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TL;DR:

  • House of the Dragon Episode 8 features a fight for Corlys Velaryon’s throne.
  • George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood sheds light on the character’s fate.
  • We probably haven’t seen the last of Steve Toussaint’s character in House of the Dragon.
Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon in 'House of the Dragon.' He's wearing a long coat and standing in front of the sea.
Steve Toussaint in ‘House of the Dragon’ | Ollie Upton/HBO

House of the Dragon Episode 8 features more drama within King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) court, this time over the Driftwood Throne. The conflict emerges after Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) receives a grievous injury, one that leaves his life hanging in the balance. We never get an answer about whether Corlys will live, but fans can look to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood for answers. So, based on the books, will Corlys Velaryon die in House of the Dragon?

[Warning: Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Episode 8 and Fire & Blood.]

‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 8 features a fight for Corlys Velaryon’s throne

House of the Dragon Episode 8, aptly dubbed “The Lord of the Tides,” sees a fight over Corlys Velaryon’s throne — and it happens because House Velaryon’s patriarch is seriously wounded.

Fans don’t actually see what happens to Corlys, but they witness the wrath of his brother, Vaemond (Wil Johnson). Vaemond attempts to stake his claim to the Driftmark Throne, questioning the legitimacy of Princess Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) children with Laenor (John Macmillan). King Viserys stands by his family, but that doesn’t mean Luke (Elliot Grihault) will immediately become the Lord of Driftmark.

In fact, by the end of House of the Dragon Episode 8, there’s no word on whether or not Corlys Velaryon will die. For all viewers know, he could recover from his injuries and return home.

So, does the Sea Snake die in George R.R. Martin’s books?

Does Corlys Velaryon die in George R.R. Martin’s books?

Although the dispute over the Driftmark Throne further divides the members of King Viserys Targaryen’s court, Corlys Velaryon won’t actually die in House of the Dragon Season 1 — at least, not if the HBO show sticks to George R.R. Martin’s source material.

Of course, Corlys’ injury from fighting at the Stepstones doesn’t appear in Fire & Blood at all. That may be an indication that the Game of Thrones prequel isn’t sticking to the script. But it is similar to another part of the character’s journey: an illness that temporarily afflicts Corlys.

Corlys doesn’t succumb to that illness, though, and he goes on to play a prominent role in the Dance of the Dragons. It’s big enough that we’d be surprised if the HBO prequel decided to kill him off early. And with that in mind, we probably haven’t seen the last of Steve Toussaint’s character in House of the Dragon.

We probably haven’t seen the last of Steve Toussaint’s character in ‘House of the Dragon’

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Unless House of the Dragon takes a major step away from Fire & Blood — which it has already done with Laenor Velaryon — we’ll probably see Steve Toussaint Corlys again soon.

That means Luke won’t have to worry about his succession being challenged. Of course, Rhaenyra’s family will have much more to contend with once the Hightowers attempt to usurp the throne.

Needless to say, we’re in for more drama no matter what happens to Corlys. But with Toussaint giving such a compelling performance, we want to see him involved in the coming civil war. Fingers crossed the show keeps him around.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air every Sunday on HBO.

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Amanda Mullen

Writer - Streaming

I’m an entertainment writer who can usually be found by the coffee pot, with my nose in a book, or still crying over ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ I’m Team Oxford Comma, and the quickest way to my heart is through Baby Yoda.

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