House of the Dragon Season 3's Game-Changing Death Was 5 Years in the Making

The Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon culminates in the Battle of the Gullet, where Jacaerys Velaryon and his dragon Vermax are brought down by the Triarchy fleet. Soldiers weight Vermax with huge bolts tethered to giant anchors; once the dragon sinks, Jace is left floating and is struck by crossbow bolts, dying in the open water.

Harry Collett, who plays Jace, told CNN News Central, "I think I’m pretty dead. I don’t think there’s any coming back from this." The episode’s depiction of the death follows George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood closely, Collett said, and he learned of the outcome when he was cast.

Collett called acting dead one of the hardest things he has done, especially in water.

season 3, jacaerys velaryon, vermax, triarchy fleet, battle gullet, harry collett, crossbow bolts, fire, blood, open water