House of the Dragon rests on morally gray characters with unique traits. They elevate the storytelling with their unpredictable nature and the willingness to toe the line. Morally ambiguous characters on the show are driven by ambition and are known for their decisiveness.
House Targaryen isn’t simply divided into good and evil. Many members are charming cutthroats capable of making hard decisions that others might struggle with. Currently, the realm is split between Queen Rhaenyra and King Aegon II Targaryen, and a great deal of divided opinion exists about them. The House of the Dragon fandom is polarized, but it sure loves these characters.
6 Aegon II Targaryen
Works Through Internal Battles and the Burden Of Being King
The drunken Aegon II Targaryen did not want to be king until he walked onto the stage in the Dragonpit of King’s Landing, and was coronated in front of the masses. He was a changed man once he got his first taste of power. Wearing his namesake’s crown, Aegon drew the Blackfyre sword and heard the masses cheer out loud, while his family paid obeisance to him.
Although Aegon II temporarily forgot the feeling of inadequacy caused by his inferiority, the fact is, his internal battles will become apparent come Season 2. He was right in telling Alicent that his father stood firm on his decision of Rhaenyra succeeding him on the Iron Throne. Aegon did not want to be king, and his father didn’t want that either. But the Greens were the ones who pushed him into it:
My father never wanted this. He had 20 years to name me heir and never did. Steadfastly, he upheld Rhaenyra’s claim.
In a patriarchal world largely dictated by precedents and tradition, Aegon the Second of His Name was bypassed despite being the King’s firstborn son. Solely due to his gender, Aegon was ahead of Rhaenyra in the line of succession, but she stood to inherit the Iron Throne. Aegon was told that his family’s safety lay in securing the Iron Throne for the Green camp, and he was forced into that position he currently finds himself in.
5 Rhaenyra Targaryen
Divided Between Rights and Duties
At the start of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra was a carefree princess who wanted to Syrax across the Narrow Sea and eat cake. Her father, King Viserys, didn’t simply bestow on her the Iron Throne, but educated her on how the world’s most dangerous seat required her to be incorruptible.
Rhaenyra’s rights as a woman were trampled by the weight of her responsibilities. She lost her mother at a young age, and had to consent to her father’s remarriage. Things took an ugly turn when Rhaenyra’s father wed her best friend, Alicent Hightower. With time, she got reckless about her status as the King’s heir, and her first marriage to Ser Laenor was a complete sham. Her children weren’t fathered by Ser Laenor, but by the commander of the City Watch, Ser Harwin Strong. Laenor was a gay man and Rhaenyra had to keep the lie going.
4 Alicent Hightower
Her Father’s Pawn
Alicent Hightower was a mere pawn in the hands of Otto Hightower and dealt with manipulative people all her life. She betrayed her best friend, Rhaenyra, solely due to pressure from her father, Otto, who wanted to rise above others in court.
Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship took a nosedive after a series of events. First, the King dismissed Alicent’s father for sullying the Princess’ name by reporting her and Daemon Targaryen’s exploits in the Street of Silk. After that, Ser Criston Cole confirmed that he’d broken his oath of chastity with the Princess. Knowing Rhaenyra swore her innocence, and Otto was dismissed for speaking the truth, Alicent became paranoid. She pushed Aegon to challenge her sister because she feared for her family’s safety. She went on to install Aegon on the Iron Throne because Viserys mistook her for Rhaenyra and deliriously narrated Aegon’s dream to her on his deathbed. The Aegon that Viserys referred to and Alicent mistook for her son was, in fact, Aegon the Conqueror.
“It is you. You are the one. You must do this. You must do this.”
Alicent interpreted this as Viserys telling her to ensure Aegon’s ascension to the Iron Throne.
3 Viserys Targaryen
A Good King, But A Bad Husband
While Viserys was courteous to both of his wives, he cared more about being King than a husband. He sacrificed his first wife, Queen Aemma Arryn, in childbed when he permitted the Maesters to perform an incision into her womb. All of this happened against Aemma’s will, and she bled to death. Viserys and Aemma’s newborn didn’t survive more than a day, and various courtiers pushed Viserys to remarry.
The wise thing for Viserys to do would have been to marry the Laena Velaryon, the daughter of Princess Rhaenys and the Sea Snake, instead of Alicent. He followed his heart, and in doing so, paved the path to war. Viserys nonetheless tried to do well by his children, and however complicated, his decisions were well-meant.
2 Aemond Targaryen
A Good Son and Brother, But An Evil Stepbrother
The most-worthy new-generation Targaryen, Aemond, wants to safeguard the interests of the Greens above everything else. He is Alicent’s secondborn son, and the rider of the largest dragon in the world, named Vhagar. He is knowledgeable about history and philosophy, and a skilled swordsman.
Aemond’s hatred for Rhaenyra’s children (or as he likes to call them, the Strong boys) stems from the fact that they aren’t true-born Velaryons. He shares his mother’s opinion that Rhaenyra flouted rules and misused her privileges all her life. The adult Aemond is thoroughly loyal to his mother, and nurses a grudge against his nephew, Lucerys, for slashing his eye out years ago at Driftmark. House of the Dragon‘s first season finale conveys that Aemond doesn’t mean for Luce and Arrax to die, but causes their deaths nonetheless.
1 Daemon Targaryen
Pursues Ambition and Isn’t Guided By Morals
Daemon Targaryen doesn’t let good or bad, but rather ambition, guide his decisions. He is the epitome of a morally gray, polarizing character written for the modern era. Morals don’t affect him, and he is just as decisive as his nephew, Aemond. Daemon watches his elder brother, King Viserys, spurn him and name Rhaenyra the heir to the throne. He protests this decision by briefly squatting on Dragonstone.
Daemon wishes Rhaenyra and the King no harm. He is sad for Aemma Arryn, but at the same time, reckless in speech and actions. Later in the series, he supports Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne not because she is his wife, but because his brother commanded so.
House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres June 16 at 9/8c on HBO and Max.
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