what happened to aemond in house of the dragon

Aemond doesn’t die in the latest TV episode; he survives a brutal confrontation at Harrenhal, though he’s badly wounded and left in a cliffhanger state. In the book version, however, Aemond eventually dies in a dragon duel with Daemon.

What happens on the show

In the recent episode, Aemond takes Harrenhal by force, kills Ser Simon Strong and his family, and then gets stabbed through a gap in his armor during the chaos. He’s still alive by the end and goes looking for Alys Rivers, so the scene is meant to leave you wondering what happens next.

What happens in the book

In Fire & Blood, Aemond’s end comes later, during a dragon fight with Daemon. Daemon reaches him in battle, kills him by thrusting a sword through his only good eye, and both dragons crash into the water below.

Why people are talking about it

The confusion comes from the show making big changes and using the episode as a major shock moment. So the short version is: show Aemond is wounded, not dead; book Aemond dies later in a famous battle.

TL;DR: Aemond survives the episode at Harrenhal, but his story is heading toward the much bigger book-ending showdown with Daemon.