Aemond Targaryen has some major parallels with Daemon in House of the Dragon, which will make their eventual fates all the more satisfying.
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1, and George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.Aemond Targaryen has some clear similarities to Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, which will have an amazing payoff in their respective endings. Daemon is the ultimate rogue in House of the Dragon: one of the realm’s greatest warriors who rides one of its fiercest dragons, has long coveted the Iron Throne, and possesses a potent mix of danger, cruelty, charm, and those flowing Valyrian locks to make him both feared and desired. And if Daemon did have a throne, then Aemond would be the pretender to it; much of what applies to one does so to the other.
House of the Dragon clearly leaned into its Aemond and Daemon parallels, especially in season 1, episode 8. That had Aemond and Daemon briefly face off with one another – similar hair, similar clothes, similar attitude. It sets the pair up as clear mirror images of one another; Aemond is to the greens what Daemon is to the blacks. That will become even better as time goes on, not just as they lead the way in the Dance of the Dragons, but for when the rivalry truly comes to a head. It will end in a fiery battle, and both of their deaths.
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Aemond vs. Daemon Could Be House Of The Dragon’s Greatest Battle
The Aemond and Daemon similarities will continues, as both will play key roles in leading their respective sides, as great fighters, strategic commanders, and riders of two of the most powerful dragons in Westeros. But they will meet in warfare during the Battle Above The God’s Eye, which comes around 3/4 of the way through the Dance of the Dragons. With Aemond tearing his way through the Riverlands, Daemon sends a challenge to him from Harrenhal, waiting almost two weeks for it to be met. When it is, though, it results in the greatest and most ferocious dragon battle of the entire civil war, as Daemon and Caraxes fight against Aemond and Vhagar.
The two old, battle-hardened dragons breathe fire and tear at one another, setting the sky ablaze. It’s a moment that’s brutal and balletic, the kind of spectacle House of the Dragon is made for. Done right, no battle should match it in terms of thrills, shock, and awe as Caraxes and Vahagar display their phenomenal power and Aemond and Daemon their skill in riding. It ends in the most dramatic fashion possible: as the two fatally wounded dragons tumble down into the lake below Daemon leaps from Caraxes, driving his Valyrian steel sword, Dark Sister, through the socket where his eye used to be, killing himself and the young pretender. All of them descend into the water, and none survive.
When Will Aemon vs. Daemon Happen In House Of The Dragon?
Aemond vs Daemon will be one of the biggest moments in House of the Dragon, but it’ll likely be some way off. George R.R. Martin wants House of the Dragon to have four seasons and, assuming he gets his wish granted, then the Battle Above the God’s Eye happening at the end of season 3 would make sense. There’s a lot to get through before then, including major battles and shocking twists that could fill much of season 2 and into season 3. Rounding out House of the Dragon season 3, then, fits with where it comes in the Dance of the Dragons timeline, and would certainly be epic as a set piece in episode 9 or 10.
All 10 episodes of House of the Dragon season 1 are streaming on HBO Max.
