House of the Dragon episode 2 plants the seeds for Daemon Targaryen vs. the Crabfeeder, continuing a great tradition of battles from Game of Thrones.
House of the Dragon season 1, episode 2, "The Rogue Prince," planted the seeds for a fight between Daemon Targaryen and the Crabfeeder. The latter is being set up as House of the Dragon's first major villain, and the eventual clash between the two fearsome warriors will continue a Game of Thrones tradition of exciting one-on-one encounters.
Craghas Drahar, known as the Crabfeeder, is first mentioned in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 1, "The Heirs of the Dragon," by Corlys Velaryon as having terrorized the pirates at the Stepstones. These islands comprise a crucial trade route in Westeros and are essential to Corlys's great wealth. Craghas got his nickname for his penchant for staking pirates on the beach, leaving them to be consumed by the tides and beach crabs. The Crabfeeder was fully revealed in House of the Dragon episode 2.
Related: The Stepstones' Westeros History Is Much Deeper Than HOTD Reveals
Daemon versus the Crabfeeder will follow a long line of great Game of Thrones one-on-one battles, such as Ned Stark versus Jamie Lannister, Brienne versus The Hound, and The Viper versus The Mountain, among others. Also, Dameon wields the Dark Sister, a sword of Valyrian steel, a vital metal variant used in many big battles in Game of Thrones. The fight against the Crabfeeder was teased in a meeting between Corlys and Daemon, with the former proposing an alliance in order to reclaim the Stepstones. Their union will lead to the first big war of the prequel series and was one of the many reveals at the end of House of the Dragon episode 2.
The Stepstones play a huge role in both House of the Dragons and Game of Thrones lore. They are the remnants of the Arm of Dorne, a land bridge that connected Westeros to Essos. The Children of the Forest destroyed it in order to prevent the invasion of the First Men and turned it into its current status as an archipelago. In House of the Dragons, the set-up of Daemon versus the Crabfeeder teases the coming of the War for the Stepstones, an important conquest for Daemon and Corlys after being discouraged by King Viserys. While the Crabfeeder won't likely be a primary antagonist for the series, his appearance will likely mark an exciting battle and give more insight into the Triarchy.
The battle between Daemon and the Crabfeeder will likely serve to show the former's might as a member of the Targaryen family, as he is known to be quite the combatant. It will also further Corlys's motives and hunger for power. Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will likely use semi-major villains like the Crabfeeder to enhance more prominent storylines involving Westeros.
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Anthony is a Features writer for Screen Rant. Anthony currently resides in Minneapolis, MN, and is a doctoral student specializing in Media Psychology at Fielding Graduate University. The study of how media and storytelling affect people on a cognitive level is a huge passion for him and led to his interest in writing for the site. Anthony previously attended both the University of Arizona and Arizona State for undergrad and post-grad studies in psychology but is a true Arizona Wildcat at heart. He is an avid movie and TV fan. He enjoys keeping up with all the new and popular shows on the major streaming platforms. If a show or movie is being whispered about on social media, he has seen it. Anthony’s favorite movie genre is Horror. And while he enjoys the new wave of social commentary-based horror made mainstream by directors like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster, nothing beats a classic slasher.