House of the Dragon has made one of its biggest departures yet from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, and fans spotted it almost immediately. In the season 3 premiere, Rhaena Targaryen claimed the wild dragon Sheepstealer, effectively taking over the storyline that belongs to Nettles in the book.
Rhaena then piloted Sheepstealer into battle at the Battle of the Gullet, just like Nettles did in the novel.
Read more: How to watch House of the Dragon season 3 premiere: Date, time and episode count
Fans split in excitement and frustration
The reaction online was immediate. One fan wrote on X, “sheepstealer really adopted rhaena my cuties.” Another commentator joked, “Sheepstealer and Rhaena must’ve watched How to Train Your Dragon.”
One user was shocked and confused with the development and wrote, “rhaena on sheepstealer? correct me if im wrong lol it’s been a while.”
In Martin’s book, Nettles is a lowborn dragonseed who wins over Sheepstealer by patiently feeding the wild dragon sheep each morning. That particular element is important because Nettles questions a fundamental tenet of the franchise: that dragon-riding is closely associated with Valyrian ancestry.
In the Battle of Gullet, Rhaena soon discovered that dragons don’t always follow orders from their riders. Sheepstealer decided to start fighting the Triarchy’s dragons, Moondancer and Vermax, even though Rhaena had joined the conflict to support her sister Baela and stepbrother Jace.
An X user wrote, “officially lost JACAERYS and VERMAX in the new season of house of the dragon i’m devastated.”
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Why is Rhaena replacing Nettles such a big change?
The seeds of this twist were planted in season 2, when Rhaena was left in the Vale and began tracking a wild dragon believed to be Sheepstealer.
Rhaena will now take over Nettles’ responsibilities.
In Fire & Blood, Daemon and Nettles grow close during the Dance, with some accounts claiming they become lovers. Mysaria later passes that rumour to Rhaenyra, who orders Nettles’ death, forcing her to flee.
Since Rhaena is Daemon’s daughter, the show is unlikely to follow that same path. But replacing Nettles with Rhaena could still have major consequences for the story ahead.
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