House of the Dragon is well underway – with the latest episode airing this weekend.
In the third episode of the Game of Thrones spin-off, which features a three-year leap forward in time, we learn more about one particularly intriguing character.
Crabfeeder (Daniel Scott-Smith) was introduced in the first episode of the series when he is mentioned by Lord Corlys. The character is named after his preferred method of punishing enemies, which is to leave them on the beach for the crabs to feast on.
Behind the pseudonym is Craghas Drahar, the self-appointed prince-admiral of the Triarchy who has been allowed to take over the Stepstones as his base of power.
As per The Los Angeles Times, the Triarchy is an alliance of three of the nine Free Cities of western Essos. Most are former colonies of the old Valyrnian empire. According to Lord Corlys, Crabfeeder and the Triarchy have begun attacking Velaryon ships, which poses a threat to the trade and travel of Westeros.
The snapshots of Crabfeeder that viewers have seen so far have mostly been brief, but one thing stands out: his mask. The villain is depicted wearing a gold mask that covers most of his face, on which scarring is visible.
As noted by Business Insider, the costume, in fact, helps connect Crabfeeder to the people of Essos – something that the actor who plays Crabfeeder has since confirmed.
The mask is the same kind that the Sons of the Harpy in Game of Thrones wore. In GoT, Daenerys Targeryn’s (Emilia Clarke) reign in Slaver’s Bay was impeded by the Sons of the Harpy who fought against the Mother of Dragon’s rule.
The costuming choice helps to show that Crabfeeder is a fringe villain who identifies with the Sons of the Harpy’s anti-establishment message.
The third episode of House of the Dragon also helped to fix George RR Martin’s most hated scene from GoT.
House of the Dragon continues Sundays in the US on HBO at 9pm. The episode is simulcast on Monday mornings in the UK on NOW, and is shown again at 9pm on Sky Atlantic.
Find The Independent’s episode three recap here.
