Will Aemond Targaryen die in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3? Ewan Mitchell teases what’s ahead
Season 3 of 'House of the Dragon' is about to push the Targaryen civil war into a much bloodier phase, but one question around Aemond Targaryen is getting louder. Ewan Mitchell, who plays the one-eyed prince in the HBO drama, has now addressed whether he knows when Aemond will die on screen. His answer keeps the door open for plenty of uncertainty. The timing matters, as George RR Martin's 'Fire & Blood' already reveals Aemond's fate, while the show has not confirmed whether it will adapt it. So, will Aemond die in 'House of the Dragon' Season 3? The clearest answer is that Aemond does die in 'Fire & Blood', but HBO has not confirmed if it will happen in Season 3. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Mitchell said he is "not too sure what the timeline looks like" when asked about Aemond's death. That means Season 3 can move him closer to his book fate without necessarily ending his story right away.
In Martin's book, Aemond's death comes during one of the most famous moments in the 'Dance of the Dragons'. The prince eventually faces Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) above the Gods Eye, with Aemond riding Vhagar and Daemon riding Caraxes. Their fight ends with both dragons crashing into the lake, while Daemon kills Aemond during the battle. The book gives Aemond a clear ending, but 'House of the Dragon' has already shown it may alter the path it takes to major events in the source material. It is where Mitchell's latest comment becomes more interesting. The actor did not say Aemond's death is coming soon, nor did he suggest that the show has already given him a firm end date. Instead, he teased that Season 3 includes "really juicy moments" for the character and there is "going to be a lot of upset." For the unversed, Aemond became one of the central figures in the war after killing Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault) at Storm's End and later taking a more ruthless place within Team Green's power structure.
Season 3 also arrives at a point where the show is finally moving past the long buildup to war. Mitchell told Entertainment Weekly that the new season is an "all-out war" and "a blitz straight out of the gate." Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen, also told the outlet that Season 3 "starts at 60 miles an hour" after two seasons of tension between the rival branches of House Targaryen. That setup makes Aemond's future harder to ignore, especially because the Greens and Blacks are now heading into battles that change the course of the Dance. The uncertainty also comes after Martin publicly criticized some of the show's changes from 'Fire & Blood'. In a since-deleted blog post, the author objected to the way 'House of the Dragon' handled parts of the 'Blood and Cheese' storyline in season 2, including the absence of Maelor Targaryen from the show. Martin also warned about "larger and more toxic butterflies to come" if the series moved ahead with some changes being considered for future seasons. His comments matter here because Aemond's death is one of the book’s major turning points, and any shift around surrounding events could change how the show reaches it.
Showrunner Ryan Condal later responded to Martin's criticism in an Entertainment Weekly interview. Condal said he had made "every effort to include George in the adaptation process", but added that the author became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues involved in making the show. "I just have to keep marching forward for the sake of the crew, the cast, and for HBO, because that's my job… I can only hope that George and I can rediscover that harmony someday," he said. As for Season 3, Aemond appears positioned for more damage before any final reckoning. He has Vhagar, he has political power, and he has already shown how far he is willing to go when threatened or humiliated. If the show follows the book, his story is moving toward Daemon and the Gods Eye, but Mitchell's answer suggests fans should not assume the timing yet. Fans can tune in when the new season premieres on June 21 to see what lies ahead for the Targaryen prince and whether the series begins steering him toward his eventual fate.
