Is Sunfyre Dead In 'House of the Dragon?' His Fate, Explained
House of the Dragon (2022) is giving fans anxiety over the fate of Sunfyre. The dragon of Aegon II was injured way back in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4. Now, in Season 3, Episode 4, Aegon visits Sunfyre’s body. But no matter what anyone tells him, including Larys Strong, Aegon thinks that Sunfyre is alive. He thinks that so much that he begs Sunfyre to wake up and cries over his prone body.
But is Sunfyre actually alive, or is Aegon just grieving and can’t let go? Let’s answer that very question while also examining what possibly could be happening to Sunfyre if he isn’t dead. Also, with how important Sunfyre is to the overall story, let’s break down how this storytelling path on the HBO Max series differs from George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.
Is Sunfyre Dead In 'House Of The Dragon'?
The short answer is we don’t know if Sunfyre is dead on House of the Dragon. The long answer is that the show has been intentionally ambiguous as to the fate of Sunfyre because of this dragon’s importance to the overall story being told.
Unlike other dragons that we’ve seen in the past, Sunfyre isn’t rotting when Aegon and Strong visit his body. His body is just there. His scales are not as golden as usual, but he looks like he’s frozen in time. And the only one who thinks that he’s alive is Aegon due to the unexplainable bond between a rider and their dragon.
What Could Possibly Be Happening With Sunfyre?
Even though we haven’t seen this happen with a dragon before, many believe that Sunfyre is going through brumation. Think of it like hibernation, but not. Brumation is a deep dormancy state that cold-blooded reptiles and amphibians go through. And yes, that includes lizards like the bearded dragon.
Brumation happens during winter for bearded dragons. Their activity drops alongside their heart rate, body temperature, and breathing. So fans are thinking that instead of following what Fire & Blood did, House of the Dragon is changing things up and putting Sunfyre in a brumation kind of state where he can heal from his wounds and then make a dramatic return when Aegon needs him.
Another theory is that House of the Dragon is going to severely depart from the books when it comes to Sunfyre by eventually killing him. Then, Aegon could pick another dragon while he’s grieving Sunfyre. But with the way that Aegon is so sure that Sunfyre is alive, that doesn’t seem likely.
Personally, I believe the show is going to keep pushing this narrative that Sunfyre surviving his injuries is impossible and BOOM, then Sunfyre dramatically reappears just when his rider needs him.
What Happened To Sunfyre In The Books?
Sunfyre’s major injuries happened during the Battle of Rook’s Rest in the book and on the show.
In House of the Dragon, the dragon Meleys brutally slashed him in his chest. Then, Vhagar finished him off by “accidentally” setting his wings on fire in some “friendly” crossfire thanks to the command of Aemond. Both Aegon and Sunfyre plummeted to the ground. But only Aegon II walked away, with everyone but the supposed king thinking the dragon was dead.
In Fire & Blood, Meleys nearly severed one of Sunfyre’s wings with Vhagar then attacking from above to stop the dragon’s death. That led to Sunfyre, Meleys, and Vhagar crashing to the ground. Meleys died. Vhagar was unharmed. And Sunfyre was unable to fly and join Aegon after that. So they left him at Rook’s Rest to heal, feeding him slain soldiers, calves, and sheep.
There did come a point in the book where Walys Mooton, who was loyal to Rhaenyra Targaryen and the Blacks, reconquered Rook’s Rest from Aegon II’s forces. They then went and did something ill-advised by common sense and tried to kill Sunfyre. The golden dragon, of course, killed them all. Since he was healed enough from his previous injury, he flew away and hid from everyone.
