Ser Criston Cole

Ser Criston Cole begins as Princess Rhaenyra's Kingsguard and ends as the Hand of the King to Aegon II and the commander of the Greens' war. He is portrayed by Fabien Frankel and is listed with Team Green and the Kingsguard.

He is introduced as protection: he follows the princess out of the Red Keep, and the time they spend alone deepens the bond between them. That relationship crosses into illicit intimacy, and everything after follows from how badly he takes what happens next. Tormented by it and by her impending marriage, he confesses to Alicent, which poisons the queen's view of Rhaenyra, and at the wedding feast he kills Ser Joffrey Lonmouth in a melee that ends the celebration. His fight with Harwin Strong gets Harwin removed as Captain of the City Watch.

From there he belongs to the Greens outright. Alicent enlists him to find Aegon and crown him. As Hand he dispatches a Kingsguard knight to infiltrate Dragonstone and assassinate Rhaenyra, proposes military schemes designed to take the fight to the enemy, and mounts a campaign through the Crownlands that culminates at the Battle of Rook's Rest.

Ser Criston Cole rises from stormlands commoner to Kingsguard knight on merit with a sword, and his fall is one of the show's sharpest: a love spurned by Princess Rhaenyra curdles into a lifelong hatred that pushes him into Queen Alicent's orbit and the cause of Team Green.

As the sworn shield who trains Alicent's children, he shapes Aegon II and Aemond in his own bitter image, and by the Dance of the Dragons he serves as Lord Commander of Aegon's Kingsguard - the Green's deadliest ordinary man in a war of dragons.

• Peerless swordsman
• Principled turned vengeful
• Cold discipline
• Bitter once betrayed

antagonist

Criston's enmity with Prince Daemon Targaryen - kindled in a tourney, matured into mutual loathing - is the oldest feud in the Dance. His devotion to Queen Alicent Hightower, and his role raising her sons Aegon II and Aemond to hate Rhaenyra, make him the moral wound at the center of Team Green.

Allies

• Queen Alicent Hightower — Sworn shield and devotee
• King Aegon Ii Targaryen — Lord Commander of his Kingsguard

Enemies

• Prince Daemon Targaryen — Oldest rival

Affiliations

• Team Green - Kingsguard

• Fabien Frankel — Ser Criston Cole (live action)

No character media available yet. Photos and videos will be added in a later update.

• Official references count: 1
• Public references count: 1

• Status: Active
• Billing: Top-billed main character
• Role: main cast
• Shows: House of the Dragon
• Seasons: 4
• Episodes: 26

• Second of His Name — S1E3

  As her Kingsguard he follows Rhaenyra as her protector, and their time alone deepens their bond.

• King of the Narrow Sea — S1E4

  Rhaenyra and her Kingsguard cross into an illicit intimacy.

• We Light the Way — S1E5

  Tormented by the relationship, he confesses to Alicent, and later kills Ser Joffrey Lonmouth at the wedding feast.

• The Princess and the Queen — S1E6

  Harwin Strong is removed as Captain of the City Watch after a fight with him.

• The Green Council — S1E9

  Alicent enlists him alongside Aemond to find Aegon.