The following story contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 1, “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood.”
IN A WAY, no one in House of the Dragon walked around with a bigger chip on their shoulder than Jacaerys Velaryon. As the first-born son of Rhaenyra Targaryen (herself the true heir to the Iron Throne) and Laenor Velaryon (a son of royalty himself), under normal circumstances, Jacaerys — known informally as Jace — would’ve had a pretty cushy life. But as a Velaryon (and, more importantly, a Targaryen) with dark hair, his legitimacy was questioned his entire life. And, really, everyone seemed to more or less know the truth: His father wasn’t really Laenor Velaryon, he was born out of wedlock, and his real father was Ser Lyonel Strong.
As a result, Jace was always walking around with something to prove. And, even accepting the truth — he’s a smart character and understands reality — it doesn’t make the Targaryen part of his lineage any less real. He was riding a dragon after all. What he and Vermax accomplished over the course of the show was legitimate.
But that’s what made Jace’s arc into what it is. He wasn’t content being complacent; beneath everything else, he wanted to stand up for himself, his lineage, and what rightfully belonged to his mother, and, presumably, eventually him. Actor Harry Collett did a very good job with this aspect of the character, balancing Jace’s love for his mother, strategic skill, and intelligence with an unrelenting desire to prove to everyone that he knows what he’s doing, and deserves to be there.
And, ultimately, in House of the Dragon’s season 3 premiere, “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood,” this led to his demise. When Jace planned to join the Battle of the Gullet atop his dragon Vermax, Rhaenyra, too, wanted to join. But Jace, out of a sense of protectiveness for his mother, overconfidence in his own ability, and stubbornness in his own belief, had her locked up, unable to join the battle atop her dragon, Syrax.
This wound up being Jace’s undoing. While Jace and Baela were able to do some pretty good dragonriding work against the Triarchy’s fleet during the Battle of the Gullet, Rhaena arrived atop the massive dragon Sheepstealer — and did not have full control. Sheepstealer erratically flew through the sky, forcing Jace and Vermax off course; eventually, Vermax was shot down, drowning into the sea. While Jace was able to recover and get to the surface, he wasn’t able to avoid the many arrows shot at him by his enemies, and the story of Jace comes to a tragic end.
The true tragedy of this, however, is that Jace indirectly put himself in this position. If Rhaenyra had been there with Syrax, there would have been significantly more protection, and, vitally, a bigger dragon. Rhaenyra could have saved her son, but her son put her in a position where that was never even a possibility.
Not only does this result in extreme House of the Dragon tragedy — even more so for Rhaenyra, as the hits really just keep coming for her throughout the course of this series — but it muddles the line of succession to the Iron Throne as well. Rhaenyra’s only remaining child is young Joffrey.
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Did Jace Really Die in House of the Dragon Season 3?
Jace really does die in House of the Dragon season 3, meeting his end in the season’s premiere episode, “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood.” As a result of Sheepstealer’s erratic behavior and flight through the skies — and Rhaena’s inability to control the wild dragon — Jace and his dragon Vermax are flown off course and close to the ground, where Vermax is shot down by the Triarchy’s fleet.
Jace survives the crash initially, rising to the water’s surface, but can’t avoid the many arrows shot at him in the aftermath. Jace is gone.
How Does Jace’s Death Play Out in the Fire & Blood Book?
Jace’s death in Fire & Blood is more or less the same as in House of the Dragon season 3. He’s killed at the Battle of the Gullet, by a sea of arrows, after Vermax is shot out of the sky.
There is one notable difference, however: in the book, Rhaena is not aboard Sheepstealer at the battle, meaning the show added her chaotic dragonriding as the direct catalyst for Jace and Vermax being knocked off course. This change places the tragedy more squarely on the consequences of Jace’s own decision to exclude Rhaenyra — making his death feel all the more self-inflicted and devastating.
