Ulf’s book fate in House of the Dragon, broken down

Right, if you were expecting House of the Dragon to stick religiously to George R.R. Martin's blueprint, think again. The show is now deep into its third season and, to absolutely no one's surprise, inventing its own brand of chaos—especially when it comes to minor, drunken dragonriders and the ever-painful battle for Tumbleton. We're talking, of course, about Ulf White: scourge of cheap wine, accidental mass murderer, and, in the show's latest finale, the bloke who arguably takes the phrase 'burn your bridges' to new heights.

Season 3 of House of the Dragon ends with Ulf White torching his own allies and roasting Ormund Hightower during the First Battle of Tumbleton.

The Peasant Dragonriders

Let’s rewind a bit. Early in season two, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) isn't exactly swimming in loyal knights—what she does have is a surfeit of dragons. Solution? Start rounding up randoms who might have just enough Targaryen blood to avoid being charbroiled in the saddle. Enter Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew), a smith who wins over the dragon Vermithor, and Ulf White (Tom Bennett), notorious barfly-turned-rider of Silverwing. Both get swept up as supposed assets for the Blacks (that’s Team Rhaenyra, if you can’t keep sides straight anymore).

• Hugh Hammer: Claims Vermithor, sticks with the Blacks—at least for now.
• Ulf White: Bags Silverwing, almost immediately offends basically everyone, rarely seen sober.

The First Tumbleton (Show Version)

Now, by season three, Ulf is pushing Rhaenyra’s patience—not content with just riding a dragon, he wants free rein to hit up all the wine sinks King’s Landing can muster. After one warning too many, he flips and goes over to Ormund Hightower (James Norton), commander of the Greens’ army. Ormund, all too eager to weaponise Ulf’s treachery, brings him along for the defense of Tumbleton—now awkwardly renamed the First Battle of Tumbleton in TV canon, although it doesn’t quite work out like that in the books.

Ormund expects Ulf to rain fire on Rhaenyra’s troops, and Ulf indeed does so—eventually, after being woken from a nap on the loo and grudgingly pushed into action. But Ulf, ever the delicate soul, takes offence at Ormund’s dressing-down and decides to torch half the town as well. The result? He barbecues Ormund Hightower himself, an ending so abrupt it left a decent chunk of viewers checking they'd heard correctly.

Comparing With The Books

If you’ve slogged through Martin’s Fire & Blood, the differences jump right out. Book-Ulf is written much like on TV: a liability, a braggart, and an absolute disaster with a dragon. But here’s where the show goes its own way:

• In Fire & Blood, Ormund takes Tumbleton from the Blacks—the show skips to him already holding it.
• Ulf’s arson in the book ruins the town, but Ormund isn’t around to get flame-grilled; that’s Roderick Dustin’s job (Tommy Flanagan on the show, who gets a different 'memorable' scene instead).
• On the page, Hugh Hammer also betrays the Blacks during the first fight; on-screen, he bails with Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), who, by the way, doesn’t make an appearance at Tumbleton in the books at all.
• The Second Battle of Tumbleton? Ulf famously snoozes through it at an inn. The show mashes this plot point into its first version—yes, that's why he gets found sleeping on the privy.

Ulf’s Bitter End (in the Book)

After the first Tumbleton debacle, Ulf gets ideas above his station. He bullies Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), terrorises local women, and throws random victims to Silverwing when bored. Green leadership are—quite sensibly—done with him, and hatch a plan to take him out. Enter Hobert Hightower (played back in season one by Steffan Rhodri), who brings out two casks: one Dornish red, one Arbor gold. The Arbor gold is dosed with poison, but Ulf, paranoid as ever, waits until Hobert drinks first. Once convinced, Ulf knocks back three cups, promptly passes out, and dies. Hobert—unlucky to the end—tries to save himself by making himself vomit, but still drops dead.

The Arbor gold brought to kill Ulf was laced with poison; cautious to the last, he only drank when Hobert Hightower did as well.

With House of the Dragon Season 4 on the cards, it’s anyone’s guess how the show will handle Ulf’s inevitable demise. Given how loose the adaptation's become, don’t put money on poisoned wine being the method—though, if Ulf keeps burning his own side, they’ll find a way to get rid of him soon enough.