House of the Dragon explores many Targaryens, but one of Fire & Blood‘s most fascinating characters has been useless, or worse, detrimental to the war effort. Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) is a complex character, but with his ruthless nature and morally gray actions, it’s easy to see why he is George R R Martin‘s favorite. Known as the Rogue Prince, Daemon has quite a reputation, and his Season 1 exploits built lots of anticipation for his role now that the succession war is in full swing. His demonstration with the Goldcloaks and the way he beheaded Vaemond Velaryon (Wil Johnson) show that Daemon is active, even in a time of peace, so Daemon at war should be more so, making him a valuable ally for Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy).
As a Targaryen prince, dragonrider, and the king consort to Rhaenyra, Daemon is firmly involved in the Dance of the Dragons, but he’s done little so far. Five episodes into Season 2, Daemon has yet to fight for Rhaenyra’s claim in any official way. The character set up to be her strongest ally has done more to harm Rhaenyra’s cause than help. Alienating her allies with his brutality and seemingly seeking to elevate himself, Daemon has proven to be detrimental in House of the Dragon when he wasn’t in Fire & Blood.
Daemon Wants To Be King… Maybe
On Rhaenyra’s instructions, Daemon went to Harrenhal, hoping to raise an army in the Riverlands, but things have taken a turn. Though he originally fought for Rhaenyra, Daemon demonstrates a growing interest in ruling as King in his own right, despite his wife’s stronger claim…we think. Certainly, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) is messing with Daemon’s head, sending him visions of Rhaenyra and his mother that feed his resentment and desire for power, turning him into an enemy of the Blacks. But whatever the reason, Daemon is reaching for power and, therefore, sowing seeds of rebellion. Though it has gotten much worse since his arrival at Harrenhal, it’s not the first time Daemon has grabbed power. When the war began, he defied Rhaenyra’s orders and met with her council while she was giving birth to their daughter. On the other hand, Daemon never tried to usurp his brother Viserys (Paddy Considine), and before the visions, he was adamant about Rhaenyra’s claim, though sometimes bitter as well.
His personal quest for the crown is not in Fire & Blood, where rather than using the title “King” (no consort necessary), Daemon proclaims Rhaenyra as Queen and styles himself Protector of the Realm, a military title often held by Westeros’ ruler, but not always. Daemon’s interest in the crown plays on his resentment towards Rhaenyra and Viserys, but showrunner Ryan Condal denies the character even wants it. In an after-the-episode featurette following Season 1, Condal explained, “But really, deep down, what [Daemon] wanted was to be Viserys’ Hand. He wanted to be his brother’s guy, to help and protect him.” And Condal expressed a similar sentiment about Season 2, saying to Games Radar, “And Daemon is not somebody that necessarily ever wanted the throne, so to speak, he just wanted Viserys to say that he could have the throne. He was looking for the approval of his older brother.”
However, Condal’s explanation of Daemon’s wants contradicts his other statements about his resentment towards Rhaenyra. When discussing Milly Alcock‘s brief return as young Rhaenyra, Condal said, “It’s that version of Rhaenyra that removed him as the heir to the throne and then was named heir and took his claim.” The fact that Daemon is still bitter about being removed as heir shows that he wanted it. In line with that interpretation, Matt Smith claimed, “Where his loyalties lie is probably a question that the series poses this year for Daemon.” Of course, he would never side with the Hightowers, who Daemon has long disliked, so Rhaenyra is his only option unless he makes a play for the Iron Throne himself. And before he arrives at Harrenhal, his fight with Rhaenyra hints at this desire as well. Whether this desire is rooted in Daemon’s heart or the delusions he’s experiencing, Daemon’s words and actions create a problem for Rhaenyra because she is relying on him to gain loyalty in her name, not his own. If her own husband does not support her claim, why would anyone else? And if he is so easily manipulated into chasing something he doesn’t want, that is a separate issue, but Daemon’s continued distraction is a disadvantage for the Blacks.
Daemon Actively Hurts Rhaenyra’s Claim
Daemon’s drastic actions have lost Rhaenyra allies. It was Daemon who sent the assassins into King’s Landing, ultimately killing Aegon’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) heir, Jaehaeyrs. With blame placed on Rhaenyra, she has lost much of her support. This was not Daemon’s intention, as he targeted Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), but that isn’t much of an excuse. Even ignoring the damage he did with Blood and Cheese, which is ongoing, Daemon’s brutality has hurt Rhaenyra’s cause almost as much as her actual enemies, as his choices backfire. While Daemon claims the death of Jaehaerys to be a mistake, he cannot deny his most recent offense. In his mission to take over the Riverlands, Daemon sought the help of the Blackwoods, who chose Rhaenyra’s cause, unlike their ancient enemies, the Brackens. However, the Blackwoods want Daemon to force the Brackens to surrender. They ignore Daemon’s threats, and Daemon refuses to attack, knowing he needs the Bracken armies.
The issue comes when Daemon advises Willheim Blackwood (Jack Parry-Jones) to take drastic action. His cruelty is evident as he sends the Blackwoods onto the Bracken’s land to do the things the crown cannot be seen to do. The Blackwoods embrace the chance to strike their enemy, burning septs, destroying farms, and attacking the innocent, all under Rhaenyra’s banner. This enrages the other Lords of the Riverlands, and because of Rhaenyra’s banner and the Blackwoods’ known association with her, they blame the Queen. Daemon shows no remorse for the Blackwoods’ methods when the Riverlords confront him, leaving them to denounce their support for his wife. He may have turned the Brackens, but sending Black bannermen with these instructions alienates the other Riverlords, who are vital allies. Daemon’s unsanctioned choices seem to have lost Rhaenyra the Riverlands, which she was counting on. As both the Blacks and the Greens target the Riverlands, believing them to be the key to the war, Daemon hurts Rhaenyra’s cause once again.
However, this is a change from Fire & Blood, where Daemon won the Bracken’s support by capturing the castle while the Brackens were away fighting the Battle of the Burning Mill. Holding the Lord and his family hostage, Daemon forces the son and army to surrender (a much less appalling method). He does so with the help of several Riverland houses he has already gathered for Rhaenyra. In that version of the story, Daemon is a champion for the Blacks. Added complexity to the story is not a bad thing, but it comes at the loss of Daemon’s character. His morality is ambiguous at best, but in Fire & Blood, he is always loyal to his family. This redeeming quality shines through in his Season 1 relationship with Viserys, but it isn’t clear in his relationship with Rhaenyra this season.
Daemon Has Become a Liability for the Blacks
In Fire & Blood, Daemon causes damage, but he is also a major asset for Rhaenyra, filling the role of Protector of the Realm by gaining her support and successfully building the army she desperately needs. Daemon rides Caraxes, who, since the death of Rhaenys, is the largest dragon in the Blacks’ arsenal, but he refuses to communicate with Rhaenyra, letting her guess his next move when he should be following her orders. In fact, House of the Dragon has not let Daemon do much to help Rhaenyra. Daemon sent the assassins, which damaged Rhaenyra’s reputation, and then left to take Harrenhal, who surrendered happily. Rhaenyra wished him to gain the Riverlands’ support, but that hasn’t happened. Admittedly, he met with the next Lord Tully but accomplished little before taking it into his own hands and doing more harm than good. Meanwhile, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), Rhaenyra’s oldest son, has done much more. While Daemon is still viewed as Rhaenyra’s most powerful ally, Jace has actually negotiated the support of the Starks, Arryns, and Freys, playing a more important role in the Dance of the Dragons than Daemon so far.
Daemon still has more to do, potentially righting this wrong, but House of the Dragon needs to stop having him work against Rhaenyra. The changes made to the story are interesting, but they are to the detriment of the character and come dangerously close to turning him into a villain rather than the gray character he is meant to be. Yes, he makes mistakes, but he also gains a reputation for his victories in battle. Whether intentionally or because of Alys’ influence, Daemon has become a liability to Rhaenyra rather than the ally she needs. Fire & Blood proves that Daemon can be efficient and even brutal without sacrificing the story. The character should be one of the most important members of Team Black, but at this point, Daemon’s not even helping.
House of the Dragon Season 2 airs every Sunday at 9 PM EST on Max in the U.S.
