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The knight referred to as Ser Criston Cole makes his first look in episode two of House of the Dragon, which hints at his fast ascent. Over the course of the episode, he goes from a knight preventing Daemon Targaryen in a tourney to a member of the Kingsguard accompanying the Iron Throne’s forces to Dragonstone.
However, Criston has way more relevance to the time interval of House of the Dragon than these acts. As mentioned in A Song of Ice and Fire and proven in Fire and Blood, Ser Criston Cole was greater than a easy soldier. Aside from his relevance to the Dance of the Dragons as a complete, there’s a lot about him solely identified to ebook readers.
10 Cole Became Lord Commander Of The Kingsguard
A knight of the Kingsguard is already one of the prestigious roles a warrior can maintain in Westeros. They’re a sworn brotherhood of the best swords within the continent and given immense duty and status. However, one function is increased: Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and it is this place Criston got here to occupy.
Due to his immense ability and the respect of many senior Targaryens, Criston was made Lord Commander upon the dying of Harrold Westerling. This gave him the facility and status that allow him alter the continent the best way he did, and it additionally gave him a place on the Small Council.
9 He Was One Of The Biggest Causes Of The Dance Of The Dragons
House of the Dragon is constructing as much as the Dance of the Dragons, which is the legendary civil warfare that not solely cut up House Targaryen however your complete continent of Westeros. Although the battle was constructed up in some ways, with loads of cracks displaying within the Targaryen’s stability, Ser Criston offered the sparks wanted to set it off.
Upon King Viserys I Targaryen’s dying, Criston Cole was one of many staunchest proponents of ignoring King Viserys’ needs for Rhaenyra Targaryen to be Queen. He suggests they crown his son, Aegon, as an alternative, and even places the crown on Aegon’s head himself. As a end result, Criston Cole kickstarted the warfare in a really private method.
8 Rhaenyra And Criston Had A Life-Changing Feud
Criston Cole initially served as Princess Rhaenyra’s sworn protect, aka her loyal protector. The two shared an immensely shut companionship, which is one thing House of the Dragon reveals the beginnings of throughout Cole’s duel with Daemon Targaryen. However, it did not final.
Before Rhaenyra’s wedding ceremony, the 2 had some form of falling out. Despite the massive age hole between them, all accounts recommend that considered one of them confessed their love and the opposite was appalled. Whether disgusted or offended, Criston defected to the opposite faction in House Targaryen and have become considered one of Rhaenyra’s greatest obstacles to the Iron Throne.
7 He Became Known As The Best And Worst Of The Kingsguard
Although the Kingsguard are supposed to be the noblest and most expert knights in all of Westeros, they’ve had some members who introduced disgrace to them of their 300 years. Criston Cole was undoubtedly considered one of these and went down in infamy as ‘the Kingmaker’ for his actions within the Dance of the Dragons.
However, Cole’s popularity was disputed resulting from his loyalty to Aegon and his plain ability. In A Feast for Crows, Jaime Lannister mentioned his legacy with Loras Tyrell, and comparisons have been drawn between Jaime’s personal infamy and Cole’s. Nonetheless, Cole wasn’t totally condemned as a villain. He was famous as one of many Kingsguard’s most interesting knights in addition to its worst.
6 He Started From A Very Low Social Position
In each House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, Westeros is proven as an immensely regressive nation. There is nearly no development for individuals of a decrease social class. However, Criston Cole proved a uncommon exception to this reality. Although he wasn’t a peasant, Cole occupied a low social rank as a toddler. He was merely the son of a citadel steward.
However, he grew to become a soldier after which a knight, which already represented a big enhance in his status. From there, he was in a position to climb the ranks of the Kingsguard and go even increased. Despite his many flaws, Cole managed to go from a really low station in society to one of many highest doable.
5 He Attended Rhaenyra Targaryen’s Wedding
Despite the animosity between them, Criston Cole attended Rhaenyra’s first wedding ceremony to Laenor Velaryon. More than simply attending, he additionally fought within the seven-day tourney that commemorated the occasion. Hinting at his fractured relationship with Rhaenyra, Cole fought jealously, viciously, and focused.
He broke the ribs of Rhaenyra’s alternative sworn protect, in addition to mortally wounding Laenor Velaryon’s male favourite and doable lover. This angered many – together with Rhaenyra and King Viserys – however served to attract Alicent Hightower’s consideration to Cole, setting the stage for the Dance of the Dragons as soon as extra.
4 Cole Tutored Daemon Targaryen’s Arch-Enemy
Daemon Targaryen wasn’t a person missing in enemies. As a chaotic and impulsive determine, he angered an excellent many individuals, and the earliest episodes of House of the Dragon primarily comply with his actions and their penalties. However, within the Dance of the Dragons, he had one enemy above all others: his nephew, Aemond Targaryen.
Aemond was a highly-accomplished basic, warrior, and dragonrider who aided Aegon’s warfare effort an excellent deal within the Dance of the Dragons. However, he solely grew to become this due to the tutorship of Ser Criston Cole, who personally taught him swordsmanship and different navy abilities.
3 He Became Alicent Hightower’s Sworn Shield
Although the Dance of the Dragons was formally fought between Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother, Aegon, many affiliate the 2 sides with Rhaenyra and her stepmother, Alicent Hightower. One determine on Aegon’s aspect related to Alicent was Criston Cole himself.
Following his dismissal as Rhaenyra’s sworn protect and his vengeful show at Rhaenyra’s wedding ceremony, Alicent took an curiosity in Cole. Already Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, she requested he served as her private protect as effectively. As such, he grew to become much more embedded with Alicent’s supporters and Rhaenyra’s foes.
2 His Positions Included Hand Of The King
The function of Hand of the King is the one highest function in court docket. They’re in a position to act within the King’s stead and are his highest advisor. Many have been the true energy in Westeros, connected to idle or incompetent kings. During the Dance of the Dragons, Criston Cole occupied this prestigious place for Aegon II, performing as his chief advisor within the warfare.
Criston Cole changed Otto Hightower, Alicent’s mom, who dissatisfied Aegon early within the warfare. With his immense affect, he was behind a lot of Aegon’s factions’ unethical actions within the warfare, akin to sending a Kingsguard knight as an murderer to Dragonstone. Criston retained this place till his dying.
1 He Was Denied An Honorable And Heroic Death
Ser Criston Cole did not reside to see the top of the Dance of Dragons. When issues turned towards Aegon’s faction, Rhaenyra seized King’s Landing, and Lannister reinforcements have been annihilated, Cole determined to move south to hyperlink up with different forces. However, his military was harried alongside the best way till a superior drive from the Riverlands and North surrounded them.
Criston tried to barter a retreat, however it was to no avail. When that failed, he as an alternative invited all three of the enemy commanders to duel him directly. However, his enemies refused, explicitly denying him the possibility to die a hero’s dying. Instead, that they had him riddled with arrows earlier than annihilating his military.
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