House of the Dragon’s premiere subtly hints that a key character could be killed off soon

House of the Dragon finally premiered today amid much fanfare, although some of the hype undoubtedly died off when the episode leaked ahead of time. Nonetheless, the House of the Dragon pilot does an excellent job of setting up the stage for a Kafkaesque drama that Game of Thrones fans are used to. In a behind-the-scene segment, the showrunner and cast took a few moments to talk about their characters and the general direction the show will take in the future.

Paddy Considine, the actor portraying Viserys Targaryen in House of the Dragon, talks about the intricacies of the character. Throughout the episode, there are subtle hints that Viserys lacks the “Targaryen fire” that allowed the family to rule for so long. He wants to keep his father’s (Jaehaerys Targaryen) legacy alive and will do whatever it takes to avoid conflict.

Furthermore, we see Viserys in an unsettling situation when he has to watch his wife die brutally for nothing. This will likely affect his decision-making in future episodes. It could force him to depart from the pacifist persona he’s been keeping up so far. The following part is pure speculation, but it sits in line with some television tropes we’ve seen throughout the years.

In an easy-to-miss scene in the House of the Dragon premiere, we see Viserys cutting his fingers on the Iron Throne. Earlier in the episode, he also suffers a similar cut which results in a festering wound. Viserys’ cut is likely to go septic at some point and eventually kill him. That will create a power vacuum that will set the stage for the entire season. As we know it, his death is what starts the Dance of the Dragons. It lines up with the teases we’ve seen so far. However, it’s possible we see Viserys die towards the end of the season rather than in Episode four. As we know, there will be a time jump that shows Rhaenyra and Alicent grown up, which would mean that Viserys’ death is not that close.

We will see Rhaenyra, much like her father, take up a role she isn’t ready for. The previously-teased “complex relationship” between Rhaenyra and Daemon could come into play here. We see Daemon to be a bit of a loose cannon. However, he could possibly help his niece navigate the murky waters of rulership. Or try to do a power grab. What do you think?

Also read: House of the Dragon premiere didn’t have a title sequence, but it’s coming next week