The Dance of the Dragons has been a bit of a slow burn, but the Targaryen war of succession burns on.
There was minimal bloodshed shown in the “House of the Dragon” Season 2 finale, which aired on Sunday, but the battle lines have been drawn. Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen has fortified her army with more soldiers from supportive houses as well as with new riders for her herd of dragons. Meanwhile, King Aegon II — who suffered serious burns and a mangled leg at the Battle of Rook’s Rest in Episode 4, “The Red Dragon and the Gold” — has escaped from King’s Landing in hopes of lying low until his ambitious and treacherous brother Prince Aemond is done burning down everything that stands in his way.
The Targaryen civil war became inevitable after Aemond (accidentally) slayed his nephew Prince Lucerys at the end of the HBO series’ first season, and there have been plenty of casualties since. As Princess Rhaenys Targaryen plainly stated at the outset of these events, there is “no war so bloody as a war between dragons.”
Here are all the major deaths from “House of the Dragon” Season 2.
Jaehaerys Targaryen
Aegon II’s young son Jaehaerys was killed by a hired assassin, sent in revenge for the death of Rhaenyra’s son, Lucerys. His mother, Helaena, was forced to point him out to his killer.
Blood and Cheese
Cheese (Mark Stobbart) and Blood (Sam C. Wilson) in “House of the Dragon.”
(Ollie Upton / HBO)
Blood, hired by Daemon to assassinate Aemond, is killed by Aegon II for killing Jaehaerys instead. Cheese is hanged with all of the other rat catchers after Blood confesses that one of them was his accomplice.
Erryk and Arryk Cargyll
Arryk (Luke Tittensor) and Erryk Cargyll (Elliot Tittensor) in “House of the Dragon.”
(Theo Whiteman / HBO)
Twin knights who swore allegiances to opposing Targaryens, Arryk is sent to infiltrate Dragonstone undercover, as his brother, and assassinate Rhaenyra. Erryk stops him by killing him in a fight, then immediately kills himself in grief.
Gunthor Darklyn
The lord of House Darklyn, who had sworn fealty to Rhaenyra, refused to bend the knee to Aegon II so he was beheaded by Criston Cole (after insulting him).
Rhaenys Targaryen
Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) riding her dragon Meleys in an episode of “House of the Dragon.”
(Ollie Upton / HBO)
The Queen Who Never Was (but probably should have been), Rhaenys rode her dragon Meleys to battle against an army led by Criston Cole at Rook’s Rest. She fell to her death after Meleys was mortally wounded in a fight against Aemond and his giant dragon Vhagar in that battle.
Steffon Darklyn
Ser Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan) in “House of the Dragon.”
(Ollie Upton / HBO)
The commander of Rhaenyra’s Queensguard tried to become Seasmoke’s new dragonrider after it was discovered he had (distant) Targaryen ancestry. However, he was burned alive by the dragon he was trying to tame.
Grover Tully
The old, bedridden Lord of Riverrun, who is only mentioned and never seen. He dies of his illness and is succeeded by his grandson, Oscar.
Willem Blackwood
A lord in the Riverlands who had helped Daemon on his quest to gain the allegiance of the Riverlords (and an army). He was executed by Daemon, who was forced to show he condemned the atrocities Blackwood committed in his name.
Other deaths
Various other members of House Blackwood and House Bracken, the feuding, neighboring houses in the Riverlands, that had declared for opposing Targaryen factions and kept warring and dying.
Numerous lowborn Targaryen bastards burned and/or eaten alive by Vermithor during Rhaenyra’s quest to find new dragonriders outside of the officially recognized branches of her family tree.