Game of Throneswas no stranger to Targaryens like Daenerys (Emilia Clarke)and Viserys (Harry Lloyd). ButHouse of the Dragontook things to another level, creating a show filled with these dragon-riding Targaryens at the height of their reign. The author of the original A Song Of Ice And Fire series,George R.R. Martin, has always integratedsimilar traits into his characters to encourage readers to compare them. BeforeHouse of the Dragonpremiered on HBO in 2022, Martin originally wanted to start the story 30 years prior, during thereign of King Jaehaerys(Michael Carter). Jaehaerys’ heir died when he was young, forcing the king to choose between his heir’s daughter and his second-born son’s son. Martin wanted to draw a parallel between Jaehaerys and Viserys I (Paddy Considine). Viserys struggles to choose between naming either Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) or Daemon (Matt Smith) as his successor, and audiences would have observed how Viserys handled the situation in contrast to his grandfather. Like Martin,House of the Dragonloves to draw parallels between characters to highlight their flaws and strengths, and while we didn’t get the Jaehaerys to Viserys I parallel, we do getin the case of Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Daemon.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
Daemon and Aemond Are Almost Identical
Daemon quickly became a fan-favoriteduringHouse of the DragonSeason 1. However, by the end of the season, the show had found a new darling in Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), now fully grown and a force to be reckoned with. The two characters share striking similarities. Both Daemon and Aemond aresecond-born sons and younger brothers to the king. They are both exceptional fighters and ride the two most dangerous dragons in the world. Daemon rides Caraxes, who is battle-hardened, agile, fast, and deadly, whereas Aemond ridesVhagar, the oldest and largest of the dragons. Both could be called a “Rogue Prince” (with Daemon himself earning the nickname in the book), where their charm matches their wickedness. Despite the fact that neither character is the best person, the audience can’t help but root for them. Even on a superficial level, these two characters are similar, with the name “Aemond” being “Daemon” with the “D” moved to the end.
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Daemon & Aemond’s Similarities Go Beyond Superficial Traits
While Daemon and Aemond possess similar superficial traits,they also bear the same internal conflict. Daemon’s erratic and impulsive behavior stems from his need to be loved. Daemon is incredibly insecure andalways seeks validation from his brother, Viserys. During his fight against Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), Daemon seemingly wins before getting distracted by the crowd’s adoration. His need for praise causes him to lose focus, allowing Criston to gain the upper hand.This fight is a metaphor for Daemon’s journey across the season. Daemon steals Viserys’ late son’s dragon egg just to get his brother’s attention. During the battle of the Stepstones,Daemon would rather throw away his lifethan accept help from Viserys, as it would be an admittance of a mistake. Later in the series, Daemon refuses to repair his relationship with Viserys at Laena’s (Nanna Blondel) funeral, out of spite for never being chosen as Hand of the King or betrothed to Rhaenyra.Daemon’s constant need for validation causes him to lash out at peopleand isolate himself from those he loves most.
By contrast, Aemond grew up very insecure over his Targaryen heritage.His inability to claim a dragon made him feel inferior, and his need to be seen as the ‘true’ blood of the dragon forced him to do something dangerous and impulsive when he claimed Vhagar. Aemond loses his eye in a fight with Rhaenyra’s children, sohe devotes all his time to becoming a seasoned warrior so that he will never feel weak again. Even as an adult, Aemond struggles to exercise constraint when under pressure. During the family dinner in Episode 8, Aemond can’t resist the urge to incite conflict with his nephews. In Episode 10, he loses his composure when demanding Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) to cut out his eye. Aemond’s lack of control is reflected in his dragon, asVhagar later disobeys him and kills Lucerys. Daemon and Aemond grew up as second sons, making them feel insecure and second-best.This insecurity led to a desire to be recognized, which drives their decision-making even in adulthood.
Aemond Grew Up in Daemon’s Shadow
Daemon and Aemond are reflections of each other, but how does this serve the story? Aemond molds himself after Daemon, and although he resents his uncle, there is some sense of admiration there.Their similarities may give us an idea of how Daemon’s character arc will play out inHouse of the Dragon. Book readers will know that thecivil war is building towards a tense showdown between these two characters, but this confrontation has a narrative purpose. Daemon has gone through life ignorant of his destructive behaviors and how they impact people. But by fighting against Aemond,he will recognize his own flawsby seeing them in another person. Whether he wanted to or not,Daemon became a twisted kind of role model for Aemond, and he’s partially responsible for the creation of this bloodthirsty, unstable killer.
Now that war has struck Westeros, Daemon and Aemond will have important roles to play in the coming battles. But Aemond is still young, andwhether he continues to follow in his uncle’s footsteps is uncertain. When we last saw Aemond, he had accidentally murdered his Lucerys, a mistake that led to war.How Aemond responds to his crucial mistakeremains to be seen, but audiences won’t have to wait long, asHouse of the DragonSeason 2 premieres June 16th.
House of the Dragonis available to stream on Max in the U.S.
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