Finally, some good news for House of the Dragon! I always found it strange that they didn’t explore Lucerys’ journey to the North more deeply, depriving us of greater contact with the Starks—and even more so that many of the strong female characters from the story barely appeared. Among them is Alysanne Blackwood, who now has a face: that of Australian actress Annie Shapero.

Annie rose to prominence as the lead in the series Red Skies, produced by creators involved in the award-winning show Tehran. She also appeared in the FX pilot The Border and was recently cast in the series Narrow Road to the Deep North, directed by Justin Kurzel, set in Sydney and expected to premiere in 2025.

Social media, which has been closely following the daily progress of the outdoor shoots, celebrated the announcement. As a reminder, Alysanne Blackwood is not only vital to the current series but also to the future lineage of the Starks. Back in 2024, I thought she might be played by French actress Emeline Lambert, but that turned out to be just a flashback/nightmare frame of Daemon dreaming of his mother.

Alysanne, nicknamed “Black Aly” for her fierce personality and striking black hair, was a young warrior of House Blackwood, from the Riverlands, who supported Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in the war against King Aegon II. She was tall, slender, skilled with both bow and horse, and known for her fearless temper and sharp tongue.

I had expected her to appear during the Battle at the Burning Mill, where her brother Lord Samwell Blackwood was killed by Ser Amos Bracken. There, Alysanne avenged him on the spot by firing a weirwood arrow that pierced the knight’s visor, killing Ser Amos—but this scene was left out.

However, she will almost certainly appear in the Battle of the Kingsroad, where she commands around 300 archers and helps defeat Borros Baratheon alongside her nephew Benjicot “Bloody Ben” Blackwood and their allies.

We’ll see whether they clarify her connection to Lady Sabitha Frey, but later in the series, when the Hour of the Wolf comes, she will marry Lord Cregan Stark. This will happen during a negotiation where she defends Lord Corlys Velaryon from charges of treason (for those who don’t remember, he will betray Rhaenyra and later Aegon II), offering her hand in exchange for Corlys‘ life.

What will likely be left out of the series is that Alysanne also helps repopulate regions devastated by the civil war, strengthening the bond between North and South and reinforcing the faith in the Old Gods.

Alysanne and Cregan were happy together in Winterfell. Since this part will probably also be omitted from the show, it becomes especially important that Alysanne is given major action scenes. A great piece of news for House of the Dragon.