HBO's 26-Part Fantasy Series With Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score Keeps Getting Better Ahead Of Major Release
Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.
Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."
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One of HBO's best fantasy series just keeps improving, and after having its biggest season thus far in a key metric, this exciting show is ready for its final challenge. HBO and the fantasy genre go hand in hand. Sure, both HBO and HBO Max have had success with crime thrillers like The Sopranos and sci-fi shows like DC's Lanterns.
However, the fantasy genre has been at the forefront of viewers' minds whenever HBO becomes the topic of conversation since 2011. That was the year the first season of Game of Thrones arrived on HBO. The masterpiece fantasy series based on author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book franchise grew to become perhaps the biggest fantasy show ever.
Even though Game of Thrones ended with a controversial final season, the HBO fantasy series had amassed enough viewers and awards throughout its eight seasons to remain a viable franchise for HBO to explore for years to come. In 2026, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showed there could be some comedy and levity in the world of Westeros without giving up the action and drama.
Dragonstone Archives · The Dance Begins The Dance of the Dragons Awaits “The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion.”
🐉The BlacksTeam Rhaenyra
👑The GreensTeam Aegon
🔥DragonsFire & Blood
⚔The CrownSuccession
🔮ProphecyA Song of Ice
01
King Viserys I names his heir early in the series, defying tradition that would favor his firstborn son. Who does he name as his successor?
✓ Correct! Viserys named his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne after the death of his first wife, Aemma, and their infant son. He forced the lords of the realm to swear oaths of fealty to her — oaths many would later break.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Rhaenyra Targaryen. Viserys defied Westerosi precedent by naming his daughter over his brother Daemon. Even after fathering sons with Alicent Hightower, Viserys never changed his decree.
02
Alicent Hightower’s faction is known as “the Greens.” Who is her father, the cunning Hand of the King who orchestrates much of their political strategy?
✓ Correct! Otto Hightower served as Hand of the King and was the mastermind behind the Green faction. He strategically positioned his daughter Alicent to marry Viserys, and spent decades maneuvering to place Alicent’s son Aegon on the throne.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Otto Hightower. He served as Hand to both Jaehaerys I and Viserys I, and engineered the marriage between Alicent and the King. Corlys Velaryon sided with the Blacks, and Lyonel Strong served as Hand before Otto’s return.
03
Daemon Targaryen rides a fierce, battle-scarred dragon known for its Blood Wyrm nickname. What is the name of his fearsome mount?
✓ Correct! Caraxes, known as “the Blood Wyrm,” is Daemon’s dragon — a lean, red, battle-scarred beast. While Vhagar is the largest and oldest dragon alive, Caraxes is the most experienced in combat and fiercely loyal to Daemon.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Caraxes. Syrax is Rhaenyra’s dragon, Vhagar is the oldest dragon (ridden by Aemond), and Meleys “the Red Queen” is Rhaenys’s mount. Caraxes the Blood Wyrm is Daemon’s partner in the skies.
04
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen is known by a nickname reflecting the fact she was passed over for the throne in favor of Viserys. What is she called?
✓ Correct! Rhaenys was dubbed “The Queen Who Never Was” after the Great Council of 101 AC chose Viserys over her, despite her strong claim. Married to Corlys Velaryon, she became one of the most formidable figures in the Dance, riding Meleys the Red Queen.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Queen Who Never Was. “The Realm’s Delight” is actually young Rhaenyra’s nickname. Rhaenys earned her title when the lords of the realm chose Viserys over her at the Great Council, setting the precedent that later fueled the Dance.
05
Vhagar is the largest living dragon during the Dance. Which Targaryen prince claims her — dramatically shifting the balance of power to the Greens?
✓ Correct! Aemond Targaryen claimed Vhagar at Driftmark after the funeral of Laena Velaryon — Vhagar’s previous rider. This bold act gave the Greens their most devastating weapon and sparked the confrontation that cost Aemond his eye.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Aemond Targaryen. Aegon II rides Sunfyre, Jacaerys rides Vermax, and Daeron rides Tessarion. Aemond’s daring claim of Vhagar at Driftmark was a pivotal moment that made him the Greens’ most dangerous warrior.
06
Viserys shares a secret Targaryen prophecy with Rhaenyra about a threat from the North and a promised prince. What is this prophecy called?
✓ Correct! Aegon the Conqueror had a prophetic dream he called “A Song of Ice and Fire” — a vision of a terrible winter coming from the North that would destroy the world of the living. This secret was passed from king to heir, and Viserys shared it with Rhaenyra on the night he named her heir.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is A Song of Ice and Fire. Aegon the Conqueror’s dream foretold a great threat from the North requiring a Targaryen on the Iron Throne to unite the realm. Viserys revealed this to Rhaenyra, connecting House of the Dragon directly to the events of Game of Thrones.
07
Corlys Velaryon is one of the richest and most powerful men in Westeros, famous for his legendary voyages. What is his well-known title?
✓ Correct! Corlys Velaryon earned the name “The Sea Snake” through his legendary nine voyages across the known world aboard his ship. He amassed a fortune that made House Velaryon wealthier than even the Lannisters, and his naval power proved crucial in the Dance.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Sea Snake. While Corlys did serve on the Small Council, his legendary title comes from his nine great voyages. “Lord of the Tides” is the formal title of the head of House Velaryon, but “The Sea Snake” is his personal epithet.
08
The Season 1 finale ends with a devastating loss for Rhaenyra when one of her sons is killed in a dragonback confrontation. Which son does she lose, and who kills him?
✓ Correct! Lucerys Velaryon, riding his young dragon Arrax, was pursued and killed by Aemond on the colossal Vhagar above Shipbreaker Bay near Storm’s End. The show portrays this as partly accidental — Vhagar acted on her own — but the result ignited the Dance of the Dragons into open war.
✗ Dracarys! The answer is Lucerys, killed by Aemond and Vhagar. Luke was sent as an envoy to Storm’s End but was confronted by Aemond. The massive Vhagar devoured young Arrax and his rider above Shipbreaker Bay — the act that turned a succession dispute into a full-scale civil war.
Dragonstone Archives · Sealed by Fire Your Dragon Rider Record
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Did you ride to glory — or fall from the sky?
Before that, in 2022, the first Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon, was released on HBO. It is true that House of the Dragon has faced some criticism from season 2 forward, which also comes from Martin himself, who clashed with showrunner Ryan Condal. That said, there is no denying that House of the Dragon just had its best season yet in a key metric, and it could still be surpassed.
House Of The Dragon Just Had Its Best Season In A Key Metric
A lot of the time, reviews can help make or break a TV show. If a new series comes out of the gate to rave reviews, as many eyeballs as possible will be on it. On the other hand, if viewers get a day or maybe even weeks to read all the negative reviews that can come out before a new series is released, they are likely to lose interest in the project. That is why it is so exciting that HBO's House of the Dragon season 3, which started airing on June 21 and concluded on August 9, boasts the show's best Rotten Tomatoes score.
On Rotten Tomatoes, House of the Dragon season 1, which introduced several actors to the world, like DC's new Supergirl actress Milly Alcock, stands at a mighty 90% critics' score based on a whopping 873 reviews. The Game of Thrones spinoff's second season stands at a series low 84% critics' score based on 285 reviews, which many shows would still fight to match, while House of the Dragon season 3 tops all seasons of the HBO fantasy series at a massive 91% critics' score based on 173 reviews. After season 2 took a dip, season 3 shows how House of the Dragon is getting better than ever.
How House Of The Dragon Season 4 Could Be The Show's Best
House of the Dragon season 3 managed to top the Game of Thrones spinoff on Rotten Tomatoes by being the HBO fantasy series' most action-packed season to date. There was plenty of fighting between humans, dragons, and the usual political backstabbing that makes Martin's franchise as enticing as it has always been. There was also a sense of finality and drive, as multiple major characters reached their definitive endings or made choices that set them on the path that will lead to their fates in Martin's Fire & Blood book, which the show is based on. After years of setup, House of the Dragon is paying them off.
That is how House of the Dragon season 4, which is confirmed to be the final season of the Game of Thrones prequel series, could end up being its very best. Rhaenyra Targaryen has crossed the point of no return, having climbed as high as she could, all while seemingly losing herself in the Targaryen Civil War.
All that is left is for her to fall, a storyline that should boost season 4 past all other seasons of the hit fantasy series. As the stories of several characters meet a bloody end with plenty of shocking twists for those who did not read the books, House of the Dragon could have its best season to date.
- Release Date
- August 21, 2022
- Network
- HBO
- Directors
- Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel
- Writers
- Gabe Fonseca
- Franchise(s)
- Game of Thrones
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.