Q1: Is there any possibility Criston Cole survived the ambush?
A1: No. Criston Cole is definitively dead. The episode showed him struck repeatedly by arrows at point-blank range, collapsing lifelessly before his forces were completely overwhelmed.
Q2: Who replaces Ser Criston Cole as Hand of the King?
A2: Following Cole's death, the Green council must appoint a replacement. In Martin's historical text, Prince Regent Aemond relies on remaining council members and loyal lords, though political chaos prevents any Hand from exerting Cole's level of centralized authority.
Q3: Why didn't Aemond save Criston Cole with Vhagar?
A3: Aemond deliberately chose to split his forces earlier in the campaign. Arrogant in Vhagar's individual power, Aemond believed terrorizing the Riverlands from the sky was superior to escorting infantry, leaving Cole’s army exposed and doomed to guerrilla ambush.
