House Of The Dragon: How Does Ser Criston Cole Die In The Book?

All men must die in George R.R. Martin's works, and fans of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy) are doubtless interested to find out how Ser Criston "Kingmaker" Cole (Fabien Frankel) meets his end on "House of the Dragon." Thanks to the source material, we actually know how this will happen. In Martin's book "Fire and Blood," Ser Criston is unceremoniously killed by archers during a parley with three enemy lords, including Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan). This leads to a battle known as the Butcher's Ball, in which Criston's forces are utterly annihilated. 

"House of the Dragon" fans really hate this character. Ser Criston starts out as an archetypal knight in shining armor who serves Rhaenyra. However, after his romantic advances go awry, he falls out with her and aligns himself with the Greens who oppose her, becoming a brutal force who's liable to change alliances and compromise his morals. Fortunately, the dislike of the character doesn't reflect on the actor, as Frankel noted in an interview with Esquire. 

"I feel like people's opinions about the character, suddenly there was more empathy, if that makes sense," Frankel said. "It wasn't empathy for him; it was empathy for me, like, 'Oh, we don't want this guy to feel like it's his fault.'" In the past, things played out similarly with Jack Gleeson, the actor who portrayed Joffrey Baratheon on "Game of Thrones," though Gleeson has been happy to keep rumors about bad fan interactions alive. 

There are several major battles in "Fire and Blood," but perhaps none that are as one-sided as the Butcher's Ball. Ser Criston Cole's forces are already weakened when they encounter Roderick Dustin, Ser Garibald Grey, and Ser Pate of Longleaf. After being ambushed near the Gods Eye in the Riverlands, Ser Criston calls for a meeting and tries to negotiate safe passage. 

The lords, of course, refuse. At this point Ser Criston pulls a Hail Mary stunt and challenges them to a three-on-one fight, right there and then. However, the lords once again tell him no, since they don't want to give the widely hated Criston any chances to make a heroic last stand. Instead, archers make swift work of Ser Criston, and the lords lead their forces to massacre his green army. 

Recapping his journey before "House of the Dragon" Season 3, Fabien Frankel acknowledged that part of the reason Criston's personal goal posts keep moving is the fact that he's somewhat lost himself. "He's not just a villain," Frankel told ExtraTV. "He's a man who's deeply conflicted and trying to find his place in a world that's falling apart." Losing one's life in an undignified fashion during a situation that's ultimately outside his control — while also suffering one of the most conclusive defeats in the Dance of the Dragons conflict — is definitely a fitting end for such a man.