As the bitter conflict escalates between the Blacks and the Greens, the viewers are wondering if one of the youngest and staunchest allies of Rhaenyra Targaryen will appear in House of the Dragon. In the book Fire & Blood, Benjicot Blackwood is a prominent military leader despite being a teenager. Following the Battle of the Kingsroad, or the Muddy Mess, which takes place in 131 AC, his men begin calling him Bloody Ben. A favorite among the book readers, there is considerable interest in whether Benjicot will appear in House of the Dragon.
Here is what we have discovered about Benjicot Blackwood and which actor can potentially play him in House of the Dragon.
Who is Benjicot Blackwood in House of the Dragon?
As of Season 2 Episode 2, Benjicot Blackwood hasn’t appeared in the House of the Dragon. In the book, he becomes the Lord of Raventree Hall, the ancestral seat of his family, following the death of his father Samwell Blackwood in the Battle of the Burning Mill in 129 AC. As a riverlord, Benjicot is a bannerman of the Tullys of the Riverrun.
Benjicot plays an important role in how the Targaryen civil war unfolds in the book, contributing significantly to the Black victory at the Second Battle of Tumbleton in 130 AC and the Muddy Mess. It will be interesting to see how the series explores this intriguing character if and when he is introduced in the narrative.
Which actor could play Benjicot Blackwood in House of the Dragon Season 2?
As of June 2024, neither HBO Max nor the producers have officially announced the casting for Benjicot Blackwood in House of the Dragon Season 2. Besides, it is even uncertain whether he will ever appear in the series.
However, since the preview for Season 2 Episode 3 dropped, viewers are speculating that one of the new characters in it might be Benjicot. The person in question appears at 0.07 timestamp. Given that Daemon has flown to the Riverlands to conquer Harrenhal, and a considerable portion of Episode 3 will likely take place in that region, this may be indeed Benjicot.
IMDb identifies one of the characters appearing in Episode 3 as the “Blackwood Lad,” portrayed by Jerry Wilder. However, the actor isn’t portraying the young man the fans believe is Benjicot, but rather one of his companions. Given that Benjicot becomes known as one of “the Lads” during the Dance of the Dragons in the book, perhaps he is there in that scene in Episode 3. Albeit, the fans are simply focusing on the wrong youth.
Will Benjicot Blackwood appear in future seasons of House of the Dragon?
If Benjicot doesn’t appear in House of the Dragon Season 2, he will probably debut in future seasons. Or at least, a version of him will do.
In the series, we never saw Samwell, who was one of Rhaenyra’s suitors in the book. Instead, the name of the Blackwood boy who appears in Season 1 is Willem. This change will likely impact Benjicot’s story if he ever appears in the show.
