So... Is [Spoiler] Really Dead after Last Night’s ‘House of the Dragon’?
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After last night's episode of House of the Dragon, you probably have one big question: where can I get one of those sweet, sweet dragon saddles? No, just kidding, it's obviously: Is Aegon dead after that epic dragon battle? Because the episode left it intentionally ambiguous. And if you simply must know how whether he is still alive and how far he makes it in this battle for the Iron Throne, we have some spoilers.
Please keep in mind that this intel comes straight from George R.R. Martin’s extremely dense source material, Fire & Blood, so it’s pretty legit. That said, House of the Dragon’s writers could switch things up, so the following isn’t necessarily what we’ll end up seeing play out on the show. On that note, SPOILERS AHEAD!
Fire & Blood
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Aegon is technically still alive
Again, major spoiler here! But per the book, Aegon does survive the battle. He is badly burned and injured (his armor is quite literally melted into his body from the dragon fire) but he is alive. And shockingly, his dragon Sunfyre is also alive. More on that in a minute.
Aegon II eventually Kills Rhaenyra Targaryen
Truly...do not love to hear it—although if you watched GoT, you already knew this was coming thanks to Joffrey giving this deranged speech to Margaery Tyrell in season 3.
“Rhaenyra Targaryen was murdered by her brother, or rather, his dragon. It ate her while her son watched. What’s left of her is buried in the crypts right down there.”
The moment goes down when Rhaenyra—having fled King’s Landing—arrives at Dragonstone only to find her half-brother waiting for her. And after quipping “Dear brother. I had hoped that you were dead,” she’s promptly eaten by his dragon Sunfyre:
“Sunfyre, it is said, did not seem at first to take any interest in the offering, until Broome pricked the queen’s breast with his dagger,” Martin writes in ‘Fire & Blood.’ “The smell of blood roused the dragon, who sniffed at Her Grace, then bathed her in a blast of flame, so suddenly that Ser Alfred’s cloak caught fire as he leapt away. Rhaenyra Targaryen had time to raise her head toward the sky and shriek out one last curse upon her half-brother before Sunfyre’s jaws closed round her, tearing off her arm and shoulder.”
Aegon II Is King...for Two Years
King Aegon II makes his way to King’s Landing and takes the Iron Throne, but he’s not exactly thriving. Both his legs are broken due to falling from his dragon, and he lives life in “great pain,” unable to even sit on the Iron Throne. On top of all that, Westeros is in total chaos from the war, and he’s constantly dealing with plots against him...which...yep...come to fruition.
Aegon II Is Poisoned at Age 24
Due to rebellions and plots against King Aegon II gaining traction, the Sea Snake tries to get him to abdicate in favor of his nephew Prince Aegon. But he’s not having it. Instead, a coup is staged, a buncha Aegon II’s allies are killed, and he is poisoned. The moment goes down when our dude enters his litter (a handheld chariot) looking “unusually fatigued” and enjoys a glass of wine. When the litter reaches the castle, he’s found dead “upon his cushions” with “blood upon his lips.” So guess he has even more in common with King Joffrey than we originally thought!
Who poisoned him? Verdict is out, but apparently, it was “at the behest of Larys Strong.”
He Is Succeeded by King Aegon III
In a truly ironic twist, King Aegon II is succeeded by his nephew Prince Aegon (Rhaenyra’s son). And on top of that, King Aegon II’s entire line is extinguished thanks to Princess Jaehaera (his last remaining child) dying soon after her marriage to King Aegon III. Again, HOTD could switch things up—but we probably won’t find out for several seasons if they do!
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