‘House of the Dragon’ Characters, Ranked by Season 3 Total Screen Time

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon Seasons 1-3.House of the Dragon Season 3 continues to juggle a number of storylines and characters, and the ones with the most screen time may surprise fans. Like Game of Thrones before it, the Targaryen spin-off series jumps around quite a bit, especially as the Dance of the Dragons escalates. Its scope isn’t quite so large, but it does grow over time. That’s especially evident in the latest chapter, which sees the drama unraveling on multiple fronts — and around several different contenders for the Iron Throne.

Given the direction House of the Dragon Season 3 takes, Rhaenyra’s perspective is front and center throughout the newest batch of episodes. That’s an unsurprising finding from Reddit user BUGGA67’s breakdown of the characters’ screen time in Season 3. However, there are a few surprises in the analysis and the placements of the most prominent players.

Why You Should Trust Me: I’ve been writing about pop culture for a decade and was an editor focused on fantasy topics during my time at ScreenRant. I’ve followed all the shows in the Game of Thrones universe closely and covered them extensively.

Honorable Mentions

Ser Criston Cole (17:45): Ser Criston Cole takes his final stand in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 6, finally giving fans the villain death they waited three seasons for. Because he perishes halfway through — and spends most of this chapter setting up that end — it makes sense that his time on-screen is around 17 minutes total. (Speaking to Vulture, Fabian Frankel also confirmed that a few of the characters’ Season 3 moments were cut.)
Ulf the White (18:24): Ulf plays a significant role in House of the Dragon‘s third season, especially toward the end, so it’s a little surprising he’s in 15th place for screen time. I suppose he does spend much of the outing lamenting that he can’t have a beer with the lads…but his betrayals in the Season 3 finale clearly overshadow that.
Alys Rivers (19:53): Alys Rivers comes in 14th in terms of screen time, which isn’t a shock considering her supporting role — but does feel a bit jarring with Aemond being so much higher, and them being attached at the hip throughout Season 3.
Larys Strong (20:48): Larys Strong’s journey with Aegon takes up a good portion of Season 3, so him being in 13th place makes sense. He does part ways with the on-the-run king, so him falling short of the top 10 also fits.
Mysaria (21:33): Mysaria’s presence is felt throughout House of the Dragon‘s latest chapter. However, despite her constant maneuvering, she’s apparently in just over 21 minutes of the total season. It feels like more, probably because the Master of Whisperers is always hovering.
Corlys Velaryon (21:42): Despite his importance to the Battle of the Gullet and the political intrigue that unfolds after, Lord Corlys Velaryon doesn’t break into the top 10. He’s in 11th place, with just over 21 minutes of screen time. To be fair, he does spend a portion of this chapter imprisoned at Tumbleton.

Daeron Targaryen

Season 3 Screen Time – 22:11

Looking at the top House of the Dragon characters to get screen time in Season 3, Daeron Targaryen lands in the 10th spot. It’s a solid achievement for a character who’s properly introduced in this outing, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth makes good use of the scenes he’s given. Daeron quickly becomes one of the most sympathetic characters of the entire Dance, navigating his uncle’s dubious schemes while attempting to hold his own moral line. Of course, his likability makes his ambiguous fate in the Season 3 finale that much more upsetting. Hopefully, 22 minutes and 11 seconds isn’t all he gets in the entire series.

Helaena Targaryen

Season 3 Screen Time – 25:08

Helaena Targaryen has just over 25 minutes of screen time across House of the Dragon Season 3’s eight episodes, which feels like the right amount. Given Helaena’s tragic death at the end of this chapter, it’s understandable that the series tries to spotlight Phia Saban’s character and her performance. However, Helaena’s refusal to get involved in the Dance itself, paired with her captivity, would make more time on-screen feel forced. House of the Dragon gets this one right, sending her off in a well-balanced and devastating fashion.

Alyn Velaryon/Alyn of Hull

Season 3 Screen Time – 25:36

Alyn’s screen time just exceeds Helaena’s in House of the Dragon Season 3, with Corlys’s son reportedly receiving 25 minutes and 36 seconds. It’s more than double the amount reported for Alyn in Season 2 (via X), and that matches the increase in his responsibilities this time around. Not only does Alyn play a big part in the Battle of the Gullet, but he’s tasked with advising Rhaenyra in Lord Corlys’s stead. Season 3 sees him fully coming into his own, and it’d be impossible to pull that off without dedicating more time to his character.

Gwayne Hightower

Season 3 Screen Time – 27:00

Gwayne Hightower having the seventh-highest amount of screen time is one of the more surprising revelations from BUGGA67’s analysis, though looking at Freddie Fox’s performance, it’s hard to find fault with it. In Fire & Blood, Gwayne dies during the Fall of King’s Landing — when Rhaenyra retakes the city — so his TV counterpart is doing an impressive job of outlasting the original. He adds a refreshing presence to House of the Dragon Season 3, voicing the frustrations viewers are undoubtedly feeling with characters like Criston Cole and Ormund Hightower. Because of this, his perspective feels genuine and needed.

Aegon II Targaryen

Season 3 Screen Time – 29:09

Another shocking takeaway from House of the Dragon Season 3’s screen time stats is the fact that Aegon II Targaryen doesn’t break into the top five. He falls just short of it, reportedly claiming 29 minutes and nine seconds overall. Aegon is supposed to be Rhaenyra’s primary competition for the Iron Throne, so his lesser presence feels a bit strange. However, it is worth noting that his time in the Riverlands with Larys Strong is invented for House of the Dragon. Fire & Blood doesn’t get into the specifics of his journey during this period. However, it’d raise too many questions to leave the character hanging — and be a waste of Tom Glynn-Carney’s talent — so the show fills in the blanks.

Ormund Hightower

Season 3 Screen Time – 32:43

Coming in at number five for screen time is Lord Ormund Hightower, House of the Dragon‘s newest villain — and one of the absolute highlights of Season 3. James Norton gives one of House of the Dragon‘s best performances in this outing, so it’s no wonder that he’s so front and center. As his character perishes during the First Battle of Tumbleton, it’s smart for the Game of Thrones spin-off to take advantage of him while it can. Ormund is infuriating, unhinged, and perplexingly charismatic. He makes a great antagonist, and all 32 minutes and 43 seconds of his character arc are excellent.

Aemond Targaryen

Season 3 Screen Time – 35:26

Thirty-five minutes and 26 seconds of screen time for Aemond Targaryen feels high, but I suppose we do spend a ton of Season 3 at Harrenhal — and quite a bit unpacking Aemond’s mommy issues, which I have apparently chosen to block from memory. With all this time, the latest outing showcases new layers of Aemond’s character, giving Ewan Mitchell far more to work with. It’s not quite as exciting as watching him fly around on Vhagar, but it’s crucial depth as House of the Dragon approaches its fourth and final season.

Alicent Hightower

Season 3 Screen Time – 49:27

One of the more frustrating observations of House of the Dragon Season 3’s screen times — though I wouldn’t call it surprising, exactly — is that Alicent Hightower remains so high on the list. Olivia Cooke kills it in the role, so House of the Dragon appears to be finding more for her character to do. The problem is, Fire & Blood doesn’t offer much for Alicent at this stage of the Dance. And in the show’s attempts to keep her central, it goes in some baffling directions. Her attempt to assassinate Aemond is one of the more dubious book changes, but even still, I can’t fully fault the series for expanding on the character or giving Cooke more time to shine.

Daemon Targaryen

Season 3 Screen Time – 1:18:07

As House of the Dragon fans may guess, Daemon Targaryen is the second-most-prominent character in Season 3. BUGGA67 puts him at an hour and 18 minutes of screen time, and he does a lot with what he’s given. Daemon is heavily involved in Rhaenyra’s retaking of the Red Keep, and he deals with problems in King’s Landing following her rise to power. He also discovers Rhaena’s circumstances with Sheepstealer, and he leads forces at the Battle of Tumbleton (both notable changes from Fire & Blood). Matt Smith continues to be a standout in the role, making Daemon a delight to watch. It doesn’t matter if he’s celebrating in the Riverlands, cutting a path to Rhaenyra’s throne, or leading an army — his time on-screen is always well used.

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Season 3 Screen Time – 1:55:37

Rhaenyra Targaryen is granted the most amount of screen time throughout House of the Dragon Season 3, falling just a few minutes short of two hours. As the Game of Thrones spin-off follows her fight to reclaim her place as King Viserys’s named heir, it’s only right that she remains at the fore of the story. On top of that, House of the Dragon Season 3 really is Rhaenyra’s season. It’s the one that pushes her over the edge, starting the spiral that inevitably leads to “Rhaenyra the Cruel.” (You could argue it begins earlier, but the cracks in Rhaenyra’s leadership really show here.) Emma D’Arcy gives several powerful performances, making every moment worthwhile. Even with Rhaenyra’s downfall looking likely, it sets the stage for a gripping House of the Dragon Season 4.