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House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6 recap: A Butcher's Ball as [Spoiler] meets an nasty demise and blood is shed on the Iron Throne
Spoiler warning for House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6.
HBO
- Lewis Knight
Published: Monday, 27 July 2026 at 3:00 am
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Well, after this week, we only have two episodes remaining from House of the Dragon season 3.
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Last week's fifth episode saw dark elements working against Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) in King's Landing as the Dance of Dragons continues in earnest thanks to new enemy Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton).
Meanwhile, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) was preparing to march to his doom. Does he find it?
Here's everything you need to know about the latest goings on for House Targaryen.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6 recap
In the Riverlands
Fabien Frankel as a blood-stained Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon. HBO
As the episode opens, a beleaguered Lord Commander Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and his men walk into a trap with the Riverlords and Northmen.
Despite the suggestion of exchanging his surrender for his men's survival and a proposal of hand-to-hand combat to his leading opponents, he is shot with multiple arrows by Northern warrior Alysanne 'Black Aly' Blackwood (Annie Shapero) and killed. His men are then butchered.
At Harrenhal, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) continues to care for Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) after he fought to save her life, and he reveals hopes to find Vhagar. Alys tries to dissuade Aemond from leaving for his own safety, warning him that should he find Vhagar, he will die.
A stable boy discovers Aemond but is killed by Alys. Alys offers to show Aemond her true goal and unveils a chest of dragon eggs to him, grown after the historical Princess Rhaena Targaryen’s dragon laid eggs there. Alys hopes for Targaryens to rule over Harrenhal again. Aemond says he has been cursed for his sins and Alys reveals she would wish for them to live together and rule Harrenhal as the egg he holds grows warm.
Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers holds Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon. HBO
Alys proclaims: “I will be the Lady of the Water and you the dragonlord by my side, but in the meantime you’re a Targaryen prince, and your sons will be Targaryen princes in their turn.”
The pair then share a passionate kiss.
In King’s Landing
Emma D'Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen holding Matt Smith as King Consort Daemon Targaryen in the council chamber in House of the Dragon. HBO
Following their failed escape attempt, Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and pregnant Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) are found in the tunnels.
Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) is furious with recent events, and King Consort Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) wants to take the new Hightower base at Tumbleton with dragons, as everyone advises against it. Rhaenyra plans to send 'knives' instead and charges Daemon to stay in King’s Landing and root out their enemies.
Rhaenyra is further angered when men arrive from Storm’s End, but their master, Lord Borros Baratheon, is absent, fighting his enemy dubbed the 'Vulture King' from Dorne.
Later, Rhaenyra confronts Alicent, and her stepmother comes clean about Helaena’s pregnancy to an upset Rhaenyra. Alicent begs to be punished in Helaena’s stead, and it is ruled that they both be confined to their chambers and be unseen, or else Rhaenyra will be forced to execute the child.
Rhaenyra then speaks with her advisor Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), who lies that she had no suspicions about a pregnancy. Mysaria then orders a servant killed for being "a thief and a liar".
Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria in House of the Dragon. HBO
At the sight of Ser Luthor Largent's butchering, Daemon tells the remaining City Watch that they will avenge the men killed under Lord Ormund Hightower’s orders, but many resign their post due to no reward from Rhaenyra and fear for their lives. Daemon shames the men for their cowardice, but they resign nonetheless.
In the bowels of the Red Keep, Lady Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia) confides her troubles in Ser Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) before the pair grow closer and share a kiss.
In their chambers, Alicent speaks with Helaena, who refuses to eat but is angry that Alicent lied and would have left Princess Jaehaera Targaryen behind in their escape. Helaena thinks her mother selfish. Alicent finds Helaena's prophetic stitching warns of Aemond in the clothes of a red wound at Harrenhal.
In the throne room, Rhaenyra is confronted by various petitioners once more about the abandonment of the City Watch and safety in the city. Rhaenyra then cuts her hand on a blade in the Iron Throne before fleeing the room, followed by soldiers.
In the city, Daemon walks the streets in a gold cloak and lures a former member of the City Watch and a Hightower agent into a trap. Daemon is warned about the Smallfolk rising for “Daeron the Daring” before he kills the man.
Daemon then walks into a truant Ser Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) and is furious at his insolence and is then beaten by Daemon, who warns him he will blind him should he disobey orders again. The Smallfolk look on worried.
Emma D'Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen on the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon. HBO
Back in the palace, Alicent is granted an audience with Rhaenyra, and she wants Helaena freed and offers Aemond’s location for their freedom. Alicent reveals Aemond is at Harrenhal, without Vhagar. Rhaenyra realises Helaena is a dreamer like the legendary Daenys Targaryen who predicted the Doom of Valyria and precipitated the Targaryens' flight to Westeros. Rhaenyra says she will send a single sword with Alicent to Harrenhal to make sure that Aemond is killed. Alicent refuses to take part in her son's murder or leave Helaena, but Rhaenyra promises to keep watch over Helaena until Alicent returns.
At night, Helaena tells Alicent she doesn’t want her to go and leave her alone. Helaena suggests Alicent refuse and asks why she didn’t let Helaena marry another Lord rather than marry her brother Aegon. Alicent blames her late father, Ser Otto Hightower and says she didn’t begrudge it because it kept Helaena close to her. Alicent hopes to win them both freedom and asks her to eat in her absence, to which her daughter then agrees to eat. Alicent promises to collect her upon her return and says that they will walk out into the sun together.
In her son's chamber, Rhaenyra sits on Crown Prince Joffrey Velaryon’s bed as Alicent rides out to Harrenhal with a small retinue.
In one of the closing scenes, a message is delivered to Rhaenyra from Tumbleton with a message from “Kick this dog, and he will bite your hand” on the tunic of the Baratheon pretenders that were sent to assassinate her enemies.
Tumbleton
Tom Bennett as Ser Ulf the White and Kieran Bew as Ser Hugh the Hammer stand on a hillside in House of the Dragon. HBO
Outside the market town, Ulf chafes at the restrictions he has been faced with and the lack of reward and complains to Ser Hugh the Hammer (Kieran Bew) before leaving for two days - and ultimately getting a beating in King's Landing.
Inside the town, Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) arrives at Tumbleton after leaving the Riverlands, and laments the decision to keep on fighting, but his cousin Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton) maintains they need to keep going and only at Tumbleton, after turning King’s Landing’s people against Rhaenyra and causing others to flock to them.
Ser Gwayne is not yet convinced by such a plan, but he is called craven. Ormund mocks Ser Gwayne’s homosexuality, while in private Prince Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) reveals his hatred of Ormund to his uncle Ser Gwayne and longs to hear of his mother.
James Norton as Lord Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon. HBO
Outside Tumbleton, Ser Hugh stops a carriage and violently commandeers it to enter the town.
Meanwhile, at dinner, Ormund pontificates to Daeron and Ser Gwayne before an envoy arrives from House Baratheon. Still, Ormund is uncomfortable with the state and stench of the man who claims to be Ser Arrion Baratheon. House Baratheon’s allegiance to ‘King Daeron’ is offered, and they ask to see him before Ser Gwayne kills the men. Ormund's lieutenant Ser Jon Roxton (Joplin Sibtain) joins Ser Gwayne, noting that they are pretenders. Ormund is furious at the assassination attempt but vomits over the smell of it all.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Prince Daeron Targaryen in House of the Dragon. HBO
In the street, Ser Hugh visits his wife Kat (Ellora Torchia), who breaks down in tears that he is alive when they are reunited. Kat reveals her brother’s death, and he reveals he has claimed the dragon Vermithor and that he is now a knight. Ser Hugh promises to take the family to safety. Kat is furious that he left her and the family for glory. Ser Hugh apologises and orders her to leave with him, but Kat refuses and says she does not know him.
Later, Ormund’s rooms are cleaned as he watches from a window as Daeron practices sparring. Ormund apologises to his cousin Ser Gwayne and permits him to return to their ancestral home of Oldtown. Ser Gwayne notes that Daeron would make a good king, but doubts Ormund cares either way and asks to know Ormund’s true plan.
In the Vale
Phoebe Campbell as Lady Rhaena Targaryen and Amanda Collin as Lady Jeyne Arryn in House of the Dragon. HBO
A dishevelled and isolated Lady Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) lives alone in her cave and watches her sister's dragon Moondancer fly at a distance.
In the Eeyrie, Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) watches a man thrown from the Moon Door before Rhaena is brought to her. Jeyne slaps Rhaena and slams her for flying out to try and reunite with Baela and Moondancer. Jeyne warns her that Rhaena will die should the truth that she is Sheepstealer’s rider be revealed, and Jeyne notes that she herself will be harmed in the process.
Rhaena laments gaining a dragon but losing everything else. Jeyne warns her to go, and if she does the same mistake again, she will be killed.
The Crownlands
In a forest, Ser Alyn of Hull approaches his father, Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), with requests for more men for Rhaenyra while Corlys dishes out revenge to the Triarchy marauders. Alyn also calls out Corlys’s own faults as he remains hardened to Rhaenyra's plight. Corlys delivers a message for Rhaenyra: Ser Tyland Lannister survived the Gullet and is heading for Rook’s Rest.
At Rook’s Rest, Ser Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) buries the steward that King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) killed in the nearby woods. After Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) again pushes for them to flee the country, Aegon finally agrees to sail for Essos.
In the episode's final scene, Corlys prepares to send his men to Rhaenyra in King’s Landing, but he is ambushed and bound by men led by Ser Jon Roxton, sent by Lord Ormund, in a final cliffhanger.
Who dies in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6?
Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon. HBO
Of course, the primary death this week is Lord Commander Ser Criston Cole, previously Hand of the King to King Aegon II Targaryen and a lover of both Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen when she was a princess and later Queen Alicent Hightower.
At least he went out in combat...
House of the Dragon season 3 airs on HBO Max, NOW, and Sky Atlantic in the UK. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on HBO Max, Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.
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Authors
Lewis KnightNews and Trends Editor
Lewis is the news and trends editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.
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