House of the Dragon: Erryk and Arryk Cargyll, explained

Here’s what you need to know about Erryk and Arryk Cargyll, the twin brothers who try to hunt down Aegon in King’s Landing in House of the Dragon Episode 9.

Episode 9 of House of the Dragon picks up immediately after the previous installment. King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) has mercifully succumbed to his leprosy after immeasurable pain, having brought his family together at the Red Keep one last time.

As you’d expect, the grief that follows is second to the sense of opportunity, with Otto, Alicent, and the small council fulfilling Viserys’ supposed wish and usurping the throne with Aegon II.

There’s just a small problem: Aegon can’t be found, so Otto enlists the help of Erryk and Arryk to track him down and bring him home.

House of the Dragon: Who are Erryk and Arryk Cargyll?

Erryk and Arryk Cargyll are twin brothers, both serving as knights and members of the Kingsguard during the reign of King Viserys I.

Erryk is portrayed by Luke Tittensor and Arryk is played by Elliott Tittensor, and they have appeared in four episodes of House of the Dragon so far.

House of the Dragon: Erryk and Arryk Cargyll compared to the book

In George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, the brothers are both unhorsed by Criston Cole during Viserys’ tourney. In 120 AC, Viseys made Erryk the sworn shield of Rhaenyra following Harwin Strong’s death.

HBO

In the show, we watched the twins work together to find Aegon. However, there was a clear rift when Criston and Aemond engaged them in a sword fight, with Erryk standing idly by at the top of the stairs while Arryk took on Criston on his own.

Towards the end of Episode 9, we see Erryk try to help Rhaenys escape from King’s Landing before Aegon’s coronation, as there’s a chance she’ll be killed for refusing to bend the knee. While we don’t see him during the ceremony, this tracks with his trajectory in the book, with Erryk supporting Rhaenyra and the blacks, and Arryk siding with the greens.

Their contributions to the Dance of the Dragons aren’t sizeable, so we won’t go into further detail until it unfolds on screen – perhaps in the Season 1 finale next week.

House of the Dragon Episode 10, the Season 1 finale, will be available to watch on October 23 in the US and October 24 in the UK.