'House of the Dragon' Season 3 Premiere Scores Record IMDb Rating with Epic Battle of the Gullet

The third season of HBO's 'House of the Dragon' premiered on June 21, 2026, with a highly anticipated episode centered on the Battle of the Gullet, a massive naval and dragon engagement that has set a new series record on IMDb. The episode, titled "Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood," currently holds a 9.4/10 rating, tying the franchise's previous best set by season 2's "The Red Dragon and the Gold."

The expansive battle scene features hundreds of ships engaged in naval warfare, deck-to-deck combat, and dragons strafing vessels like bombers. Fans and critics have praised the sequence as one of the show's finest moments, though some note it falls short of legendary 'Game of Thrones' battles such as "Battle of the Bastards." The season itself has already achieved a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score, a record for the series.

The episode delivers a major blow to Team Black as Jacaerys Velaryon, heir to Rhaenyra Targaryen's throne, is killed in action. After locking his mother in a room to prevent her from joining the battle, Jace and his dragon Vermax are attacked by Triarchy pirate ships. Vermax is dragged underwater and drowned, and Jace surfaces to find himself fatally struck by arrows. The tragedy is compounded by Rhaena Targaryen's decision to bring her newly bonded dragon, Sheepstealer, into the fray. Unable to control the wild beast, Rhaena inadvertently causes dragonfire to strike allied vessels and hunt friendly dragons, directly contributing to Jace's demise.

Political tensions simmer in King's Landing as Alicent Hightower attempts to influence Aemond Targaryen. Meanwhile, the injured Aegon II, smuggled out of the Red Keep by Larys Strong, is intercepted by Rhaenyra's forces and taken into captivity. The season, consisting of eight episodes, will air weekly on Sundays on HBO, with the finale scheduled for August 9, 2026.

Despite the record-tying score, 'House of the Dragon' has yet to reach the all-time heights of its predecessor. Seventeen episodes of 'Game of Thrones' hold a 9.4 rating or higher, including the near-perfect 9.9s for "Battle of the Bastards" and "The Winds of Winter." Nonetheless, the premiere has sparked strong viewer engagement and positive reviews, building anticipation for the rest of the season.