House of the Dragon Episode 10 finale ending explained

House of the Dragon Episode 10 ends on a tragic, epic note – let’s break down the ending of the Season 1 finale and what it means for the show’s future.

Unlike Game of Thrones, which TV pariahs David Benioff and D.B. Weiss completely fumbled by the end of its final season, House of the Dragon has a major advantage: its source material is written in its entirety.

The prequel series revolves around the Dance of the Dragons, a historic Targaryen civil war chronicled in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.

Episode 10, the Season 1 finale, responds to Aegon’s coronation in a big way – so, we’re going to explain the ending, and how it may impact the next season.

Spoilers for House of the Dragon Episode 10 to follow…

House of the Dragon Episode 10 ending explained

The final act of Episode 10 sees Lucerys fly to Storm’s End on Arrax, sent to deliver a message from Queen Rhaenyra ahead of warfare with Aegon and the Hightowers.

When he arrives, he catches sight of Vhagar and Aemond. Displeased with his message compared to Aemond’s offer of marriage to his daughters, Borros Baratheon quickly sends him and his “empty hands” on his way, but Aemond stops him from leaving.

HBO

“A fight would be little challenge,” he mutters, before demanding Lucerys repay his past debt with one of his own eyes, revealing the sapphire gem under his eye patch for the first time.

Lucerys eventually leaves and attempts to fly back to Dragonstone – however, the silhouette of Vhagar lingers above him in the clouds. Aemond soon chases Lucerys, cackling with every roar and taunt, before Lucerys manages to fit in a gap in the cliffside.

HBO

As Aemond calls out to him, Lucerys reappears and smothers Vhagar’s face in dragonflame. At this point, Vhagar goes out of control. He refuses to serve Aemond and pursues Arrax through the sky, flying above the stormy clouds and – in a horrific flash of blood – chomping Lucerys and his dragon in half. Aemond looks on as bits of the dragon’s corpse Earth, fully knowing the gravity of what he’s done.

Back at Dragonstone, Daemon informs Rhaenyra that her son was murdered. She stumbles toward the fire, stumbling in heartache, before turning to the camera with a face of unquenchable fury.

House of the Dragon Episode 10: What does the ending mean?

By the end of Episode 10, it’s official: the Dance of the Dragons has begun.

Throughout the finale, Rhaenyra wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps with a reign characterized by peace rather than war. She didn’t want to invest in wanton bloodshed, instead proposing calculated steps with Lord Corlys’ backing in the Narrow Sea.

Alas, with Lucerys’ brutal death, her face at the end signals all-out war and carnage on the horizon – and it’s incredibly likely we’ll see the Blood and Cheese storyline adapted for the screen. If you’d like to read more about that, you can click here.

As for Daemon, it’s unclear whether he managed to bond with Vermithor, the second-largest dragon in all of Westeros. It also remains to be seen how the Hightowers will deal with Aemond after his gross error in pursuing Lucerys – although, prepare for Aegon to be pleased and for people to call him “kinslayer” next time round.

House of the Dragon Season 1 is available to stream now. For more on Season 2, click here.