WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale and George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based!
Summary
The reveal of Helaena Targaryen’s prophecies about her brothers inHouse of the Dragon’s season 2 finale make her tragic upcoming death even more devastating. Like inGame of Thrones, it’s to be expected that the majority ofHouse of the Dragon’s characterswill die by the end of the Dance of the Dragons. Several important characters have already perished, with two major Targaryens already having their deaths directly predicted to them duringHouse of the Dragonseason 2: Daemon (by Alys Rivers) and Aemond (by Helaena). However,Helaena’s prophecy omits her own tragic fate, arriving shortly after Aemond’s.
WithHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s endingsuggesting that Helaena is connected to the Three-Eyed Raven, the story of Alicent and Viserys’ daughter becomes more upsetting. Seemingly likeGame of Thrones’ Bran Stark, Helaena is able to quite vividly see present events as they occur, such as Aemond burning Aegon at Rook’s Rest, as well as future events, such as Aemond’s death andAegon sitting on a “wooden throne.” While Helaena doesn’t disclose her own grim fate, thedescription of her death in George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodbook hints she may already know how she dies.
Helaena Targaryen’s Prophecy Hints She’s Already Seen Her Own Death
Helaena Sees Aemond & Aegon’s Futures, So She Likely Sees Her Own
Of the tragedies that plague House Targaryen inHouse of the Dragon,Helaena Targaryen’s deathstands out among the most devastating. Helaena is seen as the most innocent of the major Targaryen players in the Dance of the Dragons, wishing no harm on Teams Green or Black, yet she suffers gravely throughout the majority of the war. As such, it’s extremely brutal that,according toFire & Blood, Helaena dies by suicideless than a year after Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing and the Iron Throne.
If she’s seen Aemond’s death and Aegon reclaiming the Iron Throne in the future, it’s implied that Helaena has also seen her own death.
While the book’s narrators include some rumors that Rhaenyra may have killed Helaena or her followers manipulated Helaena into taking her own life, the histories generally agree that Helaena’s death was by suicide. InFire & Blood,Helaena’s mental health began to significantly decline after Blood and Cheese killed Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen, with the sources claiming that she refused to eat, bathe, and leave her room. Then, just a few days afterHelaena’s warning about Aemond’s deathcomes true and he dies at the Battle Above the Gods Eye, Helaena dies by suicide at the Red Keep.
Is Helaena The Three-Eyed Raven? Her Dreams, Powers & Possible Bran Stark Connection Explained
Helaena Targaryen’s cryptic language in House of the Dragon confirmed her as a dragon dreamer, with her visions even tying into the Three-Eyed Raven.
Helaena supposedly leaps from her bedroom window in Maegor’s Holdfast and is fatally impaled by spikes below, leading to chaos in King’s Landing as the smallfolk soon rebel against Team Black. While Helaena’s death was already extremely tragic in the book, her strong visions inHouse of the Dragonseason 2 make her future even worse. If she’s seen Aemond’s death and Aegon reclaiming the Iron Throne in the future, it’s implied that Helaena has also seen her own death. Therefore,Helaena may see her death as fulfilling her prophecy and role in the greater “story.”
House Of The Dragon Has Already Made Changes To Helaena’s Death In Fire & Blood
House Of The Dragon Cutting Maelor Creates A Big Change From Fire & Blood
The idea that she may have seen her own demise would continue thechangesHouse of the Dragonhas already made to Helaena’s upcoming death.Fire & Bloodindicated that Helaena’s death was influenced by her guilt over the deaths of her sons Jaehaerys and Maelor. However,House of the Dragonhas seemingly cut Maelor, Helaena and Aegon’s youngest child. In the book, Blood and Cheese forced Helaena to choose which of her sons would die, and while she reluctantly chose Maelor, they beheaded Jaehaerys anyway. Helaena was subsequently unable to face Maelor, driving her guilt prior to her death.
I Know Why Maelor Is Missing From House Of The Dragon, And It’s Not Good News
House of the Dragon adapted the infamous Blood and Cheese sequence without Helaena’s other son Maelor Targaryen, and I think I know why.
Without Maelor being in the show, the build-up to Helaena’s death has already been changed from the book. Of course, it’s important to remember when watchingHouse of the Dragonthat, unlike withGame of Thronesand Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firenovels,Fire & Bloodis written from the perspective of typically unreliable narrators. While certain events may appear differently inHouse of the DragonthanFire & Blood, that doesn’t necessarily mean they didn’t happen.House of the Dragonhas a show canon and a book canon, and Helaena’s death is one major instance in which they depart.
House of the Dragon’s showrunner and writers have yet to confirm whether Helaena’s son Maelor is being cut entirely from the show’s future.
Helaena’s Stronger Visions Give A New Meaning To Her House Of The Dragon Death
Helaena’s Visions May Be A Key Reason For Her Death In House Of The Dragon
Still, it seems thatHouse of the Dragonseason 3will generally maintain a key part of the lead-up to Helaena’s death, regardless of Maelor’s inclusion.Fire & Blood’s narrators reveal that Helaena is “broken” and “mad” at the end of her life, even being found locked inside of her bedchambers when Team Black takes King’s Landing. While Helaena’s increasing mental health struggles were largely seen as being connected to Jaehaerys and Maelor’s deaths in the book,House of the Dragonhints her struggles may actually be related to her visions.
WhenAlicent refuses to let Helaena fly on Dreamfyrewith Aemond, she defends her choice by stating, “Who will she be if her mind is broken?” This linesuggests thatHouse of the Dragonwill depict Helaena as becoming more “broken,” confused, and cryptic as season 3 progresses, but due to the intensity and weight of her visions rather than guilt over her sons’ deaths. Regardless, Helaena’s death inHouse of the Dragonwill be among the show’s most agonizing moments, giving her one of the saddest fates in the franchise.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
