HBO’s game of Thrones always had an eye for battle. The small-scale fights were often exciting, like Hound vs. Brienne of Tarth, but the show’s massive hand-to-hand combats were almost always showstoppers. But one thing the show has always lacked was the in-between. Fortunately, in just three episodes, house of the dragon has already given us the first major mid-level battle of the Game of Thrones franchise.
[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for House of the Dragon.]
house of the dragon‘s third episode ends with Daemon Targaryen showing why he is one of the most feared warriors in the Seven Kingdoms. After he and Corlys Velaryon find their war against the Crabfeeders has stalled, the two receive word from Daemon’s brother, King Viserys, that the crown is sending aid. While this may sound useful on the surface, both men see it as a not-so-subtle indictment of their martial prowess. So they devise an all-or-nothing plan whose intentions are hidden from both the enemy and the enemy house of the dragon Audience.
After a sneaky start, it morphs into something instantly recognizable as a game of Thrones Battle. There are hundreds of extras joining the fight, close-up montages covered in blood and mud, and the slow focus on the main characters that has most of it thrones‘ The best battles are. but house of the dragon‘s first major fight involves something the others didn’t have: a dragon.
The war for the Stepstones may be fought by Corlys and Daemon, but its final battle is ultimately won by Laenor Velaryon riding his dragon Seasmoke. It also marks the first sign of how much bigger house of the dragon‘s scale is higher than its predecessor.
A dragon soaring onto the battlefield and searing waves of Targaryen enemies would have been one of the biggest and most important moments of them all game of Thrones‘Eight-season run. in the house of the dragon, it’s just another part of the fight. It’s expected of everyone – except poor Crabfeeder, may he rest in peace. Aside from Seasmoke’s looks, the battle itself is also an indication of how big it is house of the dragon could be.
Most game of Thrones‘ The biggest battles have been segregated into their own episodes. Things like the Wildling Assault on Castle Black, Hardhome, Defending King’s Landing, and the Battle of the Bastards were all devoted exclusively to them for almost an hour. While some fights late in the show, in seasons 7 and 8, contained shorter fights, none of them lived up to the standard of previous conflicts and were easily exceeded House of Dragons first attempt at open warfare.
While these conflicts often felt half-baked and crushed (possibly due to the cost of the dragon visual effects often involved in them), the battle for the stepping stones feels like the perfect length to prove Daemon unwise is bravery and the dominance of dragons on the battlefield.
This first fight on the show makes it clear that big battles can break out at any time thanks to the show’s massive budget house of the dragon. There’s no need for the show to clear the runway for its best fights, adding a bit more spontaneity and unpredictability to each episode. And as you might imagine once you’re familiar with it house of the dragonThe premise of , the ability to pull off some surprisingly large battles, will surely come up later.
