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Warning: Major spoilers for the season two finale of "House of the Dragon" and the book "Fire and Blood."
Aemond Targaryen had a rough — or excellent, depending on how you look at it — start on "House of the Dragon" season two.
Fresh off accidentally killing his nephew Lucerys Velaryon on dragonback, Aemond was one of the most powerful assets on the Green side of the impending war. While he's a skilled fighter in his own right, that's mostly due to the fact that he's bonded to Vhagar, the largest of the active dragons.
He's had a pretty good season: In the premiere, he escaped assassination because Daemon's contract killers, Blood and Cheese, were completely inept and murdered Aegon's son Jaehaerys instead. And after torching Aegon on the battlefield, he's been ruling in his brother's stead as Prince Regent.
But Aemond, like all of us, will eventually die. While there's always the chance that "House of the Dragon" will make changes from its source material, here's what happens to him in the book "Fire and Blood."
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Season two finally gave us a good, old-fashioned dragon battle at Rook's Rest. In episode four, Vhagar, Meleys, and Sunfyre clash in the sky, leaving Meleys (and her rider, Rhaenys) dead, and Aegon and Sunfyre grievously injured.
Aegon wasn't supposed to be there, though — Rook's Rest was a joint plan from Aemond and Ser Criston Cole to attack one of Rhaenyra's dragons with Vhagar. When Sunfyre and Aegon show up to the battle, Aemond takes them as collateral, and sets his brother on fire.
In the wake of the battle, Aegon is unfit to rule. Aemond takes over for him as Prince Regent, and immediately sets about executing his own plans. He closes King's Landing, tells his mother with the barest hint of politeness that he no longer requires her insight on his small council, and sets about commanding his allied forces in Westeros to advance on Daemon's position at Harrenhal.
But he's quick to anger. Upon learning that Rhaenyra is in command of three dragons after finding them common-born riders, he lashes out and razes the town of Sharp Point in the season finale. And after he tries — and fails — to enlist his sister Helaena to fight on her dragon Dreamfyre, she informs him that he will die before Aegon. (Helaena is a dreamer, meaning that she has frequently correct visions about the future.)
"Aegon will be king again. He's yet to see victory. He sits on a wooden throne, and you… You'll be dead," she tells Aemond. "You were swallowed up in the Gods Eye, and you are never seen again."
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In "Fire and Blood," Aemond takes over for Aegon after he's injured at Rook's Rest — just like in "House of the Dragon" season two. He rules as Prince Regent.
However, he's more concerned with his uncle Daemon than Rhaenyra, his sister.
"The whore on Dragonstone is not the threat," the book quotes Aemond saying. "No more than Rowan and these traitors in the Reach. The danger is my uncle. Once Daemon is dead, all these fools flying our sister's banners will run back to their castles and trouble us no more."
After Daemon takes control of Harrenhal, the seat of House Strong, Aemond resolves to march upon it and kill his uncle. However, Daemon learns of Aemond's plans and flies instead to King's Landing. There, he has a rendezvous with Rhaenyra, and they take the city.
Aemond takes Harrenhal but is furious to learn that he has lost King's Landing. He ends the Strong line, but takes the Strong bastard Alys Rivers as a lover. Aemond decides to strike out on his own in the war, laying siege to the Riverlands in the hopes of baiting Rhaenyra to send a dragon after him.
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Eventually, Daemon and another dragonrider called Nettles (who hasn't been introduced on the show) set out on Caraxes and Sheepstealer to kill Aemond and Vhagar. After a fruitless search, Daemon reclaims Harrenhal, challenging Aemond to face him there. Aemond answers, and the two take to the skies.
Aemond's ultimate fate in the book matches up with Helaena's prophecy in "House of the Dragon." While the dragons grappled and wounded each other, Daemon, per the stories, leaped from his saddle to stab Aemond through his injured eye with his blade, Dark Sister. Both of them plunged into the Gods Eye lake, and Daemon is presumed dead as a result of the impact.
Martin writes in "Fire and Blood" that Aemond's remains, clad in armor, remained chained to Vhagar's carcass at the bottom of the lake.
"House of the Dragon" season two, including the finale, is streaming on Max.
