Did House of the Dragon Just Introduce the Green Men?

WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale! Continue reading at your own risk… Daemon’s vision at the Harrenhal Weirwood tree will likely go down as the most talked-about scene in the , mainly because of the cameos from Daenerys Targaryen and the Night King, as well as the introduction of a young Brynden Rivers. One of the scene’s most important reveals, however, arrives before Daemon’s prophetic vision even begins. In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, House of the Dragon seemingly introduces a sacred and mysterious order known as the Green Men.

When Daemon is talking to Alys, before putting his hand on the tree, he looks up to see some sort of humanoid being in the darkness. Before the creature disappears, you can hear that its footsteps sound like hooves, and that it has antlers on its head. Unfortunately, it’s so dark that you can’t make out a whole lot of details.

This is likely a member of the Green Men, a sacred order that was tasked with guarding the trees on the Isle of Faces (the island in the God’s Eye just across the water from Harrenhal, which was also seen in the episode when Rhaenyra flew to meet Daemon). The Green Men were created for that very purpose, after a pact was made between the First Men and the Children of the Forest to stop their ongoing war.

Very little is known about the Green Men, as boats are unable to dock at the Isle of Faces due to the order’s interference. For years and years, throughout much of the history of Westeros, the Green Men were the subject of fairy tales. Old Nan in Game of Thrones hinted that the Green Men had antlers of their own, though others believe they wear headdresses.

Seeing both the Isle of Faces and the Green Men in this finale could be setting up a storyline in House of the Dragon. While no men ever sailed to the Isle of Faces, it was said that Addam flew to the island on his dragon, Seasmoke, and sought council with the Green Men. Addam flew over the island in this Season 2 finale, so all of the seeds are there for him to begin asking questions and potentially returning to the forested isle.

Based on George R.R. Martin‘s “Fire & Blood” book, House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. In Season 2 of House of the Dragon, Westeros is on the brink of a bloody civil war with the Green and Black Councils fighting for King Aegon and Queen Rhaenyra, respectively. New episodes of House of the Dragon premiere every Sunday on HBO at 9 p.m. ET.

The cast for House of the Dragon includes Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower, Emma D’Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, and Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower.