House of the Dragon makes huge change to Ser Criston Cole scene from the book
27 July 2026, 12:35 | Updated: 27 July 2026, 12:41
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6 veered from Fire & Blood in a major way.
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A key Ser Criston Cole scene just happened in House of the Dragon but there were some big changes from the book.
It's no secret that Ser Criston Cole is one of the most despised characters in House of the Dragon. Ever since he first turned on Rhaenyra for refusing to elope and marry him, fans have struggled with his vendetta against the queen. In the time since, he has fought on behalf of House Hightower and even had a romantic relationship with Alicent.
House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6 includes a fan-fave Ser Criston Cole scene from Fire & Blood. However, the series takes liberties with the source material. Find out what happens in the novel and how it was altered below.
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WARNING: HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SPOILERS BELOW
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How does Ser Criston Cole die in the House of the Dragon book?
In House of the Dragon season 3 episode 6, Ser Criston Cole finally meets his demise. At the start of the episode, he is outwitted by Lord Oscar Tully and Lord Roderick Dustin who order a bunch of river-men to play dead to trick him into a false sense of security only to then take Criston and his men by surprise and fight them.
Criston and his men defeat those men. However, they are then surrounded by the Black army in full. Criston asks for them to spare his men and face Oscar and Roderick in one on one combat but, before they can say anything, he is shot to death by fan-fave archer Alysanne Blackwood.
As for the book, it's quite a bit different. Criston challenges three men including Pate of Longleaf and they refuse to engage in combat with him out of contempt. Pate says: “I’ll have no songs about how brave you died, Kingmaker. There’s tens o’ thousands dead on your account.”
Not only that but the men order for Criston to be shot and Alysanne Blackwood has no involvement in his death.
In other words, his death is even more unceremonious in the book.
House of the Dragon also includes a nod to Alicent in the scene that doesn't appear in Fire & Blood. Before Criston is killed, he takes out a handkerchief that Alicent gifted him and we see him die with it hand.
As for Alicent, we are yet to see how she feels about Ser Criston Cole's death.
What do you think? Did you like how the scene was adapted?
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