House of the Dragon Season 3 has several important conflicts, but most of all, it builds up the Battle of Tumbleton, featuring a clash between Ormund Hightower (James Norton) and Rhaenyra's (Emma D'Arcy) forces. However, like any event in House of the Dragon, the battle holds a few surprises. The prequel series may be based on George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood, but it has never shied away from taking its own path. Season 3 includes several such diversions, but in the case of the finale's battle, the show's changes greatly improve the story.
Over the course of Season 3, House of the Dragon has altered the storyline of the "Two Betrayers," as Fire & Blood calls them. In the show, these two dragonseeds, Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) and Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), are more developed, making them sympathetic, fleshed-out characters rather than generic, power-hungry villains. Although the choice drastically alters the Battle of Tumbleton, it creates a more interesting story for fans to follow.
'House of the Dragon' Doesn't Follow Ulf and Hugh's 'Fire & Blood' Story
In Fire & Blood, both Hugh and Ulf ultimately join the Greens, unexpectedly changing sides and using their dragons against Rhaenyra. Later, they demand more power, even declaring themselves kings. However, House of the Dragon takes a different approach. While Ulf's storyline in the series is the most similar to what happens to him in Fire & Blood, with the character turning on Rhaenyra's army, it isn't a desire for power that drives him.
In Season 3, Episode 6, Daemon (Matt Smith) embarrasses him in front of the people of King's Landing, making Ormund's offer of allegiance attractive to him. This grudge motivates Ulf to change sides, but Ormund quickly reveals himself to be no better, similarly beating and humiliating Ulf when he discovers that the dragonseed has slept through the early stages of the battle. In the end, Ulf doesn't simply betray Rhaenyra, but also kills Ormund, becoming an independent player, for however long that lasts. Ulf's storyline may be different, but it remains recognizable to what happened in the novel.
Meanwhile, Hugh follows a different trajectory compared to his Fire & Blood counterpart. His storyline has been changed since the beginning, with his relationship with his wife, Kat (Ellora Torchia), becoming central to his character. In the Season 3 finale, he defies Rhaenyra and leaves King's Landing to protect Kat during the battle, but finds her too late. Considering the tragedy of his wife's death, Hugh may take more direct action against Rhaenyra in Season 4, ultimately betraying her in the process — even if he follows a different path to that outcome.
'House of the Dragon' Improves Ulf and Hugh's Story in Season 3
While House of the Dragon does make significant changes to Martin's book, it vastly improves the story with more compelling character arcs. Season 2 expands Ulf and Hugh's roles, revealing them before they even claim dragons, and Season 3 develops them even further. Rather than leaning into Ulf's betrayal of Rhaenyra simply for power, House of the Dragon makes it more about wounded pride. Meanwhile, Hugh's desire to rescue the woman he loves makes him a sympathetic character, drastically altering his portrayal from his book counterpart, even as the battle threatens to change his loyalties regardless.
Rather than making Hugh and Ulf too similar, House of the Dragon gives them unique storylines that are more exciting to watch. The two are notable figures as some of the only lowborn dragonriders in the series, and by developing them further, House of the Dragon ensures that they are just as interesting as any Targaryen. In this way, the series continues the exploration of the smallfolk that Season 2 emphasizes, showing that they are as important as the nobles. Though it changes the precise events of the Battle of Tumbleton from Fire & Blood, developing Hugh and Ulf is what Season 3 needed to evolve from a purely historical account into a more nuanced story of betrayal.
Image via HBO
English (US) ·