Team Black, Team Green: The factions in 'House of the Dragon' Season 3

“House of the Dragon” is finally returning to our television screens after two years.

Now on its third season, the series heads to the escalation of the civil war within the Targaryen dynasty, an event known as the Dance of Dragons in the book “Fire and Blood.”

In case you need a refresher for the events in the previous seasons, the conflict is about the competing claims between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Team Black) and her younger half-brother King Aegon Targaryen (Team Green).

Rhaenyra is the eldest child and named heir of the late King Viserys, while Aegon is his eldest son by his second wife, Queen Alicent Hightower.

Both crowned themselves at the end of Season 1: Rhaenyra with the crown worn by her father and King Jaehaerys, Aegon with the crown worn by Aegon the Conqueror.

In Season 2, both factions gathered allies to gain an advantage in the coming war. Ahead of Season 3, let’s take a look at the current board of this power struggle.

Dragon strength

Dragons remain the biggest asset of both sides. An army is no match for dragonfire, but dragons are not invincible as the Dornish proved when they took down Meraxes, the dragon of Queen Rhaenys, during the Conquest.

More importantly, dragons can be killed by other dragons. Team Black currently holds more dragons, but Team Green has the largest and oldest dragon alive: Vhagar. And of course, dragons cannot be used effectively unless they have riders.

Here is a list of dragons that can be deployed by either side, excluding the hatchlings that belong to the younger children:

Team Black

• Syrax, mount of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Caraxes, mount of King Consort Daemon Targaryen
• Vermax, mount of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon
• Moondancer, mount of Lady Baela Targaryen
• Seasmoke, mount of Addam of Hull
• Vermithor, mount of Hugh the Hammer
• Silverwing, mount of Ulf the White

Team Green

• Sunfyre, mount of King Aegon Targaryen (injured in the Battle of Rook’s Rest)
• Dreamfyre, mount of Queen Helaena Targaryen
• Vhagar, mount of Prince Aemond Targaryen
• Tessarion, mount of Prince Daeron Targaryen

Team Green has already killed two dragons from Team Black: Arrax, mount of Prince Lucerys Velaryon, and Meleys, mount of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.

However, Team Black has one potential dragonrider yet to claim a mount: Lady Rhaena Targaryen, twin sister of Baela and daughter of Daemon. At the end of Season 2, she was attempting to claim Sheepstealer in the Vale.

Territories held

Team Green holds King’s Landing and the Iron Throne. They have the seat of power and the symbol of Targaryen rule. In addition, they have the support of Oldtown, the home of the Hightowers, whose army is also marching for war.

Ser Criston Cole, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and Aegon’s Hand of the King, has also taken control of the Crownlands with his forces.

Team Black, meanwhile, holds Dragonstone, the ancestral seat of Targaryens. They also hold Driftmark, seat of the Velaryons, Rhaenyra’s ally through her first marriage. Both are islands located at the Narrow Sea. They have control of the waters as the Velaryon fleet has blockaded King’s Landing.

Daemon has also taken control of the Riverlands and its army, occupying Harrenhal as his base of operations.

Major allies

The realm is split as the Great Houses picked sides between the two claimants.

Team Black is backed by House Arryn, the liege lords of the Vale. Rhaenyra is half-Arryn through her mother, the late Queen Aemma Arryn. She sent Rhaena and her three youngest children (Prince Joffrey, Prince Aegon, and Prince Viserys) to her cousin, Lady Jeyne Arryn, to keep them safe from the war.

The Blacks are also supported by House Stark, the liege lords of the North. Jacaerys flew to Winterfell and the Wall to treat with Lord Cregan Stark, who promised him 2,000 men, the Winter Wolves, to fight for his mother’s cause.

With Daemon in the Riverlands, the regions’ liege lords, House Tully, has also allied with Rhaenyra under the leadership of Lord Oscar Tully.

Team Green, meanwhile, is allied with House Lannister, the liege lords of the Westerlands. Ser Tyland Lannister is part of Aegon’s Small Council, and he has crossed the Narrow Sea to enlist the support of the Triarchy to break the Velaryon blockade.

The Greens are also backed by House Baratheon, the liege lords of the Stormlands. Aemond is betrothed to one of Lord Borros Baratheon’s daughters to secure the alliance.

House Tyrell, the liege lords of the Reach, is the only Great House unaligned so far. Even though the Hightowers are from the Reach, the region remains divided. Rhaenyra was supported by a number of Reach lords: Lord Beesbury, Lord Caswell, and Lord Merryweather. All three were killed by the Greens.

Wildcards

As we have seen from Littlefinger and Varys in “Game of Thrones,” purveyors of information remain dangerous wildcards.

Lord Larys Strong of Harrenhal is Team Green, but he has thrown his support behind the burned and bedridden Aegon instead of aligning with Aemond, who has taken up the mantle as Prince Regent.

Lady Mysaria, the White Worm and Daemon’s old paramour, supports Rhaenyra, but not everyone in Team Black trusts her. She had enabled Rhaenyra’s secret visit to King’s Landing, an action frowned upon by the queen’s council.

There is also Alys Rivers, a healer in the service of House Strong. Daemon encountered her at Harrenhal, where he was tormented by disturbing visions. She showed him his fate through the weirwood trees and appeared to have a hand in the death of Lord Grover Tully, which allowed Daemon to take control of the Riverlands. Only time will tell what her role will be as the conflict progresses, and in war, anything can happen.

So are you Team Black or Team Green? No matter who wins, it can only end in fire and blood. —JCB, GMA News