House of the Dragon star calls Alyn’s finale act a make-or-break moment

Aashna Mon, August 10, 2026 at 12:26 PM UTC

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House of the Dragon Season 3 ©YouTube/HBO

The House of the Dragon Season 3 finale, titled "The Treasons at Tumbleton," saw a turning point for Alyn (Abubakar Salim) after his father, Corlys Velaryon, stepped down from his position and recommended him in his place.

Corlys Velaryon's shocking decision followed a chain of reaction after it was revealed that King Aegon II survived, creating a crisis of legitimacy for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. The Queen reached a breaking point when she marched on the Great Sept of King's Landing, but the High Septon refused to anoint her officially. Backed into a corner, she ordered her new Hand to murder the High Septon, which led to Corlys' son stabbing the unarmed High Septon to death, committing an act of religious assassination.

In an interview with Collider, Salim breaks down the severity and consequences of Alyn's decision in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale, calling it a 'make-or-break ' moment for many.

More on this in our story.

Abubakar Salim breaks down Alyn's choice in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale

A still from the series (Image via YouTube/HBO)

TheHouse of the Dragon Season 3 finale saw a pivotal shift when Corlys Velaryon stepped down from his position as Hand, recommending his son Alyn in his place. Corlys Velaryon's shocking decision came after Rhaenyra refused to legitimize his sons. Left with nothing after the Battle of the Gullet, Corlys decided to leave his sons, particularly Alyn, with the protection of his name, which is why Alyn was made the new Hand, paving the way for his big moment in the Season 3 finale.

Elsewhere, Rhaenyra was already in a downward spiral after the High Speton refused to annoint her as Queen in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale.

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In a shocking moment, Rhaenyra ordered Alyn to murder him, a chance for him to prove his new position as the Queen's Hand. Discussing the severity of Rhaenyra's order, Salim believed the task was way above Alyn's pay grade, considering that he represented the common folk and was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. It is also important to understand that Corlys stepped down from his position because he felt betrayed by Rhaenyra when she refused to legitimize his sons.

Somehow, Rhaenyra repeated her problematic behavioural pattern by having Corlys' son do her dirty deed. While Addam was visibly disturbed by the Queen's downward spiral, Alyn was leaning into blind loyalty towards her. This is how Salim described the act of murdering the High Septon and what it meant for Alyn:

''It's like pulling a farmer out to be a politician. Sure, they'll bring their own perspective and their own elements, and they might actually have more of a better understanding, to a degree, of what the people want. But it's a culture shock because it's a completely different language.''

Why did Alyn murder the High Septon in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale?

Salim also touched upon Alyn's intentions behind murdering the High Septon. While Corlys' son was visibly shocked by Rhaenyra's order, she overrode his intense hesitation by manipulating him, reminding him of his Valyrian blood and stating that they answer to higher gods than the Faith of the Seven. While Alyn was certainly driven by Rhaenyra's pressure in the House of the Dragon Season 3 finale, Salim believes that killing the High Septon was also about his own survival:

''It was hard to actually figure out why Alyn would do it. There's the moment, obviously, when Rhaenyra convinces him and says, "You're of a higher power." Rather than necessarily thinking, "Yeah, I am of a high power," it's more of a sense of, "No, this lady has gone loco, and she will kill me if I don't do this."

Lastly, Salim touched on the succession conflict with Rhaenyra's son Joffrey in Season 4, who might still be in line to claim Driftmark. However, the actor believes that Alyn fully embraced his destiny as Corlys' successor when he publicly announced himself as his father's heir and asserted himself as Lord of the Tides. While House of the Dragon Season 4 might bring a potential succession conflict with Joffrey, Alyn is certain that the sailors would rather follow him.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is streaming on HBO Max.

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Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”