Do Targaryens Burn or Not? Why Aegon Is Fatally Damaged by Fire in HotD, Explained
This is probably even more confusing than all the similar Targaryen names.
When Daenerys Targaryen emerged unscathed from the fire at the end of the first season of Game of Thrones, she not only gained three dragons, but also cemented the myth that Targaryens are immune to fire. However, despite their mystical connection to dragons, they have never been known for such a trait.
The "unburnable" Targaryens are one of the most popular and confusing myths that Game of Thrones has spawned, and one that millions of people still believe. However, there is plenty of evidence that while Targaryens are more tolerant of fire and high temperatures, they burn just like normal people – the latest episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 proved it with Aegon.
Immunity to fire, high temperatures, and presumably disease is a special ability of Daenerys Targaryen. The fact that Dany didn't burn in the first season is explained by several factors at once – Mirri Maz Duur's bloodmagic, the birth of dragons, and the sacrifice made by Daenerys.
Game of Thrones Created a Huge Plot Hole by Making Daenerys Immune to Fire
While this is a singular case in the books, the writers of Game of Thrones decided to make Dany completely immune to fire, which in fact created a huge plot hole that only got bigger with the release of House of the Dragon.
We've seen this in Game of Thrones. Viserys Targaryen, Daenerys' brother, was killed by Khal Drogo with molten gold. As you probably remember (it's hard to forget), he got the crown he was promised, but not in the form he expected, and the dragon's blood didn't save him.
Maester Aemon, who was also a Targaryen, was burned at the stake by the Night's Watch after his death. Jon Snow got his hand badly burned in the first season of Game of Thrones when he saved the Lord Commander.
And in the first episode of House of the Dragon, the Maester offers to cauterize King Viserys' wound. This brief phrase has left many viewers, confident in the Targaryens' resistance to fire, stumped. Also, in the same episode, the body of Viserys' dead son is burned. And he was a Targaryen, too.
Targaryens Aren’t Fireproof, According to George Martin
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If you turn to the books, you will find even more examples that prove that there is not even a hint of fire resistance in Daenerys' bloodline.
First of all, according to tradition, the bodies of Targaryens are cremated. This fact alone is enough to dispel the myth – Targaryens burn just like others.
George Martin himself said:
“The thing with Dany and the dragons, that was just a one-time magical event, very special and unique. The Targaryens can tolerate a bit more heat than most ordinary people, they like really hot baths and things like that, but that doesn't mean they're totally immune to fire, no. Dragons, on the other hand, are pretty much immune to fire.”
HoTD Episode 4 Battle, Explained
Therefore, Laena's agonized plea to her dragon to burn her "succeeded," and Aegon was burned in the battle with Rhaenys. Though this battle still raises questions – from the way the scenes were staged, it seemed that Rhaenys repeatedly came under fire from both Vhagar and Sunfyre, but there were no signs of burns on her.
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The most likely explanation for this is that, as the writers envisioned it, she managed to avoid direct contact with the flames, or Meleys shielded her from them with her body.
However, the most important question raised by the battle between Rhaenys, Aemond, and Aegon is why Sunfyre, a dragon who is supposed to be immune to fire, got a bad burn on his wing?
An explanation for this can also be found in Martin's books (although it would be great if the HotD writers would be kind enough to explain it in at least a few sentences).
According to the original text, dragons are indeed immune to ordinary fire, but their immunity to dragonfire increases with age, while their own flames become hotter with time.
As we already know, Sunfyre is a relatively young dragon, while Vhagar, who wounded him, is the oldest dragon in the Targaryens' possession. So Vhagar could actually burn Sunfyre's wing, even though in the books Aegon's dragon's wing was torn.