'House of the Dragon' Season 3 Trailer Teases Bloody War—Here Are the Major Deaths You Can Expect

2026 has already been a big year for Game of Thrones fans, with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiering in January, and now House of the Dragon returning for its highly anticipated third season on 21 June.

Unlike A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, House of the Dragon Season 3 will be centred on war. Matt Smith, who plays Daemon Targaryen, even describes it as 'bigger, bolder, bloodier, more brutal, more dangerous.'

Based on George R.R. Martin's 'Fire & Blood', House of the Dragon takes place nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The series shows the events that led to the beginning of the decline of House Targaryen.

HBO just released a new trailer for the upcoming season, and it's filled with battles and dragons. As the conflict deepens, the new season raises questions about which characters will survive.

'House of the Dragon' Season 3 Trailer Teases Major Battles

Season 2 ended with both sides preparing for the Battle of the Gullet. The Season 3 trailer offers glimpses of at least two major battles expected to occur this season—the Battle of the Gullet and the Butcher's Ball, both of which could bring major character deaths.

'All that remains is for you to decide what you want from this war,' Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) says. Later, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) says, 'Look to the sky. Doom and ruin surround us.'

The trailer also introduces Ormund Hightower (James Norton), a new key player for the Greens, who declares that 'The Targaryens are a savage race'.

Tensions also appear to be rising between King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his brother, Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), with the former claiming that he's going to kill his brother or 'die in the attempt.'

There's also a scene of Helaena (Phia Saban) appearing to give birth, which could mean that the show is bringing in Maelor Targaryen (Helaena and Aegon II's third child in the book), after the character was omitted in the 'Blood and Cheese' scene (something author George R.R. Martin criticised).

Who Will Die in 'House of the Dragon' Season 3?

In the trailer, there's a scene of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) crying, and that's likely because of Jacaerys Velaryon's (Harry Collett) death. In 'Fire & Blood', Jace dies during the Battle of the Gullet, and his death will likely be the earliest in the season.

Another major death expected this season is Ser Criston Cole's. In the book, Cole is killed during the battle known as the Butcher's Ball, which will likely be covered in the later part of the season. After a disagreement on a war strategy with Aemond, they go their separate ways, and Cole eventually falls into an ambush by Team Black forces.

As for Aemond, while the trailer shows Aegon II's murderous intentions towards his brother, he won't likely die yet, unless the season will already cover the Battle Above the Gods Eye, which features a duel between Aemond and Daemon, along with their dragons Vhagar and Caraxes.

Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) may also face his end in Season 3. In 'Fire & Blood', he is executed after Rhaenyra retakes King's Landing. It can be recalled, however, that at the end of Season 2, Otto was imprisoned, which means he may not be in King's Landing when Rhaenyra arrives. However, his death could still happen eventually, and it may be a matter of 'when'.

As the war expands, House of the Dragon Season 3 is expected to cover some of the most pivotal events in the Dance of the Dragons. The eight-episode season will air weekly up until its finale on 9 August.