PHIA SABAN KILLED OFF IN HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON THREE FINALE

The season three finale of HBO's House of the Dragon aired on Sunday 9 August, concluding with the death of character Helaena Targaryen. The character, played by Phia Saban, was killed after being imprisoned by Rhaenyra, portrayed by Emma D'Arcy, and subsequently jumped from a window onto spikes below. Saban stated she had anticipated the character's death and received an official call from showrunner Ryan Condal informing her of the decision.

Saban told Entertainment Weekly that she had foreseen her character's demise because Helaena had already exceeded the lifespan of the character in George RR Martin's source material. She said she had discussed the matter informally with the show's production team prior to receiving the formal notification. Saban described the official call as "quite exhilarating and exciting" because it signalled the show was building towards significant narrative developments.

Saban stated she felt "quite honoured" to have her character die within the Game of Thrones universe and considered it "a bit of a bucket list" achievement. The season three finale also saw the Battle of Tumbleton take place as a central narrative event. House of the Dragon, the prequel series to Game of Thrones, has continued to diverge from its source material as the seasons have progressed.