House of the Dragon’s missing Targaryen has a death worse than Blood & Cheese

House of the Dragon has yet to introduce an infant Targaryen – but if they ever appear, you should be prepared for one of Fire and Blood’s most upsetting deaths.

Game of Thrones had a penchant for killing off characters in gruesome, heartbreaking fashion; Ned Stark lost his head, Catelyn and Robb were brutally killed by the Boltons, and Oberyn Martell’s head was squashed like a pumpkin.

After House of the Dragon Season 1 ended with Lucerys’ untimely murder, Season 2 opened with a notorious event from George R.R. Martin’s book: Blood and Cheese, and the assassination of young Jaehaerys.

If you thought things could only get better, as Ramsay Bolton once warned, you haven’t been paying attention.

Bantam Books

Let’s talk about Maelor Targaryen. In the book, he’s the third child of Aegon and Helaena – however, we’ve only seen Jaehaerys and Jaehaera so far.

“Maelor does not yet exist on this timeline because 30 years is compressed into 20 years,” Ryan Condal prviously told EW, with Martin even describing him as “Maelor the Missing.”

Be warned: when he does arrive (likely in response to Aegon no longer having an heir), his future won’t be bright.

In Fire & Blood, Larys Strong smuggles Maelor out of King’s Landing as Rhaenyra takes the city. Rickard Thorne (who also hasn’t appeared in the show) looks after him, but their cover is eventually blown in Bitterbridge, a Blacks-held territory.

Thorne tries to escape with Maelor, but he’s shot and killed by crossbowmen. The young Targaryen’s fate has never been confirmed, but there are three possibilities: he was crushed to death, an angry mob tore him apart, or a butcher chopped him up.

If you want to jump ahead of the TV show, you can read more about how Aemond Targaryen dies and Vhagar’s death. We’ve also broken down the wildest House of the Dragon fan fiction, and you can make sure you’re up to date with the Season 2 release schedule.