Every Death In House Of The Dragon Season 3’s Finale Explained

Content Warning: This article contains discussions of suicide and sexual assault.

Warning! Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3’s finale ahead!House of the Dragon season 3 ends the same way it started—with a devastating battle and thousands of tragic deaths. While the premiere’s Battle of the Gullet saw Queen Rhaenyra lose her son, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, it at least secured her rule in King’s Landing. The Battle of Tumbleton brought no such satisfaction, since, even with a technical victory for the Blacks, the tragedy and devastation of the event are guaranteed to reflect poorly on Rhaenyra.

Ormund Hightower held the town of Tumbleton for no other purpose than the thousands of innocent lives Rhaenyra would have to burn through to get to him and Prince Daeron Targaryen. It’s for precisely this reason that the queen was so hesitant, but with the news that King Aegon had returned to life, Rhaenyra finally gave Daemon the go-ahead to take the city. The Hightowers were to be rooted out, door to door, while the innocent people of Tumbleton should be spared as much as possible.

We saw a similar situation in Game of Thrones season 8 when Cersei Lannister used the innocent people of King’s Landing against Daenerys Targaryen. Once again, the result of this was no more than fire, blood, and death. Ulf White betrayed the Blacks as Ormund intended, but he also turned Silverwing’s flames against Tumbleton and the Hightowers. Between this horrible battle and Rhaenyra’s crimes back in King’s Landing, House of the Dragon season 3, episode 8, had no shortage of significant deaths.

The High Septon Of The Faith

Rhaenyra with the High Septon in House of the Dragon

Rhaenyra’s first crime in House of the Dragon season 3’s finale, aside from force-feeding her sister Helaena, is ordering the High Septon of the Faith to be executed at the Sept of Baelor. Earlier in season 3, this holy man refused to anoint Rhaenyra in the name of the Seven, since he had already anointed King Aegon I Targaryen and didn’t believe this ruler to be dead. It clearly didn’t matter to the High Septon that King Viserys had publicly and legally made Rhaenyra his heir, since to him, it was Aegon who had the favor of the gods.

Rhaenyra could hold out hope that the High Septon would anoint her once Aegon was proven to be dead. However, when news reached King’s Landing that the king and his golden dragon were resurrected, Rhaenyra knew she couldn’t wait. The people would consider Aegon’s miracle a sign from the gods, so she needed a more immediate sign from the High Septon. When he still refused to give it, Alyn Velaryon (technically still Alyn of Hull in House of the Dragon season 3) was ordered to kill the High Septon right there in the holy Sept.

Ormund Hightower

There was only one confirmed death we could take any pleasure in the House of the Dragon season 3 finale. Ormund Hightower, though technically new to the series, quickly proved himself to be a real piece of work. The man despised Targaryens, and only raised young Daeron as king because of his upbringing as a Hightower in Oldtown. In Ormund’s eyes, this stage in the Dance of the Dragons was a chance to root out that ancient house for good and ensure Hightower power in Westeros. Of course, the plan was complete and utter madness.

Ormund Hightower had no real chance of defeating the Black faction from Tumbleton. However, he thought that bringing Ulf White over to his side (as seen in House of the Dragon season 3, episode 7) would be enough to keep Daeron in play long enough to root Rhaenyra out from the inside. The trouble is that, come the battle’s start, Ulf was nowhere to be found. Ormund found himself in combat against Roddy the Ruin, and though he removed his opponent’s arm, Roddy found a choice place to stick Ormund with his blade. Then, Ulf finally arrived to burn the Blacks—though he burned Ormund and his greens with them.

Ser Roderick Dustin

Roddy the Ruin (Tommy Flanagan) holding up an axe in front of Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) in House of the Dragon Season 3.

Ser Roderick Dustin—AKA, Roddy the Ruin—wanted nothing more in House of the Dragon than to die for the Dragon Queen, so we can’t be too sad about his end in the season 3 finale. Roddy led the Winter Wolves, an army of aged warriors from the North with absolutely nothing to lose. They knew a great many of them would die during the Battle of Tumbleton, but so long as it was glorious, and so long as they took down twice as many Greens with them, it was all worth it. In Roddy’s case, he managed to bring down Ormund Hightower before he himself burned in dragon fire.

In House of the Dragon‘s version of the tale, Roddy’s the Ruin’s last words were “Now that’s a proper f**king from the North!”, uttered just after he stabbed a knife into Ormund Hightower’s backside. Armless and bleeding heavily, Roddy at least knew that Ormund was fated for death ahead of him. He had just enough time to laugh in maniacal glee and satisfaction as Ulf White and the dragon Silverwing swept down to burn the two enemies together. It was violent, bloody, vulgar, and absolutely horrible. So, in short, it’s just the sort of death this Northern warrior always dreamed of.

Kat

We don’t see exactly when Kat dies in House of the Dragon‘s season 3 finale. In a prior scene, we saw her attempt to protect her family as the fighting began. However, by the time her husband, Hugh Hammer, was able to get into Tumbleton, Kat was dead on the floor of her brother’s home. Her body wasn’t burned like many of those on the streets, so it’s difficult to say what caused her death. Given the chaos of the fighting and the presence of both Black and Green soldiers, it really could have been anything.

Kat’s death is particularly tragic because, in Hugh’s mind, he had taken up his role as a dragonseed just for her. He wanted to raise her out of poverty and bring their home status and honor. However, previously in House of the Dragon season 3, we learn that Kat never wanted any of that. She believed Hugh was long dead, and was enraged to discover that he had been off riding dragons for Queen Rhaenyra.

The last that Hugh saw Kat before her death, she screamed that she didn’t know who he was anymore and demanded that he leave. Despite this, Ulf returned to Tumbleton against Rhaenyra’s orders, though it was all for nothing.

Helaena Targaryen

The emotional high point of House of the Dragon season 3, episode 8, arrived as Rhaenyra Targaryen returned to the Red Keep from the Sept of Baelor and was delivered the dark news that Helaena Targaryen threw herself from her bedroom window. Rhaenyra went to see the evidence of this herself and saw her sister’s corpse impaled upon the spikes surrounding the castle. Hauntingly, Helaena had artfully depicted her suicide in cross-stitch just before her death, which Rhaenyra found half draped over the windowsill. The rest of Helaena’s tapestry seemed to depict Rhaenyra’s own crumbling rule.

Helaena’s death was in the works for quite some time. Alicent warned before she left that her daughter was fragile and couldn’t be kept locked away inside. Additionally, Alicent tried desperately to free Helaena, since she knew the unborn prince in her belly would be used as a tool against Aegon and the Greens. This queen was correct on both counts.

When Mysaria desperately warned Helaena in House of the Dragon season 3’s finale that Aegon is alive and Rhaenyra will never let her go free, the various possible futures Helaena saw merged into one. Death was the only way Helaena could avoid being used as a tool in Rhaenyra’s tyranny.