After a remarkably well-led first season that was critically acclaimed by both critics and fans, House of the Dragon is returning with a second season to continue the adventures and entertainment after the events that took place previously. However, even as its release is right around the horizon, the series has faced a major leak and rumors related to the same that would deeply upset fans.
One of these rumors troubling fans regarding this successor series to Game of Thrones is about the smartest Dragonseed from George R. R. Martin’s books, Nettles. According to these rumors, this particular character, who is a massive favorite among all those who are fairly well-acquainted with the books, just may not be able to make it onscreen, and fans aren’t happy about it.
Disturbing Rumors About Nettles in House of the Dragon S2 Are Turning the Mood Sour
Because the first season was a massive smash hit, fans were excited to the core about the second season of House of the Dragon as well. However, recent rumors surfacing about one of the most beloved characters in the entire lore, i.e. Nettles, are turning the mood brutally sour for fans.
For those who may not know, the book Fire & Blood introduces readers to this very character who is a peasant girl, but through her skills, gains a seat at the table of the Targaryen queens and princes. This happens after she earns the trust of her dragon Sheepstealer by feeding it every day.
So when Rhaenyra Targaryen calls out for people who know how to tame and ride riderless dragons on Dragonstone to join her army to fight against her enemies, Nettles is one of the Dragonseeds (and the smartest one, at that) who claims a place among the mostly-highborn-Dragonriders.
However, it seems like this very upcoming season 2 of the saga would completely ignore her character, according to recent reports from fans backed up by facts.
This comes as an unsure result of long-ongoing speculation about the same, the foremost fact of which includes that her character still hasn’t been introduced or even cast in the series, as can be derived from the lack of reports regarding the same.
Then there are reports by @WtDasoiaf on X, which claim that the one who will claim a sheep-eating wild dragon during her stay in the Vale after tracking it for some time would be Rhaena Targaryen, which unarguably hints that instead of Nettles, Rhaena will take over the dragon Sheepstealer.
🚨🐉Exclusive Wake the Dragon leak: RHAENA CLAIMS A DRAGON
Rhaena Targaryen will claim a sheep-eating wild dragon during her stay in the Vale after tracking it for some time. pic.twitter.com/EwA2DN714e
— Wake the Dragon (@WtDasoiaf) May 14, 2024
For those unversed, Rhaena is another one of Daemon Targaryen’s daughters and actually does not possess a dragon in the books until much later, by the end. In fact, as per the storyline in Fire & Blood, Rhaena does go to Vale, but only to be safe from the war raging elsewhere in the world.
Needless to say, all of this is inevitably making it sound like the smartest Dragonseed from the books would be totally ignored, with Daemon’s daughter, who would be introduced in season 2, reportedly filling in for her in the same. And, as expected, fans aren’t happy about these rumors.
Fans Aren’t Happy About Rumors Hinting Nettles Exclusion From HotD S2
While Nettles’ rumored exclusion is indeed one of the most worrisome points, what makes it even more troublesome is the fact that Rhaena could lose some major parts of her story because of the same, like how she ends up claiming the hatchling dragon, Morning, in the later events of the book.
All of this being said, fans are unarguably as mad as ever about this mistake the showrunners are seemingly about to make, sharing their reviews on X about the same as:
They cut nettles because they don’t want no competition for the Targaryen love story that shit is ridiculous man pic.twitter.com/YTSNDOAQP3
— kT🦂 (@kTdefender) May 14, 2024
This literally ruins her whole arc of her egg hatching and it being the last dragon before Dany…her power of manifestation… who is responsible for this
— PEACE n LOVE 🍉🐐 (@sullibible) May 14, 2024
This thing where they just slap a black woman's story plot onto another black character without giving either of these women the effort and dignity of their own story line…take it away please. nettles and rhaena deserve more than that
— Helaena's real mother (@CosmicWalkers_) May 14, 2024
Sigh they really cutting Nettles giving her dragon Sheepstealer to Rthena when you could easily cast her this season …. pic.twitter.com/1oxhVqT5Cc
— JJ (@JjjSoap86260) May 14, 2024
They are cutting the only canon black woman from the book, her being a commoner that claimed a dragon using her cleverness a not her "magical Targaryen blood" made her and her story so fascinating and now they've ruined it, for what? Can't have too many black people in one show?
— Yeah (@Adasttreia) May 14, 2024
I'm going to say it and I hope I'm wrong. This show is going to be worse than GOT season 8. It was changing storylines and merging/removing major characters that led to the demise of that show. And I'm afraid that's what's going to happen to this show as well
— being_awesome1999 (@pmishra859) May 14, 2024
By cutting Nettles, they are also effectively cutting the treason of House Mooten, arguably one of the most gripping moments from the Dance. Why can’t they just embellish on existing story beats instead of writing new ones?
— Uriah L (@UriahLoruamah) May 14, 2024
erasing the whole nettles storyline is such an L though 😭😭
— soph (@palewavey) May 14, 2024
As can already be understood from all of these reactions, if these rumors turn out to be true, then this would come as a massive disappointment to the fandom, and would brutally affect the show’s second-season’s ratings as well.
But to know for sure, fans will have to tune in to Max on the 16th of June, 2024, for the first episode of season 2 of HotD.
Until then, you can stream House of the Dragon season 1 on Prime Video.
