House of the Dragon spoilers follow.
The trailer for House of the Dragon episode eight (below) has teased more shock twists and even the potential death of a major character.
The series, which has not been a stranger to brutally killing off characters in a swift fashion, has hinted at the possibility of a key player dying in the upcoming episode.
In the trailer, we see Rhaenys Targaryen sat upon the throne at Driftmark, the seat of her husband Lord Corlys Velaryon aka The Sea Snake, as a voiceover from Matt Smith's character Daemon says: "The Sea Snake has taken a grave wound in battle in the Stepstones."
Later on in the trailer, another character adds: "Who will take the Driftwood throne?"
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While the trailer doesn't go into detail about what exactly has happened to Corlys, it hints at not only the departure of another character but potentially a major departure from the show's source material.
Fire & Blood book spoilers follow.
In George RR Martin's original book Fire & Blood, the Sea Snake does not die at this period in time, but instead goes on to have a major role in the upcoming Dance of the Dragons civil war.
While the show has already deviated from its source material, most notably by choosing not to kill a major character in episode seven, killing off Corlys would change significant parts of the show's main storyline.
Related: Is this HotD character a 'Dragon Dreamer'?
Of course, the trailer's suggestions about The Sea Snake could also be an intentional misdirection. Notably absent from the trailer is King Viserys Targaryen, whose growing health issues have been troubling him since the start of the series.
In another clip from the trailer, we even see Hand of the King Otto Hightower temporarily replacing the King on the throne with his absence left unexplained.
House of the Dragon airs on Sundays on HBO, and on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK. Season 2 has been confirmed. Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 are available on DVD and Blu-ray.
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HBO/Warner Home Video Game of Thrones Seasons 1-8 - The Complete Series [DVD] [2019]
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Columbia For The Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones) [Explicit]
Michael Joseph Game of Thrones: A Guide to Westeros and Beyond: The Complete Series
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career.
Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.
