WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4 and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, on which the show is based!

With Sunfyre being severely injured in House of the Dragon season 2, his only real replacement for King Aegon’s dragonpower reveals a harsh reality for the Greens. In House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4’s ending, King Aegon II Targaryen is left near-dead with his dragon Sunfyre barely clinging to life at the Battle at Rook’s Rest. After only one dragon battle in House of the Dragon, Teams Green and Black are both down a fighting-sized dragon on each side. However, while Rhaenyra has a few other capable dragons in her arsenal to replace Meleys, Aegon doesn’t share this advantage.

Although it’s been mentioned to Aegon that Rhaenyra has more dragons than he does, the King has often responded that his are bigger. True enough, Vhagar is the largest and most powerful dragon in Westeros, with Sunfyre and Dreamfyre being adult dragons while Daeron’s dragon Tessarion is now of fighting size. Meanwhile, many of Rhaenyra’s dragons are but hatchlings or are quite young and still growing. Now that Sunfyre is effectively out of commission for the time being in House of the Dragon season 2, Aegon’s side will require another dragon of comparable power to replace him – but the Greens’ dragonriders make this a tall order.

Dreamfyre Is Sunfyre’s Only Real Replacement In House Of The Dragon

Dreamfyre is Team Green’s only other fighting-sized dragon in King’s Landing

When considering age, size, experience, and power, Dreamfyre is the only real replacement for Sunfyre that King Aegon’s army has. Bonded with Queen Helaena Targaryen, Dreamfyre is the Greens’ second-oldest dragon after Vhagar, as she hatched during the reign of King Aegon I Targaryen over a century prior. In theory, Dreamfyre should be even more fierce and advantageous for Team Green than Sunfyre. Before being claimed by Helaena Targaryen, Dreamfyre was ridden by Aegon the Conqueror’s granddaughter, Rhaena Targaryen, who frequently flew on her until her death.

While Dreamfyre has often remained in the Dragonpit at King’s Landing since Rhaena’s death, even after being claimed by Helaena, she’s still an extremely strong dragon when provoked. As such, Aegon’s council would ideally be looking to Dreamfyre to go into battle or serve a patrolling role for the Greens with Sunfyre’s current state. Without Dreamfyre and Sunfyre, Team Green really only has Vhagar and Tessarion, the latter of which is small and isolated in the Reach.

To maintain their dragonpower, strength, and defense in King’s Landing, Team Green needs more than just Vhagar to go up against Rhaenyra’s dragons. Sadly for the Greens, however, Dreamfyre becoming Sunfyre’s replacement isn’t in the cards. Unless House of the Dragon makes a major change to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, Dreamfyre and Helaena will not ultimately play a role in the show’s war strategy.

Helaena Never Rides Dreamfyre In The Targaryen Civil War

Dreamfyre isn’t a viable replacement with Helaena being unable to ride her

In Fire & Blood, Helaena Targaryen never actually rides Dreamfyre during the Dance of the Dragons. While Helaena has ridden Dreamfyre before, Fire & Blood suggests that she never has an opportunity nor wishes to ride her during the Targaryen Civil War. Therefore, Dreamfyre isn’t actually a viable fighting option for Team Green during the Dance, leaving their current dragonpower to just Vhagar and Tessarion.

Since dragons can only be bonded with one rider at a time, Team Green can’t try to utilize Dreamfyre by bonding her with a new rider – not that they even have a substitute Targaryen rider for Helaena. In the book, Dreamfyre is confined to the Dragonpit in King’s Landing throughout the Dance of the Dragons, regardless of which Targaryen is sitting on the Iron Throne. While Dreamfyre does play a role in an important event during House of the Dragon’s war, it isn’t during a battle between Teams Green and Black.

What Happens To Sunfyre & Dreamfire In The Dance Of The Dragons

Sunfyre & Dreamfire will die before House of the Dragon’s ending

Shockingly, Sunfyre and Aegon are still alive after Aemond tries to kill them in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4. However, they’re badly injured and still near-death throughout the vast majority of the war. When Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing, Aegon and Sunfyre secretly escape to Dragonstone and go into hiding. While taking the castle, Aegon and Sunfyre battle Baela and Moondancer, culminating in grave injuries to the former and the death of the latter dragon.

Later on, when Rhaenyra also flees back to Dragonstone, Aegon captures her and has Sunfyre fatally burn and eat Rhaenyra while her son Aegon the Younger watches on. It isn’t very long after that Sunfyre dies from his wounds on Dragonstone. While King Aegon II Targaryen would try to replicate House of the Dragon’s “most beautiful” dragon with new eggs, he couldn’t hatch any after Sunfyre’s death.

As for Dreamfyre, Helaena’s dragon is tragically killed prior to Sunfyre’s demise in House of the Dragon. Following the death of Helaena Targaryen, Dreamfyre senses her rider’s fate and violently roars and breaks two chains holding her in the Dragonpit. Soon after, the people of King’s Landing riot against the crown and storm the Dragonpit in an attempt to kill the Targaryens’ dragons held there. Fire & Blood reveals that Dreamfyre is killed during the Storming of the Dragonpit after slaying numerous rioters, breaking through her chains, and crashing into the dome’s ceiling, causing it to fatally crush her.