- Jacaerys “Jace” Targaryen was the eldest son and heir of Rhaenyra Targaryen in the “House of the Dragon.”
- In season two, Jace is eager to join the civil war despite his mother’s objections.
- Here’s how Jace died in George R.R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood” and how he might die in the series.
Warning: Major spoilers for “House of the Dragon” season 2 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 George R.R. Martin’s books on which it is based.
After the success of “Game of Thrones,” HBO has turned Martin’s prequel novels “Fire and Blood” into another Emmy-winning hit series.
In season two, the Blacks, led by Rhaenyra, and the Greens, led by Aegon II, battled for the Iron Throne. Fans eagerly tuned in every Sunday to see if their favorite characters would be the next to be killed in the civil war.
So far, the war has claimed the lives of two children from both sides and Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best). Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) is also 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 war.
In the fourth episode, fearing death in the war, Rhaenyra passes on the prophecy of “The Song of Ice and Fire” to her heir and son, Jace (Henry Collett).
Despite knowing how important it is for his family’s bloodline to survive, Jace is still eager to fight in the war. In episode five, he acts recklessly, leaving Dragonstone castle to seek other allies without telling his mother.
In the books, Jace was also a brave warrior, which ultimately led to his death. Here’s how Jace died in the prequel novels and why he might be the next character to die in the “House of the Dragon” TV series.
Jacaerys Targaryen and his dragon Vermax were killed in battle against the Triarchy.
In “Fire and Blood,” Jace is killed in the Battle of Gullet, which takes place after the Battle of 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) to safety.
Meanwhile, Otto Hightower, Aegon II’s former advisor, contacts the Triarchy, the force defeated by Deamon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) in season one. Otto persuades the Triarchy to join the Greens in attacking Corlys again.
Instead, the Triarchy ambushed Aegon and Viserys on a ship bound for Pentos. Young Aegon escaped on his dragon, Stormcloud, and told his family what had happened, but Viserys only had a Dragon egg, so he was captured.
Jace sets out to fight the Triarchy on his dragon, Vermax, along 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 their fleet repel the Triarchy, but Vermax flies too low during the battle and is shot. Jace jumps onto a destroyed ship to escape but is shot by a crossbow.
Since the Battle of Rook’s Rest took place in season two, episode four, and Jace proposed the idea of recruiting more Dragonriders in episode five, the Battle of Gullet could be adapted in this season.
We have three episodes left, and there’s not much source material left to cover between Rook’s Rest and Gullet.
The writers of “House of the Dragon” may have changed the circumstances of Jace’s death. Jace’s siblings have been safely escorted to Pentos with his half-sister Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell), but the Triarchy are still able to attack the Blacks in other ways, leading to Jace’s death.
The next episode of “House of the Dragon,” which airs Sunday on HBO, will likely show whether Jace will be the next victim to be killed.
