House of the Dragon Could Be Setting Rhaenyra Up for a Mad Queen Twist

The new teaser for House of the Dragon’s third season offers a brief, intense glimpse of what comes next for Rhaenyra, Aegon and Alicent. Picking up after Season 2’s finale, the story appears poised to launch into all‑out war as Aemond assumes his brother’s throne, dragons fly into battle, and Rhaenyra moves to take King’s Landing.

Rhaenyra has long faced loss and the harsh resistance to a woman claiming power, and the trailer hints her arc may grow darker. She searches for a peaceful solution before plunging into conflict, but by the end of Season 2 was already willing to sacrifice people in the Red Sowing.

In the new footage she refuses her son’s advice, stares into a fire and reacts with grief and rage, suggesting an increase in volatility. Targaryens are known for a tendency toward madness, and many of those fighting for Rhaenyra are family—Daemon, her son Jace and her stepdaughter Baela among the most experienced dragonriders.

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