How does Rhaenyra Targaryen die in the book?

Attention: This article contains important Fire & Blood Plot points that can spoil House of the Dragon‘s later seasons.

While game of Thrones worked with an incomplete roadmap, House of the DragonSource code from, Fire & Bloodis finished. Readers of the book already know how all House of the Dragons characters die – including the series protagonist Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen!

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Rhaenyra Targaryen’s death in fire and blood, explained

The death of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in Fire & Blood is brutal, even from the broader A song of ice and fire Standards of the series. Worse, it comes after Rhaenyra has already suffered the greatest humiliation of her life: she was driven from the Iron Throne.

The common people of King’s Landing feel increasingly alienated by Rhaenyra’s rule and blame her for Helaena Targaryen’s suicide. They instigate a rebellion. Rhaenyra’s son Joffrey dies in the ensuing chaos, and the queen and the rest of her household promptly flee. She later trades her crown for a boat ride back to Dragonstone in a last-ditch attempt to gain power. It doesn’t work, and Rhaenyra ends up in the clutches of King Aegon II.

And that’s it for Rhaenyra, for Aegon has no intention of keeping her captive. In fact, Aegon wastes no time in serving his half-sister as food for his dragon Sunfyre – and it’s not as simple as a big bite. Sunfyre is in pretty bad shape at this point, and Rhaenyra’s death reflects this. The crippled, half-blind dragon breathes fire at Rhaenyra before attacking her with its teeth. In total, Rhaenyra endures six bites before she dies, with only the lower half of her left leg remaining.

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Will Rhaenyra die in House of the Dragon season 2?

So this is how Rhaenyra Targaryen dies in the book – but what about the series? Will the head of the Black Targaryen camp end up like this? House of the Dragon? Probably. While showrunner Ryan Condal and his team occasionally take liberties with Fire & Blood Author (and House of the Dragon Although they follow the established canon of (co-creator) George RR Martin, they typically stay true to the broad strokes.

Related: House of the Dragon: How big is the time jump between seasons 1 and 2?

Does this mean that we will see Rhaenyra’s death in House of the Dragon Season 2? That cannot be said for sure at this point, but it seems unlikely. The second season will cover the early days of Fire & Bloods Dance of Dragons civil war, while Rhaenyra’s death occurs about a year later. House of the Dragon There will be no major time jumps in season 2, we will probably have to wait until season 3 (at the earliest) to witness Rhaenyra’s downfall.

Season 2 of House of the Dragon is currently airing on HBO and Max, with new episodes released on Sundays.