‘House of the Dragon’s’ Fabien Frankel Finally Explains Why Ser Criston Cole Isn’t the Villain You Think He Is

Few characters in the ‘Game of Thrones’ universe have inspired as much online vitriol as Ser Criston Cole. The steward’s son turned Kingsguard knight has been dragged through every corner of fan discourse since ‘House of the Dragon’ first aired, and the actor behind him has spent years defending a role that keeps getting darker.

Frankel has previously admitted he was blindsided by the backlash, recalling that he was confused when hatred for Cole started building before the show had even premiered. The turn intensified after the character brutally killed Ser Joffrey Lonmouth during Rhaenyra’s wedding in season one, a moment that flipped public opinion on Cole almost overnight.

Now, in a new conversation with Pop Base, Frankel is addressing what he believes is the biggest misunderstanding surrounding Ser Criston Cole. According to the actor, the show’s dense structure makes it hard for audiences to grasp the “why” behind Cole’s choices, since eight episodes and roughly twenty characters leave little room to dwell on any single storyline. Frankel pointed specifically to the ten year time jump that occurs midway through season one, arguing that viewers never got to see the years that shaped who Cole became by the second half of the season.

Frankel explained that filling that gap falls on him as an actor, since he has to construct a private backstory to justify a man whose actions often look senseless from the outside. He pushed back on the idea that Cole simply commits questionable acts without consequence, insisting the character absolutely feels the weight of what he has done, even when the show does not spell it out for the audience.

That defense lines up with comments Frankel has made elsewhere about staying loyal to his character no matter how audiences react. Speaking about his understanding of Cole’s motivations, Frankel said he can only grasp why people feel the way they do about the character, adding that it serves no purpose for him personally to view Cole that way. He noted that an actor always has to be the bastion of the character they play, and that he feels very much like the bastion of Ser Criston Cole, a sentiment he shared in an interview with Variety.

That loyalty is being tested in season three, where Cole’s arc has grown bleaker. Frankel described his character as entering the season in a state resembling despair, resisting the label of nihilism while acknowledging a certain agnosticism has taken hold of Cole as he loses the will to keep fighting. That downward spiral culminates in Cole embracing what amounts to a suicide mission, leading his men on a near impossible march against the Rivermen while declaring he is ready to die honorably.

Whether or not that backstory justification lands with viewers is another matter entirely, especially for a character whose body count keeps climbing. Do you think knowing about Cole’s missing ten years would have changed how you felt about him, or is Ser Criston Cole simply beyond redemption at this point.