House Of The Dragon Just Revealed Season 4's Darkest Story (It'll Change Targaryens Forever)

Image via HBO Published Aug 7, 2026, 9:38 AM EDT James Hunt is a writer and editor based in Newcastle, UK. A Sports Journalism graduate from the University of Sunderland, he quickly realized that supporting his local football (or "soccer") team, Sunderland AFC, was painful enough without having to write about it, so decided to write a load of nonsense about movies and TV instead. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 7, "The Dragon In Winter."Ahead of its finale, House of the Dragon season 3 is already setting up Season 4's darkest storyline. The third season of HBO's Game of Thrones prequel has had its fair share of dark, harrowing, and brutal moments already, starting with the death of Jacaerys Velaryon at the Battle of the Gullet in episode 1. That's set to continue in the season's climactic installment, but it's also something that should be even more prevalent in the fourth and final run, where the stakes will be even higher than before. One of the biggest ways House of the Dragon likes to set up and foreshadow future events is through the dreams and prophetic visions of Helaena Targaryen, which is something episode 7 once again uses to good effect. We hear her tell Rhaenyra Targaryen her last vision was of a "gray mare," which is likely a portent of death, making Biblical allusions to "behold a pale mare." Later, we see her giving birth and her child being taken away, and her standing surrounded by snow, seemingly a nod to the coming Long Night. Most interesting of all, though, was Helaena on her dragon, Dreamfyre. This is something that's been a long time coming: in the book, Helaena loved to fly; in the show, we haven't even seen her with the creature until now. That alone makes it feel like a notable occasion, not to mention the impressive design of Dreamfyre really makes her stand out, but it also teases one of season 4's biggest stories, the Storming of the Dragonpit. Helaena's vision of Dreamfyre isn't just somewhere random, but places them at the Dragonpit, the location that's used to house many of the Targaryen dragons (and later the stage for meetings between Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, Cersei Lannister, et al in Game of Thrones season 7). Helaena sees a huge mob of people entering, and uses her dragon to burn them to death, which very much evokes a plot point from Fire & Blood. How Helaena's House Of The Dragon Vision Sets Up The Storming Of The Dragonpit Image via HBO Warning: Major SPOILERS from this point on for future events from George R.R. Martin's book, Fire & Blood.Known as the Storming of the Dragonpit, this came amid riots in King's Landing. The people of the city had risen up against Rhaenyra's rule: with growing paranoia and fear over the Green army and their dragons coming to harm them, combined with increased taxes, a lack of money and other resources, and worsening living conditions, there was no longer any trust in or love for the queen, who became regarded as similar to Maegor the Cruel (one of the worst Targaryen kings in history). Central to the Storming of the Dragonpit is a man named the Shepherd, a follower of the Faith of the Seven who had long been preaching against Rhaenyra. He convinced a mob that the only way to save the city was to rid it of the dragons in the Dragonpit, leading to them marching upon it. They killed all the Dragonkeepers and fought their way inside, leading to an even more bloody, brutal sequence of events involving the four dragons housed within the pit at that time. Dragonstone Archives · The Dance Begins The Dance of the Dragons Awaits “The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion.” 🐉The BlacksTeam Rhaenyra 👑The GreensTeam Aegon 🔥DragonsFire & Blood ⚔The CrownSuccession 🔮ProphecyA Song of Ice CHOOSE YOUR SIDE → 01 King Viserys I names his heir early in the series, defying tradition that would favor his firstborn son. Who does he name as his successor? ADaemon Targaryen BAegon Targaryen CRhaenyra Targaryen DAemond Targaryen ✓ Correct! Viserys named his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne after the death of his first wife, Aemma, and their infant son. He forced the lords of the realm to swear oaths of fealty to her — oaths many would later break. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Rhaenyra Targaryen. Viserys defied Westerosi precedent by naming his daughter over his brother Daemon. Even after fathering sons with Alicent Hightower, Viserys never changed his decree. NEXT → 02 Alicent Hightower’s faction is known as “the Greens.” Who is her father, the cunning Hand of the King who orchestrates much of their political strategy? ACorlys Velaryon BOtto Hightower CLyonel Strong DTyland Lannister ✓ Correct! Otto Hightower served as Hand of the King and was the mastermind behind the Green faction. He strategically positioned his daughter Alicent to marry Viserys, and spent decades maneuvering to place Alicent’s son Aegon on the throne. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Otto Hightower. He served as Hand to both Jaehaerys I and Viserys I, and engineered the marriage between Alicent and the King. Corlys Velaryon sided with the Blacks, and Lyonel Strong served as Hand before Otto’s return. NEXT → 03 Daemon Targaryen rides a fierce, battle-scarred dragon known for its Blood Wyrm nickname. What is the name of his fearsome mount? ASyrax BVhagar CMeleys DCaraxes ✓ Correct! Caraxes, known as “the Blood Wyrm,” is Daemon’s dragon — a lean, red, battle-scarred beast. While Vhagar is the largest and oldest dragon alive, Caraxes is the most experienced in combat and fiercely loyal to Daemon. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Caraxes. Syrax is Rhaenyra’s dragon, Vhagar is the oldest dragon (ridden by Aemond), and Meleys “the Red Queen” is Rhaenys’s mount. Caraxes the Blood Wyrm is Daemon’s partner in the skies. NEXT → 04 Princess Rhaenys Targaryen is known by a nickname reflecting the fact she was passed over for the throne in favor of Viserys. What is she called? AThe Queen Who Never Was BThe Dragon Queen CThe Realm’s Delight DThe Black Queen ✓ Correct! Rhaenys was dubbed “The Queen Who Never Was” after the Great Council of 101 AC chose Viserys over her, despite her strong claim. Married to Corlys Velaryon, she became one of the most formidable figures in the Dance, riding Meleys the Red Queen. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Queen Who Never Was. “The Realm’s Delight” is actually young Rhaenyra’s nickname. Rhaenys earned her title when the lords of the realm chose Viserys over her at the Great Council, setting the precedent that later fueled the Dance. NEXT → 05 Vhagar is the largest living dragon during the Dance. Which Targaryen prince claims her — dramatically shifting the balance of power to the Greens? AAegon II Targaryen BJacaerys Velaryon CAemond Targaryen DDaeron Targaryen ✓ Correct! Aemond Targaryen claimed Vhagar at Driftmark after the funeral of Laena Velaryon — Vhagar’s previous rider. This bold act gave the Greens their most devastating weapon and sparked the confrontation that cost Aemond his eye. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Aemond Targaryen. Aegon II rides Sunfyre, Jacaerys rides Vermax, and Daeron rides Tessarion. Aemond’s daring claim of Vhagar at Driftmark was a pivotal moment that made him the Greens’ most dangerous warrior. NEXT → 06 Viserys shares a secret Targaryen prophecy with Rhaenyra about a threat from the North and a promised prince. What is this prophecy called? AThe Prince That Was Promised BA Song of Ice and Fire CThe Long Night Prophecy DAegon’s Conquest ✓ Correct! Aegon the Conqueror had a prophetic dream he called “A Song of Ice and Fire” — a vision of a terrible winter coming from the North that would destroy the world of the living. This secret was passed from king to heir, and Viserys shared it with Rhaenyra on the night he named her heir. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is A Song of Ice and Fire. Aegon the Conqueror’s dream foretold a great threat from the North requiring a Targaryen on the Iron Throne to unite the realm. Viserys revealed this to Rhaenyra, connecting House of the Dragon directly to the events of Game of Thrones. NEXT → 07 Corlys Velaryon is one of the richest and most powerful men in Westeros, famous for his legendary voyages. What is his well-known title? AThe Master of Ships BThe Lord of Tides CThe Kraken DThe Sea Snake ✓ Correct! Corlys Velaryon earned the name “The Sea Snake” through his legendary nine voyages across the known world aboard his ship. He amassed a fortune that made House Velaryon wealthier than even the Lannisters, and his naval power proved crucial in the Dance. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Sea Snake. While Corlys did serve on the Small Council, his legendary title comes from his nine great voyages. “Lord of the Tides” is the formal title of the head of House Velaryon, but “The Sea Snake” is his personal epithet. NEXT → 08 The Season 1 finale ends with a devastating loss for Rhaenyra when one of her sons is killed in a dragonback confrontation. Which son does she lose, and who kills him? ALucerys, killed by Aemond and Vhagar BJacaerys, killed by Aegon and Sunfyre CJoffrey, killed by Daeron and Tessarion DLucerys, killed by Daemon and Caraxes ✓ Correct! Lucerys Velaryon, riding his young dragon Arrax, was pursued and killed by Aemond on the colossal Vhagar above Shipbreaker Bay near Storm’s End. The show portrays this as partly accidental — Vhagar acted on her own — but the result ignited the Dance of the Dragons into open war. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Lucerys, killed by Aemond and Vhagar. Luke was sent as an envoy to Storm’s End but was confronted by Aemond. The massive Vhagar devoured young Arrax and his rider above Shipbreaker Bay — the act that turned a succession dispute into a full-scale civil war. REVEAL MY SCORE → Dragonstone Archives · Sealed by Fire Your Dragon Rider Record 🐉 / 8 Did you ride to glory — or fall from the sky? ↻ DANCE AGAIN These were Shrykos (Jaehaerys Targaryen's dragon), Morghul,(Jaehaera Targaryen's) Tyraxes (Joffrey Velaryon's), and Dreamfyre. The dragons were chained up and so could not fly away, but instead fought against the smallfolk using their claws, tails, and flames, leading to mass carnage. The sheer number of people in the mob meant they were able to slay the first three of the dragons, albeit with heavy losses, before Dreamfyre broke loose. She swooped down upon them but, wounded by a crossbow bolt, ended up crashing into the Dragonpit, killing the mob and herself, with hundreds if not thousands of people left dead. Alongside this is the fate of Prince Joffrey who, in House of the Dragon Season 3 and at this point in the book, is Rhaenyra's heir. He had flown away from the Red Keep on his mother's dragon, Syrax, likely toward the Dragonpit to try and save his own dragon. Unfortunately, he was unable to stay on the dragon's back, and plunged to his death, where an angry mob started cutting his body into pieces. Syrax, meanwhile, flies down to attack those who had survived at the Dragonpit on the ground, but is overcome in the end. While accounts vary on the manner of the dragon's death, what's not in doubt is that this is where Rhaenyra's mount is killed. Overall, it's one of the most violent, vicious, and horrific sequences in the entire Dance of the Dragons. Helaena's Role In The Storming Of The Dragonpit Despite her vision in House of the Dragon, Helaena is not present at the Storming of the Dragonpit in the book, for a tragic reason: she's already dead. Following Blood and Cheese, she becomes depressed and slowly sinks into madness, not too dissimilar to what the TV show is trying to portray in season 3. After even more devastating events and losses, including the death of her youngest son, Maelor Targaryen (who the show may or may not be fully including), she takes her own life by jumping out of her window in the Red Keep onto spikes below. This actually serves as the inciting incident for the riots in King's Landing that leads to the Storming of the Dragonpit. Helaena was well-liked by the smallfolk, and with tensions, anger, and paranoia already extremely high, her death is the catalyst to send things boiling over. The question is whether House of the Dragon is changing it, and giving Helaena an actual physical role at the Dragonpit instead (and thus delaying her death to that point). It's possible, but her visions are rarely super literal. The Dreamfyre sequence is likely intended to convey a) the damage she herself would wield if she were to fly Dreamfyre into battle, and b) set up the events that will follow after her own death, rather than meaning we're getting such a major change to this storyline. The Storming Of The Dragonpit Is Devastating For House Targaryen Image via HBO The Storming of the Dragonpit is a pivotal moment in the Dance of the Dragons, and the history of House Targaryen. It is essentially where Rhaenyra's reign ends: her rule in King's Landing is no longer tenable, she has lost another of her sons and her dragon, and she has very little support remaining. She has no real choice but to flee from the city, which will eventually lead to her own demise later in the civil war. There are longer-standing consequences, too. The death of Joffrey changes Rhaenyra's heir to Aegon the Younger, who becomes King Aegon III at the very end of the Dance. Because of all he'd been through, he had no love for dragons, and the last Targaryen dragon actually died out during his reign. That itself is an issue compounded by the Storming, because it results in the deaths of five dragons in total if you factor in Syrax, a huge loss from which House Targaryen never recovered. That makes a Dragonpit scene a dark event, with even darker, more dire implications. The House of the Dragon season 3 finale will be released on Sunday, August 9 at 9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max. Release Date August 21, 2022 Network HBO Directors Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel Cast Fabien Frankel Ser Criston Cole Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria.