House of the Dragon season 3 promotional materials are in circulation, and they confirm a significant change from Rhaenyra Targaryen’s book character. Though this fantasy series has been an overall success, it hasn’t avoided the obligatory criticisms that have traditionally plagued book-to-screen adaptations. HBO has taken significant creative liberties with George R.R. Martin’s Westeros history, some of which the author himself has criticized.
Rhaenyra’s character, played by Emma D’Arcy, is at the center of many of House of the Dragon’s biggest changes. In Martin’s Fire & Blood, this queen was referred to as Rhaenyra the Cruel. She certainly wasn’t the worst Targaryen ruler, but this highly moral and relatively blameless figure we see in House of the Dragon isn’t how she was remembered in Westeros. Additionally, we see Rhaenyra express a desire to fight in season 2, a change that House of the Dragon ​​​​​​season 3 seems to have run with.
Rhaenyra’s Sword Is Front And Center In House Of The Dragon Season 3’s Marketing
Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen wielding a sword in House of the Dragon season 2
We knew that Rhaenyra would likely have a sword in House of the Dragon season 3, since D’Arcy revealed to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that they had asked Ryan Condal to allow their character to carry one. It sounded as if this wasn’t for the purpose of fighting. Rather, like the male characters, D’Arcy would have a place to place their hands during scenes. It’s a gesture that implies authority and makes some sense for the Queen of Westeros.
Interestingly, a new promotional poster for House of the Dragon season 3 sees Rhaenyra not just holding a sword as she has in the past, but brandishing it. This implies that we will actually see D’Arcy’s character in combat. Furthermore, the sword’s feature in promotional material indicates that Rhaenyra’s use of the weapon will be central in the coming episodes. It’s a sign that House of the Dragon is committing to its Rhaenyra changes.
How Rhaenyra Having A Sword Changes Her Character From The Book
There’s been a lot of debate since the House of the Dragon marketing materials began circulating on the internet about whether book Rhaenyra carried a sword. Discovering the definitive truth is tricky, since Fire & Blood doesn’t have a traditional narrative like the other A Song of Ice and Fire books do. Instead, this tome is structured like a found manuscript, written by Martin but credited to the in-world character of Archmaester Gyldayn.
Though we don’t get any POV narrative in Fire & Blood, the battles, in particular, are described in significant detail. It’s very clear that Gyldayn didn’t believe that Rhaenyra had taken part in combat. Her role was purely royal and strategic. While other dragon riders, like Rhaenys, did fight and die in battle, Rhaenyra only rode into King’s Landing on Syrax to take the throne, not to fight to claim the city. She wasn’t a warrior.
Still, official art for Fire & Blood shows Rhaenyra with a sword on her belt, which is why many have argued that a sword for D’Arcy isn’t a change. Still, this art never shows Rhaenyra brandishing the sword as she does in the promotional material. More likely, it’s a symbolic weapon—something to relay her power. No matter how you slice it, the idea of Rhaenyra in combat isn’t something that comes directly from Martin himself.
Why Rhaenyra’s Sword Is House Of The Dragon Is Not A Big Deal
Though we can confirm that Rhaenyra’s sword in House of the Dragon season 3 is a change from the books, the real question here is whether it matters. This Game of Thrones spinoff has a unique advantage over its predecessor. As previously mentioned, Martin wrote Fire & Blood as if it were a sort of historical tome written by a Maester. Gyldayn did not witness any of the events from the Dance of the Dragons. Instead, he researched the conflicts of the Targaryen civil war and recorded them.
This detail gives the showrunners of House of the Dragon an advantage. They’ve leaned into the “unreliable narrator” trope, painting Rhaenyra as a queen somewhat misunderstood by history. To a point, this makes sense. It’s fun and interesting to see HBO’s version of what really happened and how that differs from how Westeros would remember her. This same justification could be used for Rhaenyra’s use of a sword in House of the Dragon season 3.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that House of the Dragon can do anything it wants with Martin’s story. The author himself has been critical of changes, and his opinion is what really matters, said and done. As an audience, we can sit back and see precisely how HBO uses Rhaenyra and her sword in the coming episodes. From there, we can wait and see what Martin has to say about it.
Release Date
August 21, 2022
Network
HBO
Directors
Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel
Writers
Gabe Fonseca
Fabien Frankel
Ser Criston Cole