Everything to Know About House of the Dragon Season 2

It’s been quite a while since the end of House of the Dragon’s first season, but soon, viewers will be transported back to Westeros every Sunday night when the Game of Thrones prequel series returns to Max for its second installment. The rivalry between the Greens and the Blacks has reached a boiling point, and Dragon promises an all-out war between friends turned mortal enemies, Rhaenyra and Alicent, upon its return this summer.

Season two of Dragon has a lot to live up to, as the show's pilot episode brought in the most viewers for a Max premiere ever. That’s likely why the network took almost two years to perfect the second season, and this summer, we will finally get to see the results. And if you managed to miss Game of Thrones mania and have never seen that series but want to watch this one, you’re in luck—given that the events of House of the Dragon take place almost 200 years before GoT, you can still enjoy the prequel without too much confusion. Until then, we’ve gathered up all the information you need on the upcoming season of Dragon, including who will be making a return, who won’t be coming back, and where in Westeros we’ll be traveling next.

Is there a trailer for House of the Dragon season two?

There are three trailers for the upcoming season of Dragon, including one for each side of the imminent Targaryen war. The Green trailer follows Alicent Highwater (Olivia Cooke), her father Otto Highwater (Rhys Ifans), and her children, Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), as they double down on Aegon’s claim to the throne (Aegon and Aemond are Rhaenyra’s half-siblings).

The Black trailer, meanwhile, focuses on Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) in Dragonstone as they, too, prepare to go to war to claim the throne, which they believe rightfully belongs to Rhaenyra.

A third trailer, released May 14, shows both sides gearing up for battle to see who will ultimately take the throne. It also hints at deeper problems between Rhaenyra and Daemon, who refuses to acknowledge his niece as his rightful queen and ruler. Drama!

What will the House of the Dragon season two plot be?

In the season one finale, Rhaenyra is reluctant to go to war, but before the episode ends, her hand is forced, and it’s clear she’s ready to fight. Season two will follow the Dance of the Dragons as childhood pals Rhaenyra and Alicent descend into a war for the Iron Throne. While season one featured a sped-up timeline depicting the two women throughout many years, the upcoming installment will slow down its pacing as the story unfolds.

Of course, wartime brings with it a lot of violence, and Condal spoke a little bit about the prep for season two at a Comic Con panel back in July 2022, saying it will introduce some new dragons into the story, as well as a bit more gore. Apparently, they have a “severed head budget” specifically set for the season.

Who will be in the House of the Dragon season two cast?

Expect most of the main cast to return, including Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Fabien Frankel, Steve Toussaint, and Eve Best. Aside from Elliot Grihault, who played the now-deceased Lucerys, we can likely also expect the return of the younger generation in the form of Tom Glynn-Carney, Ewan Mitchell, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, and Phoebe Campbell, who play Aegon, Aemond, Jacaerys, Baela, and Rhaena.

Unfortunately, we won’t see the return of Emily Carey or Milly Alcock, who played young Alicent and Rhaenyra in the first six episodes of season one. Condal told Variety that Carey and Alcock “are not a part of the story” in season two. That being said, there still could be a small chance they make an appearance, probably in the form of a flashback. “There are things that we haven’t fully sorted out,” Condal said. “I’m not closing the door on anything.”

Of course, the new season will bring some new faces, including Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer, Tom Bennett as Ulf and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.

Where will House of the Dragon season two be set?

The end of season one marked the beginning of a war that will seemingly affect all of Westeros. This, combined with the fact that Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) flew off to The Eyrie and Winterfell at the end of the finale, implies that more of the realm will be explored in the second season, which showrunner Ryan Condal has confirmed. He told Variety that while season two will likely remain focused on King’s Landing, Dragonstone, and Driftmark, “there are definitely many more new worlds to come, and new worlds that you haven’t necessarily seen in the original show, either.”

When is the House of the Dragon season two release date?

House of the Dragon will return on June 16, 2024, nearly two years after the first season premiered. Apparently, meticulously rendering giant dragons takes some time to perfect.