Exciting House Of The Dragon Season 3 Update Reveals A Big King Aegon Challenge After Season 2's Divisive Book Changes

House of the Dragon season 3 could be huge for King Aegon II Targaryen, which is both exciting and terrifying. Having taken the Iron Throne at the end of season 1 - whether he deserves it or not comes down to if you're Team Green or Team Black, of course - season 2 wasn't the glorious reign Aegon might have hoped for. His son was murdered, his rule was questioned, and then he was burned to a crisp by his own brother - and all that was only halfway through the season, which saw the Dance of the Dragons begin.

By House of the Dragon season 2's ending, he was no longer on the throne (though still officially king), with Larys Strong helping Aegon escape King's Landing. Just to rub salt into his many wounds, his own mother also decided she was willing to sacrifice him, giving Rhaenyra Targaryen the green light to kill him and take the city and crown for herself. That's not to say Aegon deserves sympathy - he has done some terrible things - but it was a pretty miserable season for him, all told, and it'll be interesting to see what changes in House of the Dragon season 3.

Tom Glynn-Carney Has Teased A Different Aegon For House Of The Dragon Season 3

The Actor Revealed He's Had Some Discussions About The Character's Arc

Ser Larys and Grand Maester Orwyle helping King Aegon walk to his bed in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7

Filming has yet to begin on House of the Dragon season 3, but actor Tom Glynn-Carney has spoken about his expectations for King Aegon in the show's third season in a red carpet interview with CBS Mornings [via Instagram] at the 2025 Golden Globes.

While he hasn't yet read any scripts, he has had conversations about the character's overall arc, and where things will be headed in the next run of episodes. He said:

"He's on a new chapter. I think he's a way more focused, driven version of Aegon that we've seen. I haven't yet read the season 3 scripts, so it's difficult to say what the writers have discussed, what they've decided on. I'm assured there's a lot to come. I've had a little chat about the arc and how excited I should be about taking it on. I think we'll see a different version of him, which is quite exciting."

While there aren't specifics yet, that is an interesting and exciting tease about where the character is headed. Aegon may have left the Iron Throne behind - for now - but there are clearly some big things planned for him still in the show's third year.

Aegon II Targaryen Is Already One Of House Of The Dragon's Best Characters

The King Truly Shone In Season 2

Glynn-Carney has already played a different version of King Aegon, in a way, with a great leap in season 2. The actor was good in the few episodes of season 1 he appeared in, having stepped into House of the Dragon's cast to replace Ty Tennant, who played the younger version. Aegon was immature and could be despicable, but he had far more depth to him in season 2. Glynn-Carney's nuanced performance was perhaps only bettered by Emma D'Arcy, and the Aegon actor made his character at turns tragic, pitiful, loathsome, and genuinely funny.

Because of that, I don't want to see too different a version of the character. He's already, comfortably, one of the show's very best, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's not to say he shouldn't change at all, because further growth, and challenging the actor more, could hopefully lead to him becoming an even better character. There's a fantastic foundation to build upon here thanks to the work done in season 2 and more room for it to develop, so long as it gets the balance right and keeps what worked in season 2.

House Of The Dragon's Divisive Book Changes Highlight A Challenge For Aegon In Season 3

If Done Right, Though, It Could Be Great For The Targaryen King

Aegon lies in bed, grievously wounded, while Lord Larys Strong sits at his side and counsels him in House of the Dragon

House of the Dragon season 2 was more divisive than season 1 for a few reasons, including its pacing, lack of action in the finale, and book changes - the latter of which even George R.R. Martin himself complained about, in a since-deleted blog post where he discussed the butterfly effect of changing his book, Fire & Blood. While Aegon himself was not the subject of much ire in that regard, he is an interesting character to consider in terms of the book story and where he's headed in season 3.

For starters, Fire & Blood doesn't contain a huge amount of information about Aegon at this point. The character does, eventually, end up on Dragonstone, and there are some bigger events to play out there, but as with much of the book, there's an awful lot of details to be filled in, and large chunks of that could be spent on Aegon's journey and where he goes from King's Landing. Larys also does not go with him in the book, which is another notable difference.

Larys and Aegon's pairing was one of season 2's best decisions, delivering the kind of political machinations and conversations that Game of Thrones excelled at, so more of that would be welcome.

Those are not inherently problematic, though. Larys and Aegon's pairing was one of season 2's best decisions, delivering the kind of political machinations and conversations that Game of Thrones excelled at, so more of that would be welcome. But if his story is going to deviate from the book, and perhaps be a slower-paced journey again, then some of the similar complaints from season 2 could once again rise up, showing the difficulty HOTD has in pleasing everyone.

House of the Dragon season 3 is expected to air on HBO and Max sometime in 2026. A fourth season has also been confirmed, which will be the show's last.

For what it's worth, though, that journey could be fantastic for Aegon. He's a character who has to deal with being almost killed by his own brother, whose own mother thinks low of him, who cannot communicate with his wife, and whose body has been burned and broken, which gives a lot of mental anguish and emotional turmoil to play with.

Now, though, he's also going to be able to discover who he is outside the confines of King's Landing and the crown, which is where I think the idea of a "different" Aegon in House of the Dragon season 3 becomes really exciting, and could show even more unexpected layers to the character. That's not only with his anger and desire for revenge, but also in that he's long been a person trapped by the expectations placed upon him; now, for at least a brief time, he is free, which could lead to some interesting places too.

Source:CBS Mornings