‘House of the Dragon’ Stars Reveal Why Baela Joins Jace in Battle of the Gullet (VIDEO)
Baela Targaryen and Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon are the first Game of Thrones couple to go into battle together onscreen, according to the stars who play them, Bethany Antonia and Harry Collett.
The Targaryen cousins-turned-fiancés will fight in the Battle of the Gullet in the House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere, as seen in trailers for the spinoff’s return. They’re fighting the battle in the air on their dragons, Vermax and Moondancer, while their grandfather, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), fights on the sea with his bastard son, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim). All four stars were present to tease House of the Dragon‘s biggest battle ever at TV Insider’s 2026 ATX TV festival studio in May.
The Battle of the Gullet is the deadliest naval conflict in all of Westerosi history. It’s a major story in George R.R. Martin‘s Fire & Blood, and those who’ve read that dense work of Targaryen history know that Baela doesn’t fight in this battle. Her presence in the skirmish is a change made in the HBO drama, premiering June 21.
Antonia tells Swooon in the video above that there was no way Baela could let Jace fight in the Gullet alone.
“They love each other very much, and I think they go into this battle together because they want to protect each other,” she explains. “For Baela, she entertains the idea of not going with him, but that was never an option. She would never have seen him go and do this without her being by his side.”
Jace and Baela’s genuine connection makes them one of the purest couples in House of the Dragon. Are they the healthiest couple in Westeros?
“Yes,” Collett tells Swooon without missing a beat, but he and Antonia agree that the real best royal couple in Westeros was Corlys and Rhaenys (Eve Best), the latter of whom tragically died in combat in Season 2. “The competition is gone,” Collett solemnly says above, which makes Toussaint and Salim crack up.
While Jace and Baela’s relationship is strong, Antonia says that Jace “doesn’t listen to her enough.”
“No, he doesn’t really listen to a lot of people,” Collett replies, adding that Jace is a “classic teenager” and that Baela is “more mature, 100%.”
How will this immaturity impact the battle ahead? Find out when House of the Dragon returns. Get more details from the stars in the full video interview above.
House of the Dragon, Season 3 Premiere, Sunday, June 21, 9/8c, HBO, Streaming on HBO Max
