'House of the Dragon' turned Ulf from a drunk into a dragon rider — here's what happens to him in the book

• "House of the Dragon" season two introduced Ulf, a common man who claims he's a Targaryen bastard.
• By the end of the season, Ulf has proven his claim by bonding with the dragon Silverwing.
• Here's what ultimately happens to Ulf in the book. 

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the "House of the Dragon" season two finale and the book "Fire and Blood."

The second season of "House of the Dragon" introduced several new characters who will play pivotal roles later in the series.

One of them was Ulf, a cheery bar patron introduced in season two, episode three, titled "The Burning Mill." After working the room a bit, Ulf settles down at a table and almost immediately tells a stranger he's a Targaryen descendant.

While it'd be easy to dismiss Ulf's claim as drunken hearsay, it had merit. Later in the season, Rhaenyra invited common Targaryen bastards to Dragonstone to attempt to bond with two unclaimed dragons: Vermithor and Silverwing. Ulf succeeds, and becomes Silverwing's new rider by the time of the "House of the Dragon" season two finale.

Here's what happens to Ulf in the book "Fire and Blood."

Ulf says he's the son of Baelon the Brave and, thereby, a descendant of King Jaehaerys

At the tavern, Ulf meets a Dornish man and remarks that Dorne was one part of Westeros that his house never conquered. When pressed, he plays coy and then lets slip that King Jaehaerys was his grandsire. His father, he says, was Baelon the Brave, making Ulf the illegitimate brother of Daemon Targaryen and King Viserys.

Ulf also refers to Rhaenyra — his niece, if his claims are to be believed — as the "one true queen," a dangerous move in the Aegon II-controlled King's Landing.

"The blood of the dragon runs through these veins, and yes, men would take my head for it," Ulf says. "A Dragonseed must watch his own neck when he has no white-cloaked guardsmen to do it for him."

Ulf eventually shuts up after saying that his "nephew," Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Coincidentally, that's the moment that Aegon II walks in with his entourage — and Ulf is quick to call out an "All hail the King!"

In season two, episode seven, Ulf's friends persuade him to take Rhaenyra's offer to attempt to claim a dragon. He reluctantly travels to Dragonstone, but panics when confronted with a murderous Vermithor. As he stumbles through the Dragonpit, he stumbles upon Silverwing and puts a foot through a clutch of eggs.

Ulf doesn't do anything heroic to claim Silverwing. Rather, Silverwing seems to just think he's funny, and decides to knock him over with her nose rather than kill him. Nevertheless, he becomes her new rider and takes a joyride over King's Landing at the end of episode seven.

In the "House of the Dragon" season two finale, he clashes with Prince Jacaerys, who feels that his claim to the throne may be threatened by the fact that three commoners — Ulf, Hugh, and Addam — have managed to bond with dragons. After acting uncouth at Rhaenyra's dinner table, Ulf eventually suits up to fly Silverwing into battle at the end of the episode.

Ulf becomes a dragon rider in 'Fire and Blood'

In "Fire and Blood," Prince Jacaerys issues a challenge in a bid to make use of the unclaimed dragons during the war, saying that any man able to successfully mount a dragon would be richly rewarded. Some of those men were "seeds" — bastards who had Targaryen blood in their veins.

Ulf successfully bonded with Silverwing, the former mount of Queen Alysanne, the sister and wife of King Jaehaerys. During that time, he was referred to as "Ulf the White" or "Ulf the Sot," referencing his white hair and drinking habit. Eventually, he came to be known as Ulf White.

Ulf fought alongside other dragon riders such as Hugh Hammer in the Battle of the Gullet, a pivotal sea battle during the war. "Fire and Blood," citing the historical record left by the dwarf Mushroom, recounts that both Hugh and Ulf celebrated after the violent battle, with Ulf declaring that they should become lords.

Ulf and Hugh were several times denied entry into nobility. Rhaenyra shut down a potential marriage between Ulf and the daughter of Lord Stokeworth after killing the lord for betraying her. She also denied Daemon's proposal of granting Storm's End, the seat of House Baratheon, to Ulf after the Baratheons sided with Aegon II during the war.

In the book, Ulf dies after betraying Rhaenyra

During the war, Ulf, Hugh, and their dragons, Silverwing and Vermithor, were sent to the town of Tumbleton to defend it from Lord Ormund Hightower, who was advancing toward King's Landing. During the battle, however, the two defected and attacked the town instead.

According to Mushroom's historical account in "Fire and Blood," Ulf descended into hedonism, raping multiple women in Tumbleton each night and constantly drinking. Though Prince Daeron, Alicent and King Viserys' youngest son, had named him the Lord of Bitterbridge, he coveted Highgarden, the seat of House Tyrell. He and Hugh refused to advance on King's Landing until they were rewarded sufficiently, and the lords under Prince Daeron conspired to kill them.

But the fight came to Tumbleton when Addam Velaryon (previously Addam of Hull), another dragon rider, attacked the city on his dragon, Seasmoke. Ulf was drunk and asleep during the battle, during which Hugh, Daeron, and Addam all died. When he awoke, he agreed to march on King's Landing and said he should be instilled on the throne after they conquered it.

Shortly after, Hobert Hightower killed Ulf — and, in the process, himself — through a poisoned cask of wine.

"House of the Dragon" season two, including the finale, is streaming on Max.