House of the Dragon Season 3 Finally Reveals Greatest Non-Targaryen Warrior in HBO First Look

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is nearing its , and a new behind-the-scenes featurette introduces some of the characters that fans will meet for the first time in the new season. One among them is arguably the most important non-Targaryen to fight in the civil war called the “Dance with Dragons”: Alysanne Blackwood, a.k.a. Black Aly.

Annie Shapero plays Black Aly in Season 3 of House of the Dragon. Aly belongs to House Blackwood, a family that historically claimed royal status in the Riverlands during a legendary age. Unlike many noblewomen of her time, Aly developed a passion for riding and archery from a young age.

Black Aly is a rare participant in the Dance of the Dragons, fighting from the very beginning to the end – including the Battle of the Burning Mill, where she defeated Ser Amos Bracken of the opposing House Blackwood, and the final battle of the war. But her most significant impact might be what she does after the fighting stops.

As you might guess, explaining how that works means revealing details about future episodes of House of the Dragon. Consider yourself warned!

Black Aly Comes to House of the Dragon Season 3

As readers know, the war concludes with Aegon II’s death by poisoning. Following this, Aegon III Targaryen, Rhaenyra’s son, becomes king. However, being only eleven years old, Aegon III is too young to rule effectively on his own.

That responsibility instead fell to Cregan Stark, who briefly served as Hand of the King – a period lasting only six days, later known as the “Hour of the Wolf.” Despite supporting Rhaenyra, Cregan considered the poisoning of Aegon II a dishonorable deed and severely punished those involved in the conspiracy.

Everything changed when Cregan stepped in to oversee the proceedings. Although Aemon III wanted to forgive Corlys and avoid a trial, Cregan, as the current ruler, had the authority to overrule him if he chose to.

Alysane Blackwood Helped End The Dance With Dragons

Alysane Blackwood intervened and convinced Cregan to follow Aemon III’s wishes. The two had grown fond of each other, and she asked him as a personal favor. Cregan agreed, and in return, Aly happily promised to marry him. By saving Colrys from execution and preventing further bloodshed within the royal family, Aly successfully brought the fighting to an end, avoiding a cycle of revenge.

Alysane helped address another issue as well. Many of Cregan’s soldiers were single men with no homes or possessions to return to in the North. Recognizing they would struggle during the upcoming winter, Alysane proposed they stay in the south and assist with rebuilding King’s Landing and the Riverlands, areas that had suffered the most damage from the war.

Many men found new wives among women who had lost their husbands in the war, or pledged their swords to noble houses weakened by the conflict known as the Dance with Dragons. This also led to a revival of the Old Gods’ worship in the South, particularly in the Riverlands, and fostered a lasting connection between these two regions, a bond that would continue even after a certain marriage.

Alysanne married Cregan and became the Lady of Winterfell. It’s worth noting she wasn’t connected to the Stark family from Game of Thrones. Although she had five children with Cregan, only one was a son named Rickon, and he only had daughters. This meant the leadership of Winterfell eventually passed to someone else.

Black Aly will be appearing in the third season of House of the Dragon, premiering June 21st on HBO and HBO Max.

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2026-05-14 00:36