House of the Dragon: How does Vhagar die in the book, Fire & Blood?

In House of the Dragon, there is no dragon scarier than Vhagar. The last living dragon who was still around during Aegon the Conqueror's initial conquest of Westeros, Vhagar is more than 180 years old and has an ornery temper to match. For as many dragons as the fractured House Targaryen commands, there can be no doubt that Vhagar is the biggest, most dangerous one. We saw that horrifying truth writ large this past weekend in "The Red Dragon and the Gold," House of the Dragon's big mid-season battle episode where Vhagar torched the dragon Sunfyre and his rider Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), before going on to kill the formidable red dragon Meleys and her rider Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best).

At this point, Vhagar has killed or injured more dragons than any other in the history of House Targaryen's reign. And with a rider as fearsome as Aemond Targaryen, it's unlikely that she's done with her rampage. You may be wondering if any dragon really has a chance of stopping Vhagar in this Targaryen civil war. After all, if Meleys couldn't defeat this massive creature, what hope do any of Queen Rhaenyra's other, smaller dragons have?

Since the entirety of the Dance of the Dragons war is covered in George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, we do know how Vhagar eventually meets her end. SPOILERS after the break.

Who kills Vhagar in the book?

Since neither Vhagar nor any other dragons are still around by the time of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, it's not much of a spoiler to say that Vhagar does die eventually. And if you're hoping she'll be slain in dramatic fashion, you can rest easy: Vhagar's death is arguably one of the most epic moments of the Dance of the Dragons civil war. In fact, it's the scene author George R.R. Martin is most anticipating seeing in the show.

Vhagar dies late in the war, after Rhaenyra Targaryen has seized King's Landing but before she's driven from the capital by an angry mob during the Storming of the Dragonpit. Following Rhaenyra's capture of the Iron Throne, Aemond, Vhagar, and Criston Cole are all still afield waging war in the Riverlands. Without a proper home base to retreat to, Aemond and Vhagar take to razing the holdings of Rhaenyra's supporters in the region. In response, Daemon Targaryen and a newly minted dragonrider named Nettles hunt him across the Riverlands. They never quite manage to catch Aemond, though.

Ultimately, Daemon sends away Nettles and puts out the word that he wishes to meet his nephew in single combat. He awaits him for 13 days at Harrenhal until Aemond finally arrives along with his lover, none other than the woods witch Alys Rivers. The two dragonriders exchange words in the Godswood, then take to the sky over the nearby Gods Eye lake to have their duel. Remember Alys' cryptic prophecy to Daemon that he would die at Harrenhal? This is how it comes to fruition.

Daemon's dragon Caraxes is one of the few dragons large enough to stand toe-to-toe with Vhagar. The fight is brutal and both dragons take grievous wounds. Caraxes latches onto Vhagar's neck while Vhagar tears open his stomach, and the two dragons plummet toward the lake. But before they crash, Daemon Targaryen leaps from the saddle and stabs his Valyrian steel sword, Dark Sister, through Aemond's blind eye, killing him. Seconds later, Caraxes and Vhagar plunge into the Gods Eye, sending up a plume of water that was said to be as tall as the highest tower of Harrenhal.

Vhagar sinks to the bottom of the lake, dead, while her scorching blood brings its water to a boil. Caraxes manages to drag himself to shore before succumbing of his wounds. Daemon's body is never recovered, but it's believed that he died as well. As for Aemond, according to Fire & Blood, his bones were found strapped into Vhagar's saddle when her remains were finally excavated from the Gods Eye, years after the Dance of the Dragons ended.

So yes, Vhagar will certainly die in House of the Dragon, and her death is likely to be one of the most memorable scenes of the entire series. Judging by where we are in the story, I imagine we'll see it in season 3 or perhaps season 4 at the very latest.

Until then, Vhagar remains the baddest dragon in the sky. See who she crushes next when House of the Dragon continues its second season, Sunday nights on HBO and Max.

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