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Rhaenyra Seizes Throne, Beheads Hightower; 100th Episode Premieres

6/29/2026

Summary

Rhaenyra Reclaims Throne

Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen retakes the Iron Throne after King’s Landing falls.
Daemon Targaryen brings Ser Otto Hightower, who begs for death, and Rhaenyra beheads him with Dark Sister.
Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon and his dragon Vermax die before capital’s capture, prompting Rhaenyra to weep and vow to rule.
Daemon slays Lord Jasper “Ironrod” Wylde, secures the Red Keep and captures Alicent and Helaena.
Episode 3 premieres on July 5, 2026, the franchise’s hundredth episode.

Summary

Aemond Seizes Harrenhal

Larys Strong arranged Otto Hightower’s imprisonment, which later enabled Hightower’s beheading.
Grand Maester Orwyle detained Jasper Wylde after Jasper attempted to assault Alicent while she sought help from Cloaks Ser Luthor Largent.
Aemond Targaryen seized Harrenhal, killing Ser Simon Strong and his sons, before suffering a stabbing wound from one of the boys.
Critics debated the episode’s “Worst Person in Westeros” title, citing Jasper’s predatory conduct and Aemond’s cruelty.

History

Historical Context

On 22 August 1485, Henry Tudor’s roughly 5,000-strong army defeated Richard III’s larger force at Bosworth Field in Leicestershire, ending the Wars of the Roses and the Plantagenet line. Henry’s victory created the Tudor dynasty, cemented by his 1486 marriage to Elizabeth of York, a model of dynastic consolidation later echoed in the 2026 fictional seizure of King’s Landing.

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Rhaenyra Reclaims Throne

Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen retakes the Iron Throne after King’s Landing falls.
Daemon Targaryen brings Ser Otto Hightower, who begs for death, and Rhaenyra beheads him with Dark Sister.
Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon and his dragon Vermax die before capital’s capture, prompting Rhaenyra to weep and vow to rule.
Daemon slays Lord Jasper “Ironrod” Wylde, secures the Red Keep and captures Alicent and Helaena.
Episode 3 premieres on July 5, 2026, the franchise’s hundredth episode.

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