House of the Dragon season 2 will have two major battles and, while we know about one of them, the other is a mystery right now. However, based on clues from the trailers, production, and George R.R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood, there are a couple of clear contenders I think the show could be going with.
House of the Dragon season 2 is going to be even bigger than the first, with the Targaryen civil war – the Dance of the Dragons – properly beginning. Speaking to Den of Geek, showrunner Ryan Condal teased the epic battles to come, saying:
“The battles are episodes unto themselves. We have two of the largest sequences that we’ve ever filmed on House of the Dragon. Both of them outstrip anything that we did in season one. They are episodes within episodes.”
It’s certainly an exciting promise, but also one that made me curious. The House of the Dragon season 2 trailer gave glimpses of one battle that feels like it fits that description – as well as some other smaller ones that wouldn’t, really – which makes the second battle a major question.
The Battle At Rook’s Rest Is One Of House Of The Dragon Season 2’s Huge Battles.
The Sequence Will Involve Aemond, Aegon, Rhaenys, And Criston Cole.
The major set piece that is seemingly confirmed for House of the Dragon season 2 is the Battle at Rook’s Rest, a key event that takes place at the eponymous location, which is the seat of House Staunton in the crownlands. Ser Criston Cole leads an army of almost 3,000 men here and, while Lord Staunton is able to protect the castle itself, Cole and the rest of the greens lay waste to the surrounding area.
This, however, is all part of a bigger plan by Cole. Lord Staunton, who is loyal to the blacks, requests help from Rhaenyra; eventually, it arrives, in the form of Rhaenys Targaryen and her dragon, Meleys. The dragon’s fire is turned upon Cole’s army, but that’s when he springs his trap: Aemond and Vhagar and Aegon and Sunfyre were lying in wait, engaging Rhaenys and Meleys in a 2-v-1 battle in the sky.
The House of the Dragon season 2 trailers have shown a few glimpses of this battle, including shots of Aemond on dragonback, Cole riding into battle, Meleys in the sky, and seemingly Baela Targaryen on her dragon, Moondancer, arriving for the fight as well. It looks like it should be a large-scale event, and a 2-v-1 dragon fight fits with the scope Condal was talking about.
There will also be smaller battles beforehand, such as the Brackens vs. the Blackwoods at the Battle of the Burning Mill or the Sack of Duskendale. However, the nature of them (they aren’t as massive in terms of numbers/scale), and the timeline (as they happen before Rook’s Rest, which itself seems likely to be season 2’s midpoint based on the trailers and the book), makes it less likely they’re what Condal meant.
The Battle Of The Gullet May Have Been Pushed To House Of The Dragon Season 3.
This Is A Key Sea Battle During The Civil War, Involving The Velaryons And The Triarchy.
Based on the Dance of the Dragons, then the obvious contender for another major battle in season 2 – assuming it comes at the end – would be the Battle of the Gullet. This is a massive sea battle that takes place between the Velaryon fleet and the Triarchy, who have around 90 warships. The battle comes as the Velaryons block access into Blackwater Bay while Otto Hightower schemes with the leaders of the Triarchy, and the result is one of the biggest sea battles in Westeros history (and, yes, dragons are involved).
There are a couple of factors that make me think this won’t be happening in season 2, even after Condal’s latest tease of what’s in store. Firstly, there hasn’t really been any hint of it in the trailers (that things like set photos haven’t shown it is less of an issue, as much of it would be filmed at Leavesden Studio). In an interview with THR last year, stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam confirmed a sea battle was planned, but it didn’t sound like it was immediately forthcoming:
“It’s not a secret that in this story there’s a battle at sea. I think that’s where we’re headed. The desire is to expand our repertoire to a large sea battle. You can do a sea battle in a car park, but it won’t necessarily feel the same. But there are water tanks, and there’s a tank here in Leavesden. If you’re going to do it, I think you need to do it in a tank. But let’s see what happens.”
Combine this with notes from Deadline who, when reporting on House of the Dragon season 2’s episode count being reduced to eight instead of 10, noted that “a portion of the plot originally intended for season 2, including a major battle, [is] moving to season 3.” It certainly sounds as though the Battle of the Gullet was set to be in season 2, episode 9 or 10 as an epic close to the season, but that it’s now coming early in season 3 instead.