“The enemy usurped my throne,” Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) declares in a brand-new trailer for "House of the Dragon" season 2, which HBO dropped on its socials today (May 14). That enemy just happens to be Rhaenyra’s half-brother Aegon II, prompting a fiery sibling feud that will change the course of not only the show’s sophomore season but also the realm of Westeros as they know it.
The two-minute-plus trailer showcases just how the House Targaryen succession war will dominate the new episodes of the "Game of Thrones" prequel series, with the season premiere hitting HBO and Max on Sunday, June 19 and the second season running for eight episodes total.
The new clip sees the return of many familiar faces from the previous season, including Matt Smith as Rhaenyra’s husband-uncle Daemon Targaryen (who it seems may be having doubts about his queen's right to the Iron Throne), Olivia Cooke as her former best friend slash stepmother Queen Alicent Hightower (who complicatedly still "has love for her enemy"), Tom Glynn-Carney as Rhaenyra’s contentiously crowned half-brother Aegon II and Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen, who kicked off all of the fury and bloodshed in the family during that shocking season 1 finale when his dragon Vhagar not-so-accidentally killed Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys Velaryon.
Clearly, that familiar fury will continue in the impending season: "F*** dignity! I want revenge," Glynn-Carney's Aegon II can be seen roaring to his advisors in the new trailer. With shifting alliances, cutting betrayals, marching troops and fire-breathing dragons, season 2 is amping up to be just as drama-filled as its predecessor, and for good reason: “A Targaryen who sits on the Iron Throne is not just a king or a queen. They are a protector of the realm,” the trailer declares. Though Rhaenyra warns that all of that fighting might be for naught: "War is coming, and neither of us may win."
Fellow cast members returning for the second season of "House of the Dragon" include Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Sonoya Mizuno and Rhys Ifans. New additions to the cast include Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne, Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers and Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower.
Which side of Team Black versus Team Green will all of these Westeros newcomers be on this season? You can make your own allegiances known with the show's first batch of season 2 trailers, dueling videos that allowed fans to choose to follow along with either D'Arcy's Rhaenyra and the Dragonstone forces or Cooke's Alicent and the rest of the King's Landing crew.
Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all things related to the "House of the Dragon" second season, including new trailers and clips, casting info, episode details and more. In the meantime, you can catch up with all of your favorite "HOTD" characters by rewatching the show's first season with a Max subscription.
