Does Rhaenyra Targaryen die in House of the Dragon?

Rhaenyra Targaryen has quickly become a fan favorite character on House of the Dragon. The daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen and Aemma Arryn, Rhaenyra was chosen by her father at an early age to be his heir. That choice didn’t sit well with everyone, and the first season of House of the Dragon ends with Rhaenyra about to launch into a war against those who would take her birthright.

That war will play out over the course of the next few seasons…but if you want to know what happens to Rhaenyra, you don’t need to wait that long. House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, which spells out exactly how things go down. In fact, Joffrey Baratheon flat-out spoils her fate on an episode of Game of Thrones.

Remember the scene? Beware SPOILERS below:

Joffrey Baratheon spoils Rhaenyra Targaryen’s fate on Game of Thrones

As Joffrey tells us, eventually, Rhaenyra’s half-brother Aegon Targaryen will feed her to his dragon Sunfyre. She dies as her son, Aegon III, watches.

That’s the bullet point version. Of course, there’s a lot that happens between the end of House of the Dragon season 1 and Rhaenyra’s death. Still, it’s not the happiest ending for the Realm’s Delight.

At the same time, there are always layers to a Game of Thrones story. Just because Aegon kills his half-sister and rival for the Iron Throne doesn’t mean he ultimately wins the war against her. All will be revealed in a few years time. In the meanwhile, there’s a lot of (hopefully) terrific TV to get through.

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