That Man With Antlers in House of the Dragon Season 3 Explained (& How It Connects To a Daemon Theory)

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for the House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere. The opening episode of House of the Dragon Season 3 is packed with major moments. There is, of course, the Battle of the Gullet as a whole, which is among the most impressive technical achievements and pieces of spectacle we’ve seen in any Game of Thrones show, and that itself is made of so many massive storylines: the attack on High Tide, Corlys Velaryon being thrown overboard, Alyn of Hull killing Shakaro Lohar, Rhaena Targaryen’s arrival on Sheepstealer going terribly wrong, and, devastatingly, the death of Jacaerys Velaryon and his dragon, Vermax.

Even before that, though, there was a lot going such, such as a disturbing kiss between Aemond Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, which probably stands as the weirdest moment of the episode. In second place, though, is a much smaller scene than any of the others mentioned, with Hugh the Hammer and Alyn of Hull near Harrenhal. While waiting for Ulf the White to return, they see what looks like a man with antlers, who only very briefly appears before vanishing. This is one of the Green Men from George R.R. Martin’s world, and they have actually appeared in House of the Dragon before.

The Green Men In House Of The Dragon Explained

Although little is actually known about the Green Men, they date back more than 10,000 years in Westeros. When the First Men arrived in Westeros, they started a war with the Children of the Forest, the original inhabitants of the land. That ended with the signing of the Pact, a peace treaty, which took place on the Isle of Faces, an island on the Gods Eye lake in the riverlands. Each tree on the island was carved with a face to mark the agreement, which enshrined that the Children would inhabit the deep forests of Westeros, and the First Men would have the open lands, and that no more weirwood trees would be cut down.

The order of the Green Men was formed to protect the weirwood trees on the Isle of Faces, something it has continued to do through to the time of House of the Dragon, and which, as far as we know, endures into Game of Thrones as well, referred to in the books as their “silent watch.” However, because it’s a sacred location, no boats visit the Isle, and so there is very little concrete information about them. Some legends say they really do have antlers and green skin, while others say they simply wear green and the antlers are a headdress.

House of the Dragon, somewhat surprisingly, looks to be leaning into the more mystical aspect of the former, because it doesn’t look like those horns are a headdress, and, most notably, they appear to have hooves. Game of Thrones often shied away being from too fantastical, so it’s quite refreshing to see the opposite approach being taken here.

With that comes the question of exactly which species they are. The Children of the Forest are not human, and the Green Men don’t quite appear to be either. Some theories claim they are hybrids of the First Men and the Children, created as a way to further solidify the Pact, and while they don’t look like the latter, that could still be the case. In Game of Thrones, Leaf, one of the Children, is over 11,000 years old (a change from the book), and the Green Men may be of a similar age, which would also fit with them not being human. They could, of course, simply be a magical creation in their own right, perhaps even created by the Children (who were also the ones to create the Night King).

This isn’t the first appearance of the Green Men in House of the Dragon, as we did also see one in the Season 2 finale. Daemon Targaryen had a very brief, dark glimpse of one as he was led to the weirwood tree at Harrenhal (which lies on the northern shore of the Gods Eye) for a vision that included White Walkers, the Three-Eyed Raven, and Daenerys Targaryen.

Season 3 gives us a look at them in daylight, though it’s still very elusive. Still, this could be setting up something bigger: in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, it’s said that Addam flew to the Isle of Faces to seek counsel from the Green Men later in the Dance of the Dragons, so this could be a prelude to that scene.

It does also serve a simpler purpose, which is to add to the weirdness being felt in the scene, particularly by Ulf. While he’s off answering a call of nature, he’s spooked by an animal; this is likely connected to, later on, the appearance of Alys Rivers, who tells them of the Battle of the Gullet and the need for them to return to Dragonstone.

How The Green Men Connect To A Daemon Targaryen Theory (Major Book Spoilers Ahead)

The Green Men, so far as we know, have no impact on the story (beyond whatever advice they may or may not have given to Addam), but they do also connect to a theory about Daemon Targaryen. In Fire & Blood, the Rogue Prince’s story builds to an epic showdown with his nephew, Aemond, where they fight on their dragons (Caraxes and Vhagar) above the Gods Eye lake. Both men and both dragons end up dead, but Daemon’s body is never actually found.

That has, inevitably, led to theories that he actually survived, and the Green Men could have a part to play in that. It’s speculated that they are the ones to pull Daemon out of the water, though what happens after that would also be unclear, especially since there’s no return from him. Some theorize that he becomes one of them, working with them to prepare for the Long Night (with Daemon now motivated by the threat of the White Walkers), while there are even theories that Daemon becomes the Three-Eyed Raven. It’s all far-fetched, but given Daemon has seen one of the Green Men, and the show is reminding us of them again, it can’t be ruled out.

New episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 release at 9 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.

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