House of the Dragon: How Does Aemond Die In The Books? Find Out
Aemond Targaryen has taken control as House of the Dragon's biggest villain. Here's how he dies in the books.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, as well as the first seven episodes of House of the Dragon Season 2.
Aemond Targaryen has definitely been one of the prime movers in House of the Dragon Season 2, stirring up conflict and using his family to get to war. His brother Aegon II is still recovering from the injuries Aemond inflicted. With him being the most ruthless villain of the show, it is expected from fans when Aemond will meet his end. Well, George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood - on which the show is based gives an answer to this very question.
In the Season 2 finale of House of the Dragon, Aemond leads the Greens army into a war against his half-sister, Rhaenyra. However, he finds out about Rhaenyra's recruitment of an additional three dragons, which makes him more vulnerable than anticipated.
In Fire & Blood, Aemond remained in King's Landing, where, unable to curb his arrogance, he launched the Greens into war. It is after Daemon leaves Harrenhal that Aemond goes there to take it for himself; his absence from King's Landing allows Rhaenyra and Daemon to take the city. Leaving Aemond with little but Harrenhal as a home base, it is there that he meets his end.
In the Battle Above the God's Eye, Daemon and Caraxes were pitted against Aemond and Vhagar, the two most frightening dragons in all of Westeros. That fight was staged over the lake besides Harrenhal, from which Alys had warned Daemon he would die. In response, Caraxes then latched onto Vhagar, allowing Daemon to attack Aemond with his sword, Dark Sister. Daemon killed Aemond by forcing the sword through his blind eye, and the two men fell several thousand feet into God's Eye.
House of the Dragon has taken some liberties with the book that may change the ending of the Battle Above God's Eye. However, it's unlikely that the fates of Aemond or Daemon are going to be all that different. The HBO renewal of House of the Dragon likely extended the war, and Smith and Mitchell could be in the series beyond the season 2 finale. The show may not happen till the very end of the series, but you can be sure it is going to happen when Daemon says, You. Me. Harrenhal. The writers may look for ways to prolong the war.
House of the Dragon Season 2's finale airs on August 5. Episode 8's trailer shows everyone preparing themselves for the final fight that would decide the ruler of the seven kingdoms. Rhaenyra is envisioning fulfilling her late father's will by becoming the heir to the Iron Throne, while Aemond and Team Green are to secure their position and dissolve the resentment.
At the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, Rhaenyra is stronger than ever with three more dragons-willing to wage an intensive combat against Aemond and his flying beast, Vhagar-the biggest in the universe. She calls upon her army to attack soon while they still have a vantage point. In King's Landing, Aemond takes Halaena, in her grief over her toddler, into the fighting as a dragonrider. The King Regent wants to attack with a stout defense. It would appear Halaena's dragon, Dreamfyre, has not seen much of the skies since Halaena's taming after her marriage to King Aegon; she seems to be finally seeing some action now that she is a far more efficient rider.
The trailer also contains shots of ships sailing and a burning castle-the major Easter egg for the grand Battle of Gullet. Yet to be seen is whether the final episode will see any battles or if it will be just about the prep and all that boasting and bragging.
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