'House of the Dragon' Star Fabien Frankel on Ser Criston Cole's Fate and the Butcher's Ball

The fifth episode of HBO's 'House of the Dragon' saw Ser Criston Cole, portrayed by Fabien Frankel, lead a successful guerrilla raid against the forces of the Riverlands and the North. The episode concludes with a tease of "The Butcher's Ball," a notorious battle from George R.R. Martin's 'Fire & Blood.'

In Martin's account, the Riverlanders initially employ guerrilla tactics against Cole's diminished forces as they leave Harrenhal to join Ormund Hightower at Tumbleton. However, the television adaptation flips this narrative, with Cole initiating such tactics. This strategic shift prompts young Lord Oscar Tully to suggest a similar approach against Cole's army.

Cole and Ser Gwayne Hightower's troops initially believe they have an advantage over the Riverlanders. However, their cavalry is rendered ineffective by caltrops, a historical tactic used to deter mounted soldiers. Forced to proceed on foot through the challenging terrain of the Riverlands, Cole's men are slowed, allowing their adversaries to gain ground and impacting troop morale.

When Ser Criston and Ser Gwayne realize Rhaenyra's army has already crossed the river and destroyed the bridge, their objective to delay the enemy's progress to Tumbleton becomes impossible. At this point, Cole appears to accept his impending death on the battlefield, embracing a sense of self-determination.

Frankel, speaking to Decider ahead of the season premiere, elaborated on Cole's mindset. "You do find a much more profound understanding of what it is that he is still fighting for, and it goes far beyond the subject matters that have been tackled in the first two seasons," he said. "But yes, there is stuff he’s fighting for. I just can’t say what it is yet."

Cole articulates his resolve to Ser Gwayne, explaining his decision to face death in battle. "You have offered me service to your house. I’m grateful, but I have been a servant all my life, to Green or to Black. I have defined myself by oaths, through unyielding devotion, and the highborn have made much of me while it pleased them to do so," Cole states. "But I will not let them diminish me now. I will not return spurned, rejected. I am the realm’s greatest warrior and I will die as such. Clear-eyed, unbent, unbroken, glorious in battle, and finally not in their service."

This declaration echoes the words of House Martell, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken," a lineage to which Ser Criston Cole has a familial connection, being half-Dornish, a detail established in the series. This heritage may inform his fierce independence and his desire to die on his own terms.

The Butcher's Ball Explained

The Butcher's Ball, as depicted in 'Fire & Blood,' is a massacre that occurs between Rhaenyra's capture of King's Landing and the First Battle of Tumbleton. Ser Criston Cole leads a significantly reduced contingent south from Harrenhal, moving along the God's Eye lake. Throughout this journey, his forces suffer continuous losses due to guerrilla warfare.

Eventually, Cole and his remaining men encounter a large contingent of Team Black soldiers, reportedly numbering in the thousands, under the command of officers including Roddy the Ruin, played by Tommy Flanagan. In the book, Cole first offers to surrender himself to spare his troops. He then requests a trial by combat against three of the opposing officers. However, his challenge is met with an arrow attack. Ser Criston Cole is ultimately killed by three arrows, while his remaining soldiers are subsequently murdered. The event was described by the surviving Team Black soldiers as a "butchery" rather than a battle.

Frankel described the upcoming battle's scope as distinct from the Battle of the Gullet. "It’s a very different battle, you know. What can I say?" he commented. "It’s very different. I mean, obviously the Battle of the Gullet is, you know, on water, our fight is on land. I think there’s like little segments of it that are teased in the trailer. It’s a really interesting fight. It’s a very isolated fight. That’s all I’ll say. It’s not grand in the same way that the Battle of the Gullet is."