‘House of the Dragons’ Season 2 Finale: 6 Characters Who May Survive Dance of the Dragons
Contains spoilers and predictions for ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2
Los Angeles, California: In ‘House of the Dragon’, the dance of dragons wreaks havoc in Westeros, leaving House Targaryen on the brink of extinction.
This cataclysmic conflict, driven by numerous characters, ultimately sees only a few instigators survive. Sadly, most of them died at or after the end of the war.
The aftermath of the Dance of the Dragons was brutal, claiming the lives of many major participants. Even those who were not responsible for fighting but were drawn by family ties or duty rarely escaped unscathed.
The conflict has seen many houses choose sides between Rhaenyna Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Kearney), who lead the Black and Green factions into battle.
Finding six notable survivors of this brutal conflict is challenging. Those who lived through it were deeply scarred, and some still suffer horrific consequences due to circumstances beyond their control.
Still, there is a glimmer of hope from these survivors. They paved the way for a fragile peace, slowly rebuilding Westeros after one of its bloodiest wars.
Here are 6 survivors of Dance of the Dragons, forever changed by the experience.
1) Elicent Hightower
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower in a still from ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo)
Alicent Hightower, a key player in starting Dance of the Dragons, miraculously survives the war. However, he left with deep regret and loss. The war took everything from him: his father, brother, children and all but one grandson.
In the end, Alicent wonders if his pursuit of power was worth the cost. Unlike the scheming stepmother in ‘Fire and Blood’, Alicent’s version in ‘House of the Dragon’ is portrayed with more complexity.
He became a victim of circumstance, eventually withdrawing from politics due to his role in a plot to usurp the throne. Although avoiding the death penalty or arrest, Alicent is haunted by his past decisions.
Traumatized, Alicent isolates herself, grieving for her lost loved ones. She spends her days lamenting her choice and longing to be reunited with her children.
His pain lasted until his death a year later, which came as the plague swept through King’s Landing.
2) Corliss Velarion
Steve Toussaint from ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo).
Corlys Velarion miraculously survived the Dance of the Dragons. By the end of the war, he stands as Rhynera’s most powerful ally.
Corlys may have played a role in Aegon II’s poisoning, although this is not yet certain. He was spared trial and execution by order of Aegon III.
Corliss later became a ruler, ruling the kingdom until Aegon III came of age. With his extensive experience in small councils, Corliss proved to be a most effective regent.
However, as an old man who had lived a long and eventful life, Corliss died of natural causes a year after joining the Regency Council.
Corliss has achieved a rare feat in the ‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ universes: dying of natural causes rather than violence. She lives a full life, a testament to her strength and resilience.
3) Baela Targaryen
Bethany Antonia in a still from ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo).
Baella Targaryen, daughter of Daemon’s most fearsome, proves her bravery by defeating Aegon II’s dragon, Sunfire, with her dragon, Moondancer. Although she defeats the Moondancer and is imprisoned, Baela’s spirit remains intact.
After Aegon II’s death, Baela and her sister Rhaena convinced their half-brother King Aegon III to release their grandfather Corlys Velarion from custody.
As the last Targaryens, Bella and her siblings become prominent figures at court, helping to fill the void left by Aegon’s trauma.
Bella becomes a court darling, famous for her rebellious nature. Despite the disapproval of the Regency Council, she defies convention by associating with inappropriate company and later Aline Velarion, becoming the Lady of Driftmark.
4) Rhaena Targaryen
Phoebe Campbell in stills from ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo).
After Dance of the Dragons, Rhena emerged as a beneficiary. Despite the loss of family members, he finds support in his sister Bella and his brother Aegon III.
More importantly, he provides a symbol of hope for the people of Westeros with a newly hatched dragon named Morning.
Rahena and Morning become inseparable, charming the people of King’s Landing. She later married Corwin Corbrey of Vail, whom she met while there.
Rhena also plays an important role in protecting her brother Aegon III from the Regents’ schemes, particularly Hand Unwin Peak.
Years later, Rhena becomes the only dragon rider in the world, aside from the lost Nettles, when she rides the Morning for the first time.
Since the ‘House of the Dragon’ show is combining Rainer and Nettles’ stories, Rehana will likely remain the only Dragon Rider.
5) Alice River
A still in Gail Rankin from ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo).
Alice Rivers’ motivations remain shrouded in mystery. In ‘House of the Dragon’, she helps Daemon deal with his demons, but historical records reveal that she had an affair with Amond Targaryen and guided him with his visions.
Alice sees Aemond and Daemon die in a great battle. She then approaches Harrenhal, insisting that she is pregnant with Emond’s child, who she believes should be the next king. However, it is uncertain whether his claim is true.
She later seized control of Harrenhal, ruling as ‘witch queen’ with a bandit army. King Aegon III’s governors plan to exterminate him, but their efforts are thwarted by a plague. What happens next for Alice remains unknown.
6) Alyn Velarion
Abubakar Salim in a still from ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo).
Alyn survived the Battle of Velarion and became Corlys’s heir. During the conflict the Raheni formally recognized him as the true Velarion, and the new leaders supported this recognition.
Allyn distinguished herself as a skilled sailor, following in her family’s tradition, although she never rode a dragon. But the peace was short-lived for Allyn. Corliss died just a year after becoming regent, making Allyn the new ruler of Driftmark.
Alyn then marries Bella Targaryen to save her from a forced marriage. He gained fame as both a sailor and warrior, earning the nickname ‘Ockenfist’.
His greatest achievement was finding the missing Prince Viserys Targaryen and reuniting him with his brother King Aegon III. This important work helped secure the Targaryen family’s rule over Westeros for nearly two centuries.
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Trailer
The ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2 finale will air on Sunday, August 4.