House of the Dragon Season 3 Cast
The returning and new faces in Season 3 are a mix of old familiars and exciting newcomers, basically, a family reunion if your family included dragon-riders and schemers. Matriarch Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy, who delivers every glare with Oscar-level intensity) returns, still locked in that brutal chess match for the Iron Throne.
Alongside her is the ever-compelling Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith, honestly, who else could make “antihero” look this good?), with Olivia Cooke back as the scheming but always-complicated Alicent Hightower. It’s like running into your favorite rivals at a wedding: awkward, tense, and impossible to look away.
The roster for this season is honestly wild in the best way.
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Returning heroes and villains: Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower, still salty), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon II), Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen), Ewan Mitchell (terrifying as Aemond Targaryen), and Steve Toussaint (perpetually dignified as Corlys Velaryon).
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The cast also features Harry Collett (Jacaerys Velaryon—fight scenes incoming), Fabien Frankel (Criston Cole), Matthew Needham (Larys Strong, the king of lurking), Abubakar Salim (Alyn of Hull), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria), Bethany Antonia (Baela Targaryen), Phoebe Campbell (Rhaena Targaryen), Oscar Eskinazi (Joffrey Velaryon), Jefferson Hall (Tyland Lannister), Clinton Liberty (Addam of Hull), Tom Bennett (Ulf), Kieran Bew (Hugh), Kurt Egyiawan (Orwyle), Freddie Fox (Gwayne Hightower), and Gayle Rankin (Alys Rivers).
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Seven new names crop up: James Norton, Tommy Flanagan, Dan Fogler, Tom Cullen, Annie Shapero, Barry Sloane, and Joplin Sibtain. No spoilers yet, but given this world’s track record, assume at least one will have a tragic fate—or a dragon.
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Missing in action: Pour one out for Eve Best (Princess Rhaenys Targaryen—her absence is going to sting), Simon Russell Beale (Ser Simon Strong), Ella Torchia (Kat), and Tom Taylor (Lord Cregan Stark), all of whom look to be bowing out or just off the grid this season.
House of the Dragon Season 3 Release Date
Season 3 is filming in the UK, and production is expected to wrap in fall 2025, with the grand HBO premiere rolling out in 2026. If you’re impatient (join the club), just know there’s plenty of time for wild speculation on Twitter and Reddit. Eight episodes are planned for the penultimate chapter of the Dance of Dragons, perfect for both bingeing and slow-burn Sunday night viewing. The account @StreamOnMax announced on Twitter that season three of House of the Dragon is officially in production, teasing that the battle for the throne is far from over.
What to Expect in Season 3?
Thrones fans have been waiting for, but it leans even harder into the human fallout of the cost of all this bloody ambition. Yes, there are dragons, and yes, there are battles (the Battle of Gullet is on everyone’s wishlist), but this time, the emotional toll and the alliances ripped apart will probably hurt just as much as the wounds inflicted by fire and steel.
Expect to see the wedge between Team Black and Team Green hammered in even deeper, as betrayals mount, tempers fray, and dragons become both weapons and liabilities. I’m crossing fingers for at least one “wow, did not see that coming” episode that zigs right when you expect a zag, a tradition Thrones built its name on.
And yet, for all the spectacle, it’ll be the quiet glances, broken friendships, and whispered betrayals that haunt you when the credits roll. Bring snacks, bring tissues, but mostly, bring your sense of awe—Westeros is going to deliver chaos, heartbreak, and perhaps a fresh dragon or two for good measure.
The official @HouseofDragon account confirmed on Twitter, House of the Dragon has been renewed for a third season, promising that the Dance of the Dragons saga will carry on.
