blackwater and the Battle of the Bastards were to Game of Thrones: major setpiece moments that the show has been leading to. There was some speculation that the Battle of the Gullet would be the finale of HOTD season 2.

Showrunner Ryan Condal spoke at length about why the battle didn’t occur in season 2, saying (via IGN),

“I mean, one of the challenges of making television at any scale, even this scale, which seems to be one of infinite time and resources, it’s just never the case. Nobody has infinite time and resources. As a showrunner, you’re always in the position of having to balance storytelling and the resources you have available to tell that story, and you’re also starting to think about — and one of the things that came into play in Season 2 — is, what is the final destination of this series and where are we going? And I think it was a combination of factors that led us to rebalance the story, knowing where we’re going and where that endpoint is… [We’re] trying to give it [The Battle of the Gullet] the time and the space that it deserves. And obviously, as anyone who has seen the finale [knows], we are building to that. That event [the Battle of the Gullet] will happen very shortly in terms of the storytelling in House of the Dragon… And we just wanted to have the time and the space to do that at a level that is going to excite and satisfy the fans in the way it deserves. And we also wanted to build some anticipation towards it.”

Condal appears to have a handle on how important the Battle of the Gullet is to House of the Dragon. While the decision to leave it out did leave season 2 feeling slightly unfinished, if it means the battle will be given the attention it deserves now, then he’s likely made the right decision.