Games of Thrones fans already know the death of Rhaenyra Targaryen is inevitable. Even casual viewers of House of the Dragon are aware multiple people are preying on the downfall of The Black Queen. One of those is Alicent Hightower, her once best friend and confidant, who later became her stepmother. There’s also Alicent’s father Otto, who conspired to usurp her throne from the beginning. Even Rhaenyra’s uncle and second husband Daemon Targaryen had his eyes set on the Iron Throne at one point.
By far, the biggest threat to Rhaenyra’s life and reign in the Seven Kingdoms is her half-brother Aegon II. With manipulation from his grandfather Otto Hightower, Aegon II ended up usurping the Iron Throne upon the death of King Viserys I in the Season 1 finale. While Rhaenyra was herself still crowned queen by her allies, her coronation also foreshadowed that her days are now numbered. Once the Dance of the Dragons begins, it becomes a question of when she’ll meet her tragic fate and who will deliver the death blow. Here is a breakdown of how Queen Rhaenyra meets her fate in George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, and what this could mean for her character in House of the Dragon.
Why Rhaenyra Targaryen Is Killed in Fire & Blood
As detailed in Fire & Blood, there were years of unrest following the death of King Viserys I. After Aegon II usurped of the Iron Throne, this ignited the chain of events that prompted the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. The fight between Aegon II’s allies (The Greens) and Queen Rhaenyra’s (The Blacks) saw their leaders do everything within their power to get to the Iron Throne. Eventually, Queen Rhaenyra did reclaim the Iron Throne and began her reign, but the throne’s “rejection” of her meant she’d only hold on to her position for an extremely short period of time — one that came to an unbelievably sad end.
Not only was Queen Rhaenyra forced to flee King’s Landing after just a few months of being there, but her return to Dragonstone also saw her come to terms with being betrayed right before her life ended. With no one left to help her, Aegon II demanded his dragon Sunfyre to kill and then consume his older sister right in front of the eyes of her last remaining child and future king, Aegon The Younger. As Sunfyre is devouring her, the graphic scene proves to be too much for one of Rhaenyra’s ladies-in-waiting, that she gouges her own eyes out while the action is on display.
How House of the Dragon Could Improve Rheanyra’s End
Aegon II’s quick but viscerally brutal slaying of Queen Rhaenyra doesn’t seem to do her justice. Given that she’s the central figure of Fire & Blood, It should be an emotionally evocative scene. Instead, the passage of the book goes in a more gory direction. If this is displayed on screen, the audience would be filled with disgust rather than sadness. This is not how the protagonist of House of the Dragon should be remembered. The fierce princess-turned-queen has made some questionable choices, but still deserves to go down with more dignity. Her death should also be one to mourn, not one everyone tries to forget.
At the very least, her brother Aegon II should show some remorse. After all, Rheanyra was his last surviving sibling after both of his brothers died in the war and his sister-wife killed herself. Yet, that wouldn’t be enough. Rheanyra’s brutal end still completely disregards the person she used to be. On top of that, Emma D’Arcy’s portrayal of Rhaenyra made her even more loveable and strong. To see that character go down shamefully would be a waste. One thing that could improve Rhaenyra’s death would be to have someone try and intervene. Better yet, Rheanyra herself could be the one to try and stop what Aegon II planned out for her. The fierce Black Queen was never one to easily oblige nor turn down a fight. At least going down in this manner would allow her to maintain her agency.
With House of the Dragon Season 2 aiming for a mid-2024 premiere, fans still have some time to ponder about what will happen to the fan-favorite Rhaenyra Targaryen. With Deadline reporting a third season being greenlit by HBO with a possible Season 4 on the way, it’ll be some time before The Black Queen meets her demise. Hopefully, when the time of her unavoidable death arrives, she’ll go down in a way that feels respectful, heart-wrecking and even noble.