Weddings are generally supposed to be happy affairs, yet Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon share a similar tendency to turn them into a bloody mess. The fifth episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon ends with a lovely wedding dinner, which quickly turns into a tragedy when someone gets straight up beaten to death. Here’s why Criston killed Joffrey in House of the Dragon.
Why Did Criston Kill Joffrey in House of the Dragon?
There are a few reasons why Criston finally snapped and decided to beat up Joffrey in the middle of the wedding dinner.
First, he was still feeling upset that Rhaenyra had rejected his proposal to elope and get married across the Narrow Sea.
Secondly, he was wracked with guilt over breaking his oath of chastity as a sworn knight of the Kingsguard. It’s clear that Criston took his position very seriously, and he feels that he has lost all sense of honor after spending the night with Rhaenyra.
Finally, Joffrey coming up to Criston and goading him about knowing of his affair with Rhaenyra probably wasn’t the smartest move, and likely tipped Criston over the edge. Joffrey’s words certainly had a thinly veiled threat behind them, as he was basically telling Criston that his knowledge of their affair could ruin both him and Rhaenyra. It definitely also didn’t help that Joffrey seemed to lightly flick his crotch at the end of the conversation.
Put all those things together and it starts to become very clear why Criston finally snapped and took out all his frustrations on Joffrey. All of these things have been weighing on him throughout the entire episode, and his conversation with Joffrey was the final straw. Not knowing how to keep his emotions in check, Criston ends up beating up Joffrey at the dinner and kills him.
That’s all you need to know about why Criston killed Joffrey in House of the Dragon. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more news and information on the show, including why Alicent stopped Criston from killing himself, and whether Alicent wants to start a war.
