Every Death In House Of The Dragon Season 2

MAJOR SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episodes 1 & 2.

The Game of Thrones universe is known for its bloody violence, and House of the Dragon season 2 hasn’t disappointed so far with plenty of significant character deaths. Season 2 of the prequel series is set roughly 170 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and though the House of the Dragon cast isn’t quite as expansive as the original, there are still enough characters to the point where no one is safe. Both shows are based on source material from author George R.R. Martin, confirming that shocking betrayals and brutal deaths will continue to occur in abundance.

House of the Dragon’s season 1 ending saw the death of Lucerys Velaryon, but it wasn’t the first in the series. King Viserys, Laenor, Laena, and Queen Aemma were all prominent characters who perished throughout the first ten episodes. With the Dance of the Dragons fully unfolding and war ravaging Westeros, season 2 will see bloodshed become even more apparent as the domino effect following Lucerys’ death begins to unfold. The season premiere already saw the Black faction responding with their own act of violence, establishing a cycle that will continue throughout the series.

In House Targaryen’s history and in the annals of Westeros, the Dance of the Dragons is one of the most brutal conflicts that’s ever been seen. Targaryens, members of other noble houses, and dragons alike will all fall victim to the brutality, with the realm suffering all the more for it. With the Aegon’s Dream prophecy factored in, each death has all the more meaning.

5 Jaehaerys Targaryen

Killed By Blood & Cheese In The Red Keep

Jaehaerys Targaryen was the eldest son of King Aegon II and his sister-wife Helaena Targaryen, making him the heir to the Iron Throne during his short-lived life. While it’s known that Aegon and Helaena have children in season 1, they don’t truly appear in the foreground until the season 2 premiere, preparing audiences for Jaehaerys’ tragic massacre. In the episode, he’s brought to the small council for a cute scene where he irritates Tyland Lannister to the amusement of Aegon, the newly appointed king.

In response to Lucerys Velaryon’s murder, Rhaenyra demands the life of Aemond Targaryen, and Daemon takes immediate action on her behalf. He hires assassins to sneak into the Red Keep through the tunnels to slay Prince Aemond, but it’s revealed that he was out visiting a brothel during this time. In his place, the assassins Blood & Cheese find Queen Helaena, but their directions specifically state that they’re to bring Daemon “a son for a son.”

One of the biggest House of the Dragon season 2 book changes is the fact that Aegon only has one son, changing the dynamic of this scene. In Fire & Blood, he has a younger child named Maelor, though in either case, little Jaehaerys is the one who perishes. He’s mercilessly killed by the assassins who take his head and flee the Red Keep for their gold reward. With the death of Jaehaerys, Aegon II is without a direct heir, and the slaying puts the king into a violent frenzy that will serve as the primary motivation for his actions going forward.

4 Blood

Killed By Aegon II As Vengeance For Killing Jaehaerys

Blood is one of the assassins hired by Daemon Targaryen to slay Prince Aemond, but ends up deciding to kill Jaehaerys instead. Blood isn’t the character’s real name, as, according to Fire & Blood, the Greens had the assassin’s information stripped from all histories for their terrible crimes. All that’s known about Blood in House of the Dragon is that he’s a member of the City Watch known for his brutal behavior, while the book version of the character was a butcher who’d previously been removed from the City Watch for murdering someone. Either way, he’s a nasty guy.

In episode 2, Larys Strong enters the small council room to declare that he’s captured Blood and taken him prisoner after the assassin had attempted to flee the city. Blood is taken in for questioning by Lord Larys, who’s known for his adept skill at gathering information. In this case, Blood doesn’t put up a huge fight, as he gives up Prince Daemon’s name almost immediately before torture even begins. He also gives up the fact that his cohort was a ratcatcher, though he doesn’t know his name.

In the book, Blood resists revealing the names of his employers for days as he’s tortured, eventually giving up the names and dying from the non-stop pain. However, the TV series handles this event quite differently, as House of the Dragon sees Aegon II personally arrive to avenge his son, bludgeoning Blood to death in an instant. Despite knowing Daemon was the one who had Jaehaerys killed, the Greens pin the situation on Rhaenyra, hoping to use it as propaganda to gain favor with noble houses in Westeros.

3 Cheese

Hung In The Streets Of King’s Landing With The Ratcatchers

Cheese was the other assassin complicit in the killing of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen and was previously a ratcatcher in the Red Keep. Before he’s hired by Daemon, House of the Dragon cleverly shows Cheese walking around in the background in scenes of the Red Keep to demonstrate the character’s knowledge of its halls. He’s a lowborn man from King’s Landing who’s revealed to be in some gambling debt, making the offer from Prince Daemon appealing to him. Like Blood, Cheese’s actual name isn’t known.

In Fire & Blood, it’s never made clear whether Cheese lives or dies, but Aegon II has 100 ratcatchers from the Red Keep hung on the streets of King’s Landing, hoping to take out the assassin. House of the Dragon reveals that Aegon’s decision, though undoubtedly cruel, does kill Cheese among the dozens of other innocents who were hung. As far as emotional deaths in the Game of Thrones universe go, seeing the child-murdering, dog-kicking Cheese get what he deserves isn’t the saddest affair.

In its entirety, the Blood & Cheese event is far more brutal in the book version, which has become a divisive subject among audiences. Despite the many changes to the show’s iteration of Blood & Cheese, the ratcatcher assassin is one of the most accurate minor character adaptations audiences could’ve hoped for, played excellently by actor Mark Stobbart.

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2 Arryk Cargyll

Killed By Erryk Cargyll While Trying To Kill Rhaenyra

Twins Arryk and Erryk Cargyll are knights from a minor noble house in the Crownlands who rise to prominence as members of King Viserys Targaryen’s Kingsguard. However, upon the split between the Blacks and the Greens, the two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of the war. Ser Arryk Cargyll remains with Aegon II, believing Viserys’ eldest son to be the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. He continues to serve him faithfully into season 2, helping defend the Red Keep from potential dragonriders from Rhaenyra’s side.

In season 2, episode 2, Criston Cole finds Ser Arryk eating, noticing dirt at the base of his white cloak. As the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Cole uses the opportunity to bully Ser Arryk, accusing him of not defending Jaehaerys from Blood & Cheese. When Arryk defends himself well, Cole outright accuses Arryk of being a spy, working in cohorts with his brother to help Rhaenyra infiltrate the Greens.

Criston Cole uses the opportunity to attempt an outlandish countermove against Blood & Cheese, which somehow nearly works. He commands Ser Arryk to travel to Dragonstone in Kingsguard apparel, hoping that by disguising himself as his own twin brother, he can sneak into Rhaenyra’s chambers and kill her. This is not the way of the knight, but Cole pressures Arryk into accepting by threatening to accuse him of betrayal in front of King Aegon II. Arryk almost succeeds in the mission, but he’s killed by his own brother in combat.

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1 Erryk Cargyll

Kills Himself After Killing His Brother, Arryk Cargyll

Ser Erryk Cargyll arrived in Dragonstone at the end of House of the Dragon season 1 to swear fealty to Rhaenyra Targaryen and join her Queensguard. He upholds this oath until his own end, even at the cost of having to kill his own brother, who’s chosen to remain with the Greens. When Arryk arrives at Dragonstone to assassinate Rhaenyra, Mysaria notices him on the beach and presumably returns to the castle to warn Erryk of his brother’s presence. Erryk arrives in Rhaenyra’s chambers to defend his queen just in the nick of time.

Ser Erryk Cargyll and Arryk have a brutal, bloody duel, which differs significantly from the version in Fire & Blood. In George R.R. Martin’s text, accounts of the event suggest that Erryk and Arryk both kill each other in combat, for which Rhaenyra was not present. In the show, Erryk manages to get the upper hand over his twin brother, killing him while Ser Lorent Marbrand watches, unsure of which brother to help. Despite coming out victorious, Erryk takes his own life in response.

The reason for Erryk killing himself with his own sword is likely out of guilt for what he’s done to his brother. Despite falling on opposite sides, Erryk and Arryk have genuine love and affection for each other, and it’s a horrible situation for both of them to find themselves in. Not to mention, being a kinslayer is taboo in Westeros and would taint Ser Erryk’s reputation as a knight. Each episode of House of the Dragon season 2 has already ended in a bloody death, and there’s still plenty more to come.

House of the Dragon

Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

Cast

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

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Seasons

2

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