Additional Coverage:
- Rhaena Targaryen has seemingly replaced Nettles in ‘House of the Dragon.’ Here’s how her story was changed from the book. (businessinsider.com)
“House of the Dragon” season three introduces a surprising twist in the tale of Rhaena Targaryen and her bond with a wild dragon, diverging notably from George R. R. Martin’s original “Fire & Blood” narrative.
The season opens with Rhaena, portrayed by Phoebe Campbell, confronting Sheepstealer, a fierce, riderless dragon known for its ferocity and wild nature. While many would meet a grim fate facing such a beast, Rhaena manages to tame Sheepstealer, becoming a dragonrider for the first time-a development that shocks both her family and fans familiar with the books.
In the source material, the dragon Sheepstealer is claimed not by Rhaena, but by a character named Nettles, a cunning and persistent teenager of uncertain birth who wins the dragon’s trust through patience and offering fresh sheep daily. Nettles, unlike the noble-born Targaryens traditionally expected to bond with dragons, becomes Sheepstealer’s rider in an unconventional and touching alliance.
Nettles plays a significant role in the Dance of the Dragons, pledging loyalty to Rhaenyra Targaryen and fighting alongside her forces. Her relationship with Daemon Targaryen grows close during their joint mission to hunt down Aemond Targaryen, adding layers of complexity to the story. However, Nettles’ story ends in betrayal: accused of treason by Rhaenyra, she escapes with Daemon’s aid, disappearing from the chronicles thereafter.
Meanwhile, Rhaena’s journey in “Fire & Blood” unfolds differently. Though she desires a dragon desperately, her own dragon dies young, and she remains devoted to protecting Rhaenyra’s sons during the war. It is only later, after much waiting and praying for one of her dragon eggs to hatch, that she becomes a dragonrider, eventually bonding with a dragon she names Morning and joining the battle with Lady Jeyne Arryn’s forces.
The show’s choice to have Rhaena claim Sheepstealer reshapes her character arc and adds a fresh dynamic to the unfolding drama, blending familiar elements with new interpretations. This adaptation highlights the creative liberties taken to bring the story to the screen, offering fans both homage to the source and unexpected developments in the saga of the Targaryens.