House of the Dragon season 3 is wrapping up production ahead of its release, hopefully sometime in summer 2026. With the season being another brutal installment rife with war and blood, there's no doubt going to be a few casualties.
One character we know doesn't make it out of the season alive is (SPOILER) Ser Criston Cole.
Fabien Frankel is leaving House of the Dragon in season 3
Ser Criston Cole has been one of the most discussed characters in House of the Dragon since day one -- and not in a good way. From hypocrisy to cruelness, betrayal, and bitterness -- Cole doesn't have many redeeming qualities. Some of his most despicable acts include swearing his Kingsguard oath to protect Rhaenyra, and then turning bitter when she refuses his marriage proposal. What's more, he's also rash and unhinged, like when he killed Ser Joffrey Lonmouth at a feast, completely undermining the honor he should hold as a Kingsguard knight.
Fans of the source material have known for a while that Cole's fate isn't too far away.
On the page, he meets his demise during the Butcher’s Ball after taking three arrow wounds. It's a grizzly end, which is very on brand for Westeros, but his death also marks a key turning point in the civil war. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the specifics of his death play out differently in season 3; they could remix the manner of his death.
House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal gifted Fabien Frankel his character's sword and helmet upon wrapping
As actor Fabien Frankel departed his role, showrunner Ryan Condal made a thoughtful gesture to honor Frankel's long-standing efforts on the series. He gifted Frankel the sword and helmet worn by his character, a symbolic gesture inspired by one of the most acclaimed fantasy filmmakers ever.
Condal got the idea of gifting actors memorabilia and props from legendary Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.
“I borrowed a tradition from Peter Jackson—when actors wrapped on Lord of the Rings, he gave them a meaningful prop from their character. So I did the same thing for House of the Dragon season 3,” he said on The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of podcast.
I should also think Frankel deserves a gift from Olivia Cooke following the hilarious prank she played on him on the set of season 2.
House of the Dragon season 3 is set to premiere in 2026 on HBO Max. No release date has been announced yet, but we estimate that it'll arrive sometime in the summer months.