Who Is Ulf the White Again?
Let’s be honest, with a sprawling cast of Targaryens, Velaryons, and Hightowers, it’s easy to lose track of the supporting players. Ulf the White (played by Tom Bennett) emerged during the “Sowing of the Seeds,” Queen Rhaenyra’s desperate call for anyone
with Valyrian blood to claim a riderless dragon. Ulf, a man-at-arms known more for his drinking than his lineage, successfully bonded with Silverwing, the dragon of the beloved Good Queen Alysanne. This instantly made him one of the most powerful men in Westeros. The show has painted him as resentful and opportunistic, a man who feels the world owes him for his low birth despite his powerful blood. He was given a dragon but denied the respect he craved, creating a volatile mix of ego and insecurity.
The Choice: A Betrayal at Tumbleton
If the series continues to follow the brutal path laid out in George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” Ulf’s big choice comes at the First Battle of Tumbleton. This strategic town becomes the site of a major clash between the Greens and the Blacks. Rhaenyra sends forces to defend it, including Ulf on Silverwing and his fellow dragonseed, Hugh Hammer on Vermithor. The choice presented to them is simple and cynical: stay loyal to a queen who sees them as useful tools, or accept a better offer from the Greens. In the books, both Ulf and Hugh choose the latter. In an act that earns them the infamous title of the “Two Betrayers,” they turn their dragons on their own allies, incinerating the very army they were sent to support. This isn't just switching sides; it's a shocking, violent reversal that changes the war in a single fiery afternoon.
The Devastating Impact on Rhaenyra’s War
The betrayal at Tumbleton is arguably the most devastating blow Rhaenyra’s faction suffers. In one move, she doesn't just lose two dragonriders; she gains two powerful enemies now fighting for the other side. The loss of Silverwing and, even more critically, the massive war-dragon Vermithor, hands the Greens a staggering advantage in the sky. The massacre of her ground troops at Tumbleton shatters the momentum her forces had been building. But the damage goes far beyond military strategy. The betrayal poisons Rhaenyra’s trust in her own camp. After Ulf and Hugh turn, how can she ever fully trust another lowborn dragonrider, like the loyal Addam of Hull? The act sends a ripple of paranoia and suspicion through the Black council, weakening them from within just as the Greens are strengthened from without.
Why It's the Perfect Finale Cliffhanger
Ulf’s choice is more than a plot twist; it’s a thematic turning point. It proves that the Dance of the Dragons has spiraled beyond a conflict between two royal claimants. It's now a chaotic free-for-all where anyone with a dragon can dream of a crown. Ulf and Hugh’s ambitions don’t stop at serving the Greens; they soon begin making demands for lordships and even kingdoms, becoming uncontrollable assets to their new allies. This betrayal fundamentally changes the nature of power in Westeros. It demonstrates that arming desperate men with weapons of mass destruction without addressing their grievances creates monsters. As the season closes, Ulf’s decision will likely leave Rhaenyra’s cause in ruins, her trust shattered, and the entire realm facing a new, more anarchic phase of a war that has already cost so much. It's the moment the carefully laid battle lines are burned away, leaving nothing but chaos and fire heading into the final season.
