House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4: Is Aegon dead? The king’s fate explained

In House of the Dragon’s newest episode, Aegon falls from the sky after a vicious battle between dragons, leaving many to wonder if the usurper is now dead. (Warning: spoilers ahead!)

At the end of the three-way battle between Vhagar, Sunfyre, and Meleys in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4, Criston Cole finds Aegon’s crumpled body next to his fallen dragon.

There’s no doubt Rhaenys is dead, but since we didn’t actually see what happened to the Targaryen king, it’s difficult for non-book readers to know if this marks the end of his reign.

Here’s everything you need to know about Aegon’s hit in the Battle at Rook’s Rest, as well as what happened to his dragon, Sunfyre.

Is Aegon dead at the end of Episode 4?

No, Aegon isn’t dead – but he is severely wounded, and will live out the rest of his days in pain and misery after the Battle at Rook’s Rest.

It might look like Aegon could be dead (thanks to him falling in a fiery ball of flames), but he does survive the dragon battle.

Rhaenys and Meleys are the only main casualties of this fight (aside from the hundreds of soldiers slain on the grounds of Rook’s Rest), with the king miraculously getting away with his life, but only just barely.

During the aerial duel, Aemond turns up on Vhagar, interrupting the fight between Meleys and Sunfyre. He orders dragonfire from Vhagar, but makes no effort to avoid his brother. As such, Aegon gets the full brunt of the attack, and Sunfyre falls, taking Aegon with him.

Criston Cole, seeing the attack, runs to his fallen king. When he arrives in the forest, he finds Sunfyre’s injured body (now practically missing a wing), with Aegon on the ground beside him.

HBO

At the sight of his charred and broken body, Cole collapses onto his knees.

What happens to Aegon?

In Fire & Blood, Aegon lives a miserable and painful life after the battle, surviving with many broken bones and horrific burns all over his body.

He suffered a broken hip, rips, and burns covering his skin. He was escorted back to King’s Landing, but it would take him a whole year to recover. Throughout this period, he frequently took milk of the poppy, which clouded his mind.

He slept often, not leaving his bed, and prayed for his death when he was awake. He didn’t allow anyone to see him aside from his mother Alicent, and Criston Cole.

During his period of rest, Prince Aemond took over the duties of king as Prince Regent and Protector of the Realm. While Aegon recovered somewhat, he spent the rest of his life with disfigurements and burn scars.

What happens to Sunfyre?

Sunfyre was equally as injured as Aegon, with neck injuries from Meleys and with a wing half torn from his body.

While Aegon was taken back to King’s Landing, Sunfyre wasn’t able to be moved. He stayed near Rook’s Rest in order to heal, with guards stationed near him by order of Criston Cole.

Sunfyre survived by eating the bodies of fallen soldiers during the battle, and then calves and sheep when they were through. It was only when Walys Mooton, Lord of Maidenpool, retook Rook’s Rest with his men and attempted to slay the dragon that Sunfyre found the strength to fight back.

Not long after the attack, Sunfyre disappeared, able to fly again. The dragon later reunited with Aegon in Dragonstone after the fall of King’s Landing in 130 AC.

For more on House of the Dragon’s battle-hardened characters, check out our guides to Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White. You can also check out our guide to all the Game of Thrones dragons, and keep an eye on the House of the Dragon release schedule.