Warning: This article contains spoilers for Fire & Blood.When the third season of House of the Dragon arrives in 2026, we will finally see some of the most anticipated battles of the Dance of Dragons, which will include the forces from Westeros' North standing in for House Stark. House of the Dragon season 2 introduced Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), the young Lord of Winterfell at the time of House Targaryen's civil war. The Black Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) sends her son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) to request aid from the Starks; he and Cregan become friends and the latter promises what military assistance he can spare.

Season 2 mostly skipped over House of the Dragon season 3 will now pick up with some of the biggest clashes, in which the North will play a role.

House Stark May Not Appear In House Of The Dragon Season 3

The North Is Already In The Dance Of Dragons, But The Starks Are Still Holding Back

Cregan Stark himself, however, does not march south due to the Dance of Dragons for some time. He alludes to House Stark always being occupied with defending Westeros' northern border in season 2, suggesting that the military force he can spare is limited. He sends the force known as the Winter Wolves to back Rhaenyra and the Blacks in some of the biggest battles of the Dance of Dragons. According to Fire & Blood, Cregan wrote to Rhaenyra promising additional reinforcements after her loss of King's Landing.

Cregan will possibly remain off-screen until he does all this in season 4.

However, his arrival was again stalled by the North needing to bring in their last harvest before winter. Yet even after Rhaenyra's death, Cregan went south with his forces to her claim and dethrone her enemies. However, what Cregan essentially ended up doing was laying down the law and bringing the chaos to an end after most of the major players, including both Rhaenyra and her rival King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), were already dead.

In the time known as the Hour of the Wolf, Cregan took control of the Red Keep and negotiated with other lords who would be punished and what leadership would be instilled. Cregan became the Hand of the King to Rhaenyra's son King Aegon III; Cregan also met his second wife, Alysanne Blackwood, during these proceedings. However, in the timeline of the Dance of Dragons, there are still many other events that will likely take up all of House of the Dragon season 3, and Cregan will possibly remain off-screen until he does all this in season 4.

Who Is Roderick Dustin? The North's Leader In House Of The Dragon Season 3 Explained

"Roddy The Ruin" Is Essentially Our Stark Character This Season

The Winter Wolves that Cregan sends south to assist Rhaenyra from the outset are a legion of older Northern men, led by Roderick Dustin, also known as "Roddy the Ruin." It was recently announced that Sons of Anarchy's Tommy Flanagan is ing House of the Dragon season 3 as this character, the head of House Dustin, a noble house in the North under House Stark, with their castle being in Barrowtown. Roddy the Ruin, also in his later years, is still a feared warrior of the North and will certainly be a fascinating character in the season.

The 2,000 Winter Wolves go south, making up the force we see briefly in the House of the Dragon season 2 finale. They participate in the Battle by the Lakeshore; Dustin also sounds the charge that kicks off the Butcher's Ball, at the very beginning of which Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) is killed. Many of the Winter Wolves are killed in these conflicts, and Lord Dustin himself eventually dies at the First Battle of Tumbleton. Thus, Roddy the Ruin is likely to be a one-season character for season 3, a placeholder until Cregan reenters the fray.

Roddy The Ruin Is One Of The Most Exciting Additions To Season 3

Flanagan Will Continue To Portray The Mythos Of The North From Game Of Thrones

However, with his short time in House of the Dragon, the talented and charismatic Tommy Flanagan is sure to make an excellent go of it. Flanagan's neo-Western experience could serve a hardened, older warrior character, who offers a gritty but resilient perspective on the war. Many of the characters who have driven forward the Dance of Dragons are on the younger side, their older relatives remarking on what they have started in different ways.

House Stark, meanwhile, has never seemed particularly interested in Southern politics, in this show or Game of Thrones.

House Stark, meanwhile, has never seemed particularly interested in Southern politics, in this show or Game of Thrones. These characters often embody a more cautious wisdom, but Lord Dustin, at least, seems to be an eager participant in this war. With Roddy the Ruin coming, House of the Dragon season 3 is only getting more interesting, with someone who might express an entirely new opinion on everything, in what is guaranteed to be a deeply entertaining performance by the actor.