Criston Cole knows he’s not coming back, so here’s how he dies in the House of the Dragon books

Criston Cole has spent pretty much all of House of the Dragon season three looking like a man who has accepted he’s probably not making it out alive. And after everything he’s done over the last couple of seasons, I don’t think many people are desperately hoping he survives.

Episode five basically confirms it too. Speaking to Variety, Fabien Frankel explained that Criston has been thinking about “what’s the legacy I’m going to leave behind” and “in what way do I want to go out?” for a while now.

So, if the show sticks fairly close to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, here’s exactly how Criston Cole dies in the books. And it’s nothing like the glorious last stand he seems to be hoping for.

So, how does Criston Cole die?

via HBO

After Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing, the Greens fall into chaos. Criston Cole and Aemond Targaryen split up after disagreeing over what to do next.

While Aemond flies off on Vhagar, Criston is left leading a much smaller army through enemy territory, badly outnumbered and basically marching straight into danger. Fire & Blood also mentions rumours that Alys Rivers may have caused a rift between them, but never confirms it.

Criston’s army is eventually surrounded by some of Rhaenyra’s strongest fighters from the Riverlands and the North. In the book, the attack starts with a surprise ambush by the Myrish sellsword Black Trombo. His men hide among piles of dead bodies before launching their attack.

Then an even bigger force arrives, led by Ser Garibald Gray, Roddy the Ruin and Pate of Longleaf, who had already earned the nickname “Lionslayer” after killing Jason Lannister.

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When one of Criston’s squires asks who the approaching men are, he replies, “Our death.”

Rather than throwing everyone into a hopeless fight, Criston actually tries to save the soldiers still with him. He offers to surrender if his men are allowed to live.

But Ser Garibald Gray refuses. He tells Criston, “I made my promise to the dead. I told them I would build a sept for them out of traitors’ bones. I don’t have near enough bones yet.”

Criston then asks for a trial by combat, hoping to settle things the traditional way. That request is rejected too. For someone who’s spent so much of the series talking about honour, it’s actually pretty brutal that nobody is interested in giving him an honourable ending.

Criston is killed by three arrows

via HBO

Instead of getting the duel he wants, Criston is simply shot down where he stands. Three arrows strike him almost at once, hitting him in the belly, the chest and the neck. The fatal shots are generally credited to Red Robb Rivers, one of House Blackwood’s greatest archers.

After Criston falls, the rest of his army is slaughtered. The battle becomes known as the Butcher’s Ball, with Ser Garibald later saying, “Today was butchery, not battle.”

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