Is HBO trying to rewrite Helaena Targaryen into a completely different character, or is Phia Saban just being dramatic? Well, honey, the actress is FINALLY spilling the tea on those absolutely bonkers changes to her beloved book character, and we are LIVING for the honesty.
Let’s get real: when Phia Saban signed up to play Helaena in House of the Dragon, she thought she knew exactly who this dragon queen was supposed to be. But Season 3? Girl, that was a whole different beast—literally and figuratively. The finale had Helaena pregnant, held captive by Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra, and basically transformed into someone fans barely recognized from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood source material. Talk about a plot twist nobody asked for!
Saban didn’t mince words when addressing the elephant in the room. The actress acknowledged that her character underwent some serious revisions for the HBO adaptation, and honestly? She seems torn between defending the creative choices and admitting they’re absolutely wild. The pregnant captive storyline? That’s not exactly how things went down in the books, bestie.
What’s particularly juicy is how the fandom has been absolutely DIVIDED over these changes. Some fans are here for the drama and chaos, arguing that the show needed to shake things up to keep viewers guessing. Others? They’re ready to riot in the streets because Helaena was supposed to be this mystical, enigmatic character—not a damsel in distress playing political prisoner to her sister-in-law.
Sources close to the production suggest that showrunner Ryan Condal wanted to create more dramatic tension between the Targaryen women, even if it meant completely reimagining character arcs from the source material. But here’s the thing—when you’re adapting a book series with as much devoted fan passion as Game of Thrones, you better bring your A-game to justify those changes, or the internet will absolutely come for you. And let’s be honest, they already are.
Phia Saban seems to be navigating this minefield with grace, defending her character’s journey while acknowledging the massive departures from canon. But we’re not entirely convinced she’s thrilled about all the rewrites. Her diplomatic answers definitely give “I’m contractually obligated to be nice about this” energy.
What do you think? A) Helaena’s changes made the show more exciting and dramatic B) The writers completely butchered the character and betrayed the source material