WARNING: This list includes MASSIVE SPOILERS for House of the Dragon seasons 3 and 4, based on the novel Fire & Blood!
House of the Dragon’s story is based on a novel, which means readers already know where every character’s story is heading. Following Game of Thrones’ controversial ending in 2019, HBO has tried to get the franchise back on track with a prequel series surrounding the Dance of the Dragons. The story is set nearly two centuries before Game of Thrones, covering a civil war that author George R.R. Martin has been documenting since the 1990s.
First mentions of the Dance can be found in the original novel, A Game of Thrones, but it wasn’t until 2018’s Fire & Blood that readers were treated to a comprehensive exploration into the Dance’s characters and events. That text became the backbone of House of the Dragon. The TV series has been known to take creative liberties with the narrative, but the book’s general blueprint should still be enough of an indicator for where each character is headed.
Criston Cole
Criston Cole has stood out as House of the Dragon’s most hated character, so audiences will rejoice to know his story is likely coming to an end soon. In the novel, he leads troops to the Riverlands to support Aemond’s capture of Harrenhal, an effort that’s ultimately fruitless for the Greens. While they do manage to retake the castle from Daemon, Rhaenyra’s side had since left it behind with the Riverlands and Northern forces already mobilized, which was foreshadowed in House of the Dragon season 2’s ending.
This leaves Aemond and Cole frustrated, with differing views on how to continue. While Aemond decides to mount Vhagar and set the Riverlands ablaze out of anger, Criston Cole takes his already depleted forces and attempts to join the larger Hightower host coming up from the Reach. He is, however, intercepted by the Winter Wolves and the Riverlords, who ambush him and his men at an event called the Butcher’s Ball. This should occur toward the end of season 3, as HOTD showrunner Ryan Condal already confirmed actor Fabien Frankel’s exit from the show.
Otto Hightower
Ser Otto Hightower’s fate is questionable, given the massive changes in place for his character. After being dismissed as Hand of the King early in season 2, audiences didn’t get another glimpse at the character until the closing montage, where it was revealed that he’s being held prisoner. Where and how this is happening, book readers and TV fans alike can only speculate, as it’s entirely different from the text.
In the book, Rhaenyra retakes King’s Landing shortly after Aemond leaves for Harrenhal, and Otto Hightower is executed upon her arrival. Given the excellence of veteran actor Rhys Ifans, it seems more than likely House of the Dragon will keep him around longer, possibly integrating him into the narrative in the South regarding new characters like Prince Daeron and Ormund Hightower.
Alicent Hightower
Alicent is one of the few characters to survive the Dance of the Dragons, although she doesn’t get off easy. The once-queen still suffers a rather tragic fate, as the war involves the death of almost everyone she knows, including all of her children, her father, and much of her family. Once the conflict blows over, she’s held in a tower in the Red Keep for the remainder of her life, which isn’t very long.
Alicent’s final days are spent in misery, with her evidently experiencing regret and grief beyond belief. This was foreshadowed by her sequence toward the end of season 2, where she leaves King’s Landing to experience freedom in the countryside. She’s spent her entire life trapped in her role, and her fate is to be held in almost-solitary confinement, forced to reckon with her role in a wide-reaching travesty.
Aemond Targaryen
Aemond Targaryn’s death has also been foreshadowed by House of the Dragon season 2 on numerous occasions. The Targaryen prince channeled his hatred and envy to become a warrior and dragonrider worthy of his name, and he’s proven to be a monstrous threat for the Greens, riding the largest and most powerful dragon in the Seven Kingdoms. Though, as is often the cast for the most powerful men in the Seven Kingdoms, pride will be Aemond’s undoing.
Following his recapture of Harrenhal, Aemond spends much of the Dance angrily attempting to root out Daemon. He flies around the Riverlands, burning whatever he can find, calling out for his uncle to meet him in battle. Of course, in epic fantasy fashion, the two ultimately have a duel to the death on their dragons above the Gods Eye of Harrenhal. Daemon wins the duel by leaping off of Caraxes and stabbing Aemond through his eye, before both Targaryens and their dragons fall to their deaths.
Helaena Targaryen
Helaena Targaryen is written as a tragic figure in the Dance, as she wishes harm on no one and yet, finds herself a victim to the violence. After Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing, Green loyalists attempt to help Aegon and Helaena’s children escape from the city, but the babies don’t make it far. Upon learning of her child’s fate in the books, Helaena dies by suicide. This circumstances leading to her death might be changed in the show, given that she only has two children in House of the Dragon, one of whom has already been killed.
Aegon Targaryen
Aegon was heavily wounded in House of the Dragon season 2, but he remains a figurehead for the Greens a while longer after Rook’s Rest. Audiences already saw Larys and Aegon fleeing King’s Landing at the end of season 2, protecting the king from fratricide. From there, he’ll be in hiding until he can make his next move. The TV show suggested that Aegon’s dragon Sunfyre is dead, which would create another deviation from the novel.
In Fire & Blood, Aegon reunites with his heavily wounded dragon, and the pair retake Dragonstone with the help of turncoat Ser Alfred Broome. After Rhaenyra’s death, Aegon returns to King’s Landing, trying to order troops to war for an inevitably lost battle, as the forces of the North and the Riverlands defeat the Greens outside the city. Aegon’s supporters poison him, killing him to end the war.
Corlys Velaryon
Corlys Velaryon is one of the most renowned figures in the history of Westeros, and his stories begin many years before the war. Despite his pivotal role in the Dance, he manages to survive the conflict, living on as one of the Regents who rule the Seven Kingdoms after the conflict. Though he only lives another year, Corlys is regarded as one of the most powerful Regents, shaping Westeros after the war, adding a final achievement to an incredible legacy.
Jacaerys Velaryon
Jacaerys Velaryon became a fan favorite in House of the Dragon season 2, so I regret to inform fans that he’s not long for this world. Jace dies at the Battle of the Gullet, flying too close to enemy ships and being shot off his dragon, tainting what should have otherwise been a clean victory for Rhaenyra. Jace’s desire to help his family has been apparent since season 1, but his inexperience and desire to contribute become his downfall in Fire & Blood.
Daemon Targaryen
Daemon’s fate was already included in Aemond’s section, but as a quick recap, the Targaryen princes meet each other in an epic duel, and though Daemon defeats his nephew, he’s also taken off the board in the process. However, while Aemond’s body and the corpses of the dragons are found, Daemon’s is never retrieved, leading to theories about his whereabouts. In Game of Thrones, dead isn’t dead until audiences see a body. Even then, it’s questionable.
With Daemon’s body disappearing, House of the Dragon could take this in any number of directions. There’s a distinct chance he is actually dead, but with season 2 establishing such a prevalent mystical presence around Daemon at Harrenhal, it seems possible there could be something more for him. Crackpot theories suggest Daemon might be a Three-eyed Raven, the Night King, or any number of things, but I don’t buy into either option.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
Rhaenyra is the character the majority of audiences are rooting for in House of the Dragon, which means the show’s ending will be an upsetting surprise. Although Rhaenyra retakes King’s Landing for a time, tragedies and riots quickly lead to her being forced to flee. She returns to Dragonstone, only to find that the castle’s forces have turned against her and taken Aegon’s side. Her younger half-brother takes her prisoner and executes her, though the war doesn’t end there.
Between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, Rhaenyra’s death has not only been heavily foreshadowed but explained outright, as Joffrey Baratheon actually described her fate when recounting tales of the Targaryen dynasty. This will still surely come as a shock for viewers, as Rhaenyra has been made to be more sympathetic and likable in the TV series.
- Release Date
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August 21, 2022
- Network
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HBO
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Fabien Frankel
Ser Criston Cole
