House of the Dragon: 10 Ways Battle of the Gullet Can Beat GoT’s Battle of the Bastards

House of the Dragon is gearing up for one of its most ambitious moments yet with the Battle of the Gullet. Promising a massive naval clash, dragon battles, and devastating consequences, it has all the ingredients to push fantasy television to new heights.

With all the hype it has generated, fans may now be wondering whether it can match the level of Game of Thrones’ Battle of the Bastards—or better yet, beat it at its own game. Well, we’ve come up with ten ways the Battle of the Gullet could raise the bar and surpass the flagship show’s most acclaimed episode.

1 Battle of the Gullet Turns Westeros Into a Three-Front War

The Battle of the Gullet happens across the sea, the coast, and the sky at the same time, unlike the Battle of the Bastards, which took place on one muddy field outside Winterfell. The Velaryon fleet fights the Triarchy at sea while dragons fly overhead and burn enemies from above. The fighting goes on into the night and ends with the sacking of Spicetown on Driftmark.

This three-front war is already a spectacle that gives House of the Dragon the edge over the original series in terms of scale and ambition. Expanding the battle across multiple locations makes it far more challenging and significantly costlier to execute.

2 Battle of the Bastards Featured No Dragons

The Battle of the Gullet already feels bigger than the Battle of the Bastards because of the presence of dragons, something Game of Thrones never had during its most famous battle. While the Battle of the Bastards was an intense hand-to-hand combat, it was ultimately limited to human armies fighting on a single battlefield.

With dragonriders dominating the skies, the prequel show can turn the fight into a multi-layered assault from above the sea. That extra dimension of aerial warfare doesn’t just increase the scale but completely changes how the battle is fought and visualized.

3 The Scale of Destruction Is Much Larger In House of the Dragon

Since the Battle of the Gullet will occur on land, sea, and sky in House of the Dragon Season 3, it’s obvious that the damage will be much larger than what we have seen in Battle of the Bastards. We’re talking about a third of Velaryon’s fleet destroyed, a whole town burned to the ground and never recovered, and thousands of citizens dead.

Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton’s war involved mostly soldiers from both sides, limiting the scope of the conflict to two opposing armies. While the casualties were still bloody and brutal, the destruction remained contained compared to a multi-front war like the Gullet.

4 There Will Be Major Character Losses In HOTD Season 3

Fans will have to prepare themselves for the biggest losses this Season 3, an inevitable event that can already make House of the Dragon’s naval clash significantly more devastating than the Battle of the Bastards.

While there were casualties, with Ramsay being the most significant character death, it didn’t drastically change the wider war in Westeros. It only ended Bolton’s rule over Winterfell and restored House Stark’s control. Jace’s tragic death during the Battle of the Gullet escalated the civil war into a darker, more irreversible phase.

5 Battle of the Gullet Showcases the Full Might of the Targaryens

With all the acclaim that the Battle of the Bastards received, it was still a small-scale conflict that relied on military strength. Both sides used infantry and cavalry, something House Targaryen never solely relied on during the height of their power. Instead, they bring dragons into the fight, in addition to their army.

This immediately makes the battle much bigger, as attacks from dragons can destroy ships and troops in seconds. Compared to this, the Battle of the Bastards feels smaller and more grounded, and this is how the Battle of the Gullet can finally show us the full power of House Targaryen.

6 The War Is A Major Turning Point In Dance of the Dragons

The Battle of the Gullet will deliver huge losses to the Blacks and force Rhaenyra into her villain mode. As she finally seizes King’s Landing, punishment will be handed out to traitors, and, as seen in the official trailer, the Greens will be scrambling to escape the capital. This dramatically shifts the balance of power in Westeros.

On the other hand, the Battle of the Bastards is simply an isolated fight focused only on retaking Winterfell. It is memorable, but it doesn’t reshape the wider war the way the Gullet does.

7 It Is Expected to Become House of the Dragon’s Signature Episode

Just as the Battle of the Bastards became the iconic battle episode of Game of Thrones, the Battle of the Gullet could emerge as the moment that defines House of the Dragon for years to come.

If the Stark–Bolton conflict succeeded in execution, this naval clash at the Gullet—when done right—could surpass it with the added spectacle of dragons and warring fleets. Not only does it promise striking cinematic imagery, but the emotional weight of losing key characters will also make this the prequel show’s version of the Red Wedding.

8 Upcoming Naval Clash Promises Spectacle We’ve Never Seen Before

Burning ships, aerial dragon attacks, and large-scale naval combat are just some of the imagery we anticipate seeing in Season 3, something we never even got to see in the previous seasons.

Ryan Condal previously told EW that the opening will be the craziest episode ever made for television, and we think we know why. Game of Thrones never devoted an entire chapter to a naval battle of this scale, making the Gullet a unique event exclusive to the prequel series.

9 Season 3’s Opening Scene Is More About Tragedy & Not Triumph

Both battles have clear objectives, but the Battle of the Bastards ends with Jon’s victory and Ramsay’s death—a decisive win for the Starks and a satisfying payoff for viewers.

The Battle of the Gullet, however, offers no such triumph. Instead, it will end in devastating losses on both sides with no clear winner. This sense of tragedy could redefine how battles in Westeros are portrayed, making the conflict feel even more ambitious and risky than the Battle of the Bastards.

10 The Stakes Are Higher Since It Has More Book-Hype Behind It

The Battle of the Bastards had not yet appeared in A Song of Ice and Fire, so the entire sequence was created for the show, catching fans by surprise. The Battle of the Gullet, on the other hand, has long been written in the pages of Fire & Blood.

Because of this, viewers aren’t just watching a battle—they’re waiting to see something they’ve expected for a long time. If it doesn’t meet expectations, it could disappoint many fans, but if it delivers, it could surpass Game of Thrones’ most celebrated episode by a wide margin.

Battle of the Gullet	Battle of the Bastards
Fought across sea, land, and sky	Took place in Winterfell
Presence of dragons	No dragons
Velaryon’s fleet was destroyed, Spicetown was burned, and thousands dead	Casualties are mostly soldiers from both sides
Jace’s and Vermax’s deaths	Ramsay’s death
Fought with dragons and armies	Relied on military strength
Blacks’ losses forced Rhaenyra to enter her villain mode	Isolated fight focused on retaking Winterfell
Expected to become HOTD‘s signature episode	Became GOT‘s defining battle episode
Season 3 opens with the craziest naval combat ever made for TV	GOT never devoted an entire episode to a naval war
Battle of the Gullet ends in losses on both sides	Battle of the Bastards ends with a decisive win for House Stark
There is higher anticipation because of the source material	Never happened yet in A Song of Ice and Fire

Do you think Season 3’s upcoming naval combat can beat Battle of the Bastards? Let us know in the comments!

House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres on HBO on June 21, 2026.