How exactly did Sunfyre survive? House of the Dragon director answers huge book mystery

*Warning: Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon season three episode seven and Fire & Blood*

As we suspected, Sunfyre isn’t dead! He makes his triumphant, fiery return at the end of the latest House of the Dragon episode, just in the nick of time to save Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) from death. 

A few weeks prior, while on the road, Aegon and Larys (Matthew Needham) encountered the dragon’s remains in the forest following the Battle of Rook’s Rest, which supposedly left Sunfyre dead. 

However, when Aegon held his boy, he announced, “He’s alive.” Larys assumed he was simply consumed with grief, but anyone who’d read George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood knew that chances are the golden beast survived. 

At the end of House of the Dragon season three episode seven, Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) men find Aegon and Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) and demand they bend the knee, but the former king refuses, choosing to die as a Targaryen king would with honour. 

The two are far outnumbered, but just as it seems he’s about to meet his bloody end, an injured Sunfyre turns up and burns the opponents to a crisp. 

His recovery is a change from the books – in Fire & Blood, he’s never presumed dead. Instead Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) leaves the dragon where he fell and stations men to guard and feed him while he recovers. 

So how exactly did Sunfyre survive all those months, and why did he return at that exact moment? The answer lies partly in Fire & Blood and partly in a brand-new interview with the episode’s director. 

How did Sunfyre survive?

The leading theory is that Sunfyre has been in the dragon equivalent of a coma since being injured at the Battle of Rook’s Rest, remaining dormant until he’d healed from his wounds.

This was more or less confirmed by House of the Dragon director Nina Lopez-Corrado, who told Entertainment Weekly, “I think he [Aegon] truly did believe that Sunfyre was dead, and I think Sunfyre was very close to being dead.

“During the time period in which he was laying there, he did rejuvenate so that he was able to come back.”

As said, this is a departure from the books, as Sunfyre never lays dormant to recover. He’s fed by Criston’s men and helped along until he’s ready to be back, although he never fully gets back to his former strength due to his extensive injuries, including a tear in his wing. 

But while Fire & Blood explains how Sunfyre recovered, George R.R. Martin deliberately leaves one much bigger question unanswered: what brought him back to Aegon?

House of the Dragon director solves a huge Sunfyre mystery

As Martin wrote, “Aegon might have remained, hidden yet harmless, dulling his pain with wine and hiding his burn scars beneath a heavy cloak, had Sunfyre not made his way to Dragonstone. 

“We may ask what drew him back to the Dragonmont, for many have. Was the wounded dragon, with his half-healed broken wing, driven by some primal instinct to return to his birthplace, the smoking mountain where he had emerged from his egg? 

“Or did he somehow sense the presence of King Aegon on the island, across long leagues and stormy seas, and fly there to rejoin his rider? 

“Septon Eustace goes so far as to suggest that Sunfyre sensed Aegon’s desperate need. But who can presume to know the heart of a dragon?”

But since Sunfyre’s story plays out differently in House of the Dragon, we now know that Aegon’s visit and presence is a huge reason for him coming out of his dormant state. 

This was confirmed by Lopez-Carrado, who said, “I think it 100 percent has to do with the Targaryen line and the connection they have with the dragons. It was a huge, huge reason in the return of Sunfyre.”

“I think a part of his healing process truly had to do with the fact that when Aegon was there, he was gonna die,” she added. “So I think it helped him rejuvenate enough strength to come back and save him.”

In other words, if Aegon had never come across his golden beast, he may never have come back to life. 

Now, before we go any further, just be aware that we’re about to enter major spoiler territory for the books – so look away if you don’t want any big reveals about Fire & Blood.

What happens to Sunfyre in the end?

Sunfyre’s miraculous survival is one of the most important turning points in the entire Dance of the Dragons. Had he died from his injuries at Rook’s Rest, the ending of Fire & Blood would’ve looked completely different. 

Although his wing heals badly and he’s left unable to soar like he once could, Sunfyre is still capable of hunting after returning to Aegon. Eventually, Rhaenyra arrives on Dragonstone believing it remains loyal to her, only to discover Aegon has secretly reclaimed the island. 

She’s captured and brought before her half-brother, who orders Sunfyre to execute her. The dragon ultimately kills Rhaenyra in one of the most shocking moments of the whole civil war.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because Game of Thrones spoiled the twist years ago. In season three episode four of the HBO show, Joffrey takes Lady Margaery on a tour of the Great Sept of Baelor, including the Targaryen tombs.

He points at one and excitedly says, “Rhaenyra Targaryen was murdered by her brother, or rather his dragon. It ate her while her son watched. What’s left of her is buried in the crypts right down there.”

Sadly, Sunfyre eventually succumbs to his wounds, but not before killing the Targaryen queen. Given so much has been changed in House of the Dragon, there’s all the chance this twist may play out differently, but for now, Aegon is once again a major threat for the Blacks. 

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Featured image credit: HBO