House of the Dragon: What Happened to Laenor Velaryon? Fate Explained

Following Season 2 of House of the Dragon drawing to a close, fans are wondering what happened to Laenor Velaryon. With the sophomore season unveiling new developments and twists, the fate of the Driftmark heir seems to be hanging by thread. This has made viewers wonder: is Laenor Velaryon dead?

Here is everything to know about what happened to Laenor Velaryon in House of the Dragon.

Did Laenor Velaryon die in House of the Dragon Season 1?

No, Laenor Velaryon did not die in House of the Dragon Season 1.

In the first season of the show, Laenor Velaryon faked his death to escape to Essos with his lover, Ser Qarl Correy. This deception was part of a scheme to clear the way for Rhaenyra Targaryen to marry Daemon Targaryen.

Yet, what happened to Laenor Velaryon after his arrival at Essos remained unknown. Meanwhile, he faces a different fate in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the source material for the show. In the book, the character is killed in a marketplace.

Does Seasmoke finding a new rider indicate Laenor Velaryon is dead?

Fan theories suggest that Seasmoke’s new bond with Addam might indicate that Laenor Velaryon was killed off-screen.

In House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 6, a critical development raises questions about the fate of Laenor. Following his dramatic departure from Westeros at the end of Season 1, his dragon, Seasmoke, has been depicted as unusually restless. The episode concludes with Seasmoke selecting Addam of Hull as his new rider. This suggests that what happened to Laenor Velaryon is possibly tragic.

Laenor’s absence since his escape has left a potential narrative gap, with no communication from him to Rhaenyra or other characters. Moreover, in Fire & Blood, dragons tends to exhibit strong reactions to their riders’ emotions and fate, even over great distances. Hence, Seasmoke’s erratic behavior and eventual new bond with Addam could imply that Laenor might indeed be dead.

While there is no explicit confirmation of the character’s demise in the show, these dragon-related developments provide a compelling clue. Thus, though what happened to Laenor Velaryon is not directly addressed, fans speculate that it potentially marks the end of the character’s journey in the series.