Massive SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1, and later events from Fire & Blood, the show’s source material.

The season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon has opened with bloodshed, already seeing a character die and setting a precedent for a violent season with many more deaths. Many members of the House of the Dragon cast have already left the series, with several main characters from season 1 already passing for various reasons. King Viserys I Targaryen’s death is perhaps the most notable to come from season 1, directly leading to the civil war conflict known as the Dance of the Dragons, in which his son Aegon and daughter Rhaenyra both vie for the Iron Throne.

House of the Dragon’s season 1 ending saw the first blood drawn in the war, with Prince Aemond Targaryen and his dragon Vhagar swooping in and killing Lucerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s son. From there, war practically became inevitable, as the season 2 premiere showed Rhaenyra demanding vengeance for her fallen son. Despite declaring Aemond as her intended target, the assassins Blood & Cheese end up killing the son of Aegon II and Helaena Targaryen, as their orders were to kill “a son for a son.”

The Blood & Cheese assassinations differed from the book Fire & Blood, on which all the TV series’ events are based. However, the end result was the same, with Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen being their kill, marking the season’s first major death. Based on Fire & Blood, which examines the history of the Targaryen dynasty, including the complete timeline of the Dance of the Dragons, the rest of season 2’s significant deaths can be predicted. It’s unclear where season 2 will end up on the book’s timeline, but assumptions can be made given the eight-episode count and how the show paces.

5

Rhaenys Targaryen

Dies At The Battle Of Rook’s Rest

Rhaenys Targaryen, “The Queen Who Never Was,” is the most prominent character death that should happen in House of the Dragon season 2. Rhaenys’ decision to join the Blacks at the end of season 1 was pivotal to the growing conflict and will have a lasting imprint on the war. However, her story will likely come to a close at the Battle of Rook’s Rest, which is confirmed to be one of the season’s major action set pieces. This makes sense, given the tactical maneuvers Criston Cole and Aemond have begun to spring in episode 1.

In the book, Cole uses his growing land force to advance along the shoreline of the Crownlands, capturing castles and adding their numbers to his, as he declares in the season premiere. At Rook’s Rest, the Blacks are expecting an easy victory by dragonfire, thinking Cole has advanced with only his land army. Rhaenys rides out on Meleys to meet them in battle, but she’s ambushed by Aemond and Aegon II, riding Vhagar and Sunfyre. Rhaenys puts up an excellent fight, even taking down Aegon and Sunfyre, severely injuring both the king and his dragon.

Ultimately, Aemond and the sheer size of Vhagar take Rhaenys down, killing her. It’s a devastating blow to the Blacks given her familial ties, and has consequences for Rhaenyra hence forth. It was Rhaenys who brought House Velaryon to Rhaenyra’s side, and without her alive, Lord Corlys never fully regains trust in Rhaenyra. Whether this plays out in the TV series as it does in the book is unclear, as House of the Dragon season 2’s book changes are already piling up after just one episode.

4

Meleys

Dies At The Battle Of Rook’s Rest

When Rhaenys goes down, Meleys upsettingly goes down with her. Meleys is one of the many dragons in House of the Dragon, known for her red scales and for her outstanding flight speed. She puts up a phenomenal fight against two full-grown dragons, particularly with one of them being Vhagar, but doesn’t survive the Battle of Rook’s Rest in Fire & Blood. After Lucerys Velaryon’s Arrax, Meleys is the second dragon to perish in the Dance, beginning a long line of dragon deaths that occur in battle throughout the war.

Before Rhaenys, Meleys had been bonded to Princess Alyssa Targaryen, with Rhaenys claiming her after Alyssa’s death. Having been bonded since 87 AC (The Dance of the Dragons occurs in 129 AC), Rhaenys and Meleys have been rider and dragon longer than any other pair in the series, nearly two decades longer than Daemon and Caraxes. That’s also far longer than most of the show’s dragonriders have even been alive. The pair are shown in House of the Dragon to have a special bond, making it bittersweet that they go down together.

3

The Cargyll Twins

Die Fighting Eachother On Dragonstone

The Cargyll twins, Erryk and Arryk, were introduced late in season 1 as members of King Viserys Targaryen’s Kingsguard. Upon the split between Blacks and Greens, the Cargyll twins find themselves on opposing sides in the conflict. Ser Erryk Cargyll traveled to Dragonstone in the season 1 finale to swear fealty to Rhaenyra and join her Queensguard while Ser Arryk Cargyll remained with King Aegon II, both believing themselves to be on the right side of the conflict. Of course, in George R.R. Martin’s world, this means the two, unfortunately, have to collide.

In Fire & Blood, Criston Cole considers tactics to end the war easily before mobilizing the Greens’ army to assault Rook’s Rest. Cole plots for Arryk Cargyll to pretend to be his own brother, sneak into Dragonstone, and kill Rhaenyra Targaryen. Before he can find Rhaenyra, he stumbles upon Erryk, and the two brothers duel it out, dealing fatal wounds to one another. Because this happens before Rook’s Rest, it should likely be fairly early in House of the Dragon season 2, meaning the Cargyll twins’ arc on the show doesn’t last very long.

The Game of Thrones universe has pitted siblings against each other many times, with the most notable physical confrontation being between Sandor and Gregor Clegane, The Hound and The Mountain. Cleganebowl was the common term for the theory that the two brothers would face off, leading to the Cargyll twins battle to be referred to as Cargyllbowl for House of the Dragon. The deaths of the Cargyll twins are far more tragic, though, as the two actually had genuine affection for each other before the war, whereas there was nothing but hatred between the Cleganes.

2

Blood

Is Captured And Tortured To Death By The Greens

Blood is a character who’s slightly different in the TV adaptation than he is in Fire & Blood, but his fate will likely be similar. House of the Dragon’s season 2 premiere saw Blood & Cheese sneak into the Red Keep with the goal of killing Aemond Targaryen, though ultimately slaying the child Jaehaerys, Aegon II’s heir. Of course, this is an act the Greens don’t take kindly to, further riling up the already agitated and impatient king. Their fates aren’t shown at the end of the season 2 premiere, but there’s some information in the books regarding what happens to them.

First, in Fire & Blood, the character Blood is a butcher, not a member of the City Watch. He was a member of the King’s Landing City Watch previously but had been removed from it for murdering a prostitute. In the show, he’s changed to this role to better suit Daemon entering the city. Whether this changes his outcome is unclear, but in the book, he’s found shortly afterward and tortured for information by the Greens. He gives up Mysaria, eventually dying by torture. In the TV version, he’d likely give up Daemon’s name instead.

As for Cheese, there’s no clear evidence that he lived or died in the book. However, following the incident, Aegon II orders the deaths of every ratcatcher in King’s Landing, hanging them all. Otto Hightower then brings one hundred cats into the Red Keep to deal with rats. Given Aegon and Otto’s dynamic in the show, it doesn’t seem likely that Otto will support Aegon’s reckless mass hanging of primarily innocent civilians and probably won’t flood the Red Keep with cats.

1

Jason Lannister

Dies At The Battle At The Red Fork

Since the Battle of Rook’s Rest doesn’t seem to be the final battle of the season, House of the Dragon season 2 could conclude with another smaller conflict. The trailers for the season show Lannister armies mobilizing, which indicates that the season could make it to the Battle at the Red Fork. It seems like the Battle of the Gullet will be pushed to season 3, as it hasn’t been in any marketing, and it would likely require hefty CGI for its dragon action, which might be too much after Rook’s Rest.

As for the Battle at the Red Fork, Lord Jason Lannister of Casterly Rock is the most notable casualty. Jason was seen in House of the Dragon season 1 trying to earn Rhaenyra’s favor in marriage. He’s a notably arrogant man and wasn’t too likable, but losing him sends House Lannister into disarray for the Greens, as his death causes House Greyjoy to launch a raid on Lannisport from the Iron Islands.

It will be interesting to see how House of the Dragon builds this scene if it does occur in season 2, as Jason Lannister isn’t the most memorable character in the show. It could very likely be just a brief segment, as he’s the most prominent character at the battle, and there are no dragons present. Still, Jason Lannister could be a key House of the Dragon season 2 death toward the end of the eight-episode run.