Aemond vs. Daemon in House of the Dragon, Explained (2024)

Aemond is growing to be one of the most popular characters in House of the Dragon. It's not hard to notice that he's transforming more and more in the direction of a young Daemon: chaotic and cruel, skillful and very dangerous. It's only a matter of time before their paths cross in an epic way.

Fans who have read George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood know that the two will eventually die together in an epic duel, marking a poetic ending for them both. However, they have a long journey ahead of them as they move from being remote family members to true rivals. A lot of blood is spilled, and many die.

The House of the Dragon Season 2 Trailer Teases a Rivalry Between Daemon and Aemond

The House of the Dragon Season 2 trailer sees Daemon (Matt Smith) and Aemond's (portrayed by Ewan Mitchell) relationship taking a sudden turn for the worse. The two barely had any interaction, let alone a relationship in Season 1. Daemon and Aemond only saw each other in formal circ*mstances — for example, at a family dinner orchestrated by King Viserys, and at Laena's funeral. They must have come across each other in passing in King's Landing and the courtroom, but Season 1 didn't see them having a deeper relationship. However, this is about to change in Season 2.

The House of the Dragon Season 2 trailer teases a more intense relationship between Daemon and Aemond. A rivalry is forming, with Aemond declaring, "My uncle is a challenge I welcome - if he dares face me." It seems clear that the two have had their eyes on each other for a long time. Aemond, who grew up as the younger brother to the possible heir of the Iron Throne, might even model himself after Daemon in his ascendance to power. Stealing Vhagar, a dragon that belonged to Daemon's late wife, wasn't purely for the sake of getting himself a dragon. It's possible that he might have done it to impress Daemon as well. There were wild dragons during the time of House of the Dragon. If a dragon was only what Aemond wanted after being teased by his siblings growing up, he could have tried to tame a wild one, much like what Nettles did later in the story. Of course, Aemond saw an opportunity in Laena's death, but he might not have gone through with claiming the dragon if he didn't think Daemon wasn't going to notice — Aemond wanted to make sure that Daemon would remember him personally.

Aemond and Daemon's Rivalry Was One-sided to Begin With

By stealing Vhagar, Aemond made an attempt to form a deeper bond with Daemon. It's important to note that in the Season 2 trailer, only Aemond implied the rivalry between himself and his uncle. There's nothing yet from Daemon's side. Their rivalry might have started out one-sided, fueled by Aemond's desire to be recognized and respected by the person he grew up looking up to. Sadly, with personalities like Daemon and Aemond, it's impossible for them to be friends. There's only one possibility to their relationship — rivalry. Aemond wanted Daemon to see him as an equal and a potential threat, because then, it would prove that Daemon approved and respected him as a warrior.

Though the exact plot is tightly under wraps, Season 2 will most likely include many tragic and extreme events derived from George R. R. Martin's source material that will serve as catalysts to Daemon and Aemond's rivalry. Aemond's cruelty might have been inspired by Daemon, but fans who know about the darkness that's about to unravel in Season 2 know that the distance Daemon will go for revenge can't be matched. The infamous Blood and Cheese plot twist saw Daemon send two assassins into Haelena's (Aegon II's wife) room to get even — a son for a son. Instead of going after Aemond, the person responsible for Lucerys' death, he went for Aegon II's son. This proves that at that point, Daemon didn't see Aemond as someone worth his effort, but rather a child playing in a grownup war. Rhaenyra established herself as Queen, which made Lucerys her rightful succession. Aemond killed the heir to Rhaenyra's claim, and therefore, in revenge, one of Aegon II's oldest sons would suffer the same fate.

Daemon and Aemond Have a Lot in Common

Aemond has come a long way in order to become a match for Daemon. The Rogue Prince is much more experienced in battle and has fought and won the War for the Stepstones. Daemon, who was born in 81 AC, is 29 years older than Aemond, born in 110 AC. They weren't a match to begin with. However, things changed as the young Aemond matured. Their similarities began to show.

Unlike his older brother Aegon II, Aemond, as the second son, doesn't have a claim to the throne. He would essentially inherit nothing, much like Daemon, being the younger brother of King Viserys I. Instead of growing up with the expectation of being the king one day, Aemond had to forge his own path, just like Daemon, who had to earn his status and reputation the hard way. Aemond chooses a similar route to the one the Rogue Prince had once taken. Except that King Viserys I was a tender-hearted ruler, and Daemon, trying to set himself apart from his brother, pushed to establish himself as the ruthless alternative. Aemond's brother, Aegon II, was cowardly, irresponsible and carefree. Instead of having his eyes on the throne like Daemon did, Aemond trained himself to become a better swordsman, establishing himself as the muscle in Team Green.

Aemond tamed Vhagar, the biggest dragon during that time, who belonged to Daemon's late wife. Anyone other than Daemon would have been furious. Daemon, on the other hand, seemed more impressed by Aemond's ability to claim the biggest dragon at that time. Aemond went from being the only prince growing up without a dragon to the prince with the largest beast in the world. Similarly, Daemon was nothing but the king's spoiled brother, who had a heart for chaos until he won the War of the Stepstones and demonstrated his talent in the military. Daemon and Aemond have both gone from having nothing to earning themselves titles and others' respect. Their paths crossed when Aemond stole Vhagar and lost an eye for it, but it seemed that Aemond, though young and inexperienced, was on the path to becoming the next Daemon. As a second son and a warrior with a great reputation, Daemon is someone who appreciates a challenge. If House of the Dragon were to kill off this character, there is simply no better way to send him off than in an epic duel with a match — Daemon isn't someone who'd go down quietly.

How Does the Rivalry Between Aemond and Daemon End?

In the book, Aemond and Daemon eventually die in a duel, crashing into the Gods Eye along with their dragons. With the largest dragon at his disposal, Aemond has become a major force in the Greens. With him standing in the way, Rhaenyra wouldn't be able to take back her throne. In the book, after Rhaenyra declared Nettles (Daemon's love interest) as a traitor, Daemon helped her escape, then flew to the Gods Eye to wait for Aemond for days. When Aemond showed up with Vhagar, Daemon utilized every trick he could use on Aemond, including coming at him from the side of the dead eye and taunting him in the clouds. They fought each other to death, putting an end to their rivalry. Even if Daemon didn't see Aemond as a fit opponent before, he eventually did. The Battle Above the Gods Eye saw both the Blacks and the Greens losing their prized muscles that day.

However, this event isn't likely to happen in Season 2 since House of the Dragon is planned to run for four seasons. With Daemon and Aemond garnering fans' affection, the show will likely drag on their rivalry as long as they can to keep the two of them alive. It's possible that the Battle Above the Gods Eye won't happen until Season 3 or 4.

House of the Dragon

TV-MA

Drama

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Two centuries before the events ofA Game of Thrones,House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone.

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Cast

Jefferson Hall , Eve Best , David Horovitch , Paddy Considine , Ryan Corr , Bill Paterson , Fabien Frankel , Graham McTavish , Olivia Cooke , Gavin Spokes , Sonoya Mizuno , Steve Toussaint , Matt Smith , Matthew Needham , Rhys Ifans , Emma D'Arcy , Milly Alco*ck

Main Genre

Drama

Website

https://www.hbo.com/house-of-the-dragon

Franchise

Game of Thrones

Characters By

George R. R. Martin

Cinematographer

Alejandro Martinez, Catherine Goldschmidt, Pepe Avila del Pino, Fabian Wagner

Creator

George R. R. Martin, Ryan J. Condal

Distributor

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution

Filming Locations

Spain, England, Portugal, California

Main Characters

Queen Alicent Hightower, Ser Harrold Westerling, Lord Corlys Velaryon, Grand Maester Mellos, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Ser Criston Cole, Lord Lyonel Strong, Ser Otto Hightower, Lord Jason Lannister/Ser Tyland Lannister, King Viserys I Targaryen, Mysaria, Lord Lyman Beesbur, Prince Daemon Targaryen, Ser Harwin Strong, Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, Larys Strong

Production Company

Bastard Sword, Cross Plains Productions, Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO

Sequel

Game of Thrones

Sfx Supervisor

Michael Dawson

Story By

George R. R. Martin

Number of Episodes

10

Network

HBO Max

Streaming Service(s)

Max