Did Rhaenys Targaryen die in the House of the Dragon?

The blacks are in big trouble after House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4. The Greens seem to have lost their king during the Battle of Rook’s Rest, but the Blacks lost an impressive fighter and dragon: Rhaenys Targaryen and Meleys. With Rhaenyra Targaryen’s advisor and greatest dragon now down, the Blacks must rethink their strategy as the war for the throne continues.

Rhaenys has always been a staunch supporter of Rhaenyra, and rules out that Rhaenys was once suspected of killing her son, Laenor Velaryon. But Rhaenys and Rhaenyra may meet halfway due to their shared experiences as women. Both were overlooked by men as rightful heirs to the Iron Throne. Rhaenys has advised Rhaenyra to avoid bloodshed when the rest of her council urged it. Even when she had vengeance on her mind, Rhaenyra has always acted on Rhaenys’ advice. When the time came for battle, Rhaenyra trusted most that Rhaenys would capture Rook’s Remnant from the Greens. However, Rhaenyra was unaware that Rhaenys fell for the bait of Ser Criston Cole and Aemond Targaryen.

How does Rhaenys Targaryen die in House of the Dragon?

Related

The early deaths in “House of the Dragon” fall victim to the pacing problem of the second season

In season 2 of House of the Dragon, several characters were killed off in the first two episodes, but this damaged the pace and emotional impact of the show.

Rhaenys arrives at Rook’s Rest on the back of a dragon, expecting Criston’s army to be her only enemy. An army of soldiers is nothing compared to a Targaryen on a dragon. But lurking in the shadows is Aemond on Vhagar, a horrific beast that is itself as big as a castle. Also from King’s Landing, Aegon comes on Sunfyre. Compared to Meleys and Vhagar, Sunfyre is a fairly easy target. He is smaller, less fierce, and has no experience in war. Rhaenys has Sunfyre in her hands until Aemond intervenes.

Aemond attacks both Meleys and Sunfyre, killing two birds with one stone. He is able to disable one of Rhaenyra’s most powerful weapons while also making Aegon’s death look like an accident, allowing Aemond to inherit the throne. Sunfyre and Aegon are officially down, which could have been enough for Rhaenyra this early in the war. But Rhaenys has always advised Rhaenyra to try to end the war before too much blood is shed. If there is a chance to defeat Vhagar, now is the time. Trying to do so would surely mean her death, but Rhaenys is willing to go down with the one-eyed prince.

Rhaenys holds her own against Vhagar quite well, especially since the fight in the book didn’t last long due to Vhagar’s unstoppable size and strength. But Aemond is a stealthy guy and catches Rhaenys when she’s not looking down. Vhagar kills Meleys by wrapping her jaw around Meleys’ neck, and Rhaenys crashes into the castle with her dead dragon in a fiery explosion.

The death of Rhaenys plays out differently in Fire & Blood

Related

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 3 Review: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Spectacle

Season 2, Episode 3 of House of the Dragon is big and bold, with elaborate plans and a dragon hunt that goes both well and badly for the HBO series.

Rhaenys’ death in Fire & Blood is almost literally House of the Dragon‘s version of her demise. She is still burning and falls to her death after Vhagar’s attack. The biggest differences lie in the events that led to their deaths. In the book, Aegon is fully privy to Aemond and Criston’s plan to trap the Blacks in Rook’s Rest. In fact, he is trusted so much that he teams up with Aemond to attack Meleys. The brothers work together to defeat Rhaenys, who was equally brave enough not to fly away when he saw two dragons. All three fought in the sky until Vhagar fell on them both, killing Rhaenys and incapacitating Aegon.

Rhaenys’ death in the series compared to the book also reflects Aemond’s flexible code of honor. Every murder Aemond has committed in the series has been a stealthy attack when his opponent felt safe. In times of war, this strategy is certainly smart, but it is not honorable. Aemond is unwilling to face his enemies head-on and give them a chance to counterattack. “Kill loudly or kill quietly” is burned in House of the Dragonis an important theme in the second season, especially with regard to the character of Aemond. When Lucerys Velaryon died in Season 1, Aemond looked horrified by his actions. After Rhaenys’ death, he looks proud. This is a turning point for Aemond, who is missing from Season 1. Fire & Bloodand it works House of the Dragon‘s advantage by making Aemond this person who becomes more corrupt with each murder.

Corlys Velaryon now has a reason to give up Rhaenyra

Related

The most eagerly awaited reunion at the House of the Dragon confirms Westeros’ greatest tragedy

A reunion of former friends in the House of the Dragon makes it clear who can never win in Westeros, no matter how hard they try to change things.

When the Blacks learn of Rhaenys’ death, Fire & BloodCorlys is rightly angry. Rhaenyra did not volunteer to go to Rook’s Rest herself and forbade her sons from doing so. Rhaenys was a reasonable adult who chose her own path, but Corlys had already lost most of his family by this point. In response to Corly’s outrage, Jacaerys Velaryon appointed him Hand of the Queen to prevent him from changing alliances. Although Corlys accepted the offer, the death of his wife kept him away from Rhaenyra.

The show has already laid the groundwork for Corlys’ skepticism toward Rhaenyra. Corlys has openly stated that anything Rhaenyra touches will be destroyed, and does not hide his objection to Rhaenyra abandoning her council. Corlys does not harbor the same dislike for Rhaenyra as the Greens, but he harbors his suspicions about her. His greatest concern is the survival of his legacy and his name, and that depends on Rhaenyra winning. If she does not secure that for him, there is no reason for him to stay.

Further challenges the Blacks face without Rhaenys

Related

House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra’s newest ally could give the Black Queen a strategic advantage

In Season 2 of “House of the Dragon,” Rhaenyra gains a new ally, and this person could be one of her most important resources in Dragonstone.

Corlys has two reasons to stand behind Rhaenyra after Rhaenyra’s death: Alyn and Addam of Hull. It is strongly implied that both common men are his bastards, and he desires an heir to Driftmark. A simple transaction could secure Corlys’ support for Rhaenyra: remove the taint of bastards from their names and legitimize them as Velaryons, so he officially has a capable heir to Driftmark.

Rhaenyra might scoff at this request, since her son Joffrey is technically the heir. But Rhaenyra desperately needs power and strength, and Corlys is the key. If she loses Corlys, she loses the fleet of ships blockading King’s Landing. He is also her gateway to more battle dragons if Addam ends up capturing Seasmoke. This opens up further opportunities to find more dragon seeds, which Rhaenyra needs now that Meleys is dead.

Aside from material power, Corlys is still an indispensable supporter for Rhaenyrawith the latter being eaten alive by her own council of men. Every word she says is contested by them. Every action she takes is reviled by them. For a short time, Rhaenys was able to lead Rhaenyra alongside her, but now Rhaenyra must face her council alone. Now Corlys is the only one who can wield power in the room. Unfortunately, that’s because Corlys is a man. As annoying as it is, Rhaenyra must take advantage of Corlys’ status as a powerful man by buying his trust. Without Rhaenys and Corlys together, Rhaenyra has no direction, and the coming war is far more uncertain for her.

New episodes of House of the Dragon premiere every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

House of the Dragon

Two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones, House Targaryen – the only family of dragon lords to survive the cataclysm of Valyria – settled on Dragonstone.

Release date

21 August 2022

Pour

Jefferson Hall, Eve Best, David Horovitch, Paddy Considine, Ryan Corr, Bill Paterson, Fabien Frankel, Graham McTavish, Olivia Cooke, Gavin Spokes, Sonoya Mizuno, Steve Toussaint, Matt Smith, Matthew Needham, Rhys Ifans, Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock

franchise

game of Thrones

Characters of

George R.R. Martin

camera

Alejandro Martinez, Catherine Goldschmidt, Pepe Avila del Pino, Fabian Wagner

Creator

George RR Martin, Ryan J. Condal

Distributor

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution

Filming locations

Spain, England, Portugal, California

main characters

Queen Alicent Hightower, Ser Harrold Westerling, Lord Corlys Velaryon, Grand Maester Mellos, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Ser Criston Cole, Lord Lyonel Strong, Ser Otto Hightower, Lord Jason Lannister/Ser Tyland Lannister, King Viserys I Targaryen, Mysaria, Lord Lyman Beesbur, Prince Daemon Targaryen, Ser Harwin Strong, Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, Larys Strong

Production company

Bastard Sword, Cross Plains Productions, Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO

Consequence

game of Thrones

SFX Supervisor

Michael Dawson

history of

George R.R. Martin

Number of episodes

10

network

HBOMax

Streaming service(s)

Max

Expand