House of the Dragon Season 2 finale reveals major death – but there’s a twist

The House of the Dragon Season 2 finale may have been low on action, but it quietly revealed a big death – however, it can’t be true.

Despite fans’ criticisms, Season 2 Episode 8 packs in a lot: Daemon’s final vision (which suggests Daenerys is the Prince That Was Promised) finally makes him bend the knee to Rhaenyra, Helaena teases how the God’s Eye links to Aemond’s fate, and Rhaena finds Sheepstealer in the Vale.

Larys also convinces Aegon to flee King’s Landing, believing Aemond will kill him – and if not, Rhaenyra will take the city with the help of her newly bolstered dragon fleet.

After the events of Rook’s Rest, Aegon seems to reveal Sunfyre’s fate: according to him, he’s dead. Spoilers to follow…

Sunfyre can’t be dead in House of the Dragon

Aegon may believe Sunfyre is dead, but unless House of the Dragon is seriously deviating from the source material, he must still be alive.

HBO

We last saw Sunfyre at the Battle at Rook’s Rest, clawed apart by Rhaenys and Meleys before plummeting to the ground after Aemond and Vhagar blasted him with dragonflame.

Afterwards, Criston Cole said the dragon was a “long time in the dying”, suggesting he didn’t survive his injuries – something seemingly confirmed by Aegon in the finale.

However, as per George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, Sunfyre doesn’t die: he plays a pivotal role in the rest of the war.

In the book, Sunfyre flees after Rook’s Rest and hides in the woods and caves of Crackclaw Point before returning to Dragonstone (though not without difficulty, considering his wounds).

Later, sailors on Nessaria see two dragons fighting near the Dragonmont, believed to be Sunfyre and the Grey Ghost, one of three wild dragons in House of the Dragon. Aegon, having escaped King’s Landing with Larys, travels to Dragonmont and finds his dragon alive in a hidden lair.

We won’t go into other spoilers, but it’s safe to expect to see Sunfyre again. “I’m sure Sunfyre isn’t dead. Poor boy was almost shredded to pieces though, he needs time to heal,” one Redditor commented.

“I don’t think Sunfyre is dead. Everything they’ve changed is still ‘fits’ the voids left in the book and doesn’t go against anything mentioned in GoT. Changing Sunfyre’s fate seems too far-fetched,” another wrote.

“I just don’t think he knows Sunfyre is alive. Otherwise it radically changes things,” a third suggested, while a fourth wrote: “He was definitely knocked unconscious by the whole traumatic experience. He’s repeating what others have told him. Until I see a Sunfyre body I’m not believing it.”

Make sure you read our House of the Dragon Season 2 ending explained and check out our guides on Sharako Lohar, Tessarion, and every Targaryen king.