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House of the Dragon: how did Viserys lose his eye?

House of the Dragon: Viserys has never really been the healthiest of Targaryens, but how did the not so good king manage to lose his eye?

House of the Dragon: How did Viserys lose his eye?

Warning spoilers ahead! How did Viserys lose his eye? Across eight episodes of the fantasy series House of the Dragon, we’ve seen Viserys Targaryen succumb to a mysterious unnamed illness. What started as a small sore on his back slowly spread across his body, weakening the king and leaving him a physical wreck.

As the disease and TV series progressed, he lost his fingers, then his arm, and finally, he was so diminished by this disease – which Paddy Considine claims is an undiagnosed form of Leprosy – he needed a wheelchair to move around the castle. It’s revealed in House of Dragon episode 8, however, that the king has lost more than just his arm, but how did Viserys lose his eye?

How did Viserys lose his eye?

We can presume that King Viserys Targaryen lost his eye as a result of his leprosy. The virus has already eaten away at his fingers and arm, and it seems in the last few years of his life, it spread to his face.

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While he wears bandages when in bed and a gold mask when in court, most of the right-hand side of Viserys’ face is missing, his eye is gone, and his cheek has wasted away, revealing the jaw and teeth below.

The wounds have left Viserys in absolute agony, and he requires a near-constant supply of milk of the poppy just to get through the day. If you want to know more about the House of the Dragon’s major players, we have guides on The White Worm, Otto HightowerLarys Strong and Ser Criston Cole.