‘House of the Dragon’: How Daemon Targaryen Is Related to His Wife, Rhaenyra
If there’s one thing Game of Thrones fans know, it’s the extent of detail author George R.R. Martin put into the worlds he creates within his novels. He made family trees dating back generations upon generations. While it might have been easier to keep track of everyone when audiences could see the characters onscreen, it still wasn’t a simple task. Now that HBO has released the first teaser for the upcoming spinoff House of the Dragon, we thought it might be a good time to look at Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen’s relationship at the center of the series.
What’s the gist of ‘House of the Dragon?’
House of the Dragon is set around 200-300 years before the events in the eight seasons of Game of Thrones. This series is based on Martin’s novels, Fire and Blood, and will follow the years leading up to the House of Targaryen’s reign.
As with any character in Game of Thrones, anyone who wants a chance at the Iron Throne isn’t going to be able to obtain it very easily. House of the Dragon will focus on the generations of Targaryens who vied for their seat at the throne. Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Emma D’Arcy, is the only surviving child of King Viserys I, and because of this, he named her as the successor to take his place. Even after the king married another woman and had sons, Rhaenyra was still his choice.
This doesn’t sit well with one of his sons, and Rhaenyra’s younger half-brother Aegon challenges her right to rule. The Targaryens aren’t the type to sit down and calmly discuss the situation and instead decide the better route to take is an all-out civil war within their family. The series will follow the ensuing battles between family members and the drama that comes along with them.
Who is Daemon Targaryen?
Showrunners for House of the Dragon have cast Matt Smith of Dr. Who fame in the role of Daemon Targaryen. As for the character himself, he’s the wife of Rhaenyra Targaryen, but he’s also her uncle. Martin hasn’t shied away from incestual relationships before (shall we remind you of Jamie and Cersei Lannister – twins who had several children together?), and House of the Dragon doesn’t seem to be steering away from it either.
According to Ice and Fire Fandom, “Prince Daemon was the most experienced warrior of his time and wielded the Valyrian steelblade Dark Sister. In addition, he was considered one of the most dangerous men in the Seven Kingdoms in his day, a dragonrider whose dragon was Caraxes.”
Daemon was King Viserys I’s younger brother, therefore making him Rhaenyra’s uncle. She’s his third wife and her second husband. The couple had two living sons, but their daughter died at birth. He was an ally for his wife and her quest for the throne. However, he’s not really what anyone would call an upstanding citizen. To be honest, though, who doesn’t have their low points in Westeros at one point or another?
When and where can you watch ‘House of the Dragon?’
Fans still have a while to wait before they get to dive into House of the Dragon. The series premieres at some point in 2022, but we don’t have a more specific date than that. The show will air on HBO and stream on HBO Max.
