During the promotional run of the third season of House of the Dragon, showrunner Ryan Condal hyped up the installment, citing the bloodiest naval battle in the history of Westeros and the total number of dragons going to appear this season. While we have already witnessed the grandeur in the gore of the Battle of Gulllet, we are yet to see all of the promised 17 dragons in the third season. There is, however, a buzz around a particular dragon, Cannibal, rumored to appear this season.

Despite the widespread intrigue, a sliver of doubt lingers about Cannibal’s much-awaited appearance in season 3.

There is increasing conjecture that HBO might be getting ready to debut a new dragon in the third season of House of the Dragon. Fan theories claim that a dragon that has not yet made an appearance in the series is briefly shown in the recently released trailer. This has led to a lot of internet debate on the creature's identity, and whether it is the fabled dragon, Cannibal.

Ryan Condal, the showrunner and co-creator, has previously stated that House of the Dragon would have seventeen dragons. Fans believe that one dragon has not yet been unveiled, despite the fact that numerous have previously made on-screen appearances. On the social media site X (Twitter), several viewers have conjectured that the storied Cannibal might be the last dragon to be introduced in the show.

Cannibal was a huge wild dragon with green eyes and coal-black scales, according to the Game of Thrones fan website. Although his precise age is still unclear, he was regarded as the biggest and oldest of the wild dragons. According to legend on Dragonstone, Cannibal may be the oldest known dragon because he existed on the island even before House Targaryen came from Valyria. Maesters, however, refuted these tales, claiming that dragons could not possibly survive for such a long time.

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The name Cannibal is befitting of a creature who is infamous for its peculiar habits.

Cannibal's peculiar behavior gave him his moniker. He was known to dine on dragon carcasses, hatchlings, and eggs, in contrast to other dragons. According to historical tales, he is largely indifferent to people unless provoked, although he is extremely violent with other dragons. The carcasses of would-be dragonriders who tried to tame the wild dragon are said to be scattered throughout his cave. The dragon never accepted a rider.

The main question here is: when will it be introduced in the show, as we are already two episodes into the season, and there is no mention of the wild dragon till now. According to some reports, it was supposed to be in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 2. But it appears now that the makers have some other plans for the beast.

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When do you think Cannibal will appear in the show? Share your thoughts.