'House of the Dragon' Season 3 Finale Teaser Breakdown: The Battle Of Tumbleton Predictions

[Spoiler Alert] The final episode of House of the Dragon season 3 will center around the devastating Battle of Tumbleton that fans have been eagerly waiting for, and the teaser for the eighth episode shows glimpses of the same. The previous episode ended with Daemon and Rhaenyra having a falling out because Daemon lied to her about Sheepstealer’s real rider (Rhaena) in order to protect his daughter from a vengeful mother (the Queen). Whereas on the other side of the battlefield, Ormund Hightower took advantage of the Blacks’ weakest spot and turned their most untrustworthy dragonrider, Ulf the White, to their side by promising him a “castle” (the seat of Driftmark). And with the Riverlands army already at their doorstep, Ormund’s grand plan is to use Ulf and Daeron’s dragons against the enemy’s ground forces. And even though he knows that these two small dragons are no match against Rhaenyra’s five, his real goal is to use the two beasts to weaken his enemy, so Rhaenyra’s kingdom eats itself from within. Well, with that said, allow me to take a closer look at every single shot in the teaser and what they reveal. 

The teaser opens with an aerial shot of the Grand Spet in King’s Landing, probably suggesting that the faith is going to play an important role in the upcoming episode. Previously, the Grand Septon refused to anoint Rhaenyra as the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, as the Queen couldn’t bring him proof that her stepbrother, Aegon II, was dead. And now, when news of Aegon’s return (and the sighting of his dragon, Sunfyre) has already reached King’s Landing, it will convince the High Septon that Rhaenyra tried to mislead the faith to sit on the throne. This means Rhaenyra cannot officially sit on the Iron Throne as long as the former king is alive, which is gonna make her very angry, probably pushing her down a dark path. In the next shot, we see Rhaenyra staring at her father’s crown, possibly contemplating whether she’s worthy of wearing it, and whether she will be able to hold it for long. As the teaser moves forward, Addam underlines Rhaenyra’s mental state, informing his brother, Alyn, that the news about Aegon’s return has shaken the Queen, making her behave erratically with people around her. We see Rhaenyra grabbing Baela’s face in anger, and I guess Baela told Addam about this incident; that’s probably why he’s complaining to his brother about it. But why did Rhaenyra grab Baela’s face like that? We know that Rhaenyra already hates Baela and holds her accountable for Jace’s death, as she and Jace had locked her in her chambers during the Battle of the Gullet. Maybe that’s the reason Rhaenyra despises Baela so much, or maybe Baela tried to talk to the Queen about her sister, Rhaena, and asked her to forgive her. Well, Rhaenyra has enough reasons to be angry with Daemon’s daughters, but the way she’s treating them in public isn’t very nice of her. Maybe it’s true, Rhaenyra really is losing her mind.

Then we see Daemon riding towards Riverlands camp (outside Tumbleton), with Roderick Dustin and Oscar Tully on his side. It’s less likely that Rhaenyra may have sent Daemon to join the Battle of Tumbleton, but he went anyway, because for Daemon, it’s better to join the fight with the lads and win the war for the Queen than to have a proper conversation with his wife and sort things out like grown-ups. We also see his dragon, Caraxes, flying over the troops, and being cheered on by the soldiers on foot. Next, we see Rhaenyra having an emotional breakdown, probably after the news about Aegon or Ulf’s betrayal, and Daemon tries to motivate her, telling her that she has absolute power (the dragons) within her grasp, and she has only to wield it. I guess that’s how he convinced Rhaenyra to let him go to the battlefield, something he’s been eager to do since his return to King’s Landing.

Next, over the shots of Ormund and his army marching towards the gates, we hear Daeron telling his uncle, Gwayne Hightower, that Ormund and his right-hand man, Roxton, have some secret plot afoot, which Ormund has kept even from Daeron, whom he considers his “king.” So, what could this plan be? I guess it’s either Ulf’s betrayal, or maybe Ormund has more tricks up his sleeve. I am sure he will be expecting the dragons to start attacking his forces on the ground, so he may have planned a counterattack for those beasts. In the next shot, Daemon asks Roderick about the promise he had made when they met for the first time, that is, if he was still ready to die for the Queen? To which Roderick replies that he can’t wait, though the young Oscar Tully looks a bit worried and unsure, mostly because he’s still too young to die on the battlefield. The Winter Wolves, on the other hand, have already accepted their fate, and have left home to die an honorable death on the battlefield. With a great battle coming, it’s safe to assume that a lot of favorites are going to perish in the fight, so let me know in the comments who’s on your dead pool.

Back in King’s Landing, Helaena tells Rhaenyra that their father (Viserys) will hate her for this. Oh god, what has Rhaenyra done now? Why can’t she let poor Helaena be? I think Rhaenyra is demanding more visions or prophecies from Helaena the Dreamer, and may have threatened Helaena to kill the child in her womb if she refuses to comply with her wishes. And once again, we have a shot of Rhaenyra shedding tears, with Daemon in the background. Possibly they had another argument before Daemon left for Tumbleton. Next, we hear the voice of Lord Corlys, who was taken prisoner by Ormund’s men and locked up in a cell. He has a cloth wrapped around his left hand, as in the previous episode, Ormund chopped one of his fingers off to send to his son, Alyn, in King’s Landing. Corlys speaks to someone, possibly Ormund or Daeron, telling him that two paths diverge before him: either they will taste victory (against the Blacks) or witness a mountain of dead Hightowers. Well, we know that already, because that’s the only possible outcome of a war like this one. In between his voiceover, we see Alicent somewhere in the woods, deciding on where she wants to go: back to King’s Landing to her daughter, or to Oldtown to run away. Corlys’ dialogue applies to Alicent’s journey as well, as she has two paths ahead of her. Next we see Daemon, in his armor, giving a battle speech to his men, telling them that whether they live or die today, they will be remembered in the histories. During his speech, we see multiple shots of the Riverlands’ forces, marching alongside the Winter Wolves. And inside Tumbleton, Ormund’s men are setting up what seems to be a ballista on the roof, likely to shoot down dragons, similar to the one used by Sharako Lohar during the Battle of the Gullet. In King’s Landing, Alyn, in his Velaryon armor, is escorting a convoy, with a coffin in the center. Well, if Rhaenyra’s having too many emotional and mental breakdowns, then you can already guess who’s going to be inside that coffin, if it really is a coffin. Next, we see Roderick, inside Tumbleton, suggesting that the Black forces have already invaded the city and are killing the Hightowers’ soldiers stationed at different spots. Then, we have a very ominous shot of Hugh the Hammer, another dragonseed, who’s suspected of betraying Rhaenyra, though what’s gonna make him flip is still up for discussion. Once again, a lot of shots of armies, and one of the Gwayne is running away from smoke, possibly from a dragon attack. We also see Vermithor flying over the fields, so maybe Hugh snapped and attacked Tumbleton, defying the Queen’s orders. 

In the last leg of the teaser, we see Aemond walking barefoot and armorless, in the ruined halls of Harrenhal. In the previous episode, he was drugged by his mother, Alicent, who quickly escaped the castle thereafter. So it seems like Alys’ potions saved Aemond’s life, though Alicent’s betrayal may have taken a toll on him. In the next shot, he witnesses a glowing light in front of him. Another vision, maybe? And in the end, we see the Blacks and the Greens killing each other inside Tumbleton, probably the last stage of the battle. Ormund is shouting at the tops, while a dragon (probably Vermithor) flies over the city, and then the bloodstained face of Daemon, who looks a bit surprised. I guess this is when Ulf’s betrayal will unravel. In the last shot, we once again see Rhaenyra holding her crown, telling herself (likely) that there will be no doubt who the gods have chosen to rule. I think this is where her madness will start to unravel, as she has convinced herself that she’s Viserys’ true heir, the one who deserves to sit on the Iron Throne. From hereon, she will start following Daemon’s advice, and wield the power of the dragons, to bring the kingdom to its knees. This means Rhaenyra will no longer follow in her father’s footsteps, and will unleash her beasts on all those who reject or mock her reign, and probably this marks her transformation from the Realm’s Delight to Rhaenyra the Cruel. I think we know how this is gonna end for her, especially now that Aegon’s dragon is back on his feet, and he’s rebuilding an army to take back King’s Landing. So these are my thoughts on the finale teaser, but if you have anything else to add, please drop a comment below.