Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Fire & Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based, and so potential season 3 spoilers.House of the Dragonis set to be the show’s biggest and most brutal yet, which could involve bringing back a missing character for a particularly dark scene. Following on fromHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s ending, Rhaenyra Targaryen is set to experience her highest highs yet as she finally takes King’s Landing, and with it the Iron Throne that she sees as her birthright. Unfortunately, it will also have the Black Queen’s lowest of lows as well.
Withthe Dance of the Dragonsunderway, there will be a lot more dramatic battles, betrayals, and twists and turns. Team Black will win some great victories over Team Green, but suffer devastating losses too. In the midst of that story, one missing character could not only finally return inHouse of the Dragonseason 3, but make one of the story’s saddest sequences an even bigger tragedy.
Why Harrold Westerling Should Return In House Of The Dragon Season 3
The Character Has Been Missing Since The End Of Season 1
Ser Harrold Westerling, the former Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, was last seen in season 1 resigning his position after Otto and Alicent Hightower’s coup to install Aegon II as king. While his departure was abrupt, his exit from King’s Landing very much suggested we’d see him again:in the bookFire & Blood, the character dies years before civil war actually breaks out, so such a major change not only leaves his story wide open, but presumably has a greater reason behind it. That made it more surprising when he didn’t appear in season 2.
Graham McTavish’s Harrold Westerling appeared in nine episodes of season 1, missing only the finale.
For his part, actor Graham McTavish has hinted he may be back. Speaking withThe Nerd Shepherdin 2024 [viaWinter is Coming], he said:“I believe season three will start filming in March next year,“implying that he would be involved in that process (as otherwise there’s not much need for him to know or comment upon it).
With Rhaenyra taking King’s Landing, then Westerling returning as her protector would make perfect sense…
That is far from confirmation, of course, but Westerling is an odd loose end at present, which feels like something the show would (and should) want to tie up. With Rhaenyra taking King’s Landing, thenSer Harrold returning as her protector would make perfect sense, especially after the deaths of Sers Steffon Darklyn and Erryk Cargyll in season 2, leaving a clear need for a known character among Rhaenyra’s Queensguard. A character of Westerling’s standing, who has an integrity and honor unmatched by most, would be an obvious choice for that role.
Harrold May Die Trying To Save Rhaenyra’s Son In A Big King’s Landing Scene
Things Won’t Go Well For Rhaenyra In King’s Landing
Unfortunately, even if Westerling were to return, things aren’t going to go well for Rhaenyra’s reign. As per the book,the people of King’s Landing eventually turn against her, with the ongoing war causing terror and paranoia that eventually bubbles over. WhenHelaena Targaryen tragically takes her own life, riots break out across the city, leading to the Storming of the Dragonpit: where the residents of the capital form a mob to attack and kill the dragons within.
House of the Dragonseason 3 is expected to release on HBO and Max sometime in 2026. Season 4, meanwhile, will be the show’s last.
It leads to the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of people, as well as multiple dragons dying. Among the casualties isone of Rhaenyra’s sons, Joffrey Velaryon. Out of fear for his own dragon, Tyraxes, he slips away from his mother and ends up flying her dragon, Syrax, over the city, likely in an attempt to try and rescue Tyraxes, or fight the mob. Rhaenyra sends several knights, known as the Seven Who Rode, to rescue him, led by the Lord Commander of the Queensguard, Ser Glendon Goode.
Alas, the Seven are not successful:Joffrey falls from Syrax’s back and dies, with the mob setting upon his body, trying to hack it to pieces. The knights do manage to rescue most of what’s left of him, though several of them are killed as well, Goode included. Since Goode isn’t a known character, having Westerling take on this role (after returning earlier in the season) would be a smart move.
Ser Harrold provides a more recognizable face to help process everything that’s happening and make the impact even greater.
This would particularly be the case for giving the audience a stronger viewpoint in the narrative: Joffrey is a child who they won’t know as well, albeit his age makes it extremely tragic, and then the rest are lesser-known knights too. Ser Harrold provides a more recognizable face to help process everything that’s happening and make the impact even greater.
How Rhaenyra Targaryen Dies & Will It Happen In House Of The Dragon?
Rhaenyra Targaryen obviously has to die at some point long before Game of Thrones, and George R.R. Martin previously revealed how and when it happens.
For Harrold, his death in such a scene would be devastating but fitting. As a knight sworn to defend the Targaryens, his efforts to save Joffrey would showcase his sense of duty and honor (key themes in the franchise), even in the face of overwhelming odds.His death would add an extra layer of emotional resonance to the tragedy, solidifying his legacy, and giving him the kind of heroic death in battle that would be befitting of such a true knight of the Kings/Queensguard.
Westerling’s Death Can Mirror (& Better) Game Of Thrones' Barristan Selmy
Game Of Thrones' Version Of This Story Ended Up Being A Letdown
Harrold Westerling’s story may have already gone beyond the book, but there is a blueprint for what it could (and what it shouldn’t) do with that character. That comes from a fellow knight, Ser Barristan Selmy, fromGame of Thrones:
Barristan was killed off rather unceremoniously inGame of Thronesseason 5, defending Meereen from the Sons of the Harpy. Sadly, the moment felt abrupt and underwhelming, not least because Barristan is very much still alive inThe Winds of Winter, and has a lot more to offer the story.
9 Biggest House Of The Dragon Season 3 Theories, From Daemon Being The 3-Eyed Raven To Alicent & Rhaenyra’s Romance
House of the Dragon season 3 is on its way. Here are some of the most popular theories and predictions for what’s going to happen in the prequel.
In contrast, Harrold’s demise inHouse of the Dragonseason 3, if it comes as part of the Storming of the Dragonpit and Joffrey’s death, could be much better and the kind of conclusion Barristan didn’t get. It would be more emotional, impactful, and befitting his character, providing a great reason for him to return.
House of the Dragon
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House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
