This week's House of the Dragon episode saw the Black army show off Ser Criston Cole's (Fabien Frankel) head on a spike. Elsewhere, we saw Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) lament the death for a brief second.
The much-disliked yet complicated character of Criston Cole breathed his last in House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6, “Faceless Men.”
Some fans were overjoyed that after making a living out of violent and misogynistic comments since Rhaenyra Targaryen’s (Emma D’Arcy) rejection, the so-called “Kingmaker” was taken down by three precise arrows from a woman — Alysanne Blackwood (Annie Shapero), the future Lady Stark.
Others thought that his death was rather unceremonious, which, in my opinion, may have been just the point.
After they failed to meet Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and his dragon, Vhagar, in Harrenhal, Cole marched ahead through the Riverlands fully aware that he was leading his men to doom, just to secure a glorious, song-worthy death for himself.
“I am the realm's greatest warrior, and I will die as such,” he said in a conversation with Gwayne Hightower.
Yet, when the time came, his demise was anything but, even though he pleaded with Roddy the Ruin (Tommy Flanagan) and Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) for his men to be spared (they were not).
Such dichotomies displayed over three seasons make Cole a complex man, one whom actor Fabien Frankel won’t defend, but also won’t judge.
“He’s been so selfish,” Frankel said about his character in an interview with Vulture. “He led his men on this wild-goose chase, with the knowledge that they may all die, and when it finally came down to it, these guys who are still standing are who stood with him from the beginning.”
“He doesn’t think it’s fair that they should lose their lives, now they’ve made it to this point, in this unfair way.”
Fabien Frankel believes Criston Cole and Gwayne Hightower had “affection” for each other
Gwayne Hightower saw through his plan sometime before the events of Butcher’s Ball and was seen ruefully leaving Criston Cole to his grim fate, but not before taking one last glance.
The two had come a long way since their terse first meeting in season 2, and had grown to respect each other over time. Their shared time in combat, especially after Rook’s Rest, altered their dynamic, Frankel believes.
“I think Cole has an affection for Gwayne,” Frankel told Vulture. “Initially, when you meet Gwayne, certainly when I read it, I felt, ‘Here we go, another posh, entitled member of the landed gentry who’s going to come and belittle all the smallfolk.’ But with what they went through at Rook’s Rest, Gwayne ends up being someone who Cole genuinely sees as willing to go to the darkest depths with him — until he finally decides it’s too much.”
In season 3, episode 5, “Unbowed and Unbent,” Gwayne makes an offer to Cole moments before their horses fall victim to the crow’s feet left as traps by the Black army.
gwayne realizing that criston is on a fatalistic suicidal mission in order to have a "glorious ending" but he still tried to give criston one last chance to change his mind and run away with him mid battle to live together in oldtown... if one thing had been different man... pic.twitter.com/g9DnIciizm
— tobi 🍏⚔️📚 | hotd s3 spoilers (@TobyAfton13) July 31, 2026
He asks Cole if he has ever seen the Hightower, the seat of his House, in Oldtown, to which Cole says that he has only heard tales of it. Gwayne goes on to share how he and Ormund Hightower (James Norton) used to play around the castle as kids, and he let his cousin win most of the time, which draws a small laugh out of Cole.
“I hope to show it to you one day,” Gwayne then says. “You could make a home at Oldtown, Ser Criston. A knight of your stature would be most welcome to serve our house there.”
But Cole, as we know, rejects the invitation, but not without an explanation about his purpose.
When asked what his interpretation of the conversation was, Frankel said, “I think there is genuine affection for the fact that Gwayne has made this offer to him. I wasn’t wanting it to feel dismissive, but very matter-of-fact and very grateful. He doesn’t feel the need to explain himself for his actions, but he felt he owed it to Gwayne.”
Freddie Fox and Fabien Frankel agree with a popular Gwayne-Cole fan theory
Many fans have read into their equation differently, and began to “ship” Cole and Gwayne on social media and fan fictions.
Frankel, while not aware of the fan sentiment, said that he and Freddie Fox definitely agree with it and even portrayed the characters somewhat to that end.
“Freddie Fox and I are aware of our feelings about Gwayne and Cole,” he said. “I don’t know that the writers feel necessarily that that’s something they want out there, but I will speak on behalf of Freddie and myself: We back that belief as far as people want to take it.”
The Vulture interviewer, Roxana Hadadi, said that a friend told her that Gwayne was inviting Cole to live with him in Oldtown.
Frankel told her that Fox very strongly felt that to be true.
“Freddie did absolutely see that,” he said. “Freddie has felt that way; there’s definitely an arc that Freddie has been aware of.”
“I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but certainly he and I have had conversations about Gwayne’s feelings for Cole, and that they have developed into more than just camaraderie and a professional working relationship.”
All released episodes of House of the Dragon can be streamed on HBO Max, with the season 3 finale dropping Sunday, August 9 at 9:00 p.m. EST on HBO and HBO Max.
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