RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Arts The Dragons In HBO’s ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 3 Finale, Explained Season 3 of HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ ends with the disastrous battle of Tumbleton—here’s how the dragons influenced the finale, and how they could impact season 4. By Dani Di Placido ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dani Di Placido covers film, television, and internet culture. Follow Author Aug 13, 2026, 01:39pm EDT Updated Aug 13, 2026, 01:49pm EDT As one would expect, dragons are vital to the season three finale of HBO’s House of the Dragon , the winds shifting to the beat of their wings.
Here’s the role each dragon played in "The Treasons at Tumbleton."
Sunfyre has been through a lot this season. He entered the battlefield of season two as the youngest, prettiest dragon—a golden poodle, forced to fight against pitbulls—it didn’t take much for Vhagar to take him down.
His scales and wings were burnt to a crisp, so disheveled that he briefly became a tourist attraction. Like his master, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), Sunfyre has risen from the ashes to become a formidable force.
Sunfyre awoke himself to save Aegon, having regained enough strength to fly on his tattered wings.
In the season three finale , Aegon triumphantly flies on Sunfyre’s back to Harrenhal, so he can give his treacherous brother a good slap and deliver the funniest line of the entire show.
In the Battle of Tumbleton, House Black holds all the cards, or rather, the dragons.
The odds are so one-sided that they hesitate to use dragons at all—engulfing the town in a fiery inferno would be bad PR.
To top it off, Tumbleton’s gate is guarded by literal children, meat shields that force Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) to hold Caraxes’ fire, a doomed attempt to save Rhaenyra Targaryen’s (Emma D’Arcy) reputation.
As Rhaenyra instructs Daemon, "Do not make a monster out of me."
It’s a bit late for that, and the order is inherently contradictory, but Daemon tries his best. Sort of. He gives the greybeards a different order, barking “I don’t want the best of you, I want the worst!”
It’s not easy to breach a well-guarded wall ( Odysseus could tell you that). Lacking a wooden horse, Daemon decides to mount Caraxes and push through.
At least Daemon yells at the children to move out of the way before he blasts open the gate. Rather foolishly, Daemon dismounts and comes dangerously close to being killed, before experiencing his own Odyssey -esque regret , witnessing the terrible consequences of war.
The Blacks are blindsided by the treachery of Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), who defects to Team Green after Ormund Hightower (James Norton) offers him Driftmark.
The sight of Ulf’s dragon, Silverwing, described as Ormund’s “piece on the board,” underlines how vital the dragonriders are—it’s best to keep them satisfied, or they will switch sides.
It’s a bloody mess, even for a battle, with both armies devastated and the blame resting on Rhaenyra.
The carnage ends with Caraxes chasing Silverwing through the sky, followed by Vermithor, Hugh Hammer's (Kieran Bew) dragon.
Earlier in the battle, Daemon is confused to see Vermithor in the sky, as the dragon is meant to be guarding King’s Landing. It’s an early sign of trouble, the first hint that Tumbleton is not going to be a smooth conquest.
Vermithor is riderless during the battle, as Hugh is attempting to save his estranged wife Kat (Ellora Torchia) from the Tumbleton slaughter. This means that Vermithor is free to pursue his own wants.
Vermithor and Silverwing are mated, going back to the days when their original masters, King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne, rode together.
Their bond goes beyond petty human squabbles, and in this final battle scene, Vermithor is chasing Caraxes to protect his beloved Silverwing.
The dragon’s close relationship, along with the fact that Kat was killed by the Black’s assault, makes it very likely that Hugh will also switch to Team Green.
The Greens seem to have gained the upper hand for season four—the dragons are the real power behind the throne, and Rhaenyra is sabotaging herself with every move.
Along with their new pieces on the board, the Greens still have the mighty Vhagar, who is roaming somewhere in the Riverlands.
Even if her depressed rider, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) is momentarily defeated, Vhagar still has plenty of fire in her belly.
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