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TL;DR:

  • House of the Dragon changes its Aemond Targaryen actor in episode 8.
  • Fantasy fans may recognize Ewan Mitchell from another popular series.
  • Aemond will play a prominent role in House of the Dragon moving forward.
Actor Ewan Mitchell who plays an older Aemond Targaryen in 'House of the Dragon.' He's wearing an eye patch, has long, blonde hair, and his holding up a wine glass.
Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen | Ollie Upton/HBO

House of the Dragon has featured several time jumps in its first season, with the Game of Thrones prequel swapping actors multiple times since its debut. House of the Dragon Episode 8 thrusts viewers into the future once more, with Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent’s (Olivia Cooke) children aging significantly. They’ll play a prominent role in the Dance of the Dragons, and Aemond Targaryen will be especially important. Actor Ewan Mitchell takes on the role of Aemond Targaryen moving forward. Where have fans seen him before?

Actor Ewan Mitchell takes on Aemond Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 8

That’s right, actor Ewan Mitchell is taking over as Aemond Targaryen after a compelling performance from Leo Ashton in House of the Dragon Episodes 6 and 7. In particular, episode 7 put Aemond in the spotlight, as Alicent’s second son loses an eye — and stirs up some serious family drama.

Of course, Aemond acquires a dragon in the aftermath of that incident. And he also appears to be training for something big. The first time we see him in House of the Dragon Episode 8, he’s sparring with Ser Criston Cole (Fabian Frankel). And we certainly wouldn’t want to find ourselves on the other end of his sword.

Aemond creates some friction within the family later as well, and Mitchell does a stunning job of capturing the character and his unsettling anger. We’ll no doubt see more of him as the Hightowers attempt to take the Iron Throne. But where might viewers know the actor from before this? Mitchell was actually in another popular fantasy series — so, if he looks familiar, that may be why.

Where fans have seen actor Ewan Mitchell before

House of the Dragon fans wondering where they’ve seen Aemond Targaryen actor Ewan Mitchell may recognize him from another fantasy series: The Last Kingdom. Mitchell played Osferth in the BBC show, a role he took on from 2017 to 2022.

According to IMDb, Mitchell has also appeared in several other series, including Trigger Point, World on Fire, and The Halcyon. He played Ettore in the 2018 film High Life as well.

Needless to say, this isn’t Mitchell’s first rodeo — not for acting or for participating in a well-known fantasy franchise. Of course, House of the Dragon could become the actor’s biggest project yet. After all, we haven’t seen the last of Prince Aemond Targaryen.

Aemond Targaryen has an important role to play in ‘House of the Dragon’

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Whether they recognize him or not, viewers can expect to see more of Aemond Targaryen actor Ewan Mitchell as House of the Dragon continues. The Dance of the Dragons promises to kick off in full during House of the Dragon Episode 9, and Aemond will play a prominent role in the Targaryen civil war.

In fact, if the HBO prequel sticks to George R.R. Martin’s source material, fans may find themselves rooting against Alicent’s younger son. Not only is he a dragon rider, but he’s a character willing to do the unthinkable out of spite and revenge. That won’t endear him to many viewers, though it will certainly make him interesting to follow.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air every Sunday on HBO.

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