House of the Dragon: Who is Responsible for Luke's Death?
Rhaenyra’s son died doing her errand and fans are not sure who to blame.
George R.R. Martin is widely infamous for his love for suddenly killing off his characters, however loved or hated they may be. People dropping dead in almost every chapter in his books made fans immune to the violence, completely immersing them in the harsh and unforgiving world of Westeros.
But even though fans anticipate that any character can die in a matter of seconds, some deaths still have a strong impact on viewers, and the death of Lucerys Velaryon in House of the Dragon season 1 is a perfect example of this.
After two branches of House Targaryen began their struggle for the Iron Throne (the Blacks supported Rhaenyra's claims and the Greens wanted to crown Aegon), the peace between the silver-haired was no longer an option. Rhaenyra used everything to gain the upper hand over her much more experienced opponents, using her royal blood and dragons to gather as many supporters among the other Houses as possible.
At one point she asked her son Luke to travel to Borros Baratheon, trying to win him over, as a visit from the prince and future heir to the throne would be a pleasant surprise for the powerful lord.
Luke travels to the Baratheon stronghold through rain and thunder on his young dragon Arrax. Upon reaching their destination, Luke and Arrax are shocked to see the ancient dragon Vhagar resting near the castle, which means that Aemond is already negotiating with the lord. Despite realizing that an encounter with the enemy could lead to a fight, Luke still heads inside to meet Borros.
Of course, Luke fails the mission and sets off on Arrax, only to be suddenly ambushed by Vhagar, who kills both Arrax and his rider in one bite, leaving Rhaenyra without his son. But who is to blame for the young prince's death?
Discussing the controversial question on Reddit, fans agreed that Aemond was definitely responsible for his relative's death as he failed to control his dragon. However, some believe that Rhaenyra is also to blame for her son's death, as she chose to send him alone to negotiate for her throne. If she had chosen to send a raven in his place, none of this could have happened. But in her eagerness to impress an important lord, she forgot that Luke might be hurt.