House of the Dragon: What is Harrenhal and why is it important?

House of the Dragon Season 2 continues to reference the location of Harrenhal as Dameon Targaryen will be seen within its walls in Episode 3. So, what is Harrenhal and why is it important?

While House of the Dragon Season 2 has shown various strategic locations scattered throughout the Seven Kingdoms, one that keeps coming up is Harrenhal.

A new trailer for Episode 3 sees Daemon Targaryen trying to take control of Harrenhal by himself after having an explosive fight with Rhaenyra over his involvement with Blood and Cheese.

But why did Dameon decide to fly off to Harrenhal, and why is this location so important to the events in House of the Dragon Season 2? Let’s break it all down. Warning: major spoilers below.

What is Harrenhal?

Harrenhal is the largest castle in the Seven Kingdoms and lies in the heart of the Riverlands.

The castle was built along the God’s Eye by Harren the Black as a monument to himself. He strived for the castle to be the tallest tower in all of Westeros.

Harrenhall took 40 years to build as teams of men worked together to cut down 3,000 sacred Weirwood trees in order to create the structure of the castle.

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Not too long after the castle’s completion, King Aegon I Targaryen burned all five of the towers to the ground in his quest to take control of the Seven Kingdoms.

Aegon flew his dragon, Balerion the Black Dread over the tall walls of Harrenhal, burned Harren alive, and sieged the castle for the next several years.

Thanks to Balerion’s fire, the castle took on a melted, charred exterior and would continue to keep up this appearance thanks to the numerous fires set within it.

Who currently controls Harrenhal?

Harrenhal is currently controlled by Lord Larys of House Strong.

Control over Harrenhal changed a lot of hands during the centuries before House of the Dragon Season 1 took place.

After Aegon I took over, he gifted the castle to Quenton Qoherys, who went on to become the first Lord of Harrenhal.

When Quenton fell off his horse and died, the castle then went to his grandson, Gargon the Guest, until Gargone lost his life during Harren the Red’s rebellion.

Lord Lucas Harroway was next to take over Harrenhal before he was murdered by Prince Maegor Targaryen, after the prince accused Harroway’s daughter Alys, one of Maegor’s wives, of having an affair that resulted in a stillborn baby.

After the Harroway family was wiped out during Maegor’s reign, Harrenhal was believed to be cursed, and many in the realm thought anyone who was put in charge of it was destined to die.

Ser Walton Towers was then granted lordship over Harrenhal by Maegor but died two weeks after the announcement. Harrenhal went on to be passed down to several heirs of House Towers before the castle went back under the crown’s control when Lord Maegor Towers died with no children to inherit it.

Just before the events of House of the Dragon, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen allowed his sister, Queen Rhaena, to settle in the Widow’s Tower of Harrenhal after the death of her husband Prince Aegon.

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When Rhaena died, Jaehaerys turned the rights of Harrenhal over to House Strong, and Lord Lyonel Strong was shown to be in charge when House of the Dragon begins.

However, during the course of Season 1, Lyonel’s youngest son, Larys Strong, hired assassins to burn the castle down in order to kill his father and Harwin, his older brother and Rhaenyra’s secret lover, and gain full control of Harrenhal to further the Greens’ interests.

Season 2 sees Larys continuing to have a hold over Harrenhal, but Daemon’s presence may change things in upcoming episodes.

Why is Harrenhal important in House of the Dragon?

Harrenhal is important in House of the Dragon as it gives Team Black the biggest war advantage due to its size and location.

Harrenhal is the biggest castle in the Seven Kingdoms with a bigger throne room than the one in the Red Keep.

Because of its size and close proximity to both King’s Landing and Crownlands, Harrenhal would give Team Black a huge advantage in their war against the Greens as it would allow them to cut the royal family off from the majority of the kingdoms.

It would also allow Cregan Stark and his Northmen to march down to help with Rhaenyra’s cause, which seems like a huge possibility as Jacaerys Velaryon asked for his help in Episode 1.

Without giving away major spoilers, House of the Dragon Season 2 will document Daemon’s attempt at securing the castle as it would allow him to get back into Rhaenyra’s good graces along with furthering their house’s cause.

For more, check out our House of the Dragon Season 2 review. You can also find out if Criston Cole dies and what happened in Episode 2’s epic Cargyll twin fight.