Did Aegon die in episode 4 of ‘House of the Dragon?’

The following article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon is clearly in the race for the most heartbreaking show on television. In fact, its only real competitor was probably Game of Thrones, but that’s over now, so the show is practically competing with itself at this point.

In the latest episode, however, we might have said goodbye to not one, but two major characters in the series. The fourth episode of season 2 of House of the Dragon just aired, and aside from proving Aemond and Sir Criston Cole as the most detestable characters on television, we also witnessed the very first actual fight in the Dance of Dragons — between Rhaenys, Aegon, and Aemond. The episode ended with the King Aegon (or usurper, depending on your allegiance) falling from his dragon after being attacked. But is this the last we’ll see of him?

Did Aegon die in House of the Dragon?

Aegon is, unfortunately, still alive in the series. According to the books — which tend to be closely followed when it comes to character deaths — Aegon’s fall did not kill him, but it does leave him severely wounded and burned, with melted steel covering his body. But how did he survive? And how did fire even affect him? I’m sure you have plenty of questions if you haven’t yet dived into the House of the Dragon lore, so allow me to explain.

The Targaryens, contrary to popular belief, are not immune to all kinds of fire. While we’ve seen Daenerys place herself in the middle of fires plenty of times and leave unscathed, that isn’t the case when it comes to dragon fire. Neither the Targaryens nor Valyrian steel are immune to dragon fire, and after being attacked by not one, but two dragons in a row, Aegon definitely did not leave the fight safe and sound.

Then came the fall, and Targaryens are, thankfully, also not immune to falls either. Now, with an already burned body, that fall was definitely not what Aegon was hoping to get when he decided to enter this fight absolutely hammered. Of course, we can’t forget that Aemond also tried to kill his brother not once, but twice during this altercation. However, let’s emphasize the word “tried,” because, despite his best attempts, Aegon is indeed still alive. According to the books, that is.

His claim to the throne will, however, weaken because of this entire fight. While Aegon might not have left this fight as a mortal victim (unlike a certain other character in this episode), he will continue to be a king —the second invalid King in Westeros. This will cause a whole new set of troubles, as only the milk of the poppy will aid him in his healing process, and someone else will be forced to take the throne while the King heals. But I’ll leave you with this bit of information to munch on.