Here's what will happen to Jacaerys Targaryen on 'House of the Dragon,' if it follows his fate in the book
Theo Whiteman / HBO
- Jacaerys "Jace" Targaryen is Rhaenyra Targaryen's eldest child and heir in "House of the Dragon."
- In season two, Jace is keen to fight in the civil war despite his mother's protests.
- Here's how Jace dies in George R. R. Martin's "Fire and Blood" and might die in the series.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "House of the Dragon" season two and the book "Fire and Blood."
Jacaerys "Jace" Targaryen could be the next major character to die in "House of the Dragon" if season two follows the storyline of the George R. R. Martin book it's based on.
After the success of "Game of Thrones," HBO has turned Martin's prequel novel "Fire and Blood" into another Emmy-winning hit series.
In season two, the Blacks, led by Rhaenyra, and the Greens, led by Aegon II, fight for the Iron Throne. Fans eagerly tune into the series each Sunday to see if their favorite character will be the next person slain in the civil war.
So far, the war has claimed the lives of two children on either side and Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best). Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) was also left in critical condition after the Battle of Rook's Rest in episode four.
If the TV series follows the "Fire and Blood" timeline, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) may soon lose another child to the war.
In episode four, fearing she may die in the war, Rhaenyra passes on "The Song of Ice and Fire" prophecy to her heir and son, Jace (Henry Collett).
Despite knowing the importance of his family line staying alive, Jace is still eager to fight in the war. In episode five, he acts recklessly, leaving Dragonstone castle to find more allies without telling his mother.
In the books, Jace is also a bold warrior, which eventually leads to his death. Here's how Jace dies in the prequel novel and why he might be the next character to die in the "House of the Dragon"TV series.
Jacaerys Targaryen and his dragon Vermax are killed during a battle against the Triarchy.
Ollie Upton / HBO
In "Fire and Blood," Jace dies in the Battle of the Gullet, which comes after the Battle at Rook's Rest.
After losing Meleys and Rhaenys at Rook's Rest, Jace helps recruit new Dragonriders to support the Blacks and sends his younger brothers (Joffrey, Aegon the Younger, and Viserys) away to safety.
Meanwhile, Otto Hightower, the former advisor of Aegon II, reaches out to the Triarchy, the army that Deamon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) defeated in season one. Otto persuades the Triarchy to join the Greens to attack Corlys again.
Instead, the Triarchy ambushes Aegon and Viserys on a ship to Pentos. Aegon the Younger escapes on his dragon, Stormcloud, and tells his family about what happened, but Viserys only has a Dragon's egg, so he is captured.
Jace goes off to fight the Triarchy on his dragon, Vermax, with his four newly recruited Dragonriders: Hugh Hammer on Vermithor, Addam of Hull on Seasmoke, Ulf White on Silverwing, and Nettles on Sheepstealer.
The dragons and the fleet push back the Triarchy, but Vermax flies too low during the battle and is struck down. Jace jumps on a wrecked ship to escape but is struck down by a crossbow.
Since the Battle at Rook's Rest occurred in season two, episode four, and Jace proposed the idea of recruiting more Dragonriders in episode five, the Battle of the Gullet could be adapted this season.
We have three episodes left, and there is not a lot of source material left to cover between Rook's Rest and Gullet.
The "House of the Dragon" writers may have changed the circumstances of Jace's death. Jace's brothers have been safely escorted to Pentos with his step-sister Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell), but the Triarchy could still attack the Blacks another way, leading to Jace's death.
The next episodes of "House of the Dragon," which air on Sundays on HBO, will likely indicate whether Jace is next to be killed.