War is about seeking advantages and exploiting them to the very maximum. More so if you are locked in a conflict billed as the Dance of Dragons. Team Black, led by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), has earned a significant advantage ahead of the premiere of the third season of HBO‘s House of the Dragon. The world of Westeros is famed for producing fierce female warriors, and Season 3 of the prequel series will be introducing yet another one. According to Deadline, actress Annie Shapero has been cast as Alysanne Blackwood, a warrior who fights on behalf of Rhaenyra in the Dance of the Dragons. While Shapero won’t be a series regular, she’s set to star in five of the upcoming eight episodes and is likely to win over fans in that time.

Shapero is an Australian-British actress who previously played American journalist Jenny in Red Skies, the Series Mania Award-winning Israeli TV show about the Second Intifada co-created by Euphoria’s Ron Leshem. Shapero‘s credits also include being in FX pilot The Border, Jacob Elordi-led The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and being cast in the upcoming Australian horror pic Saccharine, opposite Midori Francis. Her casting as Alysanne Blackwood in the third installment of House of the Dragon is arguably her biggest role yet. The actress joins a number of newcomers to the Westerosi-set franchise, as James Norton, Tommy Flanagan, and Dan Fogler also come aboard as Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke)’s cousin Ormund Hightower, Lord Roderick Dustin, and Ser Torrhen Manderly, respectively.

Why Is The Introduction of Alysanne Blackwood So Exciting?

House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin‘s novel series, Fire & Blood, which chronicles the Targaryen civil war. Martin‘s novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, is famed for its inclusion of fierce female warriors, as is much of Westeros’ lore. Characters such as Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) come quickly to mind. Alysanne Blackwood, also known as Black Aly, is made of similar stuff and plays a key role in the Dance of the Dragons. She is Lord Benjicot Blackwood’s aunt and, after fighting for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, marries Lord Cregan Stark, who is played by Tom Taylor in the prequel. Alysanne’s house, House Blackwood, is responsible for the deadly off-screen battle in the Riverlands, the Battle of the Burning Mill, with their long-time rivals, House Bracken, in Season 2.

In Fire & Blood, Alysanne is mentioned during the Battle of the Burning Mill. After Ser Amos Bracken kills Lord Samwell Blackwood in a duel, Alysanne fells the Bracken knight with an arrow through the eye to avenge her brother. However, Season 2 of House of the Dragon skipped this moment, even allowing Amos Bracken to survive the bloody battle. Alysanne might still have her moment in the sun with an iconic archery incident still waiting to occur, involving a high-ranking Green commander in the battle called the Butcher’s Ball.

A release date for the third season of House of the Dragon hasn’t been announced by HBO.

via Collider