Here is the situation with King Aegon currently in House of the Dragon and if he died or is still alive.
The character, played by Tom Glynn-Carney, became king at the estimated age of 18 (22 in the original book, Fire & Blood) by the end of the show’s first season. He quickly leads in one of Westeros' most tumultuous times in a while—on the brink of all-out civil war within the Targaryen house.
Needless to say, his leadership abilities are lacking, with everyone else around him trying to get their way by pushing and manipulating him.
By Season 2, Episode 4, Aegon has had enough of being told what to do. So, he takes it upon himself to fly out to battle on his dragon against everyone’s advice—a decision that drastically changes the course of his life.
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Aegon's Fate at Rook's Rest in House of the Dragon
In Season 2, Episode 4 of House of the Dragon, Aegon joins the battle of Rook's Rest with his dragon, Sunfyre. This development is unexpected by all his allies and doesn't go smoothly.
It isn't long before he is up against Rhaenys, the Queen that Never Was, and her large dragon, Meleyes. The two go at it and both sides take heavy hits, though neither bests the other.
What injures Aegon is his brother, Aemond, who flies in on Vhagar and burns his brother to the crisp. This final blow sends the king and his dragon plummeting to the ground.
While Aegon miraculously does not die, Sunfyre is not so lucky.
The king is quietly taken back to King's Landing, where he is comatose and on the brink of death, stuck in bed at all hours of the day. The damage to Aegon was intense, with third-degree burns all over his body, shattered bones, and armor melted into his skin.
Episode 6 sees Aegon finally wake up, but he's still on a long recovery journey.
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What's Aegon's Journey in Fire & Blood?
In the original book, Fire & Blood, Aegon suffers similar wounds. He does eventually heal, only to be crippled once again by having his legs broken after bailing from a dragon mid-fight while going against Baela Targaryen.
However, that doesn't stop him from taking more notable actions in the story.
While Aegon recovers in King’s Landing, Rhaenyra overtakes the castle and the throne. Aegon and his children, however, are smuggled out of the city before Team Black can capture them.
This leads him to Dragonstone, where he convinces some Blacks to help throw a coup. When Rhaenyra is forced to flee from King’s Landing, she winds up back at Dragonstone, which, unbeknownst to her, is now ruled by Aegon.
Unsurprisingly, Aegon has Rhaenyra eaten by his dragon, Sunfyre.
Aegon lives a bit longer, cleaning up the mess left by Rhaenyra’s leftover allies.
Ironically enough, while he rules the Iron Throne, at that point, Aegon is so crippled and damaged that he can’t even ascend the stairs to sit on his throne.
The king ends up being poisoned and found dead with blood on his lips in his private chambers. The person who did it is never identified.
What's Next for King Aegon?
If the show follows the original book, Aegon still has plenty to do in House of the Dragon.
Most notably, he’s responsible for Rhaenyra’s death via his dragon, Sunfyre. Interestingly, Sunfyre is dead in the show, so it's unclear how those events might play out.
This could lead to Rhaenyra getting an entirely different fate or being a different dragon’s lunch.
Another notable element of the show is the original narrative thread between Aegon and Aemond. A deadly dynamic has formed between them, with the King-Regeant aiming to take his brother off the board entirely—which he almost did. That rivalry does not exist in the original book.
Aegon is fated to be bedridden for a while. It might not be until Season 3 that he's back to normal. Hopefully, he gets time back in action before being handicapped once again.
House of the Dragon is streaming on Max. New episodes premiere on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.
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