As of the end of "House of the Dragon" season 2 episode 3, war looks inevitable in the Max series. There's already been bloodshed on both sides of the Dance of the Dragons, but members of both factions grow anxious for battle.
Both sides have been keen to win more allies in the war to come, and we've just been introduced to a key supporting character, Ulf (played by Tom Bennett), in one of the least likely places.
"House of the Dragon" season 2 has already brought new faces into the fold, so what makes this particular addition to the story quite so exciting, you ask? Well, that's because, per the source material, Ulf ends up claiming a dragon of his own and playing an important role in the war to come.
Here's what we know about him so far, what Ulf gets himself tangled up in later down the line, and why his appearance has me quite so excited.
Who is Ulf in 'House of the Dragon' season 2?
Ulf (Tom Bennett) in "House of the Dragon" season 2 episode 2. (Image credit: Max)
Ulf was briefly seen in "House of the Dragon" season 2's second episode, as one of the passersby who saw the executed ratcatchers suspended from the walls of King's Landing. In the most recent installment, we got to sit down with him and a few of his friends in a tavern, where the drinker laid bare both his heritage and his allegiances in the Targaryen feud.
He claims King Jaehaerys Targaryen ("The Conciliator") as his grandfather and to be a son of Baelon the Brave. He also calls Rhaenyra the "One True Queen," and specifically mentions being a "dragonseed," which was a term used to describe the bastard children of the Valyrian Houses. He notes that some would kill him for claiming to be a Targaryen, and then promptly shuts up when Aegon II sweeps in for a night on the town alongside several members of the Kingsguard.
If you're asking why I'm excited over what could easily be dismissed as a bit of drunken blustering on Ulf's part, allow me to explain what happens later on the Targaryen timeline.
Warning: Book spoilers ahead!
In an event known as both "The Red Sowing" and "The Sowing of the Seeds," Rhaenyra's son Prince Jacaerys makes a bold move to bolster the Blacks' forces: He promises huge rewards to anyone capable of mastering one of Westeros' untamed dragons. While many people die in the process, Ulf is one of the successful candidates, laying claim to Silverwing, the most docile of the unclaimed beasts.
He goes on to play a part in "The Battle of the Gullet", which has already been hinted at. But later down the line, he and a fellow seed, Hugh (Kieran Bew), betrayed Rhaenyra during the First Battle of Tumbleton, setting their dragons on the town.
The reason I'm delighted to see Ulf — and two of the other dragonseeds, Hugh, and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) — is chiefly because it means we're really starting to move forward in the timeline of events. Much of the show so far has existed either within the bickering factions or the War Council rooms. But following the seeds' debut, and the events of episode 3, it's really starting to look like the Dance of Dragons is ready to fully take flight.
From "Game of Thrones" episodes like "The Battle of the Bastards", we already know that HBO can do killer battle scenes, those that lie further down the timeline could make for some seriously good TV. I simply cannot wait to see where the show goes next.
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