How Does Mysaria Die in ‘House of the Dragon’? The White Worm’s Fate Explained

Few characters in ‘House Of The Dragon’ have navigated the treacherous waters of survival and peril quite like Mysaria, the spymaster known as the White Worm. Portrayed by Sonoya Mizuno, she has spent two seasons evading fire, betrayal, and the ever-changing loyalties of the Targaryen civil war, leaving fans anxious about the conclusion of her story.

Since the show is based on George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire & Blood’, there is already a recorded account of Mysaria’s death, although the series has shown a willingness to alter certain details. Here’s what the source material reveals, what has transpired on screen, and why her eventual fate is poised to be one of the most heartbreaking moments yet to unfold.

According to ‘Fire & Blood’, Mysaria’s demise occurs after Rhaenyra is compelled to flee King’s Landing, allowing the city to fall back into the hands of the Greens. Instead of escaping with Rhaenyra, Mysaria chooses to remain at the Red Keep among other court members. When Ser Garth the Harelip surrenders the castle to Ser Perkin the Flea and his gang of gutter knights, Mysaria tries to flee but is captured before she can escape.

What follows is one of the more brutal punishments during the Dance of the Dragons. Perkin tells Mysaria that she can live if she can walk naked through the city to the Gate of the Gods while being whipped.

This cruel offer masquerades as mercy, and it does not end well for her. Mysaria only manages to make it halfway before dying on the cobblestones of the city.

This grim sequence is echoed in other historical accounts, where Mysaria is told she will be spared if she can walk through the streets naked while being whipped, only to die before completing the journey. The stark contrast to a dragon-fire spectacle adds to the unsettling nature of her fate.

‘House Of The Dragon’ has already hinted at Mysaria’s potential death well before the books dictate her demise. In the Season 1 finale, Larys Strong orchestrated yet another death by fire, attempting to eliminate Mysaria, though it remained unclear if he succeeded. Some of Mysaria’s spies likely perished in the ensuing blaze, complicating her network moving forward.

That scene left her fate uncertain for viewers. Episode 9, titled ‘The Green Council,’ showcases Mysaria racing to locate Aegon II and even asserting her dominance over Otto Hightower, actions that earn her the ire of House Hightower before her base of operations is set ablaze by Larys Strong’s servants.

Crucially, the episode does not confirm whether Mysaria actually perished in that attack.

Of course, Mysaria did not die in the fire. She continued her role as Daemon and Rhaenyra’s spymaster once their faction took control of King’s Landing, indicating that the show was merely teasing her downfall rather than delivering it. This near miss aligns with the books, where Mysaria survives the early Dance of the Dragons and is intended to inform Rhaenyra of Daemon’s betrayals while acting as her unofficial Mistress of Whisperers.

Mysaria’s eventual death resonates even more when considering her origins. She faced sexual abuse from her father as a child, and when she showed signs of pregnancy, he cut her throat and left her for dead. Surviving that attack, she made her way to Westeros, climbing through the criminal underbelly of King’s Landing.

Her bond with Daemon Targaryen reshaped her path entirely. In Westeros, Mysaria became an ally and lover of Prince Daemon Targaryen, and her resourcefulness and intelligence earned his trust, a relationship that proved crucial to her rise in influence.

Operating under the alias the White Worm, she established a network of spies and informants, making her one of the most significant power brokers in the capital.

This rise to power is precisely why her eventual downfall, when it arrives, will carry such weight. A woman who fought her way from abuse and neglect to become one of the most feared information networks in Westeros is ultimately undone not by a dragon or a sword, but by a public, humiliating punishment disguised as a second chance.

Beyond the shock factor, Mysaria’s journey has always served as the show’s answer to ‘Game of Thrones’ power players built on secrets rather than swords. Mysaria and Larys Strong essentially reflect Varys and Littlefinger from ‘Game of Thrones’, two operators whose currency is information rather than armies.

Her loss would eliminate one of the last characters capable of outmaneuvering the Hightowers and Targaryens alike through sheer cunning instead of dragonfire.

It’s also important to note that the show has already demonstrated its willingness to deviate from ‘Fire & Blood’ when it benefits the narrative, so nothing about her ending is set in stone yet. However, given how closely the series has followed her arc with Daemon, Rhaenyra, and the unfolding war, the cobblestone death described in the source material remains the most probable outcome whenever her story reaches its conclusion.

Considering everything Mysaria has endured to reach this point, would you prefer ‘House Of The Dragon’ to remain faithful to her brutal book death, or do you believe the White Worm deserves a different fate on screen?