The first season of House of the Dragon has finished. Sadly, it will be two years before season two premieres. It will be a painfully long wait, too. The first season ended with a bang, to say the least. War is coming, and the dragons will dance for The Iron Throne of Westeros as Rhaenyra Targaryen will lead the Blacks against the usurper Aegon Targaryen and the Greens. Boundaries have been drawn, and lines have been crossed after a 19-year escalation of deception, greed, and tension. Producers have said season 2 will have more war and action that has helped define Game of Thrones for almost a decade.
However, the story couldn’t have gotten to this point without a good deal of bloodshed. Many people died along the path to the great Targaryen civil war. Some contributed to the escalation, while some added development to the key players up to this point. All that burns and bleeds in Westeros does so for the mighty iron seat, and there cannot be peace without sacrificing lives along the way. Here are the key character deaths in House of the Dragon season one and how they helped lead to the Dance of Dragons.
11 Vaemond Velaryon
When Lord Corlys Velaryon's fate was uncertain in episode eight, his brother Vaemond took the opportunity to seize Driftmark, his family's ancestral home from Lucerys. The ever-ambitious Vaemond's argument was likely going to win against Rhaenyra, who was arguing for the sake of her son, but her father, Viserys, came to her defense in one of his final acts of love and shot down his claim through the words of Rhaenys, Corlys' wife. However, the Velaryon wasn't willing to go quietly, insulting the Princess and her kids in front of her father. He was then swiftly decapitated by Daemon for his troubles. Why did Vaemond have to die? Well, Viserys did say that anyone accusing his grandsons of being bastards would have their tongues removed, but perhaps it was to showcase Daemon's love for his adopted sons and his family. Or perhaps it was to show that both Velaryon ambition and stubbornness run deep. Whatever the reason, Vaemond should have known there would be consequences for his foul tongue. He got to keep that, at least.
10 Rhea Royce
Lady Rhea Royce of The Vale was one of the strongest-willed women in the Game of Thrones universe. Sadly, her presence in House of the Dragon was cut short to mere minutes in episode five. Upon their reunion, Rhea mercilessly mocked Daemon for his inability to consummate their marriage. He stalked closer and closer as she spoke until her horse, frightened, threw her off. He might have let her live if only she had stopped her insults there. There are plenty of reasons why Daemon would kill Rhea. Her death would not only clear the way for Daemon to remarry, but it also allowed him to inherit Runestone, the ancestral home for which Rhea headed. He also did so because he could. He'd proven himself to be cold-blooded and callous at the series start. The two never got along, prompting Daemon's return to Kings Landing, so it was no surprise he would kill his own wife.
9 Craghas Drahar (The Crabfeeder)
The Crabfeeder was built up to be a huge problem when House of the Dragon started, and it's not hard to see why. Leading the Triarchy in a reign of terror in the Stepstones, Prince Craghas Drahar nailed his enemies to wooden posts on beaches for the crabs to feed on. The forces of Driftmark were at their wit's end and losing badly before the war ended. In a mad scheme, Daemon made an unbelievable suicide run through Triarchy territory for the Crabfeeder, while his allies swarmed in from the land and skies. By the end of episode 3, Daemon was dragging the villain's butchered torso across the beach to declare victory. While it was disappointing not to see these two fierce foes face off, one has to keep in mind that this battle wasn't between Daemon and Craghas, but between Daemon and Viserys. Having refused his brother's offer for help, Daemon needed to prove to him that he could win on his own and seize power for himself. To do so, he would need to win the war right then and there. By winning, he showed his worth as the second son.
8 Joffrey Lonmouth
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When Rhaenyra was set to marry Laenor Velaryon in episode 5 of House of the Dragon, she understood her fiancé was gay and thus struck a deal for a secret open marriage. Unfortunately, she misunderstood her secret affair with her friend Ser Criston Cole, whom she had seduced in the previous episode into breaking his vow of chastity and sullying her maidenhood. Honor is sacred to a knight like Criston. So, when Joffrey Lonmouth prods at this secret, it sets the knight into a rage. Criston would do anything to keep his affair from getting out. He snaps and beats Joffrey to death in the middle of Rhaenyra's wedding. Because Rhaenyra had used Cole's feelings for her pleasure, it destroyed the one thing that mattered most to him. It's because of this that he ultimately sided with Alicent and the Greens.
7 7. Laena Velaryon
When fans first met Laena in House of the Dragon, she was a 12-year-old girl propositioned to marry King Viserys. When Laena died, she was a grown woman of free spirit and fierce determination. Somewhere after Rhaenyra had married Laenor, Daemon married Laena, and they departed the Seven Kingdoms for Pentos. They had twins together, but when the time came for a third child, Laena was to meet the same fate as Daemon's sister-in-law, Aemma. But rather than dying of emergency c-section, Laena chooses to go out on her own terms. She died a dragon rider's death, but her demise was, in a way, a twisted karma for Daemon, who had mocked his brother's losses under the same circumstances. He didn't love very many people, but he did love Laena. Her death forced him to grow, in a way, changing him from a rogue prince into a man who would defend his family, no matter the cost. In the end, Laena's death cleared the way for Daemon to marry once again, this time to his niece, Rhaenyra.
6 Lyman Beesbury & Lord Caswell
Fans hadn't known Lords Caswell and Beesbury long, but the two proved their loyalties to the true heir to the Iron Throne in their deaths. When King Viserys passed, The Greens were swift to begin plans to crown Aegon II as king before Rhaenyra had the chance to even know of her father's death. As it turned out, the Small Council had been planning the coup for a long time. That is, except for Lord Beesbury, who was quick to denounce the treason. However, he was killed for his efforts. Then, there was Lord Caswell. When the lords swore to Rhaenyra were called to change their allegiances, it didn't need to be said that those who refused would be executed. Lord Caswell played along at first, but in his efforts to leave The Red Keep to warn Rhaenyra, he met the same fate as Beesbury. Call the coup what you will, justice, preservation of honor, an act to protect the Realm. What it was at the end of the day was a hostile takeover.
5 Laenor Velaryon
While Laenor is not actually dead in House of the Dragon, he is to the rest of the Realm. Following the death of his sister, Laena, Laenor swore to renew his loyalty to Rhaenyra and his family. Tension with The Greens was rising, and they would need to stand strong when it boiled over. Up to this point, Laenor was a man trapped by honor and duty. To be his true self was forbidden. As an act of kindness, and so they could marry, Daemon and Rhaenyra faked Laenor's death at the hands of his lover, Ser Qarl, to remove Laenor from the picture. Both Daemon and Rhaenyra knew a war was coming against The Greens, and to fight it, they would need to increase their power. As such, marrying each other was the best way to do so. They would also need Rhaenyra to be feared. She may not have actually orchestrated her husband's death, but the Realm would believe she did, and that's what mattered.
4 Lyonel & Harwin Strong
One of the most shocking deaths in the first season of House of the Dragon was orchestrated by a foe that no one saw coming. Alicent and Lary's Strong's friendship had grown significantly throughout a ten-year time skip. Larys had made himself into a vital ally for the Queen as she prepared her son to rule, but she didn't realize how dangerous he was when she expressed her desire to have her father returned as Hand of the King. The current Hand at the time, Lyonel Strong, was escorting his son Harwin back to Harrenhal, following his exile from King's Landing amid the growing rumors that he fathered Rhaenyra's children. One night, while the castle slept, a fire broke out, claiming numerous casualties, two of which were the Strongs. Alicent was horrified when she discovered that Larys had orchestrated the fire, but she could do nothing as she would have been implicated. The cold and callous Larys secured The Queen herself as a pawn. What does Larys want? The answer may be of a mortifying nature.
3 Aemma Arryn
The catalyst for the Dance of Dragons, Aemma had been unable to provide Viserys with male heirs multiple times due to miscarriages. However, Viserys knew in his heart that her last pregnancy would give him the son he dreamed of, and he was right. Unfortunately, the Gods are cruel. Due to complications, Viserys could either sacrifice his wife to save his son or they would both die. He chose the former but lost them both anyway. It was a desperate move on his part, but still, without a male heir, he named his daughter Rhaenyra to succeed him. In doing so, he plunged the Realm into a turmoil it could not avoid. Everyone knew that a woman would not be accepted to rule, which is why Viserys had been chosen over his cousin Rhaenys years prior. Choosing Rhaenyra started a chain of events that fostered controversy for the next two decades until, finally, the levy broke.
2 Lucerys Targaryen
As the first casualty of the Dance of Dragons, Luke was mistakenly killed at the folly of his own cousin, Aemond Targaryen, who sought to even the score for the loss of his eye six years prior. Both arrived at Storm's End as envoys and nothing more, seeking the allegiance of the Baratheons. When the meeting goes poorly for Lucerys, Aemond demands his eye to pay for his. Fortunately, Lord Borros Baratheon allows Luke to leave safely, but Aemond soon gives chase on his dragon Vhagar. Both riders lose control of their beasts, and the fight ends with Vhagar killing Luke and his dragon. This may not have started the Targaryen civil war, but it was the point of no return, killing all hope for peace between the two Targaryen factions. Aemond may not have wanted to kill Luke, but he did. Now, he will have to decide whether or not to own it.
1 Viserys Targaryen
There would be no Dance of Dragons if not for this man. Viserys knew that crowning a woman as heir to the Seven Kingdoms would only breed conflict. Rhaenyra was his only hope to keep the Realm united to preserve Aegon's prophecy. But in naming her heir, he divided the Realm instead, making it the key moment that leads to war. Viserys was slowly rotting away over 20 years from a degenerative disease that could not be cured. He was on borrowed time for the first season of House of the Dragon, and everyone knew that war would break out as soon as he died. This is why Viserys' death held such significance. He spent his entire reign as King trying to maintain peace, never choosing to act, and only appeasing everyone. He was the only thing keeping his family from tearing itself apart. Now that he's gone, the Realm will never be the same again.