One of the big questions coming out of House of the Dragon season 3 episode 4 is about Sunfyre and if Aegon’s dragon is really dead or if there’s a chance the dragon is still alive.
Heading into the episode, most fans would agree that Sunfyre was probably dead. It sure looked like it at the end of season 2.
Well, if you’re a fan of Sunfyre, I have some good news. I don’t think Sunfyre is actually dead, and there are three key reasons why Sunfyre is alive. First, let’s figure out how we got here.
In the episode, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Larys (Matthew Needham) are on the run after escaping their captors who were taking them to Dragonstone. They end up near Rook’s Rest, where Aegon and Sunfyre fell from the sky and were injured horribly following the epic battle with Rhaenys (Eve Best) and Meleys and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar.
Aegon finds Sunfyre’s body near an encampment of stragglers and displaced folks. Aegon runs to his dragon, and he claims that Sunfyre is still alive while it looks pretty clear that Sunfyre is dead.
Larys forces Aegon to leave the dragon behind because they aren’t safe there. Aegon takes one of Sunfyre’s scales and moves along.
I don’t think this is the last time we’ll see Sunfyre, though. Two things happened during the episode that prove Sunfyre is alive. The last reason is a pretty big spoiler for George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.
Aegon believes Sunfyre is alive
In fantasy movies, shows, and books, the dragons and their riders always have a unique bond. While we don’t get a huge description of that connection in House of the Dragon, it’s clear that there is some strong, powerful bond between the dragons and their riders.
If anyone knows if Sunfyre is dead or alive, though, it’s going to be Aegon. He knows his dragon better than anyone else. Something about how Aegon responds in this scene tells me that Sunfyre is alive. It’s not a person hoping his dragon is alive or a person unable to cope with the reality that Sunfyre is gone; I actually think he believes that Sunfyre is alive.
In Fire & Blood, there are mentions of Aegon and Sunfyre’s connection, so that’s what I think the show is hinting at with this scene.
House of the Dragon plays it off like Aegon is just unable to let go and accept that his dragon is dead, but I don’t think that’s really what’s going on in this scene. Aegon knows Sunfyre isn’t actually dead, but he can’t understand it. He doesn’t have time to understand it when Larys is like trying to get them on their way before they are robbed and killed.
So, that’s the first takeaway that suggests Sunfyre isn’t dead.
We see what a dead dragon really looks like at Rook’s Rest
Shortly after, Aegon and Larys arrive at Rook’s Rest, and we get a look at the castle after the battle that ended with Rhaenys’ dragon, Meleys, crashing into the outer wall and dying.
In the scene, we see the Meleys very clearly dead. She’s headless, and her body appears to be rotting and decomposing from my perspective. Now, there’s a clear difference from Meleys’ look from how Sunfyre looked.
Sunfyre and Meleys “died” on the same day, so in theory, they should at least look similar, right? I know one dragon is missing a head and had a fall from such great heights after battling it out with Vhagar, but still. Sunfyre shouldn’t look that alive compared to Meleys if the dragon is actually dead.
Sunfyre still has a major role to play in House of the Dragon
Last but not least, we have Fire & Blood to talk about. If you don’t want spoilers, you can stop here.
This is the biggest proof, so to speak, that Sunfyre is still alive. Could the series change the book’s story? They already have and continue to with each passing episode, but this is a big deal and a huge plot point. I don’t think Ryan Condal and the writers are going to change this.
In the book, Sunfyre and Aegon eventually reconnect. There are a lot of important things that happen, and I won’t go into all the details of their reunion, but let’s just say Aegon is not out of this war just yet.
Eventually, Aegon takes Dragonstone. When the tide of the war turns, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) returns to Dragonstone and quickly finds herself taken captive by Aegon.
Then, Aegon decides it’s time to feed Rhaenyra to an aging Sunfyre, who takes his sweet, sweet time munching and crunching on Rhaenyra until all that’s left of her are her feet.
It’s an incredibly tragic end for Rhaenyra, but that end obviously changes if Sunfyre is dead right now with basically two full seasons and a lot of important story left to tell.
Again, House of the Dragon has made some important book changes in the first three seasons. I’m sure there will be some more key changes as the show continues. I would have a hard time understanding why the show would change that last key moment with Rhaenyra, but we’ll just have to keep waiting to see how this story comes to an end.
Add us as a preferred source on Google