The 6 Major Deaths in House of the Dragon Season 3 Finale Are All Totally Different From the Books

There are two key differences between HBO’s Game of Thrones and its prequel series House of the Dragon. Though both are based on books by George R.R. Martin, fans know good and well that Thrones continued to adapt the story despite two of the planned seven books not being published yet. House of the Dragon, by extension, is based on a book that was completed, though one that was presented as a history of generations of people with a lot of wiggle room for what “actually happened” vs what many thought happened. The result was Game of Thrones didn’t stray all that far from the source material, while House of the Dragon has had to make changes by virtue of actually depicting the history of the Targaryeans.

Though some of these changes are what have led to a rift behind the scenes, it doesn’t mean that the show has suddenly differed from making alterations. With tonight’s Season 3 finale of House of the Dragon, the latest batch of episodes have officially concluded and, with it, ended the story of several key characters that have been a focal point of the plot. That said, all five of the deaths that occurred in this week’s episode play out very different to what book readers may have been expecting, even if there are some sprinkles of similarity. Spoilers for House of the Dragon follow.

The First Battle of Tumbleton

Though the Battle of the Gullet was a major fight fans were anticipating in Season 3 of House of the Dragon, the series ended with another one as Rhaenyra commanded Daemon to finally go to Tumbleton and deal with Lord Ormund Hightower. Though counting on her husband and his dragon to seize the city, along with the armies of Lords Oscar Tully and Roderick Dustin, a twist seeded throughout the season was that the dragon rider Ulf White wouldn’t exactly follow orders.

The fight is a long one, with both sides wondering where the drunk Sir Ulf is hiding as they’re both counting on his dragon to help. In the end, the deal that Lord Ormund Hightower made with Ulf didn’t matter, as Roderick Dustin seeks him out amid the battle to take his life personally. Though Dustin has his arm chopped off like in the book, he manages to send his sword straight up Ormund Hightower’s rear. This fracas aligns with how the pair die in the text, but House of the Dragon had bigger plans. These injuries aren’t what kill either; instead, they’re set ablaze by Ulf’s dragon, Silverwing, whose rider is letting him annihilate everyone in his path.

There’s a third casualty in the battle that we cannot gloss over either: The death of Hugh Hammer’s wife Kat. It’s worth noting that, as tragic as this is in the episode, it also marks another shift from the source material, as Kat is an invention for House of the Dragon and isn’t found in Fire & Blood. That said, her death here will clearly serve as a springboard next season for Hugh’s arc.

Rhaenyra Declares War on the Faith

As news of Aegon II’s “resurrection” reaches King’s Landing, Rhaenyra fears the worst, believing that news he and his dragon yet live will make her claim for the Iron Throne weak as small folk begin to spread word that this is a sign from the gods that he’s the true king of the realm. After confiding in Daemon, he gives her the strength to seek out the legitimacy that she so craves and previously demanded.

In a grand show of force and regality, Rhaenyra is carried from the Red Keep to the Great Sept of Baelor, where she intends to demand that the High Septon annote her as the Queen in a move she believes will sway public opinion. As fans may recall, she previously asked for this of the High Septon earlier this season, only for him to refuse on the grounds that annointing a new leader so soon after Aegon’s own christening could delegitimize the faith in the eyes of its followers.

Despite entering the Great Sept of Baelor with armed guards and a killer outfit with her father’s crown, Rhaenyra’s request is once again rebuffed by the High Septon. As a result, Rhaenyra orders Alyn of Hull to take his life, which he quickly does. Now that Alyn himself has decided to play the “Game of Thrones” and attempt to make a claim for himself as the next Lord of the Tides (assuming that his father, Corlys Velaryon, may be dead), he’s quick to put himself on Rhaenyra’s good side.

The distinction, though, is that nothing like this actually happens in the pages of Fire & Blood. Rhaenyra never has a major fight like this with the Faith and Alyn of Hull doesn’t kill the High Septon for her. It’s worth noting that the High Septon in the show (named Balman) is an invention for the series. That said, House of the Dragon is clearly using this brand new death as a means for its next major story with Rhaenyra.

Helaena Ends Her Captivity

A death that book readers have been waiting on for some time from the pages of Fire & Blood finally unfolded in the Season 3 finale. After weeks of captivity inside the Red Keep, and this week being confronted with her sister’s cruelty in the form of being forced to eat (while also revealing that her unborn baby was a boy, another threat to Rhaenyra’s reign), Helaena Targaryen falls to her death from her window.

Helaena’s death in Fire & Blood is largely the same, falling onto spikes below her window, but the larger circumstances have been altered for the show. In the book, Helaena is told of her song Maelor’s death, which sends her into a depression and results in her taking her own life. House of the Dragon, however, has her succumb to this depression knowing that Rhaenyra will continue to hold her captive and treat her like she’s not actually her sister.

To that end, Helaena’s death in House of the Dragon feels like the character taking back control of her life from the circumstances she’s found herself in. What’s worth adding, though, is that in her death, Helaena’s son (seemingly the TV version of Maelor, since he was cut out of the show before) will also not be born. House of the Dragon makes her death even more devastating by having her mother, Alicent Hightower, have a vision of butterflies on her return trip to King’s Landing, calling back to Helaena’s notes on the Butterflies of Naath seen earlier in the season.