Diksha Sundriyal
The war within House Targaryen in HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’ gets bloody in the battle of Rook’s Rest when three dragons are pitted against each other by their riders. While two dragons are on the side of the Greens, they still sustain damage that threatens to weaken their position. Entering the fight against Princess Rhaenys and her dragon, Meleys, Aemond, and his dragon, Vhagar, also attack Aegon and his dragon, Sunfyre. Aegon and Sunfyre are the first casualties of the fight, which eventually ends with Meleys and Rhaenys dying. In the next episode, Aegon returns to King’s Landing, where he is treated for his burns. But what happens to Sunfyre? SPOILERS AHEAD
Sunfyre is Recuperating From Its Wounds at Rook’s Rest
Both Aegon and Sunfyre are wounded at the battle of Rook’s Rest. But while Aegon can be carried back home, his dragon is too large to be budged from his place. Sunfyre is first pitted against Meleys, an older and experienced dragon, and immediately sustains some damage. Soon after, it takes the brunt of Vhagar’s dragon fire, and parts are severely burned. A description from ‘Fire and Blood,’ which serves as the source material for the book, reveals that Sunfyre’s one wing was half torn from its body.
Because Sunfyre is unable to fly and too big to be moved from its place, it is allowed to stay back at Rook’s Rest and recuperate. Now that the Greens are in charge of the place, there is no danger to Sunfyre in its vulnerable state. It is fed by the soldiers and rests and waits for its wounds to heal. With Aegon and Sunfyre rendered incapacitated, they will disappear in the background while the others charge into battle. This means that we will not see Sunfyre in action for a while. However, that doesn’t mean its part in the war is done. The way things unfold in the book, Sunfyre is one of the last dragons to fall in the war, and it inflicts significant damage before it bites the dust.
Sunfyre is Yet to Play a Significant Role in House of the Dragon
Considering how things are going at the moment, the tides seem to favor House Green, and they will remain so. For a while. When the unclaimed dragons on Dragonstone are mounted and the forces gather at Harrenhal, things will start to shift in favor of the Blacks, and Rook’s Rest will be one of the first places to be reclaimed. What happens to Sunfyre, then? BOOK SPOILERS AHEAD
In the books, when Rook’s Rest goes back to the Blacks, the new owners of the place find it best to slay Sunfyre. However, in its wounded state, the dragon is fearsome and burns its attackers, never letting anyone near enough to cause a fatal strike. Soon after, Sunfyre takes flight and disappears from Rook’s Rest without anyone’s knowledge. For a while, no one knows where Sunfyre went or what path it took, but eventually, it reappears in Dragonstone, where it reunites with its rider, Aegon, who has tread an unexpected path of its own so far. Their reunion marks the turning of the tide in Aegon’s favor.
While Sunfyre’s wounds from the battle of Rook’s Rest heal, the dragon never quite goes back to its former glory. The next battle takes whatever strength was left within it, but not before Sunfyre kills another dragon. This time, Baela Targaryen’s Moondancer is the one to fall, though the rider itself survives. In the fight, which takes place at Dragonstone, Baela, and Moondancer inflict serious damage on both Sunfyre and Aegon. The wounds go much deeper this time, and the dragon is so damaged that it never flies again. It is left to rest in the outer yard, where food is brought to keep it full. Interestingly, Sunfyre has another, and the most important, kill left in its card.
As experience will teach Rhaenyra, it is easy to win King’s Landing, but keeping it is entirely different. After many losses, Rhaenyra returns to Dragonstone, only to find Aegon there. This is the first time the half-siblings and enemies come face to face since the feast at King’s Landing when their father was still alive. With her own dragon gone, Rhaenyra has no chance of survival. She is burned and eaten by Sunfyre, and that marks the end of the war. As if taking its cue and knowing that its rider has won and is now safe with no other battles needed to be fought, Sunfyre gives up on itself as well. Its wounds weaken as they start to rot; it refuses to do it and eventually dies at Dragonstone, while its rider returns to King’s Landing to claim his place on the throne.
Read More: House of the Dragon: Why is Harrenhal Cursed, Explained
