The season finale of House of the Dragon didn’t feature any grand battles, but it delivered some surprising character twists. Throughout the season, there were hints about Daemon’s ambitions to seize the throne, but he ultimately swore loyalty to his “true queen,” Rhaenyra. This shift was influenced by a vision involving Helaena Targaryen.
In the source material Fire & Blood, Helaena’s character is not given much detail, so the show creators took creative liberties by making her a prophetic figure. This added a new layer to her role in the series.
Helaena, who is usually portrayed as gentle and somewhat aloof, showed a more formidable side when she confronted Aemond for burning Aegon. She prophesied his death in a battle at the God’s Eye, saying, “Aegon will be king again. He’s yet to see victory. He sits on a wooden throne. And you… you’ll be dead.” This prophecy aligns with events from the book. In the finale, Aegon’s departure from King’s Landing allows him to escape capture by Rhaenyra. Despite reclaiming the throne, he suffers a serious injury in a duel with Baela Targaryen, which leaves him unable to walk. He then rules from a cushioned wooden seat, which reflects Helaena’s “wooden throne” prophecy.
In the books, Helaena’s fate is tragic; she descends into madness after her son’s murder and eventually commits suicide. With the show taking such creative liberties, it’s unclear if her fate will differ in the series. We’ll have to wait for the next season to see.
Phia Saban, who plays Helaena, admitted she doesn’t know what the future holds for her character. She noted that the scene in episode 8 showed Helaena’s powerful potential, but she might revert to her previous reserved behavior. Saban expressed interest in exploring more of Helaena’s prophetic side and joked that it would be fun for her character to interact more with Daemon.
Season 2 of House of the Dragon is now available for streaming on Jio Cinema.
