While the other “dragonseeds” from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book are included, it seems that House of the Dragon has cut the fan-favorite character Nettles from the show entirely. Considering she plays quite a big role even outside the Dance of the Dragon’s battles and being at the Sowing in the book, Nettles’ absence isn’t a small change to make within House of the Dragon’s story. Additionally, regardless of her narrative importance, Nettles’ absence rids the show of the best character to expose the Targaryens’ lie about who can ride dragons.
In finding a solution to Team Black’s possession of dragons but lack of riders, Rhaenyra and Jacaerys decide to test the claim that only Targaryens with thick Valyrian blood can ride dragons. They first try it with Ser Steffon Darklyn, a descendant of Princess Aeriana Targaryen, but he’s fatally burned during his attempt. However, Corlys Velaryon’s bastard son Addam of Hull successfully claims Seasmoke, with the Targaryen bastards Hugh Hammer and Ulf claiming Vermithor and Silverwing soon after. The requirement of being a Dragonlord is thus disproven, but Nettles would have questioned the Targaryen’s dragonriding claims further.
House Of The Dragon Appears To Have Cut Nettles
Nettles Is The Fourth “Dragonseed” In Fire & Blood
When Hugh Hammer and Ulf joined House of the Dragon season 2’s cast of characters, there was hope that Nettles would soon follow suit with a surprise appearance. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, Nettles is one of the “dragonseeds” who takes up Queen Rhaenyra’s call for people to attempt to claim their dragons on Dragonstone. She’s described in Fire & Blood as a “bastard of uncertain birth called Netty” who was “black-haired, brown-eyed, brown-skinned, skinny, foul-mouthed, fearless…” and only 16 years old.
Alongside Addam of Hull, Hugh Hammer, and Ulf, Nettles is one of the four “dragonseeds” who successfully claim a dragon during the “Sowing.” However, she isn’t included in the Sowing during House of the Dragon season 2, episode 7’s ending, suggesting Nettles may not be included in the HBO adaptation at all.
In addition to her absence at the Sowing, the evidence that House of the Dragon has likely cut Nettles relates to her dragon’s story already being changed from the book. In Fire & Blood, Nettles claims the wild dragon Sheepstealer, who resided in a lair on Dragonstone. Nettles ended up feeding Sheepstealer with freshly slaughtered sheep each morning, winning the dragon’s favor prior to her attempt to claim it. This isn’t the case in House of the Dragon, as it now seems that Sheepstealer lives in the Vale and will be claimed by Rhaena Targaryen instead.
If so, that also means that Rhaena Targaryen, not Nettles, will join Team Black’s dragonriders who fly into battle for the Battle of the Gullet and the Fall of King’s Landing. In the book, Daemon’s younger daughter largely remains at the Vale with Lady Jeyne Arryn, with Rhaena’s dragon egg eventually hatching into Morning, a pink-scaled dragon who is one of the last to hatch before the Targaryens’ dragons die out. As such, it seems that Rhaena Targaryen is effectively taking Nettles’ place in Queen Rhaenyra’s army.
Nettles Is The One Character Who Challenges The Idea Only Valyrians Can Ride Dragons
Nettles Didn’t Claim To Have Any Valyrian Blood When Bonding With Sheepstealer
After Hugh Hammer claimed Vermithor and Ulf claimed Silvering, the notion that a Targaryen must be a trueblooded Dragonlord to claim a dragon is officially debunked. Additionally, Addam of Hull bonding with Seasmoke disproves the claim that only those with direct Targaryen blood can claim a dragon, as he isn’t known to have any Targaryen ancestors through his mother, Marilda of Hull, or father, Corlys Velaryon. Had House of the Dragon included Nettles, the Targaryens’ conception of what is required to ride dragons would have been challenged further.
Unlike the other “dragonseeds,” Nettles was the only character who could have proven that one doesn’t need Valyrian blood to ride a dragon. Rhaenyra is convinced that Addam has the blood of Old Valyria in him when seeing that Seasmoke was drawn to him, and this happens to be true. Addam, Hugh, and Ulf all possess the blood of Old Valyria: Addam of Hull is the bastard son of Lord Corlys Velaryon, Hugh Hammer is the bastard son of Princess Saera Targaryen, and Ulf is allegedly the bastard son of Prince Baelon Targaryen.
Given the uncertainty of her birth and the lack of any known connections to Old Valyria, Nettles would have posed the biggest challenge to the idea that Valyrian blood is required to ride dragons in House of the Dragon.
Meanwhile, despite claiming Sheepstealer, Nettles wasn’t thought to have any Valyrian blood in Martin’s book. This isn’t to say that she certainly didn’t have any Valyrian heritage in Fire & Blood – there’s just no way of knowing. Fire & Blood never included who her father was or any rumors about her being the bastard daughter of a Targaryen or Velaryon. Still, given the uncertainty of her birth and the lack of any known connections to Old Valyria, Nettles would have posed the biggest challenge to the idea that Valyrian blood is required to ride dragons in House of the Dragon.
Cutting Nettles Would Be A Mistake – Is There Still Hope For Her Appearance?
Nettles’ Appearance Likely Depends On How Much HOTD Changes Rhaena’s Story
Nettles is one of the most interesting non-Targaryen characters in the Dance of the Dragons, with her story also giving Fire & Blood one of its greatest unsolved mysteries. While some details would certainly need to be changed if the teenage dragonrider were included, such as her rumored romance with Daemon Targaryen, she still offers an exciting opportunity for the show given what happens to her during the Dance. Not to mention, Nettles is also one of the few major Black characters in the Dance of the Dragons’ story unrelated to Valyrian nobility.
In the book, Nettles also shares an intriguing storyline with Daemon Targaryen during the Dance, as Nettles and Sheepstealer join Daemon and Caraxes in the Riverlands as they hunt down Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar. Fire & Blood’s sources claimed that Daemon would dote upon Nettles like one of his own daughters, perhaps helping him recognize his failures in being a largely absent parent to Baela and Rhaena after their mother’s death. Nettles would later flee Harrenhal with Daemon’s help, as Rhaenyra had ordered her death after the betrayals of the dragonseeds Hugh Hammer and Ulf.
After that time, Nettles and Sheepstealer were never seen again, leaving their fates unknown in Fire & Blood. There would be rumors of Nettles and Sheepstealer living deep in the Vale based on the mountain clans’ stories about a “fire witch” and her dragon, but what happened to them would never be confirmed. It’s still one of Fire & Blood’s best mysteries, so it’s a shame to cut Nettles, who could very well be the last-ever dragonrider before Daenerys Targaryen.
It’s not impossible for Nettles to eventually appear and claim a dragon, but delaying her introduction by so long doesn’t make much sense for the Dance’s story.
Sadly, despite how unique of a character she is, it seems unlikely that Nettles will appear in House of the Dragon. While the show could change the book by having her claim either the Cannibal or Grey Ghost, the other two unclaimed wild dragons on Dragonstone, it seems her story is largely being given to Rhaena. It’s not impossible for Nettles to eventually appear and claim a dragon, but delaying her introduction by so long doesn’t make much sense for the Dance’s story.