‘House Of The Dragon’ Shocker: Actor Whose Character Dies During Epic Aerial Battle Calls Final Moment “A Real Surrender” (2024)

SPOILER ALERT! This story contains plot details from episode 4 of Season 2 of House of the Dragon on HBO.

War always has its heartbreaking casualties, and the epic battle that ensued at the end of Sunday’s episode of the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon was no exception: fans had to watch a key character perish after a spectacular dance between two dragons.

Damn you, Aemond, and your gargantuan Vhagar!

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Here, the latest denizen of Westeros to meet her maker talks about those final moments, and what she’ll miss most about playing a towheaded royal in a violent world.

DEADLINE: Have you seen the whole episode?

EVE BEST (Princess Rhaenys Targaryen): No, I haven’t seen any of it. I haven’t even seen Season 1. It’s kind of like when you hear yourself on somebody else’s answering machine; you just hate the sound of your voice so much. It’s sort of like that, magnified times a million. Also, because my background is theater, I’m not used to checking back. I’m impressed by a lot of the younger actors who are now so saturated with screens all the time, and they’re comfortable with just going and looking at monitors and being quite objective, which is a great skill. I get too easily distracted and then sort of disgusted. I’d love to watch it. I hear it’s really great.

DEADLINE: There’s a total jump scare when Vhagar goes for your dragon’s neck. I did scream.

BEST: I knew they were doing that. The closest I’ve seen to it is when we were shooting that whole sequence. The director had everything marked out and they created a little cartoon version of the whole sequence so I could see what we were aiming for. I’m really glad it worked.

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DEADLINE: Did they give you artistic license on how you can plunge to your death? Was it your call to put your arms up like that?

BEST: It was my call. I think they wanted a moment of hanging on and then letting go. It felt like a very natural thing, actually. It was sort of a peaceful moment after all that. When we were shooting it, there was a lot of buildup. It happened to be the last thing that I shot. We were doing that whole sequence at the end of the shoot. It was a special day and then [showrunner] Ryan Condal came in and gave a speech. It was so lovely. But it was pressure. I was like, “Please don’t make me cry now. I’ve got to just get on and shoot this very significant piece of film.” Anyway, it was a long buildup because they had to prep the camera for this move, which was quite complicated. I had a lot of time and I was getting more and more nervous. And we did it in two takes! I was like, “No, what?” And the director was like, “No, that’s great. I’m happy.” She lets go literally and spiritually. It was a real surrender.

DEADLINE: George R.R. Martin’s book obviously reveals that your character is not long for this world. Did Ryan let you know in Season 1 that you’re not going to make it past Season 2?

BEST: Yeah, we knew. It was in my contract that I was only there for two seasons. So we always knew that it was going to be finite. It’s sort of the nature of the beast, really. If you sign up for this franchise, there is a very strong likelihood that you will come to a sick end at some point. I just didn’t know the exact details of when, but I knew that it was on a dragon.

DEADLINE: Were you privy to subsequent episodes? I mean, did you want to know what the fallout would be to your death?

BEST At the time I didn’t. I was like, “Well, she’s done.” But after we’d done the read-through and then knowing they were all going back in to read episodes five and six, I was like, oh, I want to know what happens. And I want to know is Corlys [Rhaenys’ husband, played by Steve Toussaint] really unhappy? Is he really upset? He better be devastated. He better be crying a lot.

‘House Of The Dragon’ Shocker: Actor Whose Character Dies During Epic Aerial Battle Calls Final Moment “A Real Surrender” (3)

DEADLINE: Did your character go to her death knowing that she would’ve made a better leader than Viserys?

BEST: Oh yeah. I mean that’s her whole journey. That’s the backbone of this story … the woman being passed over for the sake of the man, the woman who is eminently more qualified for the job. And in fact, when we started shooting, Sara Hess, Ryan’s lead co-writer, straight away said to me, “There’s a lot of Hillary Clinton going on with her.” And that just feels so right. The person who is absolutely clearly the most intelligent, the most expert, the most qualified, the most temperamentally and intellectually suited for this role being sidelined because of her sex, and then witnessing it happening again potentially with Rhaenyra [Emma D’Arcy]. There was such a strong feeling of “not on my watch, not again shall this story be repeated, we have to change it.”

DEADLINE: Can you talk about the significance of Rhaenys’ look?

BEST: In Season 1 she was wearing quite a lot of frocks and it was only right at the end that she changed into her dragon-riding costume. I’ve been told it looked great and actually the boots were very comfortable and that’s my comfort zone, wearing trousers and simple stuff. It was very tight, though. Sometimes I did feel like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. I was very limited in my movement. But it looked good. And if she looks like an ass kicker, then I’m happy with that.

DEADLINE: Are you going to miss how spectacular you looked in the blonde wig?

BEST: I mean, I just wish that I had somebody doing that wig for me in my real life.

DEADLINE: I would always study the edges to see if I saw anything that looked like a wig. You just couldn’t tell.

BEST: It’s so clever. There are a lot of Aryan wigs in this. In Game of Thrones there was just one. But I’m the same as you. I’m like, where’s the mesh? Where’s the line? It’s a very long process, putting it on because I’ve got all of this hair to hide, then they put on a bald cap and then they paint the bald cap. They are brilliant at it. It’s a phenomenal piece of engineering. But it’s blooming uncomfortable as well, let me say. I had a hot head full of metal pins, which we all try to surreptitiously remove. Steve is very good at doing it. The Sea Snake ends up with about one pin at the end of the day. My wonderful and very brilliant hair person had eyes like a hawk. She doesn’t let me get away with anything. So if I take a pin out, she’s right back in with another one just in case.

DEADLINE: I will miss Rhaenys.

BEST: She is a sexy, cool badass. I’m going to miss her, too.

‘House Of The Dragon’ Shocker: Actor Whose Character Dies During Epic Aerial Battle Calls Final Moment “A Real Surrender” (2024)

FAQs

Who died on House of the Dragon? ›

Lucerys, Joffrey and Jacaerys - DEAD

Rhaenyra's oldest sons - those strapping "Strong" boys - are ALL victims of the Targaryen civil war. Lucerys was killed by Prince Aemond's dragon at the end of Season 1. Jacaerys perishes during a sea battle against the Greens astride his dragon.

Who dies in the Battle of the Dragons? ›

Here's who didn't survive the clash.
  • Rhaenys. Rhaenys (Eve Best) fought with her legendary fury but it wasn't enough to overcome Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar while also being pestered by Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Sunfyre. ...
  • Meleys. ...
  • Lots of Soldiers. ...
  • Aemond and Vhagar. ...
  • Criston Cole. ...
  • Sunfyre. ...
  • King Aegon II.
Jul 7, 2024

How long will House of the Dragon last? ›

How many seasons will 'House of the Dragon' last? In a press conference on Monday, Condal addressed how many seasons "House of the Dragon" will last. "I think it's four," he said, according to Entertainment Weekly. Martin previously said he expects "House of the Dragon" to last at least four seasons.

How many episodes are there in Season 2 of the House of the Dragon? ›

The Daemon move, in particular, perplexed fans this season, as it seemed more like something a show typically does with a well-worn character five seasons into a series with 20 episodes to fill rather than something a show does with an extremely popular character during its eight-episode second season.

Who rides Vermithor? ›

Vermithor, called the Bronze Fury, was a male dragon once ridden by King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.

Who died first, Daemon or Rhaenyra? ›

Who died first, Rhaenyra or Daemon? - Quora. Officially, Daemon did. Daemon's God's Eye aerial duel with Aemond took place “on the twenty-second day of the fifth moon” of 130 AC. Rhaenyra was fed to Sunfyre “on the twenty-second day of the tenth month” of that same year.

Who kills Daemon Targaryen? ›

Daemon and Prince Aemond Battle It Out

According to Fire & Blood (the extremely lengthy source material for House of the Dragon), Daemon dies after an epic dragon fight with Prince Aemond…who also dies, womp.

Who dies in House of the Dragon season 2 finale? ›

No deaths. Just a whole lot of talking, hedging, visions, meaningful glances and (of all things) mud wrestling. That's what fans have to contend with in the finale of HBO's "House of the Dragon," (now streaming on Max), which wrapped up an uneven but often rousing second season of the "Game of Thrones" prequel series.

Which dragon kills Rhaenyra? ›

Aegon takes the Queen before his dragon and forces her son, Aegon the Younger, to watch as Sunfyre fatally burns and devours Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra doesn't kill Aegon, as it's actually Aegon who kills Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon.

Who survived Dance of Dragons? ›

Heavy Losses On Both Sides Make The Eventual Victory Bittersweet
Main Characters Who Survive The Dance Of The DragonsTitle/Role
Lord Corlys VelaryonHead of House Velaryon, one of Aegon III's regents.
Aegon IIIAegon II's successor as king.
Viserys IISucceeds Aegon III's sons as king.
3 more rows
Jul 9, 2024

Does rhaena get a dragon? ›

Rhaena reminds Lady Arryn that she promised her 15,000 soldiers, Rhaenyra in exchange for a dragon and fulfilled her promise by sending two dragons to the Vale. Lady Arryn (somewhat annoyed by Rhaena's tone of speech) points out that they are still young and that she cannot afford to wait until they grow up.

How will House of Dragons end? ›

The show ends with Aegon III as a child king with Corlys, Baela, and Rhaena standing by him, along with a forgiven Tyland Lannister. Aegon III is betrothed to his cousin Jahaera (the daughter of Aegon II). Cregan Stark quits King's Landing with Black Aly Blackwood and rides for the North.

Who was Daenerys' mother? ›

Queen Rhaella Targaryen [b] was the daughter of King Aegon V Targaryen and the sister-wife of King Aerys II Targaryen. She is the mother of Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys Targaryen.

How many seasons are confirmed for House of the Dragon? ›

During a press conference on Monday discussing the Season 2 finale of “House of the Dragon,” showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal revealed that the “Game of Thrones” prequel will include two more seasons, and will conclude with Season 4.

Will there be a season 3 of House of the Dragon? ›

Days before its third season was greenlit, co-showrunner Ryan Condal told TechRadar that work on House of the Dragon's next season was already underway. Indeed, Condal shared that script work had been ongoing for some time, although it's unclear how many have been completed.

Which son died at the end of House of dragons? ›

Alicent also understands that Rhaenyra seeks vengeance for the death of her son Luke, who was killed after Aemond lost control of his almighty dragon, Vhagar.

Who died in the Targaryen family? ›

Prince Aemond Targaryen - Stabbed through the eye by Prince Daemon Targaryen with Dark Sister. Prince Daemon Targaryen - Drowned after crashing into a lake after the death of Vhagar. Queen Helaena Targaryen - Committed suicide by jumping off a balcony onto iron spikes.

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