The 11 saddest deaths in 'House of the Dragon,' ranked

Warning: Major spoilers through the "House of the Dragon" season three premiere. If you're watching a show in the "Game of Thrones" universe, you should know you're signing up for some devastating character deaths. This is especially true for "House of the Dragon," a prequel about the bloody civil war that decimated the Targaryen dynasty.

As Princess Rhaenys Targaryen wisely notes, "There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin, and no war so bloody as a war between dragons." Some deaths felt inevitable. King Viserys suffered a long, leprosy-like illness, and his passing—necessary to kick off the war of succession known as the Dance of the Dragons—came as more of a relief than a shock.

Others were sudden and brutal. Daemon murdered his first wife, Lady Rhea Royce. Ser Harwin Strong and his father, Lord Lyonel Strong, perished offscreen at Harrenhal amid suspicions of foul play. The Cargyll twins, Arryk and Erryk, were forced onto opposing sides and killed one another.

targaryen, rhaenys targaryen, king viserys, daemon, rhea royce, harwin strong, lyonel strong, cargyll twins, arryk, erryk