The New Rider in House of the Dragon explained by Seasmoke: who he chooses, why and what it means?
House of the Dragon's new rider Seasmoke choose to connect with Addam Of Hull. Laenor Velaryon flew the dragon in season one; it is unknown what would happen to it once Laenor pretended to die and fled Westeros. With Seasmoke making some appearances and even circling around Addam previously, it became a more frequent topic in the first few House of the Dragon season 2 episodes.
Seasmoke's New Dragon Rider is Addam Of Hull.
Addam of Hull is Seasmoke's new dragonrider, same like in Fire & Blood. Addam just made a few visits before developing a close relationship with Seasmoke, usually alongside his brother Alyn. Played by Clinton Liberty in the cast of House of the Dragon, Addam is a shipwright living on Driftmark who forms part of the House Velaryon fleet. As already mentioned, Alyn and Addam are bastard children of Corlys Velaryon.
House of the Dragon changed a few fundamental aspects of Addam's character. Whereas he seems to be in his mid-to-late 20s on the show (Liberty is 26 in season 2), in the book he is only roughly 15-years-old when he is introduced. With some assertions they are actually Laenor's bastard children and others claim they are Corlys's, the book also leaves more of a mystery around their parentage.
Why did Seasmoke pick Addam of Hull following Steffon Darklyn rejection?
To put it rather mildly, the first effort at claiming Seasmoke with Steffon Darklyn did not go very well. The dragon first appeared to welcome the knight as his new rider, but as he approached he obviously turned away. Maybe he sensed Steffon's anxiety or that he wasn't a Velaryon like his past rider; the precise thoughts and emotions of dragons, and why they choose particular people, are mostly unknown.
Clearly, though, Seasmoke has been showing interest in Addam for some period of time. Hinting at their possible link, House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2 showed him flying in the heavens above a viewing Addam. Perhaps Addam has something in him that reminds him of Laenor; he seems to be truly nice. That they are half-brothers certainly helps: Addam might be the next best thing if Seasmoke misses his former rider.
Of course, it’s reasonable to ask why Addam and not Alyn, given the latter has been a little more prominent in the show. Simply said, based on the book, Addam is the older of the two. Still, it's maybe more because of Alyn's setup as Corlys's replacement. Not only in terms of plot, but fundamentally Alyn is "salt and sea," meaning he might not be meant to bond with a dragon.
How Addam Of Hull Might Ride a Dragon?
Addam and Alyn are bastards from Corlys Velaryon, thus they do have strong Valyrian background and blood in their veins. That is, seemingly, more than enough for Addam to ride a dragon, even though the Velaryons themselves were never dragonlords in Old Valyria. Targaryen blood is also likely present since they and the Velaryons married multiple times over the years, thus their bloodlines would naturally have mixed.
Addam demonstrates that the whole concept behind the dragonseeds—that you do not need immediate or direct Targaryen lineage—is accurate. It is plausible, though, that it goes deeper: it is never 100% clear that only Targaryen, or even Valyrian, blood can ride a dragon. There is a girl in the book named Nettles who claims to have a wild dragon called Sheepstealer; her Valyrian blood is not mentioned.
Seasmoke Choosing Addam Mean Laenor Velaryon Is Dead?
The status of the former rider determines the main flaw in Seasmoke bonding with Addam, not the blood of the latter. Laenor Velaryon is still alive in House of the Dragon, a departure from the books where he did actually die (at the same point in the story). Is that still the case, though?
Seasmoke has been reportedly becoming restless, and Rhaenyra sees he "misses his bond." It’s entirely possible that, given it has been years since Laenor left, he has finally accepted that his former rider won’t be returning and has decided to take on a new one. Seasmoke and Laenor spent years together, so it is only natural he might end up feeling lonely. But could it also mean Laenor is dead?
Again, it has been years, so it is possible Laenor has been killed off-screen (and, really, there’d not be any reason for Rhaenyra or anyone else to learn about it, since most believe him dead already). It’s never been confirmed if a dragon could take a new rider when the other one is still alive: House of the Dragon either just did exactly that, or Laenor is dead for real this time.
Do Seasmoke & Addam Fight In The Dance Of The Dragons?
Addam may not have been who Rhaenyra intended to claim Seasmoke, but it does work out well for Team Black. Since he’s already loyal to Corlys, then Addam will fight for Rhaenyra in the Dance Of The Dragons, flying his new dragon into multiple battles. This will include the Battle of the Gullet, which has been set up for House of the Dragon season 3 with various references to the blockade.
Addam and Seasmoke also help Rhaenyra take King’s Landing, which again will presumably be in season 3, and the dragon is kept in the Dragonpit and helps to protect the city. Later, they fight at the Second Battle of Tumbleton, with dragons such as Vermithor and Silverwing involved too. It remains to be seen how much House of the Dragon follows the books, but there are certainly bigger things to come in the future for Seasmoke and Addam.
