For the first time since the end of Game of Thrones, Westeros will have a packed calendar. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight premieres in January 2026, and Season 3 of House of the Dragon arrives in June, delivering on HBO’s years-old promise: two Westeros titles in the same year. That’s right — 2026 will be the year of Westeros.

The dream took a long time to materialize, delayed by the pandemic, Hollywood strikes, and corporate mergers that led to prequel cancellations and shortened seasons due to budget cuts. With the recent sale of Warner, everything has shifted once again..

This milestone is not just a scheduling victory, but a promise to fans: the Game of Thrones universe is no longer just surviving; it is expanding. What was once imagined as a Star Wars-like franchise, with multiple interlocking series exploring different periods of Westerosi history, is finally beginning to take shape.

House of the Dragon – Season 3: War, Reconciliation, and Tragedy

Season 3 promises to be the most emotional yet — not only for the weight of its battles, but for its deep dive into the psyches of Rhaenyra and Alicent. Leaked scenes on social media suggest we’ll see the two women sharing space in the Red Keep, and the detail most talked about by fans was Alicent’s return to wearing blue — the color that harkens back to the days of their friendship before their marriages. This is no accidental choice: it’s a visual representation of the desire for reconciliation, or at least understanding, between the two characters.

Of course, the purists nearly had a meltdown. This is a significant departure from the books. In Fire & Blood, Rhaenyra and Alicent don’t share this level of intimacy after the war begins; their interactions are minimal and almost always mediated by others. Put bluntly: they hate each other. By placing the two side by side, talking, the show is creating something Martin only hinted at — a kind of nostalgia for the lost friendship that was never fully explored in the original material.

More than that, there’s an almost romantic tension being built between the two. The subtext, which was already noticeable to part of the audience in the earlier seasons, now becomes undeniable. It’s worth remembering that there’s an entire movement rooting for “Rhaenicent” (Rhaenyra + Alicent), and that both sets of actresses — the younger and the adult versions — have hinted at a platonic connection between them. And since we’ve already seen Rhaenyra share a kiss with Mysaria, the possibility is hardly just fanfiction.

This narrative choice is bold, as it changes the way we understand the tragedy of the Dance of the Dragons. If Alicent and Rhaenyra are shown as trying to reconcile, the upcoming events become even more heartbreaking — what was once destined to be merely a story of war and vengeance turns into one about friendship and unfulfilled love, destroyed by politics and fate.

Alicent Hightower: From Political Pawn to Agent of Her Own Destiny

Perhaps the most dramatic tonal shift lies in Alicent’s evolution. In the books, she is largely seen through the eyes of maesters and chroniclers, often depicted as cold, calculating, or purely ambitious. The series, however, has been reframing her since Season 1 — showing a woman torn between duty and affection, vulnerable and human.

In Season 3, this reinterpretation deepens. By giving Alicent the initiative to advise Rhaenyra on when to strike King’s Landing — something that does not exist in the books — the writers transform her into a co-author of the war. She is no longer simply Otto Hightower’s pawn: she is making her own choices, with all the contradictions that entails.

This choice has powerful effects:

• It removes the “puppet” label, making Alicent an active participant.
• It adds moral ambiguity, as we see Alicent acting out of a belief that she might be preventing an even greater disaster.
• It reconnects her to Rhaenyra, as the two now share not only childhood memories but active participation in the fate of the realm.

The result is a three-dimensional character who evokes empathy even when she makes unpopular choices. It strengthens the show’s tragic core: we know that any attempt at reconciliation between the two women will ultimately be swallowed by the inevitability of war.

Rhaenyra’s Metaphorical Prison

The producers have hinted that, even as she is crowned, Rhaenyra will be more imprisoned than ever — by prophecy, by political alliances, and by the crown itself. The show underscores this visually: Rhaenyra’s clothing begins to mirror Alicent’s, and she even adopts the dragon pendant Alicent once wore. This aesthetic mirroring suggests that the two are still reflections of one another — two women crushed by the expectations of their fathers and the weight of the Iron Throne.

The result is an increasingly isolated Rhaenyra. When the show reaches her inevitable fall — both literal and metaphorical — it will be even more tragic, because we will have witnessed her efforts to preserve not just her claim, but her shared humanity with Alicent.

Battles, Deaths, and the Road to Tumbleton

Despite its emotional depth, Season 3 won’t shy away from spectacle. There are four major war events slated:

• The Battle of the Gullet (episodes 1 and 2), with devastating consequences for Aegon III, Viserys II, and Rhaena on Sheepstealer.
• The capture of King’s Landing by Rhaenyra and Daemon, now prompted by Alicent — a major departure from the books.
• Smaller Dance of the Dragons battles, streamlined for pacing but retaining key character deaths that shift the balance of power.
• The First Battle of Tumbleton, likely the season’s climax, sets up Aegon’s revenge and the legendary duel over the God’s Eye in Season 4.

By giving Alicent an active role in urging Rhaenyra to strike, the show reframes her as someone who, in her own way, chooses war — not just endures it. It humanizes her without absolving her, making her a mirror image of Rhaenyra, who also makes ruthless choices in defense of her children.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – Intimacy and Humor

If House of the Dragon is grand and bloody, The Hedge Knight will be smaller and more intimate. Adapting the first Dunk & Egg novella, the series will focus on the Ashford tournament, with a tone closer to a medieval adventure tale — even evoking A Knight’s Tale in spirit. Humor, chivalry, and the mentorship between Dunk and Egg will take center stage.

This series will serve as a breather between the intense seasons of HotD, reminding us that Westeros also has room for smaller, character-driven stories that aren’t all war and dragons.

The Future of the Universe – From Aegon’s Conquest to Robert’s Rebellion

HBO’s map seems clear: after HotD and Hedge Knight, the next major project will be Aegon’s Conquest, likely running four or five seasons. The strategy is to alternate these major epics with smaller, self-contained series, keeping Westeros alive on the calendar without exhausting the audience.

The much-requested Robert’s Rebellion series is still likely a decade away — but it seems to be part of the long-term plan. The rumored Game of Thrones film remains in development, though nothing is officially confirmed.

A More Complex — and More Feminine — Westeros

What stands out most is how HBO is reshaping Westeros into a narrative space where female perspectives are no longer secondary but central. House of the Dragon has always been about Rhaenyra and Alicent, but Season 3 seems poised to deepen that choice, making the tragedy intensely personal.

Instead of simply telling the story of who wins the war, it becomes the story of how two women who might have changed the fate of Westeros together end up being torn apart by prophecy, politics, and duty.

This does not betray Martin’s source material — it enriches it, adding emotional depth to a chronicle originally written as cold history.

2026 will be the year of Westeros. With two new series, brutal wars, dragons, tournaments, and shattered friendships, HBO is betting on a story that is at once epic and intimate. For fans, it will be a year of glory — and of heartbreak.