House Of The Dragon Finally Drops Their Green Trailer – Here Is The Latest

With HBO having announced the official date for the return of the House of the Dragon, 16 June, we only have one month left to wait. Season 1’s finale aired on 23 October 2022, and just over a year later, on March 22nd, HBO released two trailers for the much-anticipated season 2. The Black and Green trailers are aimed at supporters of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and King Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), respectively. Here, I’ll be talking through the Green trailer, which centres on King Aegon and the Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), who have claimed the Iron Throne despite the line of succession, which we saw decided in season 1.

If you’re on Rhaenyra and Daemon’s side, check out our article on the Black trailer. 

In the season 1 finale, we watched as Aegon claimed the Iron Throne, and Prince Lucerys Valeryon (Elliot Grihault) was killed during an attack by Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), King Aegon’s brother. With blood drawn and Rhaenyra wanting retribution for her lost son, war became inevitable between the two halves of the Targaryen House. 

As is traditional in the Game of Thrones universe, the heir is typically the firstborn son, or the next male relative, of the King. In the Green trailer, we see Alicent Hightower speaking with Larys “Clubfoot” Strong (Matthew Needham), justifying her son’s claim to the crown based on King Viserys’ dying ramblings about the prophecy of ‘the Prince that was Promised’: On his deathbed, he knew the realm would never accept a queen. Rhaenyra’s supporters will believe what they wish, but Viserys wants Aegon to succeed him. 

While it’s clear, based on their relationship throughout season 1, the main fight is actually between Rhaenyra and her close-friend-turned-bitter-enemy-and-step-mum Alicent, the real architect behind the usurpation is actually Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). In season 1, Alicent’s father manipulated her relationship with the late king and has played a large part in the story thus far, and it doesn’t look like he’s done pulling strings yet. Serving as one of King Aegon’s chief advisors, alongside Alicent, we see Otto telling Aegon: We will prevail and bring forth peace, but you must accept that the path to victory now is one of violence, to which Aegon replies: Good. To war, then. 

We also get a glimpse of the new banners that decorate King’s Landing, bearing the Targaryen sigil but in gold and over a green background, unlike the recognisable red and black motif. Supporting Aegon’s birthright and the strength of his succession to the Iron Throne, we’ll likely see some discourse between the new King and the common folk of King’s Landing as a prelude to the coming fight.

With shots also showing the preparation of weapons of war, we get a glimpse of Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor) installing scorpions while dressed in the armour of the Kingsguard. Anyone who has read the books will know that Arryk Cargyll has a twin brother, Erryk Cargyll (Elliot Tittensor), who will side with Rhaenyra. Much like the iconic Hound Vs Mountain rivalry, we’ll get to see the Cargyll brothers fight on either side of the war. 

Other fighters we see joining the Green side include Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), whose bitterness at being rejected, however many years prior, is helping to fuel the fires of war – at least in him. Also seen in the Black, though not in the Green trailer, is Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), Alicent’s brother and part of the City Watch. 

Not without their own dragons, at least three remain on the side of Aegon Targaryen, with a shot of Aegon and his dragon, Sunfyre, in the trailer heavily indicating we will see Aegon ride his dragon into the fray; meanwhile, the Blacks claim an estimated seven dragons, with a further three unclaimed and another three in the wild. While Vhagar, on the Green team, is the oldest and most feared dragon, the war will probably be heavily influenced by the quantity and quality of each side’s dragons, promising battles full of fire and blood.