House of the Dragon Season 3 Book Change Exposes a Harsh Targaryen Reality in Game of Thrones

House of the Dragon Season 3 will continue the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, but some early changes are a reminder of House Targaryen’s ill-fated destiny. The third season of the Game of Thrones prequel has a lot to live up to: after Season 2’s cliffhanger ending, there’ll be an expectation of delivering multiple major set-pieces. Similarly, after criticisms over its pacing, there’ll be hopes of a more propulsive narrative, but it has to find the right balance without rushing through crucial arcs. And, somewhat inevitably, there’ll be changes to Fire & Blood along the way too – something that previously prompted criticisms of House of the Dragon from George R.R. Martin.

One character whose story seems to be changing (again) is Daemon Targaryen. In the book, Daemon spends much of the period Season 3 will cover with Nettles, a dragonrider whom House of the Dragon has seemingly cut from the story. Instead, set photos and videos have shown him more involved in army-based action, meeting with characters he doesn’t come across in the book, and rallying the troops. In one video from X account @housethedragons, what appears to be Daemon is seen getting his men prepared for battle, telling them they’ll go down in history as the people who started the “end of the Hightowers.” Unfortunately for him, it’s quite the opposite. Spoilers from Fire & Blood follow.

House Hightower Ends Up Better Off Than House Targaryen

There are no real winners of the Dance of the Dragons. The realm is left battered, broken, and burned, and House Targaryen has to start piecing it – and itself – back together. Technically, Daemon and Rhaenyra can claim victory, but it’s a pyrrhic one: their son, Aegon the Younger, ends up on the Iron Throne as King Aegon III Targaryen. Unfortunately, both of them are dead by that point in the story, so there’s no celebrating for them.

But what’s worse is that, in Daemon framing it as the Hightowers vs. the Targaryens, he makes his defeat look even worse – based on what happens in Game of Thrones lore. Yes, the Hightowers suffer some ignominious losses during the civil war: Team Green’s chosen king, Aegon II, also ends up being killed; Otto is eventually beheaded, Alicent survives the Dance but lives out her days in her chambers in the Red Keep. And yet, the Hightowers arguably fare better than the Targaryens do.

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The Targaryens may reign over Westeros for another 150 years or so after House of the Dragon, but this is nonetheless the beginning of the end for them. Most of their dragons are killed during the Dance; during Aegon III’s reign, they will die out for good, until Daenerys Targaryen brings them back well over a century later. The rest of their story is one of mixed fortunes: they hold onto power, but never learned their lessons. With the rise of House Blackfyre, a cadet branch of the Targaryens, they’ll face no fewer than five rebellions that are, essentially, more civil wars.

By the time of Game of Thrones, House Targaryen is in ruins. It is all but extinct, its surviving members a world away, a dynasty destroyed. But House Hightower? Well, it just keeps on going without much trouble and largely stays out of conflicts. It continues to rule over Oldtown, one of the biggest and richest cities in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and one of its most important ports for trade. It has strong ties with the Faith of the Seven and the Citadel, further ensuring its importance. The Hightowers are as rich as the Lannisters, and while they mostly avoid war, they have vast military strength.

There’s some greater political influence for them, too, which extends beyond Oldtown. Alerie Hightower is Lady of Highgarden, married to Mace Tyrell, the Warden of the South, giving them a level of influence over much of the Reach. Their daughter is Margaery Tyrell and, while things may not end up too well for her in Game of Thrones, she does marry the king. Two of them, in fact. While the Targaryens fight each other and everyone else to the point of near-extinction after House of the Dragon, the Hightowers simply continue to accumulate wealth, power, and influence, proving Daemon’s words very, very wrong indeed.

House of the Dragon Seasons 1 & 2 are streaming on HBO Max, alongside all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. House of the Dragon Season 3 is expected to air sometime in 2026.