Warning: This article contains spoilers for episode 10 of House of the Dragon, "The Black Queen."House of the Dragon ended its first season with an explosive finale that officially kicked the Dance of the Dragons into full gear. The episode featured Rhaenyra's coronation and her response to the greens' actions and ended with her finding out about her son Lucerys' untimely death at the hands of Vhagar and Aemond.
Luc's death is a turning point in the war and one of the season's most dramatic events. Fans reacted accordingly, but they managed to laugh through the pain and came up with numerous memes about the boy's demise. And while Luke's fate remains shocking and deeply tragic, these memes are perfect for those looking to make things a bit easier to process.
My Mommy Thinks It's Sweet
Rhaenyra sending her youngest son to parlay with the infamously proud and violent Stormlord was an objectively bad move. To make matters worse, she sent Lucerys with only a note forcing Borros Baratheon to respect his father's oath and without anything to offer in return, making poor Lucerys look like a foolish and inexperienced princeling.
Twitter user @becca_oneal used this hilarious meme to mock poor Prince Lucerys and his weak proposal. The Baratheons are notorious for being mercurial and violent, and Rhaenyra should've 100% known her command should've been accompanied by a more enticing proposal.
Vhagar, Amirite?
The mighty Vhagar is the biggest dragon in House of the Dragon and the last living creature from the time of Aegon's Conquest. Vhagar is old, experienced, and notoriously prickly, making her a dangerous threat and a powerful ally. However, the show also made her stubborn and unyielding and suggested she acted on her own accord and killed Lucerys and Arrax without Aemond's consent.
This meme posted by Twitter user @superking1815 pokes fun at Vhagar's actions using the popular "...and I took that personally" template. This moment has been shifted slightly from the book and introduces some complications into the already murky lore of dragons in the show, but it at least provided many hilarious memes!
Fly, Lucerys, Fly!
Lucerys was an inexperienced warrior and rider. It would be ridiculous to expect him to match Aemond in battle, especially considering his one-eyed uncle is far more ruthless and dishonorable than him. To Luke's credit, he didn't shy away from the confrontation, but perhaps he should've.
Twitter user @Juraiacies feels the same way because they posted this meme suggesting Luke should've abandoned his task when he saw Vhagar outside of Storm's End. Yes, he would've failed in his mission, but he would've kept his life, which was far more important.
It Wasn't Me, Mom, I Swear!
Numerous misconceptions exist about Alicent Hightower, but the show made it clear she did not want a war with Rhaenyra, nor did she want her death. She sent terms to Dragonstone and genuinely hoped to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. However, Aemond and Vhagar's actions made that an impossibility; instead, they effectively started the war.
This meme by Twitter user @chntally mocks the conversation where Aemond explains Lucerys' death to Alicent. It's a funny image, even if the real conversation will likely involve Alicent slapping Aemond and losing her temper with him. In all honesty, that's the least he deserves.
You Silly, Silly Boy
Unlike the Aemond Targaryen in Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon portrays him as a creepy bully rather than his reckless but capable literary counterpart. Indeed, Lucerys' death scene confirms this characterization, as it seems Aemond wanted only to scare and intimidate Lucerys, not kill him.
Alas, Aemond's mistake will haunt the greens throughout the war. This meme by Twitter user @lastyonko depicts Aemond's reaction when asked how his trip to Storm's End went. It's hilarious to imagine the proud and abusive Targaryen prince as a scared little boy, ashamed of his mistakes, but that's exactly what he is.
You Are A Mean Girl, Vhagar!
The bond between dragon and rider is among the most mysterious aspects in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and A Song of Ice and Fire in general. Episode 10 of HotD proved dragons are not and have never been subservient to their riders and can go against their wishes if they feel in danger or slighted.
Twitter user @Targ_Nation brings the iconic teen comedy Mean Girls into the equation and uses Regina's post on the Burn Book about herself to express their hatred for Vhagar. Calling Vhagar "the nastiest skank bitch" in Westeros feels surreal, but if the saddle fits...
I Think We're ALL Crying
Rhaenyra lost many things in one episode, but no death hit her harder than Lucerys'. Fans of the Black Queen are now calling for Aemond's head and the greens' blood, and it's because of two dragons who wouldn't obey their riders' orders.
This meme by Twitter user @dlauragtz summarizes the fandom's feelings about Lucerys' death perfectly. He was only a kid and didn't deserve to die, especially in such a silly and preventable way. This meme might not be funny, but it is a pretty accurate representation of how the show's fans feel after the episode.
We Can See, But At What Cost?
House of the Dragon faced considerable criticism for episode 7, "Driftmark," after many fans complained they couldn't see what was happening because the scenes were too dark. Game of Thrones faced similar criticism for its now-infamous episode, "The Long Night," in which the dragon-fighting sequences were barely visible.
Episode 10 of House of the Dragon featured clearer scenes of Lucerys and Aemond's fight, allowing fans to see Vhagar killing Lucerys and Arrax in all its savage glory. This meme by Twitter user @colin_learns pokes fun at House of the Dragon, suggesting Lucerys had to die for fans to finally see a dragon battle with clarity.
Don't Tell Sister Rhaenyra
Aemond made a huge mistake by killing Lucerys. His book counterpart didn't seem to understand it, but the show's version absolutely does, and his expression of sheer horror and shock at Lucerys and Arrax's remains falling from the sky is enough to prove it.
This meme, posted by Twitter user @CaitSaysSo, is a hilarious way of simplifying Aemond's response to Lucerys' death. If only he had punched Luke's face, maybe things wouldn't have gotten so ugly. Alas, Vhagar did a number on Luke, and not even a Red Priestess would've been able to bring him back to life.
A Losing Fight From The Get-Go
Lucerys was always going to lose in a battle against Aemond and Vhagar. His uncle alone would've been too much for him, but Vhagar's might made things impossible for the young Velaryon prince.
The Simpsons have produced content for millions of memes, but one of their best is Ralph Wiggum's claim that he is "in danger" while chuckling. The meme, posted by Twitter user @IceCreamTony, applies to Lucerys, as the young prince knew as soon as he stepped into Arrax that he might not see his mother again. Still, he did his best, and for that, he will always have a place in fans' hearts.