House of the Dragon - Season 3 Finale ‘The Treasons at Tumbleton’ explained

Warning: Major spoilers ahead

In King’s Landing, Rhaenyra is informed of reports that Aegon and Sunfyre has reappeared, and enters Daemon's chambers in a panic. Word is spreading word throughout King’s Landing that "he is risen" and his support is rallying - the smallfolk believe his return is a sign from the gods that he is the true king.

Daemon urges her to calm, but she’s ready to snap, angry at her father Viserys, and the prophecy from Aegon the Conqueror on which she’s based her life. Daemon tells her the only true quality the realm understands is strength – and she needs to show it.

Gathering herself and switching to her Old Valyrian tongue, she commands they set a watch for Aegon’s dragons, with Hugh taking position outside the Dragonpit on Vermithor, and orders Daemon to begin his attack on Tumbleton, weeding out any and killing every Hightower he can. However, she warns him to tread carefully so she doesn’t look like a monster to the realm.

As Rhaenyra prepares for what’s next, Baela corners her and asks if they are planning to rescue Corlys, who is still being held captive by Ormund. She dismisses her concerns, saying Daemon will rescue him once Tumbleton is reclaimed. Baela angrily tells her step-mother that she uses people as weapons with no gratitude, which only stokes Rhaenyra’s anger further.

When Rhaenyra tells her that she could have disowned her after what happened at the Gullet, Baela says she only didn’t because she needed her dragon, causing the Queen to grab her by the face and declaring her an “insolent child just like her sister”.

Outside the Keep, Alyn welcomes the Valyrian army as they arrive by boat from Driftmark, who believe they’re there for the rescue mission of their Lord Commander Corlys. But Alyn corrects them – they are there to protect Rhaenyra and King’s Landing. When they object, he declares himself Corlys’ oldest living son and successor – the future Lord of the Tides.

The maid Elinda visits the Queen to warn her that Helaena’s health continues to suffer as she refuses to eat. Rhaenyra brushes this aside, instead asking her to send for Ser Alyn, who will escort her to the Grand Sept to demand a coronation in front of her people, so there “can be no doubt who the Gods have chosen to rule”. Elinda is then sent to Mysaria's quarters with a small retinue of guards, who begin packing her things. The maid informs Mysaria that her services will no longer be required, and she is being shipped off to Pentos without warning.

Outside in the garden, a weeping Helaena is escorted back to her quarters by a guard, passing Mysaria as she does so. Mysaria warns her not to trust the Queen, that Aegon and Sunfyre live, and that Rhaenyra will never release her as long as her unborn baby continues to be a threat to her position on the throne.

Rhaenyra comes to visit Helaena in her chambers to encourage her to eat, but she refuses, letting slip that she’s expecting a boy. Rhaenyra is baffled that she thinks her half-sister thinks she could harm her, but Helaena notes that being alive is “more than not being dead” and that their father, Viserys, would hate what she’s doing to her.

Rhaenyra says she had tried to follow her father’s philosophy, but it would be the kingdom’s undoing if she did. When Helaena tries to tell her a story of a beautiful beetle that only lives in King’s Landing, living off the waste of others, she’s bewildered, and humours her by offhandedly saying she’ll have to show her in summer when the beetle emerges.

Helaena says that Rhaenyra’s only pretending to care, and the things she truly cares about are ugly – including the Kingdom, the Keep and herself. Tired of attempting to reason with her, Rhaenyra commands the guards to force feed her and departs.

Outside, Alyn and Addam get into an argument about the dark path Rhaenyra is going down as a result of hearing about Aegon’s return. Baela has been grounded and confined, and now Alyn is planning a secret mission he refuses to tell his brother, saying it’s not his place to question the Queen. Addam thinks he’s doing it for his own ambition and quick climb in the ranks in the eyes of the realm, but Alyn says it’s “just his duty”.

Rhaenyra emerges resplendent in full armour, and boards a litter with her son Joffrey towards the Grand Sept, leaving a worried Addam behind. As they pass graffiti branding her the “Queen of Bastards” she tells her son that he is set to rule in the future and needs to learn a few things. Outside, the streets are humming with activity, and as her carriage is slowed by the crowds, Mysaria slips out unsees and disappears in the crowd.

Aemond, alive, but still feeling the effects from the poison administered by his mother, wakes up, having been given an antidote by Alys. She tells him he’s alone now, like her, but she doesn’t want to be alone anymore. Heartbroken at the deceit, Aemond doesn’t understand why she continues to look after him, believing he’s been cursed after killing his brother.

Alys quietly weeps, but hides it from Aemond, and tells him the story of what happened at Harrenhal when the dragon Balerion burned it down. She shares that a boy, badly burned, was the only male survivor of Lord Harren’s line. His mother turned to maesters and then magic in order to try and save him. When it failed, and the boy died, she tried to kill herself to follow her son and discovered she was cursed to live forever.

Aemond realises she’s talking about herself – making her over 100 years old – and sympathises with her, before they share a kiss.

Later that evening, Aemond is disturbed in his sleep by another arrival – his brother Aegon arrives at Harrenhal on Sunfyre. He immediately collapses to his knees, having thought all this time that Aegon had died. But as he is all too happy to confirm - “I’m Aliiiiiiiive!”

Aemond begs for his forgiveness, but Aegon just laughs, saying he should have him burned. Aemond admits he tried to kill him to take his place and is willing to accept his punishment. Aegon gets irritated, saying killing him was meant to feel more fun and spares his life. When Alys arrives, Aemond introduces her as his betrothed.

But Aegon has another plan – he wants Aemond to join him, find Vhagar, before heading to Tumbleton to kill Daeron and reassert their place as true leaders of the realm. Once they’ve done that, they can head to King’s Landing and end things with Rhaenyra who falsely declared him dead. Alys protests that he’s not fit enough to do it – but Aegon says it’s the only way he would even consider forgiving Aemond for trying to kill him.

At Tumbleton, Ormund, Daeron and Gwayne cautiously prepare for battle to begin as the stronghold is set up with soldiers and barricades. Ormund reveals a new tactic - he lines the walls with terrified children as a human shield. He then knights Daeron so he can be crowned King after the battle, amending the oath to add the Hightower motto: “We Light the Way’.

Having defected to the Hightower’s side, Ulf gets drunk at the local inn in Tumbleton. He boorishly brags about his role in the upcoming battle – referring to Rhaenyra as the Queen of Bastards and Daemon as her “b***h on a leash” before donning his armour – but not before demanding another ale.

Ser Gwayne seems more than aware they’re preparing to die and says as much to Daeron. Daeron notices Ormund and Ser Roxton behaving strangely, knowing they’re up to something, and shares his plans to Ser Gwayne that join the fight – because it’s either that, or flee as people die in his name.Meanwhile, word has reached Ormond that Ulf has gone missing. Furious, he dispatches men to find him with haste.

In a desperate, last-ditch effort, Ser Gwayne appeals to Corlys to join their cause. When he refuses, saying his honour is all he has left, Ser Gwayne heads out to meet Daemon to parlay. He beings Crolys with him at knifepoint - offering him up as a sign of goodwill and proposing a peace treaty.

When Daemon arrives to lead the awaiting Black army on the back of Caraxes, he is greeted by Roddy the Ruin and Oscar Tully, who are ready for battle. Ser Gwayne nervously introduces himself and proposes they split the realm in two – with Rhaenyra reigning across half from King’s Landing, while Daeron rules from Oldtown.

Seeing that the negotiations are failing, Corlys then steps in and amends the offer: make Daeron Lord Paramount rather than a King, betroth Rhaena to Daeron to combine the two factions, so Rhaenyra can maintain control and the war could be over with no blood being shed.

Daemon has no interest in a peace treaty though and wants all the Hightowers dead. Not only that, he shares that Aegon is still alive somewhere in the realm – information that’s news to Ser Gwayne and Corlys. He considers Corlys a traitor and a craven for even coming up with the idea, but Corlys says he just wants peace.

When Ser Gwayne responds to Daemon’s callous response, he’s met with a hand to his throat, and is almost strangled to death in front of the cheering crowd. However, he’s let go – if only to warn Ormund of their impending attack.

As Daemon lays down plans with his men, he’s informed about the children lining the barracks. They are disgusted by this maneuver but continue their plans undaunted. Ser Roddy, prepared to die for the Queen, willingly agrees to scale the walls with his Greybeards, overpower their defences and open the gate from the inside.

With a final rallying speech to the thousands-strong army, the Battle of Tumbleton begins, with the Greybeard faction charging in first as arrows begin flying. While the Hightower archers, ballistae and soldiers kill many, the Roddy the Ruin's charge is successful and they scale the walls, killing the soldiers and even the braver children who attempt to fight.

Ulf is still nowhere to be found, and Ormond hears news that Daeron has freed Corlys in an attempt to broker peace. With both of his secret cards gone, Ormund's plan is rudderless.

But Ulf's absence is noticed by both sides – with Deamon confused by his dereliction of duy. What’s even more shocking is the arrival of Vermithor, Hugh’s dragon, who is meant to be at King’s Landing.

As a secondary force rides to the south of Tumbleton to attack from two fronts, Daemon calls for Caraxes to breach the gate himself – only to be halted by a group of children who are sent out to block his passage. Daemon commands them to move, and all but two children flee. Caraxes sets the gate aflame (along with the children still standing in the way) before bursting through it. As Daemon’s men storm through the gate on horseback, Hugh sneaks in alongside them.

Ormund finally finds Ulf, who had passed out drunk on the privvy, and almost gags at the smell before brutally publicly beating him, draws still round his ankles, and berates him for not following his command. He calls him a "low-born" and tells him to get on his dragon immediately and do as he’s told. Still drunk, Ulf heads to Silverwing, kills the messenger guarding his dragon, and soars into battle. His appearance is cheered by the thousands strong army situated outside the gates, but this turns to terror as Ulf commands Silverwing to burn them all alive.

As both Daemon and Roddy go looking for Ormund, Daemon spots Hugh, who is desperately looking for his wife Kat amongst the carnage. He decides to let him be, before battling Ser Roxton in the courtyard.

Ser Gwayne, desperate to keep Daeron safe, finds him in the church, preparing his dragon Tessarion for battle. With their attempts at peace failing, he doesn’t want to be remembered as someone who wasn’t prepared to fight for his cause. Ser Gwayne pleads with him not to die for Ormund’s vanity, but it’s clear he doesn’t feel like he has a choice – until they see Ulf setting fire to the Black army, and they realise what Ormund had been hiding. Ser Gwayne realises they now have hope for survival.

With Daemon busy with Ser Roxton, Roddy focuses his attention on Ormund, who he finds on the barricade. In the duel, Ormund successfully cuts off Roddy’s arm and appears to have bested his opponent. That may have been the case had the dying Roddy not spewed his own blood over his face. His weak stomach betraying him, Ormond turns his back as he retches and heaves. Fatally wounded, but not yet defeated, Roddy settles the battle by driving his sword up Ormund's backside.

It would have been for nought, anyway. Ulf arrives on the back of Silverwing. Still raging at the humiliation he suffered from Ormund and Daemon both, he decides he is done with both sides and turns his dragon on the city at large. Seeing Ormund on the battlements, he mutters "f* you too!" and opens fire. Roddy dies laughing and accepting his fate, while Ormund screams in terror.

With Silverwing now attacking at random, the entire stronghold turns to chaos, with Roxton and Daemon caught in the chaos and knocked out by collapsing rubble. When Daemon comes to, he sees the horrors of what’s happened, with smallfolk everywhere cradling their dead, badly burned, with nowhere to go. Disoriented but with no other choice, he continues to push forth by killing any soldier in his wake, but is halted by Corlys, who tells him that Ulf has turned and Tumbleton is lost. They retreat.

Ulf and Silverwing are eventually driven away by Caraxes and Vermithor. In the aftermath of the battle, Ser Gwayne comes to, only to realise that Daeron is missing. Elsewhere, Hugh finds Kat, but it's too late. She's dead.

Rhaenyra arrives at the Grand Sept, passing through dozens of smallfolk brought there by word of Aegon's resurrrection, and barges into the church with her guards. The High Septon is furious at the imposition, as no arms are meant to cross the threshold, but she demands he anoint her in front of the people and cement her position as Queen.

When they refuse (even calling by the title Princess) they state that Aegon’s rise from the dead is a clear sign that the Gods have chosen him to rule and will not oppose their will. She declares the High Septon a traitor, and commands Alyn to kill him, but before he does he warns doing so will damn his soul to the Seven Hells. Rhaenyra tells Alyn that as the blood of Old Valyria, he serves a higher God than they do. Alyn does as he is commanded.

Outside, she addresses the crowd with her small council, including Grand Maester Orwyle and Tohrren Manderly. In a rousing speech, Rhaenyra notes her father, Viserys the Peaceful, declared her his heir publicly, and she was prophesied before anyone was born. She shares the long held secret Song of Ice and Fire, the prophecy bestowed by Aegon the Conqueror, and warns of dark forces that threaten their Kingdom in the high north.

As the crowd listens intently, Mysaria weaves her way through the smallfolk, listening as Rhaenyra declares herself in Valyrian “The Prince That Was Promised”.

Back in the Keep, Helaena, with nowhere to turn and her embroidery complete, heads towards the window of her chambers. By the time Rhaenyra returns, she has jumped to her death, becoming impaled on the spikes below.

When Rhaenyra sees her tapestry, she sees Helaena had been stitching an image of her own death, but no one had noticed. Another piece sees Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne, surrounded by fire and blood. Seemingly content that this is the sign she's been looking for, Rhaenyra tightens her resolve and closes the bedroom window.

The Battle of Tumbleton sees several characters meet the gods, alongside dozens of soldiers, clergymen, civilians and children who became collateral damage in the fight for the Iron Throne.

The most notable of which are:

● Ser Roderick Dustin - aka Roddy The Ruin – a Greybeard fighter of the North who was a strong ally of Team Black, who was literally disarmed by Ormund before being burned to death by Silverwing.

● Lord Ormund Hightower – the Hightower supremacist with a sensitive nose and stomach is found badly burned in the rubble by soldiers after Ulf’s attack on Silverwing. Prior to the fire, he had sustained a (surely fatal) injury in the form of a sword being shoved up his colon by Roddy the Ruin.

● Kat - Wife of Dragonseed Hugh Hammer, who fled King's Landing for a safer life in Tumbleton with her brother and his family.

● Helaena Targaryen – who jumped to her own death from her quarters, having realised there was no escape for her. She was also pregnant with a child, whom she believed to be a son.

● The High Septon - the leader of the Faith is murdered by Alyn of Hull under the command of Queen Rhaenyra when he refuses once again to publicly anoint her as Queen in the Light of the Seven.

House of the Dragon is available to watch on Sky Atlantic, NOW and HBO Max.