Why [SPOILER] Wasn't Killed In House Of The Dragon's Season 3 Finale

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There were some major character deaths in the "House of the Dragon" Season 3 finale — which shouldn't comes as a shock considering people die in Westeros all the time. Still, some viewers might have been surprised that Aemond survived his encounter with Aegon, even though the deposed king arrived at Harrenhal seeking revenge after being horrifically burned by his brother last season. Showrunner Ryan Condal said there's a reason why Aegon didn't kill Aemond. "That would be no fun," Condal told reporters at a press conference TVLine attended. He went on to explain how Aegon's plot in Season 3, which forced him to confront his shortcomings while he travelled Westeros as a pauper before being reunited with his dragon, marked an "incredible character evolution."

Meanwhile, Aemond — who tried to kill Aegon during the Battle of Rook's Rest in Season 2 — spent Season 3 paranoid, dealing with the weight of his actions, and hiding out in Harrenhal. "I think if Aegon had shown up and just killed Aemond, it really would not have marked the growth in the character. It's him seeing Aemond's change, and then realizing where he is standing with his dragon, and suddenly there's this incredible wind of legitimacy behind him," Condal said. "He's experienced a messianic return. I think it would ruin and spoil that for him to kill the person that's potentially his greatest and strongest ally."

Of course, there's another reason why Aegon doesn't just kill Aemond when he confronts him at Harrenhal: That's not what happens in "Fire & Blood," the book "House of the Dragon" is based on. While generally faithful to the story's framework, the HBO series has made many changes in the adaptational process. Most of Aegon's plot is a show-only invention. In the book, Aegon disappears from the narrative after he flees King's Landing, and doesn't return until much later in a location that would be a big spoiler to reveal. He certainly never goes to Harrenhal to confront Aemond.

It's only reasonable the show would change the books so that Aegon reunites with Aemond before the war ends. "House of the Dragon" now has a chance to explore the fallout of Aemond's betrayal and the implications of how both have changed. It also makes sense that Aegon wouldn't kill his brother. Doing so would, as Ryan Condal said, waste all the juicy narrative potential of their relationship. Plus, fans who have read the book know that Aemond can't die yet. Without spoiling what's to come in Season 4, Aemond still possesses the largest dragon in all of Westeros, and there are more epic battles to come in the Dance of Dragons ...