Did ‘House of the Dragon’ Reveal Casting for ‘The Hedge Knight’ Character?

For many fans, House of the Dragon proved that it was still worth exploring Westeros after the widely-panned ending of Game of Thrones, and now the show may have provided a hook for the next series coming from this franchise. The season finale gave us a glimpse of a character that will be important in next year’s series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, and may even have revealed his casting. Fair warning: there are possible spoilers ahead!

The season finale gave us a firsthand glimpse of the prophecy that seems to consume House Targaryen from the perspective of Daemon (Matt Smith). After touching a bleeding Weirwood tree, Daemon sees a vision of the White Walkers and of Daenerys rising up to fight them in the future. First, however, he sees a young man with Targaryen features sitting on a throne of Weirwood roots, with a red birthmark shaped like a raven on his cheek. This man can be none other than Bloodraven, a.k.a. Brynden Rivers – a vital character to A Song of Ice and Fire. He is played here by actor, director, and dancer Joshua Ben-Tovim.

Bloodraven has not been born yet at the time of House of the Dragon, but he will be an important player in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and is one of the oldest characters still alive in Game of Thrones. He is the bastard son of King Aegon IV Targaryen, born to his mistress Melissa Blackwood, meaning half his ancestry comes from the dragon-riding house and the other half comes from a house steeped in the magic of the old gods and the Weirwood trees. He is nicknamed Bloodraven for the birthmark on his face, and he becomes a powerful political player in the Seven Kingdoms during his lifetime.

While there are no dragons alive in Bloodraven’s time, rumors abound that he is a warg or a skinchanger, capable of spying on his enemies through ravens, rats, and other animals. At the time of The Hedge Knight, he is the Hand of the King, but without going into too much detail or spoiling more than is necessary, he is later sent to The Wall to join the Night’s Watch. There, his skinchanger abilities truly blossom, and he leaves to explore north of The Wall.

That’s how we meet Bloodraven in Game of Thrones, where he is the old man living in a cave who teaches Bran Stark to become a Greenseer. He was played by Struan Rodger in Season 4 and then by Max von Sydow in Season 6, but his role in the story was minimized on TV. However, in the books, Bloodraven uses his magic to influence events all over the realm, and his actions have inspired many fan theories about what is coming in the final books.

So far, Ben-Tovim has not been added to the IMDb or cast list for The Hedge Knight, but his character does not really appear in that story, just as he does not really appear in House of the Dragon. Still, he may have been cast as a way of creating a recognizable bridge between these two shows, and in a story that relies so much on visions sent across time and space, that is a brilliant move. Bloodraven will make a flesh-and-blood appearance in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 3 if nothing else, so we may have to wait years to see if Ben-Tovim is invited back.

Seeing this young Bloodraven on screen has fans surprised and excited, so it’s easy to see why the producers may have made this connection. It provides a small bridge between House of the Dragon and The Hedge Knight, and should pique interest in the upcoming show as well. The Hedge Knight is expected to premiere sometime in 2025. House of the Dragon Season 3 is in pre-production. Martin’s books are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.