HotD Fans Furious Over Deleted Scene Pivotal to Criston Cole Storyline

He instantly endeared the audience and for a time seemed to be a loyal and kind man, but was ultimately destined for heartbreak.

When he made his feelings known to the princess, she rebuffed him, and some would argue, was far crueller than she needed to be in doing so. While it was understandable that she was expected to marry out of duty, not love, she did not seem burdened by this fact when she rejected him. She was not a girl that seemed upset she could not choose him.

The reason for this is not that Rhaenyra did not like him. Quite the opposite in fact. She offered to continue a physical relationship with him even after marrying her husband.

She was honest, upfront, and brutally forthright about the position he would take in her life. Ser Criston was displeased with her offer, feeling she only wanted him to be her "whore," and viciously turned down her offer.

Ultimately, he would betray her and become a confidante of Queen Alicent, her stepmother and one-time best friend.

Confessing his shocking secret to the queen that he had bedded Rhaenyra, knowing it could mean his execution, led Alicent to take him into her employ as a trusted guard, and sometime advisor. Criston had no love for his former flame anymore and all advice he provided the queen regarding Rhaenyra was not in the princess' best interest.

Ser Criston's story seems relatively simple when compared to some others in this universe. But fans have come across a deleted scene that has sent them into an uproar as they feel it should have been included.

The scene depicts Ser Criston being inducted into the Kingsguard by Viserys himself.

This scene is huge because of how deeply Ser Criston later betrays Viserys. Not only does he sleep with his daughter, but he also allows his king to believe that it was his brother that "corrupted" her.

In doing so, he helped to sow the seeds for Rhaenyra's lie to Alicent, and ultimately, lead to the horrific rift within the family that would spark the civil war. Ser Criston's devotion to Alicent would see him encourage her son to ascend the Iron Throne over Rhaenyra.

And it would finally reveal his true nature; a man who may have had noble beginnings but is now in pursuit of power and vengeance.

Fans have expressed the view that Criston was one character that was built up immensely, only to be seemingly ignored for much of the second half of the season. They assert that there are likely many more deleted scenes involving him that should have remained.

His potential to become a larger character with more depth and detail has also been raised as a critical missed opportunity in House of the Dragon.