Ser Criston Cole Killed in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3 Episode 6
Episode 6 of HBO’s House of the Dragon (aired 26 July 2026, UK 2 am BST) titled “Faceless Men” (also referred to as the Butcher’s Ball) delivers the series’ most talked‑about moment: the death of Ser Criston Cole. In the opening battle Cole’s reduced Green force is ambushed by a camp of Rivermen and Winter Wolves. After a brief fight he attempts to negotiate, then offers a duel, but is shot through the face and chest by three arrows fired by the archer Alysanne “Black Aly” Blackwood. His death removes the Green army’s chief commander and ends his quest for a heroic end.
The episode also sees Lord Corlys Velaryon captured by Ormund Hightower’s men, leaving his fleet’s return to King’s Landing uncertain. In King’s Landing, Alicent Hightower and her sister Helaena are rescued from a secret tunnel, Helaena’s pregnancy is revealed, and Rhaenyra Targaryen’s small council debates a brutal strike on Tumbleton, with Daemon urging fire‑driven retaliation while others counsel restraint. Alys Rivers discloses five hidden dragon‑egg clutch belonging to Dreamfyre at Harrenhal, a plot point that could shift dragon power.
Overall, the episode advances the civil war’s bloodier phase, consolidates several character arcs, and sets up new strategic and dynastic conflicts for the season’s climax.
Entities: Alicent Hightower · Alysanne Blackwood · Alyssa (Alysanne) Blackwood · Corlys Velaryon · House of the Dragon · Lord Corlys Velaryon · Prince Daeron Targaryen · Queen Alicent Hightower · Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen · Rhaenyra Targaryen · Ser Criston Cole
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Criston Cole’s death removes the Greens’ main ground force in the Riverlands, altering the war’s strategic balance. (multiple sources)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Ser Criston Cole is killed by archer Alysanne Blackwood with three arrows. (multiple sources)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Lord Corlys Velaryon is captured at the end of the episode. (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Alicent Hightower and Helaena are discovered trapped in a secret Red Keep tunnel. (multiple sources)
- [● 10 SOURCES] Ser Criston Cole dies in Episode 6 of House of the Dragon Season 3. (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Rhaenyra learns that Helaena is pregnant. (multiple sources)
- [● 7 SOURCES] The battle of the episode is called the Butcher’s Ball. (multiple sources)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Episode 6 aired on 26 July 2026 in the United States (9 p.m. ET) and on 27 July 2026 in the United Kingdom (2 a.m. BST). (single source)